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■  ■•'   ■«'">■»  : 


THE 


HISTORY 


07    THE 


CHURCH   OF    CHRIST. 


BT  THE  LATE 


REV.  JOSEPH  MILNER,  A.M. 

aSJft])  ^Mitfons  anti  ©orrections, 

BT  THE  LATE 

REV.  ISAAC  MILNER,  D.D.  F.R.S., 

DEAN  or  CARLISLE,   AND   PRESIDENT  OF  QUEEN'S  COLLEGE,    CAMBRIDGE. 


FROM  THE  LAST  LONDON  EDITION. 


VOL.  I. 


HOGAN  AND  THOMPSON. 
183  5. 


HASWELL   AND    BARRINGTON,    PRINTERS. 


5^1 


INTRODUCTION 

BY   THE    AUTHOR, 

THE    REV.  JOSEPH    MILNER,  M.  A. 


In  my  Proposals  for  printing  this  History  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  I 
promised  "  an  Ecclesiastical  History  on  a  new  Plan."  The  Reader  there- 
fore will  naturally  expect  some  distinct  account  of  a  Plan,  which  in  a  sub- 
ject so  generally  known,  lays  claim  to  novelty,  in  order  that  he  may  judge 
for  himself  whether  it  appe'ars  sufficiently  interesting  to  engage  his  perusal 
of  the  Work  itself. 

It  is  certain  that,  from  our  Saviour's  time  to  the  present,  there  have  ever 
been  persons  whose  dispositions  and  lives  have  been  formed  by  the  rules  of 
the  New  Testament ;  men  who  have  been  real,  not  merely  nominal 
Christians :  who  believed  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  loved  them  because 
of  their  divine  excellency,  and  suffered  gladly  the  loss  of  all  things,  that 
THEY  MIGHT  WIN  Christ,  AND  BE  FOUND  IN  HIM.*  It  is  the  history  of  these 
men  which  I  propose  to  write.  It  is  of  no  consequence  with  respect  to 
my  plan,  nor  of  much  importance,  I  believe,  in  its  own  nature,  to  what 
EXTERNAL  Church  they  belonged.  I  intend  not  to  enter  with  any  nicety  into 
any  account  of  their  rites  and  ceremonies,  or  forms  of  Church  government, 
much  less  into  their  secular  history.  Even  religious  controversies  shall 
be  omitted ;  except  those  which  seem  to  bear  a  relation  to  the  essence  of 
Christ's  religion,  and  of  which  the  history  of  his  real  Church  requires  some 
account.  Let  not  the  Reader  expect  that  the  actions  of  great  men— great 
in  a  secular  view  I  mean — will  be  exhibited  to  his  notice.  Nothing,  but 
what  appears  to  me  to  belong  to  Christ's  kingdom,  shall  be  admitted:  ge- 
nuine piety  is  the  only  thing  which  I  intend  to  celebrate. 

It  must  have  struck  a  careful  observer,  that  such  a  history  is  as  yet  a 
great  desideratum.  Enmity  against  the  Gospel  has  been  fed,  even  to 
satiety,  by  the  large  displays  of  ecclesiastical  wickedness.  The  wildest 
and  the  most  visionary  heretics  have  filled  the  historic  page;  and  their 
follies,  both  in  principle  and  practice,  have  been  deemed  Avorthy  of  a  par- 
ticular enumeration.  The  internal  dissentions  of  Churches  have  been 
minutely  described.  The  intricacies  and  intrigues  of  Popery,  and  in- 
deed of  every  other  secular  system  which  pretends  to  wear  a  religious 

*  Philipp.  iii.  8,  9. 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

garb,  have  been  developed  with  a  studious  particularity :  The  connexion 
between  the  Church  and  the  State  has  afforded  very  ample  materials  of  what 
is  commonly  called  Church  History ;  and  learning  and  philosophy  have 
been  much  more  respected  than  godliness  and  virtue. 

No  doubt,  some  more  ancient  voluminous  Church  Historians,  as  well  as 
Mosheim  in  his  Compendium,  have  given  as  much  useful  information  ;  and 
if  one  might  look  on  them  as  civil  historians  altogether,  there  would  not  be 
much  room  for  blame.  Further,  if  they  had  incorporated  into  their  secular 
narratives  an  account  of  the  progress  of  godliness  itself,  I  should  not  have 
dared  to  reprehend  them  as  Ecclesiastical  Historians :  But  they  evidently 
give  a  much  larger  proportion  to  the  history  of  wickedness,  than  to  that  of 
piety  in  general.  Hence  the  evils,  which  have  been  practised  in  Christian 
countries,  seem  even  greater  than  they  really  were ;  and  the  disagreeable 
inference  which  the  reading  of  Mosheim  produced  in  my  own  mind  is  pro- 
bably no  singular  case,  viz. — that  real  religion  appears  scarcely  to  have  had 
any  existence.  Infidel  malice  has  triumphed,  though  very  unreasonably, 
on  account  of  these  things  ;  the  vices  of  Christians,  so  called,  have  certainly 
been  exaggerated  on  the  whole  ;  and  Deists  and  Sceptics  have  taken  advant- 
age, partly  from  such  exaggeration  and  partly  from  the  poverty  of  our  inform- 
ation concerning  Mahometans  and  Pagans,  to  represent  both  as  more  vir- 
tuous than  Christians. 

What  account  can  be  given  of  this  unhappily  partial  view  of  Church 
History  ? — Genuine  godliness  is  fond  of  secrecy  :  Humility  is  of  its  essence  : 
She  seeks  not  the  praise  of  men  but  the  praise  of  God ;  and  hides  even  the 
good  she  does  from  the  world  more  studiously  than  wickedness  conceals 
its  evils  :  Her  sincerest  votaries  have,  likewise,  been  chiefly  private  persons, 
such  as  have  seldom  moved  in  the  public  and  noisy  spheres  of  life.  The 
most  celebrated  historians,  who  hitherto  have  appeared,  seem  not  to  have 
had  so  much  relish  for  godliness,  as  to  be  induced  to  take  any  pains  to  draw 
her  out  of  her  modest  obscurity.*  The  prevalence  of  wickedness  in  all 
ages  has  heightened  the  difficulty. t  From  these  causes  the  scarcity  of 
materials,  for  what  properly  deserves  the  name  of  Church  History,  is  much 
greater  than  any  person,  who  has  not  examined  the  subject,  can  even  con- 
ceive. I  have  all  along,  however,  to  the  best  of  my  ability  and  opportunity, 
consulted  original  records,  and  have  never  contented  myself  with  copying 
the  sentiments  of  modern  historians. 

*  Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs  is,  however,  one  striking  e-xception  to  this  remark.  The 
Magdeburgensian  Centuriators,  whom  I  did  not  meet  with  till  I  had  finished  this  Volume, 
are  likewise,  in  part,  exempted  from  the  charge  of  writing  Ecclesiastical  History  in  the 
secular  manner  which  I  have  reprehended.  Yet  while  they  omit,  or  very  lamely  recount, 
some  most  important  Christian  facts,  they  relate  with  tedious  exactness  many  uninterest- 
ing particulars.  They  seem,  however,  to  have  been  men  of  real  piety,  industry,  and 
learning,  and  may  be  of  much  use  to  me  in  subsequent  parts  of  the  history,  should  I  con- 
tinue it. 

The  volume  of  Mr.  Newton  is  well  known,  and  its  merit  has  been  acknowledged  by 
men  of  piety  and  judgment.  I  once  thought  of  beginning  only  where  he  ended.  But  as 
there  is  an  unity  of  manner  and  style  which  belongs  to  every  author  who  plans  and  exe- 
cutes for  himself;  and,  as  in  some  points  I  really  found  myself  to  differ  in  sentiment  from 
this  very  respectable  writer,  I  altered  my  opinion,  contented  in  this  place  to  acknowledge, 
that,  so  far  as  I  can  recollect,  the  perusal  of  his  in'-tructive  volume  of  Ecclesiastical  History 
first  suggested  to  me  the  idea  of  this  work. 

■j-  A  history  of  the  perversions  and  abuses  of  religion  is  not  properly  a  history  of  the 
Church ;  as  absurd  were  it  to  suppose  a  history  of  the  highwaymen  that  have  infested  this 
country  to  be  a  history  of  England. 


/ 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

I  hope  I  shall  be  allowed  to  call  the  plan,  I  propose,  a  proper  one.  Cer- 
tainly, the  terms  "  Church,"  and  "  Christian,"  do  in  their  most  natural 
and  PRIMARY  SENSE  respect  only  good  men.  The  Divine  Founder  of  our 
religion  has  promised,  that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
AGAINST  IT.  Such  a  successioH  of  pious  men  in  all  ages  must,  therefore, 
have  existed ;  and  it  will  be  no  contemptible  use  of  such  a  history  as  this, 
if  it  prove,  that,  in  every  age,  there  have  been  real  followers  of  Christ. 
Other  uses  cannot  fail  to  offer  themselves.  To  see  and  trace  the  goodness 
of  God  taking  care  of  his  Church  in  every  age  by  his  Providence  and  Grace, 
will  be,  to  the  devout  mind,  a  refreshment  of  the  most  grateful  nature.  The 
honour  of  Christianity  will  be  supported  ;  the  value  of  its  essential  doctrines 
will  be  ascertained ;  and  we  shall  have  frequent  occasion  to  state  what  the 
Gospel  is,  and  what  it  is  not.  Hence  the  triumphs  of  the  Sceptic  will 
appear  to  be  unfounded  in  truth  ;  when  it  shall  be  evident  on  the  whole, — 
that  Christ's  religion  has  ever  existed,  and  brought  forth  its  proper  fruits, 
to  which  no  other  system  can  make  any  just  pretension  ;  and  finally, — that 
the  evils  of  which  Christians,  so  called,  have  been  guilty,  arose  not  from 
the  Gospel  itself,  but  from  the  hypocrisy  of  those  who  assumed  that  worthy 
Name,  to  which  neither  their  faith  nor  their  practice  gave  them  any  right. 

These,  and  other  obvious  advantages  of  such  a  history,  have  determined 
me  to  attempt  it.  I  feel  oppressed  with  the  greatness  of  the  subject: 
Nevertheless,  with  God's  help,  I  mean  to  proceed.     In   magnis  voluisse 

SAT  EST. 

I  have  two  things  further  to  promise  :  1st,  to  assure  the  Reader  that  I 
shall  think  it  my  indispensable  duty  to  give  him  real  facts ;  and,  if  I  be 
sometimes  rather  more  copious  in  reflections  than  the  severe  laws  of  history 
allow,  he  will  do  well  to  observe,  that  the  fashionable  misrepresentations  of 
ancient  story  require  considerable  attention. 

And,  2dly,  I  fairly  warn  the  Reader  not  to  expect  from  me  any  indul- 
gence in  the  modern  taste  of  Scepticism.  I  shall  not  affect  to  doubt  the 
credibility  of  ancient  respectable  historians.  And,  as  it  is  hardly  possible 
to  avoid  altogether  the  infection  of  the  age  in  which  one  lives,  I  seem  to 
myself  sufficiently  secured,  by  the  torrent  of  prevailing  opinions,  from  the 
other  extreme  of  superstitious'  belief.  Both  ought  to  be  avoided :  but  that, 
which  supports  itself  by  the  appearance  of  extraordinary  sense,  by  the 
authority  of  ereat  names,  and  by  the  love  of  applause,  must  of  course  be 
the  more  ensnaring.  The  present  age,  in  matters  of  religion,  may  justly 
be  called  the  age  of  self-sufficiency :  We  condemn  the  ancients  by  whole- 
sale, and  without  giving  them  a  hearing:  we  suspect  their  historical 
accounts,  without  discrimination:  malevolence  and  profaneness  are  both 
encouraged  by  such  conduct :  we  fancy  ourselves  so  enlightened,  as  to  be 
without\ny  parallels  in  discernment :  we  are  amazed,  that  our  ancestors 
should  so  long  have  been  deluded  by  absurdities  ;  and,  we  are  very  little 
aware  how  niuch  some  future  age  will  pity  and  blame  us,  for  follies,  of 
which  we  imagine  ourselves  perfectly  clear. 

J.  M. 


INTRODUCTION. 


[NOTE  TO  THE  EDITION  OF  1810.] 

The  Editor*  takes  this  opportunity  of  most  gratefully  acknowledging  the 
liberal  patronage  of  the  University  of  Cambridge,  in  having  printed  at  their 
own  expense  four  volumes  of  Mr.  M.'s  Ecclesiastical  History.  Their 
kindness  and  consideration  in  this  matter  makes  an  indelible  impression  on 
his  mind :  and,  if  any  thing  could  increase  his  affectionate  attachment  to 
that  learned  Body,  after  so  long  and  active  a  residence  among  them,  it  would 
be  this  honourable  token  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  his  deceased  Brother, 
who  himself,  many  years  ago,  as  a  Student  in  the  same  Seminary,!  received 
distinguished  marks  of  approbation. 

*  The  Rev.  Isaac  Milner,  D.D.,  Dean  of  Carlisle,  and  President  of  Queen's  College, 
Cambridge. 

■j-  Mr.  M.  took  his  degree  of  B.  A.  in  the  year  1 766  ;  and  obtained,  as  a  prize,  one  of 
the  Chancellor's  gold  medals.     The  candidates  were  uncommonly  numerous  and  able. 

J\r.  B. — Two  handsome  gold  medals  are  given  annually  by  the  Chancellor  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Cambridge,  to  such  Bachelors  of  Arts  as  excel  in  classical  learning. 


PREFACE 

TO   THE    SECOND   VOLUME,* 

AS    OKIGINALLT    PUBLISHED, 

BY   THE   REV.   JOSEPH   MILNER,   M.  A, 


The  period  of  time,  which  the  Volume  now  presented  to  the  Reader  em- 
braces, will  exhibit  the  Church  of  Christ  in  a  very  different  situation  from 
any  in  which  it  appeared,  during  the  whole  course  of  the  three  first  Cen- 
turies. 

The  fourth  Century  opens  with  a  persecution  more  systematically 
planned,  and  more  artfully  conducted,  than  those  which  Christians  had  ever 
known.  Indeed  victory  at  first  showed  itself  in  favour  of  the  persecutors, 
and  Christianity  seemed  to  be  near  an  end.  All  the  powers  of  cruelty  and 
artifice,  and  of  violence  and  calumny,  associated,  were  exerted  to  the  utmost 
in  the  course  of  these  transactions ;  and,  if  the  Church  still  survived  the 
storm,  and  rose  more  terrible  from  her  losses,  the  only  reason  was,  because 
her  DEFENDER  is  invincible. 

We  next  behold  the  Church  established  and  protected  by  civil  polity,  and 
the  whole  system  of  Paganism,  which  had  been  the  pride  of  ages,  gradu- 
ally dissolved,  and  sinking  into  insignificance  and  contempt.  The  advan- 
tages and  abuses,  attendant  on  Christian  Establishments,  display  themselves, 
on  this  occasion,  in  a  very  conspicuous  point  of  view.  I  have  endeavoured, 
with  faithfulness  and  candour,  to  point  out  both ;  at  the  same  time  that  the 
regard  due  to  truth  itself,  and  to  the  characters  of  the  most  illustrious  and 
the  most  exemplary  Christians  in  past  ages,  seemed  to  require  a  defence  of 
Ecclesiastical  Establishments.  I  hope  no  real  lover  of  truth  and  liberty 
will  censure  the  attempt :  for  it  must  be  owned,  that  the  most  direct  attacks, 
in  the  way  of  argument,  and  I  wish  I  could  say  only  in  that  way,  have 
repeatedly  been  made  against  them,  as  if  they  were  unchristian  in  their 
whole  nature.  It  cannot,  therefore,  be  reckoned  unfair  to  desire  men, 
freely  to  give  to  others  the  liberty  which  they  allow  to  themselves,  if  they 
would  prove  that  their  love  of  liberty  is  genuine  and  sincere. 

The  Arian  controversy  nearly  fills  the  rest  of  the  Century;  it  was  my 
duty  to  give  a  faithful  history  of  its  rise,  progress,  and  effects.  And,  if  the 
personal  character  of  Arians  appear  more  criminal  than  many  of  my  readers 
have  been  taught  to  imagine,  I  confidently  refer  them  to  the  most  authentic 
records  of  antiquity.  I  am  not  conscious  of  having  disguised  any  one  fact, 
or  exaggerated  any  one  enormity. 

But  it  is  with  far  greater  pleasure,  that  I  have  contemplated  the  fifth  Cen- 

»  Centuries  IV.,  V.,  from  p.  256  to  p.  485,  Vol.  I.  of  this  edition. 


8  PREFACE. 

tury.  The  history  of  Pelagianism  I  judged  to  be  a  desideratum  in  our 
language ;  it  was  necessary  to  lay  it  before  the  reader  with  some  degree  of 
circumstantial  exactness,  supported  too  by  incontestible  documents.  If  the 
account  of  the  writings  and  labours  of  Augustine  be  thought  to  extend  to  an 
immoderate  length,  I  can  only  say,  that  the  importance  of  the  doctrines  of 
GRACE,  with  their  practical  effects,  will,  perhaps,  be  considered  as  a  suffi- 
cient apology.  Nothing  can  be  introduced  more  pertinent  to  the  whole 
design  of  this  History,  than  the  revival  of  religion,  of  which  he  was  the 
providential  instrument:  its  effects  remained  for  many  centuries:  and  I 
scarcely  need  say  to  those,  who  have  read  the  former  Volume  even  with 
superficial  attention,  that  my  plan  often  requires  me  to  be  brief,  where 
other  historians  are  immoderately  tedious;  and  to  be  circumstantial,  where 
they  say  little,  or  are  silent  altogether. 

To  search  out  the  real  Church  from  age  to  age,  is  indeed  a  work  of  much 
labour  and  difficulty;  far  more  so,  I  apprehend,  than  can  even  be  conceived 
by  those  whose  studies  have  never  been  directed  to  this  object.  The  ore 
is  precious,  but  it  must  be  extracted  from  incredible  heaps  of  heterogeneous 
matter.  I  cannot  pretend  to  be  clear  of  mistakes ;  but  it  behooved  me  to  be 
as  careful  as  I  could ;  and  I  shall  thankfully  receive  information  or  correc- 
tion from  studious  persons  who  have  carefully  investigated  antiquity  for 
themselves.  I  cannot,  indeed,  expect  information  or  correction  from  self- 
created  critics,  who  are  carried  down  the  torrent  of  modern  prejudices,  and 
who  know  no  sentiments,  but  those  which  they  have  imbibed  from  Authors 
of  the  present  Century. 

The  encouragement  which  I  have  received  from  a  generous  Public  in- 
duces me  to  persevere.  Besides,  the  peculiar  advantage  of  a  work  of  this 
kind  is,  that  it  is  capable  of  perfection,  so  far  as  it  proceeds,  without  need- 
ing any  support  from  subsequent  parts.  It  is  not  like  a  connected  thread 
of  argumentation,  which  must  be  read  throughout,  before  the  full  force  of 
any  particular  portion  of  it  be  discerned. 

What  real  Christianity  is,  I  mean  to  exhibit  historically ;  and,  in  the 
execution  of  this  plan,  I  hope  I  shall  be  found  not  altogether  to  have  disap- 
pointed the  expectations  of  the  University  of  Cambridge.  I  reflect  with 
peculiar  satisfaction,  that  the  University,  to  which  I  am  now  so  much  in- 
debted for  liberal  support  in  the  publication  of  this  Work,  and  in  which 
several  of  my  earlier  years  were  spent  in  useful  studies,  was,  under  Divine 
Providence,  the  principal  instrument,*  of  spreading  through  these  kingdoms 
at  the  Reformation,  that  very  light  of  Evangelical  doctrine,  which  it  is  the 
capital  object  of  this  History  to  explore. 


*  See  Burnet's  History  of  the  Reformation,  and  Strype's  Lives  of  the  Archbishops, 
passim. 


PREFACE 

TO  THE   THIRD   VOLUME,* 

AS    OaiGIITAI.LT    PUBLISHED, 

BY   THE   REV.   JOSEPH    MILNE  R,  M.A. 


If  the  real  Church  Historian  find  it  a  difficult  task  to  extract  a  connected 
view  of  his  peculiar  subject  from  the  Ecclesiastical  materials  of  the  fourth 
and  fifth  Centuries,  that  difficulty  is  multiplied  a  hundredfold,  while  he 
labours  through  the  long  and  gloomy  period,  which  in  the  present  Volume 
engages  his  attention. 

Impressed,  however,  with  the  certain  truth  of  the  declaration  made  by 
the  Divine  Author  of  Christianity,  "  that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  never  pre- 
vail against  his  Church,"  I  have  endeavoured  all  along  to  discover  her 
actual  existence.  How  far  I  have  succeeded,  the  Reader  must  determine 
for  himself.  If  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  have  not  been  ex- 
hibited, both  as  professed  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  and  as  productive 
of  those  fruits  of  holiness,  which  are  peculiarly  Christian,  my  aim  has  been 
missed,  and  the  grand  design  of  the  whole  narration  has  failed.  But  I  hope 
the  Scriptural  Reader  will  see  the  lineaments  of  the  Church  pervading 
these  dark  Centuries  ;  provided  that  he  divest  himself  of  all  partial  regards 
for  sects  and  denominations,  ages  and  countries,  and  attend  exclusively  to 
the  remarks  and  evidences  of  genuine  Christianity.  This  is  the  right  frame 
of  spirit,  which  the  subject  before  us  requires ;  and  it  is  what  I  have  steadily 
endeavoured  to  preserve. 

Tros  Rutulusve  fuat  nullo  discrimine  habebo. 

In  the  former  part  of  the  Volume,  Gregory  I.  of  Rome,  and  the  English 
Christians,  will  be  found  objects  deserving  our  serious  attention.  Nor 
should  we  be  prejudiced  against  the  real  Church,  because  she  then  wore  a 
Roman  garb.  Undoubtedly  she  was  by  this  means  much  defiled  with 
superstition ;  for  that  was  as  much  the  predominant  evil  of  those  times,  as 
profaneness  is  of  our  own.  The  last-mentioned  evil  admits  of  no  coalition 
with  Christian  holiness ;  but  superstition,  to  a  certain  degree,  may  co-exist 
with  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel.  When  that  degree  is  exceeded,  and  general 
idolatry  takes  place,  the  system  then  becomes  too  corrupt  to  deserve  the 
name  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  I  have  marked  this  limit  to  the  best  of  my 
judgment  in  the  course  of  this  History,  have  exhibited  the  man  of  sin 

*  Centuries  VI.,  VII.,  VIII.,  IX.,  X.,  XL,  XII.,  XIII.,  Vol.  I.,  from  p.  486  to  the  end; 
and  Vol.  II.,  from  p.  1  to  102  of  this  edition. 


10  PREFACE. 

matured  in  all  his  gigantic  horrors,  and  from  that  epocha  I  despair  of  dis- 
covering the  Church  in  the  collective  body  of  nominal  Christians.  Every 
Reader  will  observe  the  various  features  of  Antichrist  described  in  this 
Volume,  and  some  may  perhaps  be  enabled  to  form  a  more  distinct  and  ade- 
quate conception  of  the  nature  of  Popery,  than  they  had  before  acquired. 

Leaving  therefore  the  general  Church  of  Rome,  after  she  had  entirely 
ceased  to  hold  the  head,  I  either  travel  with  faithful  Missionaries  into 
regions  of  heathenism,  and  describe  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  scenes 
altogether  new,  or  dwell  with  circumstantial  exactness  on  the  lives  and 
writings  of  some  particular  individuals,  in  whom  the  Spirit  of  God  main- 
tained the  power  of  godliness,  while  they  remained  "in  Babylon."  The 
former  object  displays  one  of  the  brightest  prospects  of  this  whole  period, 
and  seems  to  rebuke  the  supineness  of  modern  times,  in  regard  to  the  exten- 
sion of  divine  truth  among  Pagan  nations.  The  latter,  I  trust,  will  be  found 
to  afford  matter  of  Christian  instruction.  The  pleasure  and  benefit,  which, 
as  I  have  repeatedly  heard,  has  been  derived  from  the  perusal  of  Augustine's 
Life  and  Confessions,  in  the  preceding  Volume,  encourage  me  to  expect, 
that  the  review  of  the  lives  and  writings  of  Anselm  and  of  Bernard  in  this, 
may  not  be  without  similar  fruit. 

The  History  of  these  seven  Centuries,  as  it  has  hither  appeared  in  our 
common  Ecclesiastical  narratives,  it  must  be  confessed,  is  extremely  unin- 
teresting. If  I  have  had  some  advantages  for  enlivening  and  illuminating 
the  scene,  let  those  be  ascribed  to  the  peculiar  nature  of  my  plan. 

The  account  of  the  Waldenses,  which  closes  the  Volume,  belongs  not 
to  the  Thirteenth  Century  exclusively  ;  it  is,  however,  ascribed  to  it,  because 
in  the  course  of  that  Century  most  extraordinary  persecutions  and  conflicts 
took  place  among  this  people,  and  particularly  excited  the  attention  of 
Europe.  It  was  also  judged  proper  to  give  one  unbroken  narrative  of  Wal- 
densian  transactions  in  Ecclesiastical  matters,  till  the  time  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. 

If  the  Reader  learn  some  practical  lessons  concerning  the  power,  wisdom, 
goodness,  and  faithfulness  of  God,  from  the  review  of  the  events  which  lie 
before  him,  I  shall  have  reason  to  rejoice,  nor  shall  I  think  my  labour  to 
have  been  in  vain. 


PREFACE 

TO   THE    FOURTH   VOLUME,* 

AS    ORIGINALLY    PCBLISHED, 

BY   THE   REV.   ISAAC    MILNE  R,   D.  D. 


The  Editor  has  no  doubt  but  the  subject-matter  of  this  Volume  will 
afford  abundant  satisfaction  to  the  Christian  Reader.     Almost  every  page  is 
replete  both  with  instruction  and  entertainment ;  and  what  certainly  distm- 
guishes  this  History  through  a  very  large  portion  of  it, — that  portion,  which 
peculiarly  entitles  it  to  the  name  of  the  History  of  the  Church  of  Christ, — 
is  of  such  a  nature  as  not  to  have  found  its  way  into  our  ordinary  Ecclesias- 
tical histories.     The  learned  Reader,  when  he  has  perused  this  book,  can 
scarcely  fail  to  exclaim.  How  little  notice,  in  general,  has  been  taken  of  the 
genuine  religious  principles   and  practice  of  the  bishops  Grosseteste  and 
Bradwardine !     How  are  the  very  best  parts  of  the  character  of  Wickliff 
almost  consigned  to  oblivion !     What  defective  and  erroneous  notions  of 
John  Huss,  and  Jerom  of  Prague,  are  inculcated  by  authors  who  have 
attempted  to  abstract  and  condense  the  proceedings  of  the  Council  of  Con- 
stance ;  and  lastly,  how  little  acquainted  are  even  many  studious  and  well- 
informed  persons  with  the  religious  part  of  the  character  of  Martin  Luther ! 
Perhaps  few  men  have  been  more  exposed  than  this  celebrated  German, 
to  the  extremes  of  calumny  and  panegyric.     Ecclesiastical  histories  are 
full,  not  only  of  discordant  sentiments  relative  to  his  proceedings,  but  also 
of  contradictory  statements  of  the  facts.     His  bold  and  enterprising  genius, 
his  firm  and  intrepid  temper,  and  above  all,  his  persevering  spirit  of  inquiry, 
continue  to  be  the  admiration  of  every  Protestant;  while  those  of  the  papal 
persuasion  have  endeavoured  to  load  his  memory  with  charges,  which  at 
first  originated  in  chagrin  and  hatred,  and  have  been  kept  alive  by  bigotry 
and  superstition.     The  infidel  writers,  who  usually  affect  extraordinary 
moderation  in  every  thing  but  religious  concerns,  have  rashly  followed  the 
Papists  in  questioning  the  purity  of  the  Reformer's  motives.     Nodody  is 
surprised  at  this.     But  it  may  well  seem  a  wonderful,  as  it  is  truly  an  affect- 
ing circumstance,  that,  in  our  enlightened  times,  many  should  be  found, 
who,  though  they  have  not  only  never  renounced  Christianity,  but  even 
profess  themselves  sincere  fiiends  of   the  Reformation, — yet  appear  to 
understand  very  little  of  the  real  dispositions  of  Luther.     Some  of  his 
natural  qualities  have  been  the  subject  of  much  observation  ;  but  the  ruling 
principles  of  the  man,  those  principles  which  were  eminently  spiritual  and 
christian,  are  almost  buried  in  silence. 

*  Centuries  XIII.,  XIV.,  XV.,  XVI.,  from  p.  103  to  p.  322,  Vol.  II.  of  this  edition. 


12  PREFACE. 

There  would  be  little  room  left  for  controversy  respecting  this  extra- 
ordinary personage,  if  men  would  turn  their  attention  to  the  investigation 
of  his  private  conduct  and  secret  motives,  and  would  accustom  themselves 
to  estimate  characters  by  scriptural  rules.  Happily,  the  authentic  docu- 
ments for  this  purpose, — though  by  no  means  so  plentiful,  in  some  of  the 
earlier  years  of  his  life,  as  might  be  wished, — are  yet,  in  the  main,  suffici- 
ently clear  and  numerous.  They  establish,  beyond  dispute,  the  singular 
purity  and  disinterested  integrity  of  Luther.  And  one  may  venture  to 
affirm,  that  if  the  refined,  philosophical  taste  of  our  historians,  as  well  as  of 
the  age  in  which  they  live,  would  have  allowed  them  to  produce  and  digest 
the  unexceptionable  evidence  which  actually  exists,  much  juster  notions 
concerning  the  Saxon  Reformer  and  his  proceedings  would  have  been  enter- 
tained by  students  of  history,  than  they  can  now  possibly  deduce  from 
reading  several  of  our  best  writers.  The  defects  of  their  performances 
have  not  arisen  from  the  want  of  ability,  or  of  industry,  or  of  learning. 
Such  an  insinuation  would  argue  the  highest  degree  of  presumption  in  the 
Editor.  It  is  his  sincere  belief  that  several  historical  productions  of  modern 
times  might  challenge,  almost  in  any  point  of  comparison,  the  most  cele- 
brated pieces  of  antiquity.  It  is  to  the  neglect  of  observing,  investigating, 
and  illustrating  the  operations  of  the  genuine  principles  of  the  Gospel,  that 
the  deficiencies  here  spoken  of  are  perhaps  entirely  to  be  ascribed.  The 
Editor  deprecates  the  charge  of  censorious  criticism,  and  submits  to  the 
judgment  of  impartial  and  intelligent  readers  for  a  candid  construction  of 
his  meaning,  while,  with  much  grief,  he  suggests  to  their  consideration,^ 
Whether  some  of  our  ablest  historians  have  not  discovered  much  more 
anxiety  to  enumerate  the  various  political  and  subordinate  causes  of  the 
Reformation,  than  to  trace  diligently,  and  mark  distinctly,  the  powerful 
energy  of  the  essential  doctrines  of  Christianity,  as,  through  the  gracious 
assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  they  efficaciously  influenced  the  con- 
duct of  the  first  Reformers  ?  Should  this  question  be  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  it  may  then  be  worth  while  to  inquire  further, — Whether  this 
UNPHiLosoPHiCAL,  as  wcU  as  unchristian  neglect  of  the  operation  of  Gospel 
principles  on  the  minds  of  men  who  have  been  distinguished  as  the  chief 
instruments  of  Providence  in  bringing  about  important  ecclesiastical  revo- 
lutions, does  not  arise  from  an  acquiescence  at  least  in  the  irreligious  taste 
of  the  times,  if  not  from  the  actual  contagion  of  modern  scepticism  and 
infidelity.  For  in  seasons  of  great  departure  from  sound  doctrine,  when 
men  are  apt  to  be  ashamed  of  the  "Son  of  Man  and  his  words,"  it  requires 
much  courage  and  piety  to  be  an  open  and  faithful  defender  of  the  truth. 
Also,  when  the  Gospel  itself  is  perpetually  assailed  under  the  specious 
pretence  of  modest  doubt  and  inquiry,  the  very  best  disposed  persons  have 
need  to  be  constantly  watchful,  lest  their  own  minds  should  imperceptibly 
be  infected  with  the  hostile  insinuations  of  artful  enemies  of  Revelation.  It 
should  seem  that  no  writers  are  in  this  respect  more  dangerous,  than  those 
learned  and  able  historians  of  a  philosophical  stamp,  with  whom  fame  is 
avowedly  the  motive  and  the  reward  of  their  labours.* 

But  it  will  be  said,  that  the  niceties  of  controversial  divinity,  are  not  the 
proper  province  either  of  the  polite  or  of  the  profound  historian.  Be  it  so  : 
Yet  surely  it  must  be  granted,  that  the  investigation  of  men's  general 
principles  of  conduct,  must  be  of  singular  service  towards  discovering  their 

*  Fame  is  the  motive,  it  is  the  reward  of  our  labours ; — GiBBOif,  Miscell.  Vol.  II. 


PREFACE.  13 

real  motives  in  particular  transactions.  If,  for  example,  in  the  case  of  Mar- 
tin Luther,  it  be  an  undoubted  fact,  that  during  all  the  important  scenes  in 
which  he  was  so  providentially  called  to  be  a  principal  actor,  the  peculiar 
truths  "of  the  Gospel  Avere  powerfully  and  practically  influential  on  his 
mind ;  then  it  will  follow  that  the  motives  of  that  great  Reformer  cannot  be 
explained  or  comprehended  without  specially  adverting  to  those  truths,  and 
diligendy  weighing  their  effects  in  the  production  of  human  actions,  accord- 
ing to  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  "  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know 
them."— A  due  attention  to  these  things  surely  ought  not  to  be  confounded 
with  an  improper  or  an  objectionable  regard  to  theological  niceties. 

Indeed,  if  the  writers  of  Ecclesiastical  histories  have  not  themselves  also 
some  practical,  experimental  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  pure  Christianity, 
as  well  as  theoretical  and  speculative  notions  concerning  it,  they  must  for 
ever  be  embarrassed  in  contemplating  the  conduct  of  good  men ;  and  the 
more  they  aspire  to  what  is  called  the  philosophy  of  history, — that  is,  the 
more  they  affect  to  develop  general  principles,  to  form  abstract  systems,  and 
to  unfold  the  secret  motives  oC  men's  hearts,  the  worse  guides  will  they  be- 
come to  their  unbiassed,  unsuspecting  readers,  and  the  more  likely  to  mis- 
lead and  prejudice  their  minds. 

The  histories  of  Luther  and  of  Lutheranism  are  so  intimately  mixed  with 
secular  politics,  and  so  pregnant  with  revolutions  of  the  greatest  consequence 
to  kingdoms  and  empires,  that,  however  little  disposed  the  modern  histo- 
rians may  have  been  to  trace  the  existence  of  the  true  Church  of  Christ,  or 
record  the  effects  of  the  operation  of  pure  Christian  principles,  they  have 
found  it  impossible  not  to  give  considerable  attention  to  the  transactions  of 
the  Saxon  Reformer  and  his  associates.  In  fact,  the  civil  and  religious  liber- 
ties of  mankind  have  been  found  to  be  closely  connected  together  in  prac- 
tice ;  and  it  is  this  circumstance,  which,  in  a  great  measure,  has  contributed 
to  the  celebrity  of  Luther  and  other  German  theologians. 

No  person  could  have  a  greater  esteem  for  Luther  than  the  Author  of  this 
History.  The  present  volume  will  show  how  well  versed  he  was  in  his 
writings,  and  with  how  much  care  he  had  studied  his  character.  He  loved 
him  as  a  man  of  plain  dealing  and  unfeigned  piety :  he  admired  him  as  a 
champion  of  truth :  he  revered  him  as  an  instrument  of  God,  highly  honoured 
and  expressly  chosen  for  the  purpose  of  defending  and  propagating  the 
Christian  faith ;  and  he  contemplated  his  success  with  delight  and  astonish- 
ment. But  the  more  thoroughly  he  had  penetrated  the  secret  thoughts  of 
the  Reformer,  the  more  deeply  was  our  Author's  spirit  affected  on  account 
of  the  MANNER  in  which  he  saw  the  righteous  views  and  motives  of  this  ex- 
cellent man  transmitted  to  posterity  by  the  ablest  modern  historians.  That 
manner,  to  say  the  best  of  it,  he  considered  as  extremely  imperfect  in  ge- 
neral, and  frequently  dangerous  and  illusory.  Most  of  these  writers  ap- 
peared to  him  to  employ  their  chief  strength  concerning  secondary  causes, 
and  some  of  them  evidently  with  an  evil  design  against  Christianity: 
whereas  the  devout  mind  of  the  Author  of  this  History  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  saw  the  finger  of  God  in  every  step  of  the  Reformation.  With 
his  favourite  Luther,  he  altogether  agreed  that  the  real  distemper  of  the 
Church,  in  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  was  corruption  of  evan- 
gelical DOCTRINE.  It  was  but  gradually  that  the  Saxon  Reformer  saw  this 
melancholy  truth ;  but  when  his  eyes  were  once  fairly  opened  to  the  nature 
of  the  evil,  he  never  more  lost  sight  of  it;  and  he  exerted  every  nerve  in 
administering  the  specific  medicine.  It  grieved  Mr.  Joseph  Milner,  not  a 
Vol.  I.  B 


14  PREFACE. 

little,  to  see  how  this  very  important  matter  is  almost  entirely  overlooked 
by  historians.  He  considered  the  thing  not  merely  as  an  injury  done  to  the 
memory  of  an  eminent  servant  of  God,  but  as  an  infallible  symptom  of  the 
decay,  at  least  among  the  learned,  of  religious  knowledge  and  religious 
taste. 

Unbelievers  and  sceptics  do  their  utmost  in  every  way  to  exclude  God 
and  his  Christ  from  being  supposed  to  exercise  any  superintending  influence 
over  those  great  events  which  prove  favourable  to  the  propagation  and  esta- 
blishment of  pure  rehgion;  and  when,  for  private  reasons,  they  do  not 
choose  to  speak  plainly,  they  usually  shelter  themselves  under  equivocal 
and  ironical  expressions ;  and  try  to  wound  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  by  depre- 
ciating his  most  distinguished  servants.  Thus,  pride,  opposition,  singu- 
larity, self-interest,  ambition,  enthusiasm,  have  been  insinuated  to  the  un- 
suspecting minds  of  many  readers,  as  the  ruling  motives  of  the  Saxon 
Reformer. 

The  Writer,  in  the  management  of  this  part  of  his  History  of  the  Church, 
has  endeavoured  to  rescue  the  memory  of  Luther  from  unjust  aspersions  of 
every  kind ;  and  he  does  this,  not  by  indecisive  effusions  of  praise  and  cen- 
sure, or  of  affected  candour  and  concession,  but  by  a  scriptural  display  of 
the  nature  of  the  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus,  as  exemplified  in  the  con- 
duct of  this  eminent  Theologian.  The  former  method  might  have  ensured 
to  him  the  commendation  of  modern  critics,  but  the  latter  only  could  be  ad- 
mitted into  a  History  which  has  for  its  single  object  the  celebration  of  the 
honour  of  the  Divine  Government,  as  made  manifest  in  the  conversion  of 
sinners  and  the  extension  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 

The  Reader  will  however  observe,  that  his  Historian  is  not  blind  either 
to  the  excellencies  or  to  the  faults  of  liUther,  considered  as  a  natural*  man. 
But  he  must  keep  in  mind,  that  the  Writer's  chief  business  with  the  Re- 
former consisted  in  exhibiting  the  operation  of  his  genuine  Christian  prin- 
ciples. The  German  theologian,  in  the  Author's  views,  was  a  distinguished 
subject  of  Almighty  grace,  which,  by  enlightening  his  understanding, 
changing  his  affections,  and  animating  his  hopes,  prepared  him  in  a  most 
wonderful  manner,  for  the  extraordinary  part  he  was  appointed  to  sustain. 
When  the  intelligent  Reader  shall  have  perused  this  portion  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  he  will  be  a  better  judge  of  the  Author's  penetration,  and  of  the 
soundness  and  impartiality  of  his  conclusions. 

Mr.  Joseph  Milner,  in  his  Introduction  to  the  First  Volume  of  this  His- 
tory, complains  of  the  Ecclesiastical  historians,  "  That  they  had  developed, 
with  a  studious  particularity,  the  intricacies  and  intrigues  of  Popery;  that 
the  connexion  between  the  Church  and  State  had  afforded  very  ample  ma- 
terials of  what  is  commonly  called  Church-history ;  but  that  learning  and 
philosophy  had  been  much  more  respected  than  Godliness  and  virtue."     A 
treatment  of  this  sort  was  to  be  expected  from  Deistical  historians ;  but  that 
the  same  lamentable  truth  should  be  exemplified  in  the  writings  of  those 
who  believe  Christianity,  and  are  bound  to  support  its  cause,  is  discouraging 
and  vexatious  in  the  highest  degree.     The  fact,  however,  is  not  to  be  denied ; 
it  is  not  to  be  denied,  for  example,  that  Luther's  practical  interpretation  of 
the  scriptural  doctrines  of  the  salvation  of  mankind,  as  well  as  his  argu- 
ments against  the  reigning  corruptions  of  the  same  doctrines,  scarcely  ap- 
pear at  all  in  modern  descriptions  of  the  reformation  of  the  church.     The 

*   1  Cor.  ii.  14. 


PREFACE.  15 

Editor  is  at  a  loss  to  assign  any  other  causes  for  the  omission,  than  those 
already  mentioned  in  this  Preface,  namely,  the  contagion  of  the  times,  and 
the  actual  decay  of  a  religious  taste.     Men  learn  not  only  to  undervalue,  but    ^ 
absolutely  to  overlook  the  very  existence  and  operation  of  the  most  precious 
Evangelical  principles. 

A  short  quotation  from  an  elegant,  and  in  general,  a  very  accurate  histo- 
rian, will  serve  to  illustrate  the  preceding  reflections.  He  informs  us, 
that  "there  was  scarcely  any  opinion  or  practice  of  the  Romish  church, 
which  Luther  endeavoured  to  reform,  but  what  had  been  previously 
animadverted  upon  by  Erasmus,  and  had  afforded  him  subject  either  of 
censure  or  raillery."* 

To  this  assertion  of  the  incomparable  historian  it  would  not  be  diilicult 
to  produce  very  considerable  exceptions,  were  we  disposed  to  examine   se- 
parately those  opinions  and  practices  of  the  Papal  system,  which  the  rulers 
of  that  establishment  considered  as  essential  to  the  maintenance  of  the  ex- 
isting domination  ;  but  it  is  by  no  means  the  design  of  the  Editor,  in  quoting 
this  passage,  to  cavil  at  a  general  assertion,  which  in  substance  has  often 
been  made  before,  and  which  is  true  in  the  main,  when  taken  in  the  sense 
the    writer   intended    it    to  be    understood.     Dr.  Robertson  had  his    eye 
chiefly    on  the   scandalous    vices    of    the  monks ;    the  intrigues,  avarice, 
and  encroachments  of  the  dignified   clergy ;    and  many  abominable  impi- 
eties and  superstitions  of  the  Romish  church.     And  these,  most  certainly, 
had  often  afforded  to  Erasmus  matter  for  satirical  animadversion  or  sarcas- 
tical  stricture,  before  they  became  the  object  of  Luther's  grief,  indignation 
and  remonstrance.  So  far  therefore  the  sentiment  of  the  quotation  is  supported 
by  fact.     But,  neither  before  nor  after  the  commencement  of  Luther's  attack 
on  the  Roman  Catholic  opinions  and  practises,  did  Erasmus  ever  concur  with 
him  in  the  grand' article  of  contention.  It  may  be  admitted,  that  he  skirmished, 
as  it  were,  and  with  great  success,  against  many  of  the  auxiliaries  of  Po- 
pery ;  but  never  once  in  his  life  did  he  look  in  the  face  what,  according  to 
Luther's  judgment,  was  the  real  efUcient  enemy  of  Christ  and  his  rehgion  ; 
never  did  he  lay  siege  to  the  strong-holds  of  self-righteousness.     To 
pull  down  THESE  with  all  his  miglU  was  both  the  object  and  the  practice  of 
the   Saxon  Reformer.     Erasmus  said  many  excellent  things,  in  an  elegant 
Avay,  concerning  Christ  and  the  Gospel,  concerning  piety,  purity  of  life.  Chris- 
tian  charity,  meekness,  and  peaceable  tempers.     He  exposed  with  great 
ability,  and  with  exquisite  humour — and  it  may  truly  be  added,  with  much 
advantage  to  the  Reformation — the  ambition,  covetousness,  and  luxurious 
excesses  of  the  clergy.     Luther,  who  cordially  agreed  with  him  in  all  these 
just  animadversions,  went  to  the  root  both  of  the  Evil  and  of  the  Good. 
The  depraved  nature  of  man,  he  taught  as  the  root  of  the  evil ;    contrition 
and  humility,  with  a  lively  faith  in  the  Redeemer,  as  the  only  cure  of  the 
reigning  evil,  and  the  only  source   of  future   good.     While   the  former 
courted  Popes  and  Cardinals,  and  temporized  with  them,  fancying  that  Re- 
formation of  Ecclesiastical  abuses  might  be  brought  about  by  mild  and  pruden- 
tial management  ;  the  latter  refused  to  make  any  sinful  compromises,  boldly 
opposed  all  Anti-christian  notions  of  the  merit  of  avorks,  defended  the  im- 
portant doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  and  committed  his  cause  to  God. 
The  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  was  the  article,  which,  of  all  others, 
this  great  man  had  most  at  heart.     If  that  were  preserved,  he  conceived  no- 

*  Robertson's  Charles  V.  B,  II,  p,  118. 


16  PREFACE. 

thing  could  go  materially  wrong  ;  if  that  were  lost,  nothing  would  go  right ; 
and  in  no  great  length  of  lime  he  was  convinced,  that  this  fundamental  doc- 
trine could  be  established,  only  on  the  ruins  of  Popery. 

The  opinions  of  Erasmus  and  Luther  on  this  subject  were  substantially 
different,  and  in  some  important  views  the  reverse  of  each  other.  Erasmus, 
however,  was  so  dexterous  and  wary  a  disputant,  that  it  is  no  easy  matter 
to  say  precisely  what  his  sentiments  were  on  this  leading  article  of  faith ; 
and  to  enlarge  further  in  this  place,  either  on  the  comparative  excellencies  or 
defects  of  these  two  great  men,  so  celebrated  in  Ecclesiastical  history,  would  be 
to  anticipate  a  considerable  portion  of  the  contents  of  the  Fourth  and  Fifth  Vol- 
umes. These  brief  observations  may  be  sufficient  to  show  how  inconsiderately 
our  very  best  writers  have  sometimes  expressed  themselves  concerning  reli- 
gious matters.  Whether  Martin  Luther  was,  or  was  not,  sound  and  rational 
in  his  expositions  of  the  leading  doctrines  of  Christianity,  makes  no  part  of 
the  present  question.  The  existing  records  demonstrate  two  things  :  first, 
the  real  nature  of  his  theological  creed  ;  and,  secondly,  that  his  religious 
sentiments  in  essential  points,  constituted  the  main  spring  both  of  his  private 
and  his  public  conduct :  and  therefore  the  omission  of  so  important  a  part 
of  Ecclesiastical  information,  especially  by  a  reverend,  learned,  and  philo- 
sophical historian,  from  whatever  cause  it  may  have  proceeded,  is  not  to  be 
defended. 

The  quotation  above  mentioned,  from  Dr.  Robertson,  is  but  a  single  spe- 
cimen of  that  sort  of  defective  and  erroneous  representation  of  religious 
characters,  Avhich  is  to  be  found  in  numerous  pages  of  modern  histories,  in 
other  respects  of  deservedly  great  reputation.  However,  as  it  was  the  Plan 
of  the  Author  of  this  History  of  the  Church  to  illustrate  the  nature  and  effi- 
cacy of  Christian  principles,  throughout  different  ages,  by  the  conduct  of 
good  men, — those  eminent  servants  of  God,  whose  memories  have  most 
materially  suffered  from  the  treatment  here  alluded  to,  are  regarded  by  him 
as  having  a  strict  claim  to  peculiar  attention. 

The  Editor,  in  concluding,  cannot  but  sincerely  lament  that  the  Author 
of  this  History  had  no  opportunity  of  rendering  his  own  performance  more 
perfect,  by  revising  his  own  manuscripts  in  a  more  finished  state,  exercising 
his  judgment  again  upon  the  arrangement  of  the  materials,  and  applying 
his  last  corrections  to  the  composition.  In  that  case,  this  volume  might 
have  been  presented  to  the  public  with  greater  confidence  ;  and  the  Editor 
would  most  certainly  have  been  freed,  in  various  instances,  from  much 
doubt,  trouble  and  uncertainty.  In  supplying  deficiencies,  he  has  constantly 
endeavoured  to  adhere  as  closely  as  possible  to  the  general  plan  of  the  de- 
ceased Historian  ; '  and  he  requests  the  candid  Reader,  if  he  should  be 
disposed  to  censure  the  Fourth  Volume  as  inferior  in  execution  to  the  three 
former,  to  recollect  that  the  deprivation  of  the  finishing  hand  of  the  Author 
is  an  irreparable  loss. 

The  Editor  had  once  designed  to  distinguish  the  original  Manuscripts 
from  every  addition  that  has  been  made  to  them  ;  and  this,  no  doubt,  would 
have  been  the  most  effectual  way  to  secure  the  reputation  of  their  Author. 
But,  he  found  it  almost  impossible  to  proceed  upon  that  system  ;  Li  many 
instances,  the  sentences  of  Mr.  Joseph  Milner  were  left  so  abrupt  and 
unfinished,  and  the  references  to  the  authorities  so  general,  ambiguous,  and 
indecisive,  that  he  has  often  been  compelled  to  mix,  according  to  the  best 
of  his  judgment,  both  his  own  matter  and  expression  with  the  original  ma- 
terials of  the  Historian. 


PREFACE.  17 

In  these  Memoirs  uncommon  pains  are  taken  with  the  affairs  of  Luther, 
especially  during  the  first  years  of  the  wonderful  exertions  of  this  great 
Reformer.  To  furnish  the  Reader  with  solid  and  luminous  information, 
concerning  the  interesting  transactions  of  that  memorable  period,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  compress  the  narrative  into  a  moderate  compass,  was  no  easy 
task. — Those,  who  are  best  acquainted  with  the  original  documents  of  the 
times,  will  be  the  most  competent  judges  of  the  execution  of  this  part  of 
the  work. 

Such  as  it  is, — the  Author,  in  composing  it,  certainly  believed  himself 
to  be  employed  in  the  service  of  his  Heavenly  Master ;  and,  in  the  humble 
hope  of  His  blessing  and  protection,  it  is  now  committed  to  the  judgment 
of  candid  and  impartial  readers. 

The  Fifth  Volume  will  be  crowded  still  more  than  the  fourth,  with  sur- 
prising and  important  matter.  Great  events  rapidly  succeed  one  another 
during  all  the  former  part  of  the  sixteenth  century  ;  and  great  Actors  appear 
on  the  stage.  Erasmus  lived  till  the  year  1536  ;  and  it  pleased  a  kind 
Providence  to  continue  the  inestimable  lives  of  Luther  and  Melancthon  some 
years  longer ;  and  also  to  raise  up  many  other  Worthies,  who  should  con- 
tend for  Christian  truth  and  Christian  liberty  with  wisdom  and  courage. 
On  the  contrary,  the  powers  of  darkness  summoned  all  their  forces  in 
determined  opposition.  Our  Historian  studiously  exerts  himself  to  mark 
the  growth  of  Infant-Protestantism.  It  was  his  opinion,  "that  no  scenes, 
since  the  Apostles'  days,  were  more  instructive." 


[NOTA  BENE  TO  THE  EDITION  OF  1810.] 

To  many  Readers,  no  part  of  the  book  will,  probably,  be  more  inte- 
resting, than  the  matters  contained  in  the  Appendix.-^Several  things  are 
placed  there,  which,  it  is  thought,  might  too  much  interrupt  the  thread  of 
the  narrative ;  and  many  additions  are  made  by  the  Editor,  from  sources 
which  the  Author  had  no  opportunity  of  examining.  It  will,  however,  be 
very  easy  for  any  one,  as  he  goes  through  the  several  Chapters  of  the  His- 
tory, always  to  peruse,  if  he  chooses,  the  corresponding  part  of  the  Ap- 
pendix. 

In  this  Second  Edition,  some  parts  of  the  Appendix  are  introduced  into 
the  History  ;  and  the  whole  of  the  very  interesting  account  of  John  Wes- 
selus  of  Groningen,  is  entirely  new.  The  Editor  had  not  seen  the  writings 
of  this  eminent  divine  when  the  first  edition  of  this  volume  was  published. 


B  '2 


PREFACE 

*T0   THE    FIFTH   VOLUME,* 

AS    ORIGINALLY    PUBLISHED, 

BY    THE    REV.    ISAAC    MILNE  R,  D.  D. 


A  FULL  conviction,  that  in  our  times  the  principles  and  motives  of  Lu- 
ther are  not  well  understood,  induced  me  to  bring  forward,  in  the  preced- 
ing Volume,  a  number  of  authentic  documents,  which  have  been  either 
entirely  omitted,  or  imperfectly  stated,  by  Historians.  The  approbation 
Avith  which  my  endeavours  to  elucidate  this  part  of  Ecclesiastical  history 
have  been  received,  has  encouraged  me  to  spare  no  pains  in  attempting  to 
place  in  its  true  light  the  character  of  the  Saxon  Reformer ;  and  though 
the  Reader  may  at  first  be  surprised  that  a  Volume  of  so  many  pages  should 
bring  down  this  History  of  the  Church  of  Christ  only  to  the  Diet  of  Augs- 
burg in  1530,  I  have  no  fear  that,  when  he  has  perused  the  work,  he  will 
think  either  the  writer  prolix,  or  the  matter  unimportant. 

A  mere  cursory  inspection  of  the  Volume  will  convince^him,  that  every 
Chapter  contains  materials  which  distinguish  this  History  from  all  others. 

In  order  to  communicate  a  full  and  faithful  exhibition  of  facts,  the  Author 
has  availed  himself  of  all  the  means  of  information  within  his  reach  ;  and 
particularly  of  the  curious  and  instructive  contents  of  three  quarto  volumes 
of  the  Private  Letters  of  Luther ;  two  of  which  he  in  vain  sought  a^ter,  for 
several  years,  both  in  these  Dominions  and  on  the  Continent. 

The  learned  Dr.  Mosheim,  in  his  Compendium,  refers  to  a  long  list  of 
eminent  Authors,  who,  he  says,  are  to  be  consulted,  in  confirmation  of  his 
brief  statements.!  Now  such  an  intimation  appears  to  me,  to  have  the 
eflect  of  at  once  overwhelming  tlie  courage  and  resolution  of  any  ordinary 
student  of  Ecclesiastical  history. 

The  Historian  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  in  several  instances  of  difficult 
and  important  inquiry,  cannot  exactly  follow  any  one  of  the  numerous  Au- 
thors who  have  handled  the  points  in  question;  and  to  have  always  detailed 
his  reasons  for  dissent,  would  have  swelled  the  Volume  too  much.  He 
constantly,  however,  refers  to  the  very  pages  where  the  best  opinions  and 
the  original  records  are  to  be  found;  and  then  leaves  it  to  his  Reader  to 
judge  how  far  he  has  made  legitimate  use  of  the  collective  evidence. 
And  though  this  may  not  be  the  best  way  of  sheltering  himself  from  the 
detection  of  erroneous  judgment,  or  of  mis-statement  of  facts,  it  certainly 

*  Century  XYI.,  Vol.  II.  p.  322,  to  the  end. 
f  Laur.  Mosh.  Historia  Reform,  p.  646. 


PREFACE.  19 

contributes  to  the  discovery  of  truth,  by  rendering  future  examination  and 
criticism  more  easy  and  agreeable. 

Add,  that  a  strict  and  continued  attention  to  the  opinions  of  contemporary 
writers,  and,  whenever  they  can  be  procured,  to  original  documents,  re- 
quires great  labour  and  perseverance ;  as  any  one  may  soon  convince  him- 
self, who  will  take  the  trouble,  only  in  one  or  two  cases,  to  turn  to  the 
numerous  passages  referred  to  in  this  Volume.  The  writer  has  no  scruple 
to  affirm  that  he  could  have  tiuished  the  Volume  in  one-fourth  of  the  time, 
had  he  contented  himself  with  less  accurate  investigations ;  had  he  ventured 
to  give  general  and  bold  representations  of  things,  and  guarded  these  after- 
wards (as  is  often  done)  by  sceptical  concessions  and  plausible  conjectures, 
which,  while  they  save  the  time  and  trouble  of  patient  research,  serve 
rather  to  perplex  than  to  unfold  the  truth ;  and  all  this  under  great  appear- 
ances of  candour  and  impartiality. 

Tkue  candour  consists  in  forming  just  decisions  upon  evidences  collected 
with  diligence  and  judgment.  It  never  tempts  a  man  to  descant,  with  spe- 
cious parade,  on  liberality  and  moderation,  to  depress  or  dilute  virtues,  to 
lessen  or  palliate  vices,  and  to  say  and  unsay,  till  all  manly  and  worthy 
sentiments  are  utterly  lost  in  a  confusion  of  opposite  or  incongruous  asser- 
tions. 

The  modern  taste,  I  fear,  too  much  encourages  a  tendency  to  false  can- 
dour. 

Some  Authors  of  eminence,  make  no  mention  of  their  authorities ;  and 
much  may  be  said  for  this  practice.  Perhaps  it  is  preferable  to  a  vague 
and  general  reference.  My  experience  entirely  agrees  with  that  of  the 
late  Mr.  C.  J.  Fox,  who  says,  he  found  it  one  of  his  greatest  difficulties  to 
discover  the  authorities  upon  which  Historians  advance  their  facts.*  To 
this  day,  notwithstanding  the  general  reference  of  Dr.  Mosheim,  I  search 
in  vain  for  the  grounds  of  several  of  his  most  positive  assertions. 

The  Preface  to  the  Fourth  Volume  might  supersede  the  necessity  of 
further  remark.  But  as  the  times  are  awful,  and  as  questions  concerning 
the  nature  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Religion  are  revived,  it  may  be  useful  to 
observe,  that  they  who  wish  to  acquire  a  thorough  knowledge  of  what 
Popery  was,  will  do  well  to  study  carefully  the  history  of  the  first  twelve 
or  thirteen  years  of  the  Lutherian  opposition  to  the  established  hierarchy. 
By  this  PRACTICAL  method,  they  will  find  the  mysteries  of  the  papacy 
more  effectually  unveiled,  than  by  any  formal  or  theoretical  description 
of  that  Antichristian  system.  It' is  by  a  view  of  our  Romish  Adversary's 
conflicts  with  the  Founders  of  Protestantism,  that  we  become  best  ac- 
quainted with  his  cruel  and  despotic  designs,  his  contemptible  artifices,  and 
his  ridiculous  superstitions. 

Several  persons,  and  even  some  of  our  leading  Senators,  suppose  that 
Popery  has  long  since  been  abundantly  meliorated.  But  I  wish  they 
may  not  be  nearer  the  truth,  who  think  that  the  spirit  of  Protestantism 
has  sadly  degenerated.  Both  these  points  may  receive  much  illustration 
from  that  part  of  this  History  which  is  yet  unfinished.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  true  nature  and  character  of  Protestantism,  as  well  as  of  Popery,  ought 
to  be  carefully  examined,  and  ascertained  with  all  possible  accuracy.  And 
for  this  purpose,  the  diligent  study  of  the  same  memorable  period,  and 
especially  of  the  first  eight  years  of  it,  namely,  from  1517  to  1525,  will  be 

•  Preface,  p.  xviii. 


20  PREFACE. 

found  peculiarly  useful.  During  these  years,  Luther  stood  almost  alone ; 
and  the  documents  contained  in  this  and  the  preceding  Volume  will  leave 
no  doubt  on  the  mind  of  the  inquisitive  Reader  as  to  the  real  motives  by 
which  he  was  actuated.  Then  the  doctrines  of  Luther  are  well  known  to 
be,  in  the  main,  the  doctrines  of  every  branch  of  the  Protestant  Reforma- 
tion. These,  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  penetrated  almost  every  part 
of  Europe ;  became  the  fruitful  source  of  various  Christian  institutions  and 
establishments ;  and,  as  hitherto  they  were  supported  rather  by  the  blood 
of  the  martyrs,  than  the  power  of  princes  and  prelates,  they  beautifully  ex- 
hibit the  native  vigour  of  the  reviving  Church  of  Christ.* 

Doubtless,  in  describing  thus  at  length  the  interesting  scenes  which  im- 
mediately led  to  our  blessed  deliverance  from  papal  darkness  and  iniquity, 
the  Historian's  progress  through  the  sixteenth  century  is  inevitably  retard- 
ed; but  it  should  be  remembered,  that  he  is  in  no  degree  deviating  from 
the  original  plan  of  the  work ;  and  that  he  is  hereby  laying  a  good  founda- 
tion for  brevity,  precision  and  perspicuity,  in  the  continuation  of  the 
History. 

*  Com.  de  Luth.  Prseloq. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


CENTURY  I. 


A  snMMAHY  VIEW  OF  THE  CHURCH,  SO  FAR 
AS  IT  5IAT  BE  COLLECTED  FROM  THE 
SCRIPTURE. 


and   some    other 


Chap.  I.  Jerusalem 

Chap.  II.  Judea  and  Galilee    - 

Chap.  III.  Samaria 

Chap.  IV.  Ethiopia 

Chap.  V.  Caesarea 

Chap.  VI.  Antioch 

Asiatic  Churches  ... 

Chap.  VII.  Galatia 

Chap.  VIII.  Philippi       - 

Chap.  IX.  Thesseilonica 

X.  Berea  and  Athens   - 

XL  Corinth  ... 

XII.  Rome  ... 

XIII.  Colosse       . 

XIV.  The  Seven    Churches  of 


Chap 
Chap 
Chap 
Chap, 
Chap, 

Asia 
Chap.  XV 

Century 


The  Remainder  of  the  first 


CENTURY  II. 


PAGE 
25 

40 
41 
42 
43 

45 
48 
50 
52 
54 
55 
57 
59 

60 

65 


Chap.  I.  The  History  of  Christians 
during  the  reign  of  Trajan 

Chap.  II.  The  History  of  Christians 
during  the  reigns  of  Adrian  and 
Antoninus  Pius  ... 

Chap.  III.  Justin  Martyr         -     ,    - 

Chap.  IV.  The  Emperor  Marcus  Anto- 
ninus, and  his  Persecution  of  the 
Christians  .... 

Chap.  V.  Martyrdom  of  Polycarp    . 

Chap.  VI.  The  Martyrs  of  Lyons  and 
Vienne       ..... 

Chap.  VII.  The  State  of  Christians 
under  the  reigns  of  Commodus,  Per. 
tinax,  and  Julian — The  Story  of  Pe- 
regrinus      ..... 

Chap.  VIII.  Some  Account  of  Chris- 
tian Authors  who  flourished  in  this 
Century     ..... 

Chap.  IX.  The  Heresies  and  Contro- 
versies of  this  Century  reviewed; 
and  an  idea  of  the  State  and  Progress 
of  Christianity  during  the  course  of  it 


86 


98 
103 


110 
113 

119 


126 


129 


132 


CENTURY  IIL 

PACK 

Chap.  I.  Irenseus  -         -         -         -       138 

Chap.  IL  Tertullian       ...       141 

Chap.  III.  Pantsenus      -         -         -       145 

Chap.  IV.  Clemens  Alexandrinus   -       146 

Chap.  V.  The  State  of  the  Church  du- 
ring the  reigns  of  Severus  and  Cara- 
calla 148 

Chap.  VI.  State  of  Christianity  during 
the  reigns  of  Macrinus,  Heliogabalus, 
Alexander,  Maximinus,  Pupienus, 
Gordian,  and  Philip    -         -         -       157 

Chap.  VII.  The  Conversion  of  Cyprian  160 

Chap.  VIII.  The  beginnings  of  the 
Persecution  of  Decius. — The  Go- 
vernment of  Cyprian  till  his  retire- 
ment   164 

Chap.  IX.  The  History  of  Cyprian, 
and  of  the  Western  Church,  during 
his  retirement  of  two  years         -         166 

Chap.  X.  Cyprian's  Settlement  of  his 
Church  after  his  Return,  and  the 
History  of  the  Western  Church  till 
the  Persecution  under  Gallus        -       181 

Chap.  XL  The  effects  of  the  Perse- 
cution of  Decius  in  the  Eastern 
Church 187 

Chap.  XIL  The  History  of  the  Church 
during  the  reign  of  Gallus    -         -       197 

Chap.  XIII.  The  pacific  part  of  Vale- 
rian's reign     ....       203 

Chap.  XIV.  The  last  Acts  and  Martyr- 
dom of  Cyprian  -         -         -       211 

Chap.  XV.  Cyprian  compared  with 
Origen 215 

Chap.  XVI.  Other  particulars  of  Vale- 
rian's Persecution        -         -         -       221 

Chap.  XVII.  From  the  reign  of  Gallie- 
nus  to  the  end  of  the  Century      -       225 

Chap.  XVIII.  Some  Account  of  Gre- 
gory Thaumaturgus,  Theognostus, 
and  Dionysius  of  Rome  -         -     234 

Chap.  XIX.  The  further  extension  of 
the  Gospel  in  this  Century  -       237 

Chap.  XX.  A  short  View  of  the  exter- 
nal State  of  the  Church  in  the  Third 
Century 238 

Chap.  XXI.  Testimonies  to  the  Church 
of  Christ  from  its  Enemies  -        -      244 


82 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


Chap.  XXII.  Connexion  between  the 
Doctrine  and  Practice  of  Primitive 
Christians  ... 


251 


CENTURY  IV. 

Chap.  I.  The   Persecution   of  Diocle- 

sian  .....       256 

Chap.  II.  A  View  of  the  State  of  the 
Christian  Religion  on  its  Establish- 
ment under  Constantino       -         -       272 
Chap.  III.  The  Progress  of  the  Avian 
Controversy,  till  the  Death  of  Con- 

stantine 276 

Chap.  IV.  The  Progress  of  the  Arian 
Controversy  during  the  reign  of  Con- 

stantius 287 

Chap.  V.  A  View  of  Monasticism  and 
other  Miscellaneous  Circumstances, 
from  the  Establishment  of  Christian- 
ity under  Constantine  to  the  Death 
of  Constantius  ....  295 
Chap.  VI.  The  Extension  of  the  Gos- 
pel, from  the  beginning  of  the  Fourth 
Century  to  the  Death  of  Constan- 
tius   298 

Chap.  VII.  The  Decline  of  Idolatry  in 
this  Century,  to  the  Death  of  Con- 
stantius       300 

Chap.  VIII.  Julian's   Attempts  to  re- 
store Idolatry      ....       302 
Chap.  IX.  The    Church     under     Ju- 
lian   308 

Chap.  X.  The  Church  under  Jo- 
vian   316 

Chap.  XI.  The  Church  under  Valens. 
— The  Death,  Character,  and  W^rit- 
ings  of  Athanasius  -  -  -  321 
Chap.  XII.  The  Church  under  Valen- 
tinian. — The  beginnings  of  Am- 
brose   326 

Chap.  XIII.  The    Church    of    Christ 
under  Gratian   and   Theodosius,  till 
the  Death  of  the  former       -         .•       330 
Chap.  XIV.  The  Heresy  of  Priscillian 
— The  Conduct  of  Martin  of  Tours 
— The  Progress  of  Superstition     -       334 
Chap.  XV.  The  Conduct  of  Ambrose 
under  the  Emperor  Valentinian  the 
Second,  and  the  Persecution  which 
he  endured  from  the  Emperor's  mo- 
ther Justina         ....       337 
Chap.  XVI,  The  Church  under  Theo- 
dosius        .....       340 
Chap.  XVII.  Reflections  on  Ecclesias- 
tical Establishments    ...       343 
Chap.  XVIII.  The    Private   Life    and 

the  Works  of  Ambrose         .         .       351 
Chap.  XIX.  The   Propagation  of  the 


PAGE 

Gospel  among  Barbarians ;  the  Pro- 
gress of   Novatianism,  and   of  Mo- 

nastieism 355 

Chap.  XX.  Christian  Authors  in  this 

Century     .....  357 

Chap.  XXI.  Ephraim  the  Syrian    .  360 

Chap.  XXII.  Hilary  of  Poictiers     -  364 

Chap.  XXIII.  Basil  of  Cssarea      .  366 

Chap.  XXIV.  Gregory  Nazianzen   -  369 


CENTURY  V. 

Chap.  I.  John  Chrysostom 

Chap.  II.  Augustine's    "  Confessions" 
abridged      •         .         .         .         . 

Chap.  III.  The    Pelagian    Controver- 
sy       

Chap.  IV.  Pelagian  Documents 

Chap.  V.  A  short  View  of  Augustine's 
"  City  of  God"    .... 

Chap.  VI.  Augustine's     Conduct    to- 
ward the  Donatists      ... 

Chap.  VII.  The    rest   of    Augustine's 
Works  reviewed  .         .         - 

Chap.  VIII.  Miscellaneous  Particulars 
concerning  Augustine 

Chap.  IX.  The    Theology  of  Augus- 
tine     

Chap.  X.  The    Life    and    Works    of 
Jerom 

Chap.  XI.  The   Church  of  Christ  in 
the  West 

Chap.  XII.  The  Church  of  Christ  in 

the  East 

Christian  Writers  of  this 


Chap.  XIIL 
Century 


372 

380 

409 
418 

428 

432 

435 

445 

448 

452 

457 

472 

476 


CENTURY  VI. 

Chap.  I.  The  Life  of  Fulgentius,  and 
the  State  of  the  African  Churches  in 
his  time 486 

Chap.  II.  The  State  of  the  Church  in 
other  Parts  of  the  Roman  Empire 
till  the  Death  of  Justin,  including 
the  Life  of  Csesarius    ...       489 

Chap.  III.  State  of  the  Church  during 
the  reign  of  Justinian  -         -       491 

Chap.  IV.  Miscellaneous  Affairs,  to  the 
end  of  the  Century      ...       496 

Chap.  V.  Gregory  the  First,  Bishop  of 
Rome  ; — His  Pastoral  Labours     -       498 

Chap.  VI.  Gregory's  Conduct  toward 
the  Emperors  Mauritius  and  Phocas    510 

Chap.  VII.  Gregory's  conduct  with  re- 
spect to  England  -         -         -       514 

Chap.  VIII.  The  Works  of  Gregory      521 

Chap.  IX.  Writers  of  this  Century        524 


CONTENTS. 


23 


CENTURY  VII. 


PAGE 

526 


Chap.  I.  The  English  Church 

Chap.  II.  The  Propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel in  Germany  and  its  Neighbour- 
hood   532 

Chap.  III.  General  History  of  the 
Church  in  this  Century        -         -       534 

Chap.  IV.  Authors  of  this  Century        540 


CENTURY  VIII. 

Chap.  I.  Venerable  Bede,  the  English 
Presbyter 

Chap.  II.  Miscellaneous  Particulars 

Chap.  III.  The  Controversy  on  Images. 
— The  Maturity  of  Antichrist 

Chap.  IV.  The  Propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel in  this  Century,  including  the 
Life  of  Boniface,  Archbishop  of 
Mentz         .         .         -         -         - 

Chap.  V.  Authors  of  this  Century 


542 
545 

547 


558 
565 


CENTURY  IX. 

Chap.  I.  A  general  View  of  the  State 

of  Religion  in  this  Century  -       569 

Chap.  II.  The  Paulicians        -         -       571 
Chap.  III.  The  Opposition  made  to  the 


PAGE 

Corruptions  of  Popery  in  this  Cen- 
tury, particularly  by  Claudius,  Bish- 
op of  Turin         ....       575 
Chap,  IV.  The  Case  of  Gotteschalcus    579 
Chap.  V.  The  Propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel in  this  Century      -         -         -       581 


CENTURY  X. 

Chap.  I.  A  general  View  of  the  Church 
in  this  Century  .         -         -         -       590 

Chap.  II.  The  Propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel in  this  Century  -         -       593 

Chap.  III.  An  Apology  for  Christian 
Missions 598 

Chap.  IV.  Writers  and  Eminent  Men 
in  this  Century  ...         -       600 


CENTURY  XL 

Chap.  I.  A  general  View  of  the  Church 

in  this  Century  ...       606 

Chap.  II.  The  Opposition  made  to  the 

Errors  of  Popery  ...  607 
Chap.  III.  The     Propagation   of    the 

Gospel  in  this  Century  -  -  609 
Chap.  IV.  The  State  of  the  Church  in 

England  -  ...  -  613 
Chap.  V.  Anselm  -        -        -       616 


CENTURY  I. 


A  SUMMARY  VIEW  OF  THE  CHURCH, 


SO   FAR  AS  IT  MAY   BE    COLLECTED  FROM  THE 

SCRIPTURE. 


CHAPTER   I. 

JERUSALEM. 

That  "repentance  and  remission  of 
sins  should  be  preached  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ,  beginning  at  Jerusalem,"* 
is  a  passage  of  Scripture,  which  at  once 
poiats  out  what  the  Christian  Religion 
is,  and  where  we  may  look  for  its  begin- 
ning and  for  its  character.  We  are  to 
describe  the  rise  of  a  dispensation  the 
most  glorious  to  God,  and  the  most  be- 
neficent to  man.  Christianitj'^  found  man- 
kind in  an  universal  state  of  sin  and  mi- 
sery. In  Judea  alone  something  of  the 
worship  of  the  true  God  existed.  The 
forms  of  the  Mosaic  economy  subsisted, 
but  were  greatly  obscured  and  corrupted 
with  Pharisaic  traditions  and  Sadducean 
profaneness.  The  ancient  people  of  God 
had  defiled  themselves  with  heathen  pro- 
fligacy: and,  though  there  wanted  not  a 
multitude  of  teachers  among  them,  yet, 
when  He  who  knew  what  was  in  man, 
saw  the  spiritual  condition  of  this  people, 
"he  was  moved  with  compassion  toward 
them,  because  they  fainted,  and  were  as 
sheep  without  a  shepherd."  Certainly 
they  were  in  possession  of  a  degree  at 
least  of  moral  information,  though  it  was 
extremely  defective,  and,  in  many  points 
of  view,  fundamentally  erroneous.  But, 
of  that  knowledge  which  relates  to  re- 
pentance and  remission  of  sins,  they  were 
totally  destitute.  Notwithstanding  the 
light  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  provision 
of  sacrifices,  the  declaration  of  so  many 
prophecies  concerning  the  Messiah,  and 
the  examples  of  so  many  holy  men,  who, 
in  that  dark  and  preparatory  dispensation, 
had  learned  to  fear  God,  and  to  believe 
in  his  promises  of  grace,  it  does  not  ap- 


VOL.  I. 


*  Luke  xxiv.  47. 

c 


pear  that  the  body  of  the  Jewish  nation 
were,  in  their  religious  state,  materially 
better  than  the  rest  of  the  world.  That 
men  needed  such  a  change  of  disposition 
as  in  Scripture  is  expressed  by  the  term 
^sT^v3(a,  that  they  must  become  new  crea- 
tures, and  receive  the  forgiveness  of  sins 
by  faith  in  the  sacrifice  of  the  Lamb  of 
God,  were  ideas  unknown  in  Judea: — if 
indeed  we  except  the  dim  light  which 
visited  the  souls  of  Zacharias,  of  Simeon, 
of  Anna,  and  of  a  few  other  devout  per- 
sons, who  looked  for  redemption  in  Je- 
rusalem. 

Such  was  the  dismal  night,  in  which 
the  Sun  of  Righteousness  made  his  ap- 
pearance in  the  world.  Scarcely  in  any 
age  had  ignorance  and  wickedness  a  more 
general  prevalence.  The  history  of  Jo- 
sephus  evinces  this.  This  author  dwells 
chiefly  indeed  on  public  and  policical  af- 
fairs ;  yet  he  throws  a  sufficient  light  on 
the  manners  of  the  times,  and  shows,  that 
the  extreme  impiety  and  profligacy  of  the 
Herodian  princes,  were  but  too  faithfully 
transcribed  into  the  lives  of  their  sub- 
jects. There  had  been  periods  of  Jewish 
story  more  favourable  to  godliness:  for 
instance,  the  age  of  Joshua,  of  David,  of 
Ezra,  and  of  Nehemiah.  For  some  per- 
sons there  ever  were  who,  at  least,  im- 
plicity  rested  on  the  God  of  Israel,  and 
trusted  in  the  Redeemer  that  was  to  come. 
But  the  darkest  season  was  chosen  for 
the  exhibition  of  the  Light  of  Life  by 
him,  "who  hath  put  the  times  and  sea- 
sons in  his  own  power." 

To  know  our  own  depravity  and  help- 
lessness ;  and,  by  faith  in  Christ,  to  know 
"experimentally"  the  suitable  and  the 
efficacious  cure,  is  doubtless  the  genuine 
secret  of  true  piety.  But  wherever  wick- 
edness and  profaneness  have  spread  very 
generally,  the  knowledge  of  these  doc- 


26 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


trines  is  usually  lost.  Amidst  a  thousand 
disputes  even  on  religious  subjects,  these 
are  erased  out  of  men's  creed, — the  very 
doctrines — which  alone  can  be  the  means 
of  freeing  them  from  vice  and  folly.  It 
vi^as  their  ignorance  of  these  things,  which 
moved  the  Son  of  God  to  lament  the  un- 
informed condition  of  the  Jews  at  that 
time.  To  dwell  on  the  history  of  Christ 
himself  is  foreign  to  my  design.  Indeed 
a  few  souls  were  converted  during  His 
abode  on  earth :  but  the  five  hundred 
brethren,  who  saw  him  all  at  one  time 
after  his  resurrection,  seem  to  have  made 
the  sum  total  of  his  disciples.  And  it 
may  further  be  observed,  that  all  these, 
and  the  eleven  sincere  Apostles  them- 
selves, were  possessed  with  notions  of  a 
temporal  kingdom,  the  rock  on  which 
their  countrymen  fatally  split  in  their  ex- 
positions of  the  Scriptures  relating  to  the 
expected  Messiah ;  and  that  they  had  not 
yet  learned,  with  any  clearness  and  stea- 
diness of  apprehension,  to  set  their  affec- 
tions on  things  above. 

And  now  was  the  critical  moment,  when 

it  pleased  God  to  erect  the  first  Christian 

Church  at  Jerusalem.     This 

sioifof  the  ^^^  *^®  ^""^^  ^^  ^^"^^  EFFV- 
Spirit.  '  siONs  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
which  from  age  to  age  have 
visited  the  earth,  since  the  coming  of 
Christ,  and  prevented  it  from  being  quite 
overrun  with  ignorance  and  sin.  It  is  an 
unspeakable  advantage,  that  we  have  the 
sacred  narrative  to  unfold  this  to  our  un- 
derstandings. The  want  of  such  an  ad- 
vantage will  appear  too  fully  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  succeeding  effusions*  of  the 
Divine  Spirit.  Our  duty,  however,  is  not 
to  complain,  but  to  be  thankful.  If  we 
carefully  attend  to  this  first  instance,  it 
will  serve  as  a  specimen,  by  which  to  try 
other  religious  pha^nomena  :  and  whether 
they  lead  to  genuine  piety  or  not,  may 
generally  be  judged  from  their  agree- 
ment or  disagreement  with  this. 

Let  us  then  observe  the  circumstances 
in  which  this  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


•  In  the  term  effusion  there  is  not  here  in- 
cluded the  idea  of  the  miraculous  or  extraor- 
dinary operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  but 
only  of  such  operations  as  he  vouclisafes  in 
every  age  to  his  church.  The  pl^n  of  this 
History  has  little  connection  with  the  former. 
It  is,  however,  to  he  remembered,  that  a  re 
markahle  display  of  the  Divine  Grace,  at  some 
particular  season,  is  always  intended  bv  the 
expressions  effusion  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  or 
KFFUSiojf  of  the  Divine  or  Holy  Spirit. 


was  vouchsafed.     As  repentance  and  re- 
mission of  sins  were  leading  doctrines  of 
Christ's  religion,  the  most  ample  room 
had  been  made  for  them  by  the  completion 
of  his  redemption.     He  had  offered  him- 
self a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  men,  "  was 
risen"  from  the  dead  "for  our  justifica- 
tion," and  in  the  sight  of  his  disciples 
was  just  ascended  up  to  heaven.     That 
the  Gospel,  the  good  news  for  penitent 
sinners,  the  good  news  of  reconciliation 
with  God,  should  begin  at  Jerusalem,  the 
scene  of  so  much  wickedness  perpetrated, 
and  of  so  much  grace  abused,  was  itself 
no  mean  argument  of  the  riches  of  Divine 
Goodness,  and  was  an  illustrious  exem- 
plification of  the  grand  purpose  of  the 
Gospel, — to  justify  the  ungodly,  and  to 
quicken  the  dead.     By  the  order  of  their 
Divine  Master,  the  Apostles  remained  at 
Jerusalem,  waiting  for  the  promised  Holy 
Spirit  "M'hich  they  had  heard  of  him,"* 
and  abode  in  mutual  charity,  and  in  the 
fervent  exercise  of  prayer  and  supplica- 
tion.    What  the  Holy  Spirit  was  to  do 
for  them,  they  seemed  little   to  under- 
stand; if  one  may  conjecture  from  their 
last  question  to  their  Master,  "  Wilt  thou 
at  this  time  restore  the  kingdom  to  Is- 
rael V  it  is  natural  to  apprehend,  that  they 
were  feasting  their  imaginations  with  the 
delightful  prospect  of  a  splendid  kingdom, 
attended   with  all   the  circumstances  of 
external  pomp  and  grandeur.     Principa- 
lities and  lordships  were,  in  their  fancy, 
soon  to  be  assumed  in  the  room  of  fisher- 
men's nets  and  boats,  and  they  pleased 
themselves  with  the  notion  of  their  Mas- 
ter's  external    dominion   in   the   world. 
Not  that  they  were  without  a  genuine 
taste  for  something  infinitely  better.     At 
any  rate,   they  afford   us   a  useful   les- 
son;— "they   continued    in   prayer    and 
supplication."     In  every  age,  they  who 
do   so,   shall    doubtless    understand,   in 
God's  due  time,   what  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  means,  and  find  by  happy  experi- 
ence that  kino-dom   established  in  their 
own    souls,    even   "righteousness,   and 
peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Matthias 
substituted 


Durinof  this  interesting  cri- 


sis, we  do  not  find  them  em- 
ployed in  any  other  business 
than  this  of  prayer,  except  in 
filling  up  the  apostolical  col- 
lege of  twelve,  by  the  substitution  of 
Matthias  in  the  room  of  the  unhappy  Ju- 
das, who,  for  the  love  of  a  little  gain  of 


in  the  place 
of  Judas 
Iscariot. 


*  Acts  i.  4. 


Cest.  I.] 


OF  JERUSALEM. 


27 


this  world,  had  unfitted  himself  for  the 
riches  of  the  next,  and  rendered  himself 
unworthy  to  partake  of  the  marvellous 
scene  now  about  to  be  exhibited.  Behold 
then  the  twelve  Apostles,  Peter,  James, 
John,  Andrew,  Philip,  Thomas,  Bartho- 
lomew, Matthew,  James  the  son  of  Al- 
pheus,  Simon  Zeloies,  Judas  the  brother 
of  James,  and  Matthias,  expecting  and 
longing  for  the  unspeakable  blessings  of 
true  Christianity! 

The  Pentecost,  one  of  the  Jewish  fes- 
tivals, was  the  era  of  the  Divine  Visita- 
tion. The  Apostles  were  all  in  harmony 
assembled  together;  when  lo!  suddenly 
there  came  a  sound  from  heaven,  as  of  a 
rushing  mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  all  the 
house  where  they  were  sitting.  Their 
Master  in  his  conference  with  Nicode- 
mus,*  had  compared  the  operations  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  the  wind,  and  the  sound 
from  heaven  on  this  occasion  was  a  just 
emblem  of  the  power  of  the  Divine  Influ- 
ence now  commencing.  And  there  ap- 
peared "  unto  them  cloven  tongues  like  as 
of  fire,  and  it  sat  upon  each  of  them:"f 
Another  emblem  no  less  just,  which  the 
Church  of  England  uses  in  her  hymn  to 
the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  ordination-office, 

"Thy  blessed  unction  from  above. 
Is  comfort,  life,  and  fire  of  love." 

In  truth  they  now  found  they  were  "bap- 
tized with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  with 
fire."+  And  the  effects  in  purifying  their 
hearts,  in  enlightening  their  understand- 
ings, and  in  furnishing  them  with  gifts, 
and  zeal,  and  boldness,  hitherto  unknown, 
were  very  soon  exhibited.  They  were 
all  filled  with  the  "  Holy  Ghost,  and  be- 
gan to  speak  with  other  tongues,  as  the 
Spirit  gave  them  utterance."  Of  the 
many  miraculous  gifts  now  imparted,  this 
of  tongues,  at  once  so  useful  for  the  pro- 
pagation of  the  Gospel,  and  so  striking 
an  attestation  of  its  truth,  first  displayed 
itself  to  the  amazement  of  a  number  of 
Jews,  out  of  every  nation  under  heaven, 
who  heard  these  Galileans  speak  each  in 
his  own  language.  There  is  reason  to 
believe,  that,  as  many  of  them  were  de- 
vout men,  they  had  been  prepared  by 
Divine  Grace  for  the  eflectual  reception 
of  the  Gospel,  and  that  a  considerable 
part  of  the  first  converts  were  of  their 
body. 

While  many  were  expressing  their  ad- 
miration at  this   strange  event,  others. 


John  iii.         t  Acts  ii.         :t^  Matt.  iii.  l\. 


whom  we  may  suppose  to  have  been 
chiefly  the  native  Jews,  who  understood 
not  these  several  languages,  derided  the 
Apostles  as  intoxicated  with  wine  :  and 
now  the  zeal  of  Peter  was  stirred  up  to 
preach  both  to  those  who  admired,  and 

to  those  who  scorned.      He     r.  .    , 

"ctcr  s 
begged  them  to  have  so  much  discourse 
candour,  as  not  rashly  to  sup- 
pose them  to  be  men  overcome  with  li- 
quor, which  the  very  time  of  the  day  ren- 
dered improbable,  the  third  hour  of  the 
day,  answering  to  our  nine  in  the  morn- 
ing, when  it  should  seem  the  Jews  were 
rarely  known  to  be  in  that  situation.  And 
as  his  audience  professed  a  regard  for  the 
sacred  oracles,  he  pointed  out  to  them 
a  remarkable  prophecy,  in  the  second 
chapter  of  Joel,  then  fulfilling,  namely, 
the  promise  of  an  effusion  of  the  Spirit 
upon  all  flesh,  attended  with  dreadful  pu- 
nishments on  those  who  should  despise 
it : — yet  that  whoever,  in  the  deep  sense 
of  his  sinfulness  and  misery,  should  call 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  should  be  saved. 
He  then  shows  them  how  God  had  ful- 
filled his  own  purposes  in  the  death  of 
Jesus,  at  the  very  time  when  they  had 
been  executing  the  dictates  of  their  own 
malice.  He  proceeds  to  testify  also  of 
his  resurrection,  according  to  the  testi- 
mony of  David,  in  Psalms  xvi.  and  ex.,  in 
both  which  Psalms  it  was  evident,  that 
not  David  himself,  but  Christ,  was  the 
subject  of  the  prophecy.  He  openly  de- 
clares that  he  himself  and  his  brethren 
were  witnesses  of  the  resurrection  of  their 
Master,  that  he  was  exalted  to  heaven, 
and  had  received  of  the  Father  the  pro- 
mise of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  he  had  now 
shed  forth  on  the  Apostles,  and  concern- 
ing which  they  now  had  the  plain  demon- 
stration of  their  senses.  The  conclusion 
which  he  draws  from  this  chain  of  argii- 
ment,  supported  by  the  mutual  strength  of 
facts  and  prophecies,  was  this, — that  the 
despised  person  whom  they  had  thought 
unworthy  to  live,  and  had  exposed  to  the 
most  painful  and  ignominious  death,  was 
owned  by  the  God  of  their  fathers  to  be 
the  Lord  and  Messiah,  who  was  the  ex- 
pectation of  the  Jews,  and  through  whom 
alone  salvation  was  offered  to  sinful 
men. 

The  design  of  the  whole  sermon  was 
evidently  to  produce  conviction  of  sin  in 
the  hearers ;  and  it  pleased  God  to  crown 
it  with  success.  Multitudes  were  pricked 
in  their  hearts :  they  found  themselves 
guilty  of  murdering  the  Christ  of  God  ; 


28 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  L 


and  so  powerfully  were  they  struck  with 
a  sense  of  their  extreme  unworthiness, 
that  they  found  themselves  also  destitute 
of  all  resources  in  themselves.  They  cry 
to  Peter  and  to  the  rest,  "Men  and  hreth- 
ren,  what  shall  we  do  ]"  Similar  indeed 
is  the  beginning  of  all  true  repentance, 
when  men  find  themselves  really  lost, 
helpless,  and  willing  to  be  led  in  any  way 
Avhich  God  shall  please,  because  they 
have  no  ability  in  themselves,  and  "there 
is  no  health  in  them."*  Peter  said  unto 
them,  "  Repent,  and  be  baptized  every  one 
of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for 
the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  the  pro- 
mise is  unto  you,  and  to  yoxir  children, 
and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many 
as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call. 

Thus  the  doctrine  of  repentance  and  re- 
mission of  sins,  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 
began  at  Jerusalem.   Thep^o- 
Repent-         pjg  y^Qj-e  called  upon  to  "  loath 

ance,  and       themselves  for  their  past  in- 
remission       .      .  .       ,,         ,    ,         ■    ^  ,, 
of  sins.  iquilies,  '  and  to  give  them- 

selves up  to  God  for  an  entire 
renovation  of  soul ;  and  the  Grace  of  God 
in  Christ  was  offered  to  every  one  of  them. 
The  Apostle  exhorted  them  all  to  receive 
this  grace,  by  believing  on  Jesus  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  with  a  submission  to 
his  ordinance  of  baptism  as  an  emblem  of 
washing  away  their  sins;  and  he  assured 
them,  that  God  would  receive  them  into 
his  favour  in  this  way :  that  however  guil- 
ty they  were,  all  their  sins  should  be  par- 
doned, as  if  they  had  never  been  commit- 
ted ;  and  the  Holy  Ghost  should  be  poured 
on  them  also  :  for  the  promise  of  it  was 
very  general;  to  them,  to  their  children, 
to  the  most  distant  lands,  wherever  God 
should  call  men  to  reconciliation  by  Jesus 
Christ.  Thus  did  St.  Peter  convince  his 
hearers  of  sin,  and  instruct  them  in  the 
way  of  salvation. 

They,  whose  hearts  God  had  smitten 
with  a  sense  of  guilt,  were  consoled  by 
the  grace  of  forgiveness ;  and  "  with  many 
other  words  did  he  testify  and  exhort,  say- 
ing. Save  yourselves  from  this  untoward 
generation.  Then  they  that  gladly  re- 
ceived his  word,  were  baptized  :  and  the 
same  day  there  were  added  to  them  about 
three  thousand  souls." 

In  this  manner  did  the  convictions  and 
consolations  of  the  Holy  Ghost  attend 
the  first  preaching  of  St.  Peter.  And  this 
great  multitude  appear  to  have  been  fully 


*  The  Church  of  England  Confession. 


converted  to  Christianity :  For  they  con- 
tinued "  steadfastly  in  the  Apostles'  doc- 
trine and  fellowship,  and  in  breaking  of 
bread,  and  in  prayers." 

Here  we  see  the  regular  appearance  of 
the  first  Christian  Church.  These  men 
were  not  Christians  in  name 
only ;  they  understood  and  be-  Q|[pfgjij,„ 
lieved  the  apostolical  doctrine  church, 
concerning  repentance  and  re- 
mission of  sins  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ:  they  continued  united  to  the  pas- 
tors whom  God  had  made  instruments  of 
their  conversion ;  they  received  constant- 
ly the  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  in 
which  they  enjoyed  real  communion  with 
their  Saviour :  and  prayer  was  their  daily 
employment  and  delight.  Their  holy  bold- 
ness towards  God,  and  their  joyful  sensa- 
tion of  forgiveness,  were  tempered  with 
a  godly  fear.  Every  soul  was  possessed 
with  this  consistent  mixture  of  holy  joy 
and  fear.  They  had  felt  the  pangs  of 
guilt :  they  had  seen  what  a  price  was  paid 
for  their  redemption :  they  "  rejoiced  with 
trembling,"  as  men  just  escaped  from  the 
pit  of  destruction ;  and  the  same  spirit 
which  cried,  Abba,  Father,*  in  their 
hearts,  taught  them  to  reverence  His  jus- 
tice and  His  holiness,  to  fear  him,  and 
to  dread  sin  above  all  other  evils.  And 
though  it  does  not  appear  to  have  been  any 
injunction  of  the  Apostles,  that  they  should 
live  together  in  a  community  of  goods, 
and  though  experience  soon  taught  the 
first  Christians,  that  the  general  estab- 
lishment and  continuance  of  such  a  usage 
was  impracticable,  yet,  doubtless,  this 
practice  for  the  present  was  a  rare  and 
convincing  instance  of  mutual  charity,  and 
proved  how  soon  the  operations  of  Divine 
Grace  had  loosened  their  minds  from  the 
love  of  this  world.  They  "sold  their 
goods  and  possessions,  and  parted  them 
to  all  men,  as  every  man  had  need."  In 
this  happy  frame  of  mind  they  spent  much 
of  their  time  in  the  temple,  and  in  dis- 
charging the  mutual  offices  of  social  kind- 
ness :  even  their  bodily  food  was  received 
with  a  gladness  before  unknown.  The 
Grace  of  God  gave  a  pleasant  tincture  to 
every  object  with  which  they  conversed ; 
and  while  they  extolled  it  with  their 
hearts  and  lips,  they,  as  yet,  found  favour 
with  all  the  people.  The  natural  enmity 
of  the  heart  against  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
did  not  at 'first  show  itself,  and  the  purity 
of  their  lives  could  not  but  recommend 


*  Galatians  iv.  Q. 


Cent.  I.] 


OF  JERUSALEM. 


29 


them  to  the  esteem  of  others.  "  The  Lord 
added  to  the  Church  daily  such  as  shouhl 
be  saved."  Thus  plainly  St.  Luke  in- 
timates WHOSE  grace  it  was  that  effected 
all  this,  and  that  his  hand,  in  the  Divine 
Effusion  here  described,  ought  ever  to  be 
acknowledged. 

A  miracle  wrought  soon  after  by  Peter 
and  John  on  a  lame  man,  a  well-knov.-n 
beggar  above  forty  years  old,  gave  a  farther 
attestation  to  their  Divine  authority.  Pe- 
ter was  hence  led  to  preach*  to  the  ad- 
mirino-  multitude,  the  same  doctrine  of 
repentance  and  remission,  and  thus  he  ex- 
alted the  Lord  Jesus  as  the  Holy  One, 
and  the  Just,  and  the  Prince  of  Life,  to 
whom  they  had  wickedly  preferred  even 
a  murderer,  Barabbas.  lie  disclaims  all 
merit  in  himself  or  in  his  colleagues  in 
the  miracle :  he  shows  that  God  had  glo- 
rified his  Son  Jesus;  and  that  it  was 
through  faith  in  his  name,  that  the  act 
had  been  performed.  He  charitably  al- 
leges their  ignorance,  as  the  only  possible 
alleviation  of  their  guilt;  and  which  in- 
deed alone  prevented  it  from  being  un- 
pardonable. He  exhorts  them  to  repent- 
ance and  conversion,  and  lays  open  to 
tlieir  view  the  prospect,  not  of  a  tempo- 
ral, but  of  a  spiritual  kingdom;  in  the 
hope  of  which  they  were  to  rejoice,  and 
patiently  bear  the  afflictions  of  this  pre- 
sent life :  he  warns  them  at  the  same  time 
of  the  threats  denounced  by  Moses  against 
the  despisers  of  the  Messiah,  through 
whom  alone  salvation  was  offered  to  all 
nations,  though  the  first  invitation  was 
addressed  to  the  Jews. 

The  Church  was  now  increased  to  five 

thousand  ;  and  the  signal  for  persecution 

was  raised  by  the  magistrates  of  Jerusa- 

-,  lem,manyof  whom  were  Sad- 

Increase  J  •'  •  X      xl        J 

of  ihe  ducees,  enemies  to  the  doc- 

Church,  trine  of  a  resurrection,  and,  in 
truth,  to  every  thing  that  had 
any  tendency  to  raise  men's  minds  above 
the  world.  The  two  Apostles  were  im- 
prisoned that  evening,  but  their  examina- 
tion was  deferred  till  the  next  day.  The 
high  priest,  and  the  persons  of  greatest 
authority,  looked  on  this  matter  as  an  oc- 
casion of  sufficient  consequence  to  require 
the  calling  of  a  solemn  court.  Peter  to 
their  interrogatories  frankly  answers,  that 
the  miracle  had  been  "  wrought  in  the 
name  of  Jesus,  whom  ve  crucified,  whom 
God  raised  from  the  dead."  He  boldly 
rebukes  them  for  their  contempt  of  Him, 


who  is  the  only  Saviour:  For  "there  is 
none  other  name  under  heaven  given  to 
men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved." 

The  wisdom  and  boldness  of  two  un- 
lettered fishermen,  who  had  been  com- 
panions of  Jesus,  struck  the  court  with 
astonishment.  But  finding  no  present  op- 
portunity of  gratifying  their  malice,  on 
account  of  the  splendour  of  the  miracle, 
they  dismissed  them  with  a  strict  charge 
to  be  silent  in  future  concerning  the  name 
of  Jesus,  though  the  Apostles  ingenuously 
confessed  their  inability  to  comply  with 
such  an  order,  because,  "  they  must  obey 
God  rather  than  men." 

The  Apostles  returned  to  their  compa- 
ny,* and  reporting  the  threats  of  the  ma- 
gistrates, they  all,  with  united  supplica- 
tion, intreated  the  Lord  to  grant  them 
boldness  to  persevere,  notwithstanding 
the  menaces  of  His  and  their  enemies. 
They  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  enabled  to  proceed  with  calm  intre- 
pidity. 

The  most  perfect  unanimity  as  yet  pre- 
vailed among  the  Christians;  and  thej' 
not  only  professed  to  have  all  things  com- 
mon, but  also  practised  the  rule  accord- 
ingly with  the  greatest  cheerfulness.  Di- 
vine Grace  was  largely  diffused  amono- 
them.  The  poor  lacked  nothing :  the  rich- 
er brethren  converted  their  possessions 
into  money,  and  left  the  distribution  of 
the  whole  to  the  discretion  of  the  Apos- 
tles. And,  in  this  liberality,  Barnabas 
of  Cyprus,  a  Levite,  who  had  lands  of 
his  own,  most  probably  in  his  native 
country,  was  eminently  distinguished. 

It  appeared  very  manifest,  that  the 
Apostles  enjoyed  much  more  of  the  power 
of  Christ's  religion  than  they  had  ever 
done  while  their  Master  was  with  them  on 
earth.  Such  was  the  effect  of  the  effu- 
sion of  the  Spirit.  We  hear  no  more  of 
their  dreams  concerning  a  temporal  king- 
dom. The  courao-e  of  Peter  in  confrontinsr 
the  magistrates,  forms  a  perfect  contrast 
to  his  timidity  in  denying  his  Master. 
Wherever  the  same  repentance,  faith, 
hope,  charity,  heavenly-mindedness  ap- 
pear, THERE  is  true  Christianity;  and 
there  also  the  enmity  of  the  world  will  be 
excited.  Of  this,  something  has  already 
discovered  itself,  and  more  is  now  calling 
for  our  attention,  as  well  as  something 
much  more  grievous, — the  detection  of 
hypocrisy  in  certain  professors  of  Chris- 
tianity. 


•  Acts  iii. 
c2 


Acts  ir. 


30 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


The  case  of  Judas  had  already  prepared 
the  Church  to  expect  the  appearance  of 
tares  among  the  wheat;  and  our  Lord's 
parable  alluded  to,  had  assured  them  of  it. 
Yet  when  such  things  occur,  good  men 
are  often  too  much  surprised,  and  the 
wicked  unreasonably  triumph.  There 
was  one  Ananias  among  the  disciples, 
whose  conscience  had  so  far  been  im- 
pressed, as  to  respect  that  doctrine  and 
fellow^ship  to  which  he  had  joined  him- 
self, but  whose  heart  was  never  divorced 
from  the  love  of  the  world.  A  regard  for 
his  reputation  induced  him  to  sell  his  pos- 
sessions with  the  rest:  but  the_  fear  of 
poverty,  and  the  want  of  faith  in  God, 
disposed  him  to  reserve  part  of  the  price, 
while  he  brought  the  other  to  the  Apostles. 
Peter  upbraided  him  with  his  being  under 
the  influence  of  Satan,  "in  lying  to  the 
Holy  Ghost  T'  showed  him  that^the  guilt  of 
his  hypocrisy  was  aggravated  by  this  con- 
sideration, that  the  action  was  committed 
not  against  man,  but  against  God;  and 
that  nothing  could  be  said  to  extenuate 
his  baseness,  because  he  was  under  no 
necessity  of  selling  his  property  at  all,  or 
of  laying  it  at  the  Apostle's  feet,  after  he 
had  sold  it.  Immediately  the  unhappy 
man  fell  down  dead :  and,  about  three 
hours  after,  his  wife  Sapphira  was  made 
a  similar  monument  of  divine  justice  and 
provocation,  as  she  had  been  partaker  of 
her  husband's  guilt. 

Such  a  proof  of  the  discernment  of 
spirits,  and  of  the  power  of  punishing  hy- 
pocrisy, resting  in  the  governors  of  the 
Church,  filled  all,  who  heard  these  things, 
with  awe.  The  Lord  had  now  shown  his 
holiness,  as  well  as  his  grace;  and  the 
love  of  the  world,  the  standing  heresy, 
which  infects  his  Church  in  all  ages,  was 
a  second  time  punished  by  a  signal  inter- 
position of  heaven.  Multitudes  of  both 
sexes  were  added  to  the  Church,  chiefly 
of  the  common  people.  Of  the  rest  in- 
deed, though  some  could  not  but  entertain 
favourable  sentiments  of  Christianity,  yet, 
among  the  rich  and  great,  none  durst  ha- 
zard his  character  so  far  as  to  espouse 
it.* 

The  Sadducees  appear  at  this  time  to 
have  had  the  chief  sway  in  the  Jewish 
state.  These  formed  a  licentious,  world- 
ly-minded sect;  and  in  their 
opinions  they  were  the  most 
corrupt  of  all  those  which  at 
that  time  were  maintained  in 


Persecu- 
tion ol"  the 
Apostles. 


Acts 


Judea.     The  high  priest  and  his  party 
were  of  this  sect,  and  were  filled  with 
indignation,  to  see  the  progress  of  the 
Gospel.    Their  first  step  was  to  imprison 
the  Apostles,  who,  by  night,  through  the 
ministry  of  an  angel,  were  set  free,  and 
ordered   to  preach  in  the  temple.     The 
next  morning  a  full  Sanhedrim  was  con- 
vened, and  the  Apostles  were  ordered  to 
be  brought  into  court.   An  angel  had  open- 
ed the  prison  doors ;  and  the  court  was 
astonished  to  find  that  the  prisoners  had 
escaped  out  of  prison :  they  were,  how- 
ever, informed,  that  they  were  preaching 
in   the  temple.     The  favourable   regard 
of  the  common  people  obliged  the  Sanhe- 
drim to  use  some  address  in  conducting 
their  prisoners  in  a  gentle  manner  before 
the  court.    The  high  priest  upbraids  them 
with  their  disobedience  to  the  foriner  in- 
juction  of  silence,  to  whom  they  returned 
their  former  answer,  that  "they  ought  to 
obey  God  rather  than  men."     They  bore 
witness  to  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and 
declared,  that "  God  had  exalted  him  with 
his  right  hand  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Sa- 
viour, to  give  repentance  to  Israel,  and 
forgiveness  of  sins,"  and  that  the  "Holy 
Ghost,  Avhom  God  bestows  on  those  who 
obey  him,  witnessed"  the  same  thing. 
With  such  plainness  did  these  first  Chris- 
tians lay  open  the  real  nature  of  the  Gos- 
pel, and  exhibit  it  as  something  extremely 
different  from  a  mere  s-ysteni  of  morals, 
though  it  included  all  good  morality  in 
its  nature.     The  testimony  of  Jesus,  the 
forgiveness  of  sins  through  his  blood,  and 
the  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  they 
were  doubtless  the  peculiarcharacteristics 
of  Christianity,  so  they  were  those  things 
which  most  offended  the  Jewish  rulers, 
and  have  been  indeed  the  chief  object  of 
the  enmity  of  unconverted  men   in  all 
ages. 

The  spirit  of  persecution  was  proceed- 
ing to  exercise  itself  in  violent  counsels. 
There  was  however  one  Gamaliel  among 
them,  a  Pharisee,  of  a  sect  not  indeed 
inimical  to  the  doctrine  of  a  resurrection, 
and  by  no  means  so  heterodox  in  general 
as  the  Sadducees,  though  on  the  whole 
agreeing  with  them  in  the  hatred  of  Chris- 
tianity. This  man  w^as  judicious,  learn- 
ed, and  respectable,  and  possessed  much 
worldly  prudence.  Beyond  this  no  evi- 
dence appears.  Providence  made  an  im- 
portant use  of  him,  at  this  time,  to  pro- 
long twelve  most  valuable  lives,  who 
were  designed  to  spread  the  Gospel 
throuo-h  the  world;  and  by  their  inspired 


Ceitt.  I.] 


OF  JERUSALEM. 


31 


writings  (not  one  of  -niiich  was  yet  pub- 
lished) to  speak  to  us  at  this  day.  Ga- 
maliel, by  some  authentic  historical  pre- 
cedents, instructed  the  members  of  the 
court,  that  persons,  who  rose  up  to  pro- 
pagate new  sects,  if  not  sent  of  God, 
were  soon  annihilated.  He  wished  them 
to  exercise  forbearance  and  moderation 
toward  the  Apostles,  whose  influence 
would  soon  come  to  nothing,  if  it  were 
merely  human ;  if  divine,  to  attempt  its 
destruction  would  be  equally  foolish  and 
impious.  This  sage  advice  was  follow- 
ed, and  the  Apostles  were  dismissed,  but 
not  without  stripes,  and  a  severe  charge 
given  them,  no  more  to  preach  in  the 
name  of  Jesus.  They  ceased  not  how- 
ever to  "teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ, 
and  rejoiced  that  they  were  counted  wor- 
thy to  suffer  shame  for  his  name." 

The  Church  was  now  much  enlarged, 
consisting  partly  of  native,  partly  of  for- 
eign Jews,  who  used  the  Greek  language, 
called  on  that  account  Hellenists,  or  Gre- 
cians. These  supposed,  that  in  the  daily 
supply  of  the  poor,  the  Apostles  had  not 
ministered  equal  relief  to  their  widows, 
as  to  those  of  the  Hebrews.  Men  who 
know  any  thing  of  the  work  of  God,  in 
the  visitation  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  and 
have  any  acquaintance  with  the  fulness 
of  employ,  which  Christian  ministers 
have  in  great  and  populous  cities,  in 
instructing,  warning,  consoling,  and  di- 
recting awakened  and  serious  minds, 
will  not  wonder,  if,  through  inadvert- 
ance,  some  temporary  neglects  might 
have  taken  place.  The  Apostles,  how- 
ever, with  great  mildness  and  wisdom, 
soon  regulated  this  affair.  They  inform- 
ed the  disciples,  that  the  ministry  of  the 
word  of  God  must  be  attended  to  in  the 
first  place,  and  must  not  be  neglected  for 
the  sake  of  providing  for  the  poor.  They 
therefore  advised  the  disciples  to  look 
out  for  seven  holy  and  wise  men,  to 
whom  this  business  should  be  commit- 
ted. "But  we,"  say  they,  "will  give 
ourselves  continually  to  prayer,  and  to 
the  ministry  of  the  word."*    O  that  those 

nur.-  =  ^e  who  call  themselves  their 
Choice  01  1  T 

Deacons.  successors,  were  always  dis- 
posed in  like  manner! — The 
whole  multitude  consented  with  pleasure. 
Seven  deacons  were  amicably  elected, 
Stephen,  Philip,  Prochorus,  Nicanor, 
Timon,  Parmenas,  and  Nicholas,  every 
one  of  whom  has  a  Grecian  name,  and 

♦Acts  vi. 


therefore  may  have  been  an  Hellenist; 
and  in  this  easy  way  the  first  appear- 
ances of  contention  were  blasted  in  the 
Church,  and  seven  coadjutors  were  ap- 
pointed to  the  Apostles,  some  of  whom, 
at  least,  were  of  signal  service,  not  only 
in  temporal,  but  also  in  spiritual  things. 
So  happy  is  it  to  be  under  the  conduct  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  so  amiably  did  the 
Love  of  Christ  then  rule  in  the  hearts  of 
his  people.  Even  many  of  the  priests 
now  obeyed  the  Gospel,  and  Jerusalem 
saw  continually  large  accessions  made  to 
the  Church. 

Of  these  deacons,  Stephen  was  at  first 
the  most  distinguished.  A  synagogue  of 
Hellenist  Jews  held  a  contest  with  him, 
the  result  of  which  filled  them  with  such 
vexation,  that  they  suborned  men  to  ac- 
cuse him  of  blasphemy  against  Moses, 
and  against  God.  By  this  artifice,  Ste- 
phen was  brought  before  the  Sanhedrim, 
where  God  threw  a  lustre  over  his  coun- 
tenance, which  even  his  enemies  could 
not  but  observe.  In  his  defence  he  bold- 
ly rebuked  the  Jews,  and  showed  that 
their  conduct  was  but  too  faithful  a  copy 
of  that  of  their  fathers,  who  had  treated 
!\Ioses  and  the  prophets  with  contempt, 
and  had  murdered  a  number  of  those, 
who  had  prophesied  of  the  coming  of  the 
Just  One — of  whom  they  had  now  been 
the  betrayers  and  murderers,  while  they 
vainly  gloried  in  the  magnificence  of 
their  temple,  and  put  external  services 
in  the  room  of  genuine  piety. 

Thus  did  Stephen  aim  at  the  same  point 
with  Peter,  to  convince  his  audience  of 
sin  in  the  first  place,  and  to  leave  them 
no  hope  in  their  own  right- 
eousness.     Seldom  has   the     ^If'rtjT- 
contrast  between  the  spirit  of    gtenhen 
the  world  and  the  Spirit  of 
God   appeared   more   striking.      "They 
were  cut  to  the  heart,  and  gnashed  upon 
him  with  their  teeth."     But  he,  "full  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  looked  up  steadfastly 
to  heaven,  and  saw  the  glory  of  God,  and 
Jesus  standing  at  the  right  hand  of  God," 
and  what  he  saw,  he  openly  confessed. 
Their  patience  was  exhausted,  and  they 
stoned  him  to  death,  while  he  was  call- 
ing upon  his  Divine  Master,  and  saying, 
"Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit."     Thus 
firm  and  constant  was  his  faith:  and  his 
charity  was  no  less  conspicuous.     For, 
he  kneeled  down,  and  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  "Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their 
charge;"   thus    showing   how    entirely 
void  of  malice  were  those  very  vehement 


32 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  L 


rebukes,  which  he  had  uttered  against 
their  wickedness,  and  which  men  of  pu- 
sillanimous prudence  are  in  all  ages  dis- 
posed to  condemn.  And  when  he  had 
said  this  he  fell  asleep;* — the  usual 
beautiful  phrase  of  the  New  Testament, 
to  express  the  death  of  saints,  and  at  the 
same'  time  to  intimate  their  expectation 
of  a  happy  resurrection. 

The  eloquence  of  a  Cicero  would  be 
mere  feebleness  on  this  occasion.  All 
praise  is  below  the  excellency  of  that 
spirit,  which  shone  in  this  first  of  Mar- 
tyrs. Let  it  stand  as  an  example  of  the 
genuine  temper  of  martyrdom,  of  real 
faith  in  Christ,  and  of  real  charity  to 
men ; — and  let  heroes  of  the  world,  on 
the  comparison,  hide  their  heads  in  con- 
fusion. 

Pontius  Pilate  having  been  disgraced, 
Judea  seems  at  this  time  to  have  been 
without  a  procurator;  and  Vitellius,  the 
governor  of  Syria,  was  a  man  of  great 
moderation  toward  the  Jews.  In  these 
circumstances  the  mildness  of  the  Ro- 
man government  was  eventually  the  oc- 
casion of  a  severe  persecution  to  the 
Church.  The  Jewish  magistrates,  who 
a  little  before  had  not  the  power  of  life 
and  death,  and  could  not  murder  the 
Lord  of  Life  without  the  intervention  of 
their  Roman  masters,  were  now  left  to 
themselves,  at  least  in  religious  concerns, 
and  Stephen  was  their  first  Christian 
victim.  He  was  buried  with  great  la- 
mentation by  the  Church;  and  a  consi- 
derable number  suffered  soon  after  his 
decease. 

A  young  man  called  Saul,  an  Hellen- 
ist,! of  Tarsus,  a  person  of  an  active 
ambitious  spiat,  who  had  been  educated 
at  Jerusalem,  under  Gamaliel,  and  out- 
stripped all  his  equals  in  Judaical  learn- 
ing, distinguished  himself  in  this  perse- 
cution. He  took  care  of  the  clothes  of 
the  witnesses  who  were  employed  in 
stoning  Stephen,:};  and  made  havoc  of  the 
church,  entering  into  "every  house,  and 
haling  men  and  women,  he  committed 
them  to  prison;  and  when  they  were  pui 
to  death,  he  gave  his  voice  against  them." 
In  truth,  the  disciples  seemed  now  to  be 
left  to  the  rage  of  men  disposed  to  show 
them  no  mercy;  and  a  superficial  obser- 
ver might  have  supposed,  that  the  fate 


*  Acts  vii. 

tTliat  is,  one  born  and  bied  a  .Tew  in  some 
sountry  where  the  Greek  language  was  spoken. 
^  Acts  viii. 


of  Theudas  and  Judas,  mentioned  by 
Gamaliel,  was  about  to  attend  the  Chris- 
tians. Men  had  not  yet  learned  that  the 
"  blood  of  the  Martyrs  was  the  seed  of 
the  Church."  The  religious  worship  of 
the  disciples  must,  doubtless,  have  suf- 
fered a  grievous  interruption.  Indeed 
none  of  them  found  it  safe  to  remain  at 
Jerusalem.  The  Apostles  alone  thought 
good  to  stand  their  ground,  and,  by  the 
watchful  care  of  their  God,  they  were 
preserved.  The  Christians,  dispersed 
throughout  Judea  and  Samaria,  preached 
the  word  wherever  they  went.  And  thus 
this  persecution  was  the  first  occasion  of 
the  diffusion  of  the  Gospel  through  vari- 
ous regions,  and  what  was  designed  to 
annihilate  it  was  overruled  to  extend  it 
exceedingly.  But  we  shall  confine  our- 
selves in  this  section  to  the  Church  of 
Jerusalem. 

Saul,   who   was   all   attention   to   the 
work  of  persecution,  was  vexed  to  hear, 
that   a   number   of   the   Christians   had 
escaped  to  Damascus,  an  an- 
cient city  of  Syria;   and  he     V°"^'^r" 

procured  a  commission  irom     c:„„i  „„ 
1      1  •    1         •  1    •         1  aaui,  or 

the  high  priest  to  bring  them     p^ul  ■ 

bound  to  Jerusalem.  It  was  A.  D.  36. 
a  considerable  journey,  but 
religious  glory  was  his  idol.  When  he 
was  near  to  Damascus,  a  sudden  light 
from  heaven,  exceeding  even  that  of  the 
sun,*  arrested  the  daring  zealot,  and 
struck  him  to  the  ground.  At  the  same 
time  a  voice  called  to  him,  saying,  Saul, 
vSaul,  why  persecutest  thou  me?  And  he 
said,  Who  art  thou.  Lord?  And  the  Lord 
said,  "I  am  Jesus,  whom  thou  persecu- 
test: It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against 
the  pricks."  In  this  marvellous  manner 
did  the  Son  of  God  make  known  his 
truth,  his  majesty,  and  his  power,  to  this 
enterprising  persecutor,  and  evince  to  all 
ages,  what  he  can  do  to  the  "  praise  of 
the  glory  of  his  grace."  The  will  of 
Saul  was  broken,  and  for  the  first  time 
made  submissive  to  God,  "  Lord  what 
wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?"  was  his  cry; 
and  whenever  this  is  uttered  from  the 
heart,  it  will  not  fail  to  bring  down  the 
divine  blessing.  He  was  directed  to  go 
into  Damascus,  where  he  remained  three 
days  without  sight  and  without  food,  yet 
constantly  employed  in  prayer  for  divine 
grace  and  mercy.  Thus  the  necessity  of 
the  conviction  of  sin  was  preached  to 
him,  with  circumstances  more  extraordi- 

•  Acts  ix. 


Cext.  I.] 


OF  JERUSALEM. 


33 


nary  than  those  which  took  place  upon 
the  preaching  to  the  three  thousand  first 
converts;  but  the  spiritual  instruction 
conveyed  was  precisely  the  same.  The 
work  of  converting  grace  may  vary  very 
much  in  non-essential  circumstances, — 
its  nature  never  varies.  The  grace  of 
forgiveness  by  Jesus  Christ  would  have 
been  no  welcome  news  to  this  Pharisee, 
had  he  still  remained  in  the  confidence 
of  his  own  righteousness;  but  now  it  was 
as  life  from  the  dead.  After  three  days, 
by  the  particular  direction  of  a  vision 
from  the  Lord  Jesus,  Ananias,  a  disciple 
of  Damascus,  was  sent  to  him  with  the 
tidings  of  peace.  He  had  heard  of  the 
active  malice  of  Saul,  but  was  encour- 
aged to  go  by  a  positive  declaration  that 
Saul  was  a  chosen  vessel.  Ananias 
opened  his  commission  by  informing  Saul, 
that  the  Lord  Jesus  had  sent  him,  to  the 
end  that  he  might  receive  his  sight,  and 
be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Both 
these  effects  immediately  took  place. 
Ananias  exhorted  him  to  delay  no  longer, 
but  to  "  wash  away  his  sins,  calling  on 
the  name  of  the  Lord."*  He  was  bap- 
tized, and  soon  refreshed  both  in  mind 
and  body ;  and  from  that  time  the  whole 
vehemence  of  his  natural  character,  and 
the  whole  power  of  his  intellectual  facul- 
ties, which  were  doubtless  of  the  first 
magnitude  among  men,  were  sanctified 
to  the  service  of  Jesus  Christ;  and  until 
his  death,  he  was  enffa^ed  in  a  course  of 
labours  in  the  Church  with  unparalleled 
success.  For  this  is  he  who  is  common- 
ly known  by  the  name  of  St.  Paul,  and 
"his  memorial  is  blessed  for  ever."  He 
was  particularly  commissioned  to  preach 
to  the  Gentiles ;  and  of  all  the  Apostles 
he  seems  to  have  entered  with  the  great- 
est penetration  into  the  nature  of  Chris- 
tianity. Salvation  by  grace  through  faith 
was  his  darling  theme,  a  doctrine  diame- 
trically opposite  to  the  self-righteous 
scheme  in  which  he  had  been  wont  to 
glory.  His  countrymen,  the  Jews,  were 
particularly  fierce  in  opposing  this  grand 
article  of  the  Gospel,  and  were  stung  to 
the  quick  when  attacked  by  their  once 
favourite  champion.  No  doubt  he  had 
been  sincere  in  his  religion  formerly ;  yet 
is  he  far  from  exculpating  himself  on 
this  account.  On  the  contrary,  he  mag- 
nifies the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  as 
extended  to  him,  a  blasphemer,  a  perse- 
cutor, injurious,  and  the  chief  of  sinners,")" 


*  Acts  xxii.  16. 


1 1  Tim.  i. 


in  whom  the  long-sufFerino-  of  the  Lord 
had  been  exhibited,  "for  a  pattern  to 
them  who  shall  hereafter  believe  on  him 
to  live  everlasting:" — that  mankind  may 
know,  that  God  accepts  sinners  on  Christ's 
account  alone,  and  through  faith  in  his 
blood  ;  and  that  nothing  can  be  more  con- 
trary to  the  whole  design  of  the  Gospel, 
than  to  seek  salvation  by  our  own  works 
of  any  kind.  He  seems  ever  after  to 
have  lamented  deeply  the  miserable  state 
of  his  countrymen,  who  "  had  a  zeal  for 
God,  but  not  according  to  knowledge."* 
He  pitied  their  self-righteous  notions :  he 
knew  by  his  own  experience  how  deceit- 
ful such  notions  were  to  those,  who  were 
under  the  power  of  them:  and,  while  he 
rejoiced  on  account  of  that  grace  which 
had  redeemed  himself  from  hell,  he  com- 
miserated those,  who  were  fast  advanc- 
ing thither  in  fearless  presumption.  In 
the  third  chapter  of  the  Philippians,  he 
gives  us  a  very  particular  view  of  him- 
self. To  trust  in  any  thing  for  salvation, 
except  Christ  alone,  is  with  him  "to 
have  confidence  in  the  flesh."  No  man 
appeared  once  to  have  had  more  just  pre- 
tensions to  such  confidence  than  himself. 
His  regular  circumcision  on  the  eighth 
day,  Hebrew  descent,  Pharisaic  strict- 
ness, zealous  Judaism,  and  blameless 
morals,  seemed  to  exalt  him  above  the 
common  level  of  his  countrymen :  but  he 
declares  that  he  "reckoned  all  these 
thinjjs  as  dunof,  that  he  mi^ht  win 
Christ;"  and  in  him  alone  he  desires  to 
be  found,  without  his  own  righteousness 
to  trust  in ;  and  he  maintains  the  settled 
determination  of  his  soul  in  this  article  of 
justification.  Were  it  not  for  the  per- 
verse blindness  of  fallen  nature,  one 
might  be  astonished  to  find  many  persons 
of  learnincr  and  o-ood  sense,  after  reading 
this  account  of  the  Apostle  by  himself, 
still  endeavouring  to  represent  him  as 
mixing  grace  and  works  in  the  subject  of 
justification,  and  describing  him  as  only 
excludino-  ceremonial  works  from  the  of- 
fice  of  justifying  a  sinner.  But  to  pro- 
ceed : 

Having  preached  Christ  for  three  years 
abroad,  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem.  Here 
he  attempted  tojoinhimselfto  the  Church, 
but  the  remembrance  of  what  he  had  been, 
and  the  very  imperfect  account  which  they 
had  received  of  what  he  then  was,  pre- 
vented the  Christians  from  receiving  him, 
till  Barnabas  brought  him  to  the  Apostles 

*  Rom.  X. 


34 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


(two  of  them  only,  Peter  and  James*  the 
Lord's  brother)  and  informed  them  of  his 
genuine  conversion.  This  cleared  up  all 
doubts;  and  he  was  now  engaged  in  the 
work  of  the  ministry  at  Jerusalem,  and 
wonld  gladly  have  remained  there,  but 
the  Lord,  by  a  vision,  assured  him,  that 
the  Jews  would  not  receive  his  testimony  : 
and  that  the  great  scene  of  his  labours 
was  to  be  among  the  Gentiles. 

In  fact,  some  address  was  needful  in 
his  brethren  to  save  his  life  from  the  rage 
of  the  Jews,  and  he  was  conducted  to  his 
native  city  of  Tarsus.  By  this  time,  how- 
ever, the  fury  of  persecution  subsided : 
the  Lord  gave  rest  to  his  Church:  and 
the  disciples  both  at  Jerusalem  and  else- 
where, walked  in  the  very  best  manner, 
in  which  they  can  walk  on  this  side  hea- 
ven, "in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the 
comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Where 
these  go  together,  excesses  of  all  sorts 
are  prevented;  and  inward  jny  and  out- 
ward obedience  conspire  to  demonstrate, 
that  there  Christ  reigns  indeed. 

Yet  so  slow  are  men  to  receive  new 
divine  truths,  especially  those  which  mili- 
tate against  old  prejudices,  that  the  Chris- 
tians of  Jerusalem  contended  with  Peter 
on  account  of  his  intercourse  with  the 
Gentiles  of  Caesarea.  The  fierceness  of 
Peter's  natural  character  was  now  abated  ; 
with  great  meekness  he  reasoned  ou  the 
case  with  his  bigoted  brethren,  and  con- 
vinced them,  by  the  evident  proofs  of 
the  grace  of  God  being  vouchsafed  to 
Gentiles,  that  it  was  lawful  to  have  com- 
munion with  them.f  They  glorified  God, 
saying,  "Then  hath  God  also  to  the  Gen- 
tiles granted  repentance  to  life."  Unut- 
terable grace  indeed  to  us,  confessed  at 
length  and  owned  by  our  elder  brethren 
the  Jews !  David  had  just  reason  to  say, 
"Let  me  fall  into  the  hand  of  the  Lord, 
for  his  mercies  are  great,  and  let  me  not 
fall  into  the  hand  of  man.":j:  Even  a 
converted  Jew,  admits  with  difficulty,  that 
the  grace  of  God  may  visit  a  Gentile! 

The  visits  of  Paul  to  Jerusalem  seem 
to  have  been  but  short.  The  body  of  the 
Jewish  nation  sought  his  destruction;  and 
his  Gentile  connections  and  very  reserved 
practice  of  Mosaical  ceremonies,  rendered 
him  no  peculiar  favourite  in  the  mother- 
church,  though  they  "could  not  but  glori- 
fy the  grace  of  God  which  was  in  him."§ 


But  the  Church  is  not  perfect  on  earth. 
His  next  return  to  Jerusalem  was,  how- 
ever, of  a  popular  kind,  namely,  to  convey 
ihe  alms  of  Gentile  converts  to  the  Jewish 
Christians  oppressed  by  a  "  famine,  which 
came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  Claudius 
Caesar."*  His  companion  to  Jerusalem 
was  Barnabas,  whose  liberality  in  the  be- 
ginning had  been  so  eminent.  This  ser- 
vice being  discharged,  they  both  returned 
to  minister  to  the  Gentiles. 

The  civil  power  of  Judea  was  now  in 
the  hands  of  Herod  Agrippa,  a  great  fa- 
vourite of  the  Roman  emperor,  a  person 
of  considerable  talents,  and  full  of  that 
specious  virtue,  which,  in  secular  annals, 
would  entitle  him  to  great  renown.     In 
the  church  of  Christ  he  stands  a  persecu- 
tor, and  his  virtues  e-re,  in  the  strong  but 
justlanguage  of  Augustine, fsplendid  sins. 
Yet  his  persecution  was  not  the  effect  of 
a  cruel  temper.     Had  the  Jews  regarded 
Christianity  with  a  favourable  eye,  he, 
at  least,  would  have  protected   it.     But 
long  before  this  time  the  general  favour  of 
the  common  people  toward  the  Christians 
had  been  dissipated  by  the  active  malice 
of  the  rulers,  and  Christ  was  found  to  have 
no  lasting  friends,  but  those  Avhom  he 
made  so  by  effectual  grace.     The   first 
victim  of  this  political  persecution  was 
James  the  son  of  Zebedee :  he  was  slain 
with  the  sword,  the  first  of  the  Apostles, 
who  departed  from  tlve  Church  below,  to 
join  that  which  is  above. 

Finding  that  the  act  was  popular,  He- 
rod attempted  to  dispatch  Peter  also.:^ 
But  God  had  reserved  him  for  more  ser- 
vices; and  yet,  in  all  appearance,  there 
was  no  hope  of  his  preservation.  He  was 
imprisoned,  and  strictly  guarded,  with  a 
view,  after  the  passover,  when  the  con- 
course of  Jews  at  Jerusalem  was  very 
large,  to  have  him  publicly  executed. 
The  king  was  pleased  with  the  idea  of  in- 
gratiating himself  with  his  subjects;  but 
the  Church  has  arms  which  men  of  the 
the  world  understand  not,  and  they  were 
vigorously  used  on  this  occasion. 

A  spirit  of  earnest  persevering  prayer 
was  poured  on  the  Church  of  Jerusa- 
lem. The  Lord  delayed  to  answer  till 
the  critical  moment; — a  method  not  un- 
common of  exercising  the  faith,  and  zeal, 
and  patience  of  his  people.  By  the  mi- 
raculous interposition  of  an  angel,  Peter, 
the  niffht  before  his  intended  execution. 


•  Gal.  i.  18,  19. 
t  Acts  xi. 
§  Gal.  i.  ult. 


Acts  ix.  27. 

^  2  Sam.  xxiv.  14. 


*  Acts  xi.  toward  the  end. 

t  Spleiulida  peccata.  ^  Acts  xii 


CSHT.  I.] 


OF  JERUSALEM. 


35 


was  delivered  from  prison.     At  first  he 
imag-ined   that  to  be  done  in  a  vision, 
which  was  a  reality.     At  length  being 
fully  come  to  himself,  and  reflecting  on 
what  the  Lord  had  done,  he  came  to  the 
house  of  Mary  the  mother  of  John  Mark, 
a  woman  of  eminent  piety  and  of  some 
opulence,  where  many  Christians  were 
gathered  together  in  the  religious  employ- 
ment of  prayer.     Those  only,  who  know 
what  the  spirit  of  prayer  is,  can  conceive 
tlie  vehemence  of  wrestling,  which  then 
eno-asred   Christian   hearts.      The   scene 
which  followed  was  at  once  most  aston- 
ishing and  most  pleasing.     They  hear  a 
person  knocking  at  the  door;  a  young 
woman  named  Rhoda  comes  to  hearken ; 
she  knows  Peter's  voice;  joy  prevents 
her  from  opening  the  gate ;  she  returns  to 
inform  the  supplicants,  that  Peter  stood 
before  it ;  they  are  induced  to  suspect  her 
of  insanity,  rather  than  to  believe  that  their 
prayers  were  heard ;  so  slow  are  even  the 
best  to  believe  the  goodness  of  God.    She 
perseveres  in  her  first  assertion ;  it  must 
then,  say  they,  be  his  angel.*    Peter  con- 
tinues knocking;   they  open  at  length; 
they   behold    him,   and   are   astonished. 
Having  waved  his  hand,  and  brought  them 
to  silence,  he  informs  them  of  the  Lord's 
wonderful  interposition  in  his  favour.   Go, 
says  he,  and  show  these  things  to  James, 
and  the  brethren.     James,  who  was  the 
Lord's  brother,  with  himself  and  John  had 
the  greatest  concern   in  the  government 
of  the  mother  Churchf  at  that  time.    Pe- 
ter retires  then  to  a  place  of  concealment. 
Little  did  Herod  apprehend  that  his  own 
death  should  precede  that  of  his  prisoner. 
On  a  public  occasion,  in  which 
he  appeared  in  great  splen- 
dour, he  delivered  an  oration, 
so  pleasing  to  his  audience, 
that  they  shouted,  "It  is  the  voice  of  a 
god,  and  not  of  a  man."     That  moment  he 
was  smitten  with  an  incurable  disease  by 
an  angel,  because  he  "gave  not  God  the 
glory."     That  pride  and  ambition,  which 
had  gained  him  the  character  of  a  patriot, 
orator,  and  statesman,  were  punished  with 
death  by  Him,  who  "seeth  not  as  man 
seeth;"  and  he  fell  a  warning  to  princes, 
not  to  seek  glory  in  opposition  to  God. 

The  next  memorable  circumstance  in 
the   history    of  the   mother-church   will 

*  The  idea  of  the  ministry  ofangels  among 
men  was   popular  rviih    the  Jews  ;    j)ossiljly 


First 
Christian 
Council : 
A.  D.  52. 


Death  of 
Herod : 
A.  D.  44. 


deserve  our  particular  atten- 
tion. This  was  the  first  Chris- 
tian council.  The  controversy 
which  occasioned  it,  involved 
a  subject  of  vast  consequence 
in  real  religion. 

*About  twenty  years  had  elapsed  since 
the  effusion  of  the  Spirit  had  commenced ; 
a  period  of  time  in  which,  even  in  the 
midst  of  one  of  the  most  wicked  nations 
in  the  world,  in  Jerusalem  and  in  its  neigh- 
bourhood, God  had  erected  his  kingdom 
in  the  hearts  of  thousands  who  had  lived 
in  great  unanimity  and  charity,  "keeping 
the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace," 
conscious  of  their  Divine  Master's  spiritu- 
al presence,  and  rejoicing  in  the  hope  of 
his  second  coming  to  complete  their  fe- 
licity.    In  his  strength,  they  had  sustain- 
ed, with  much  patience,  two  very  severe 
persecutions,  in  the  former  of  which  a 
Deacon,  in  the  second   an  Apostle,  had 
sealed  the  truth  with  their  blood.     In  an 
earlier  part  of  this  period  their  holy  har- 
mony had  been  a  little  interrupted  by  a 
secular  contention,  but  this  was  soon  com- 
posed.    The  time  was  not  yet  arrived, 
when  those,  who  called  themselves  Chris- 
tians, could  so  much  forget  the  dignity  of 
their  profession,  as  to  contend  passionate- 
ly for  worldly  things.     The  present  con- 
troversy had  a  more  intimate  connexion 
with    the   Christian  religion    itself,  and 
therefore  seemed  more  likely  to  disturb  the 
union  of  men,  with  whom  spiritual  objects 
were  the  chief  ground  of  concern.     The 
Jews  were  strongly  attached  to  their  own 
religious   national   peculiarities.     Under 
the  influence  of  pride,  envy,  and  other 
evil  passions,  this  disposition  supported 
the  spirit  of  self-righteousness.    Nothing 
could  be  more  contrary  to  the  genius  of 
the    Gospel   than   the   attempt   of  some 
Christian  Jews,  who  endeavoured  to  in- 
fuse into  the  Gentile  converts  an  idea  of 
the  necessity  of  circumcision,  and  of  obe- 
dience to  the  whole  of  the  Mosaic  cere- 
monial, in  order  to  salvation.     Some  of 
the  Pharisees  themselves  were  now  real 
Christians,  but  they  were  displeased  to 
see  and  hear  of  so  many  Gentiles  admit- 


these  good  men  miglit  carry  it  too  far 
pretend  not  to  settle  the  point, 
t  Gal.  ii.9. 


but  I 


*  I  once  for  ail  observe  here,  that  the  nice- 
lies  of  Chronology  make  no  part  of  my  study 
in  this  Work.  Yet  I  sliall  endeavour  to  attend 
so  much  to  historical  connexion,  as  to  be  gen- 
erally right  wiiliin  a  few  years.  This  seems 
sufficient  for  my  purpose  ;  and  whoever  at- 
tends to  the  second  and  third  chapters  to  the 
Galatians  will  see,  that  1  cannot  err  much  ia 
this  instance. 


36 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


ted  into  the  Christian  Church,  and  re- 
garded by  the  Apostles  as  on  an  equal 
footing  with  themselves  in  the  favour  of 
God.  Thus  were  their  minds  darkened 
with  respect  to  the  article  of  justification; 
and,  before  they  were  aware,  by  thus  in- 
sisting on  the  necessity  of  circumcision, 
they  practically  averred,  that  the  grace  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  not  sufficient 
for  man's  salvation;  that  the  favour  of 
God  was  to  be  purchased  by  human  works, 
in  part  at  least;  and  that  their  ritual  ob- 
servances contributed  to  their  acceptance 
with  God. 

This  was  the  first  time  that  the  natural 
pride  and  ignorance  of  the  human  heart, 
disguised  under  the  pretence  of  religious 
zeal,  attempted  to  undermine  the  simpli- 
city of  the  faith,  by  which  hitherto  Chris- 
tians had  rested  with  complacency  on 
Jesus  alone,  had  enjoyed  peace  of  con- 
science, and  had  been  constrained  to  obe- 
dience by  love.  The  Apostles  Paul  and 
Barnabas  looked  on  the  growing  evil  with 
a  jealous  eye,  and  after  no  small  fruitless 
altercation  with  the  zealots,  thought  it 
better  to  refer  the  full  consideration  of  the 
question  to  a  council  of  Apostles  and  El- 
ders at  Jerusalem.  And  now  Paul  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem  the  third  time  since 
his  conversion,  and  about  seventeen  years 
after  it;  and,  in  his  progress  with  Barna- 
bas, reported  the  conversion  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, which  gave  great  joy  to  the  Chris- 
tian Jews  in  general. 

At  the  Council,  Peter,  who  had  return- 
ed to  Jerusalem,  and  since  Agrippa's 
death  was  no  longer  molested,  opened  the 
debate  by  observing,  that  a  considerable 
time  ago,  God  had  selected  him  to  preach 
to  the  Gentiles,  and  had  blessed  his  la- 
bours with  unequivocal  success,  in  puri- 
fying their  hearts  by  faith,  and  in  dis- 
pensing the  Holy  Ghost  among  them,  no 
less  than  on  the  Jews.  After  God  him- 
self had  thus  decided,  he  said  it  appeared 
presumptuous  in  any  person  to  impose  a 
yoke  on  the  Gentiles,  from  which  the  Di- 
vine Indulgence  had  exempted  them.  He 
insisted  that  the  yoke  itself,  especially 
when  laid  on  the  conscience  as  necessary 
to  salvation,  was  intolerable .  and  he  con- 
cluded, that  even  they,  who  still,  for  cha- 
ritable and  prudential  reasons,  persisted 
in  the  ritual  observances,  were  yet  obliged 
to  repose  for  salvation  only  on  the  "  grace 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  as  well  as 
these  Gentiles,  who  never  had  observed 
them  at  all.  This  full  testimony  of  Peter 
was  supported  by  Paul  and  Barnabas, 


who  gave  ample  proof  of  the  Divine  Grace 
vouchsafed  to  -the  Gentiles.  James,  who 
seems  to  have  been  the  standing  pastor 
of  Jerusalem,  confirmed  the  same  argu- 
ment, by  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, agreeably  to  Peter's  declaration  of 
the  mercy  of  God  in  visiting  the  Gentiles. 
He  gave  his  opinion,  that  the  Gentiles 
should  no  longer  be  molested  with  notions 
subversive  of  the  grace  of  God,  and  tend- 
ing to  teach  them  dependence  on  human 
works  instead  of  the  atonement  of  Christ 
for  salvation.  Only  he  recommended, 
that  the  Council  should  direct  them  to 
abstain  from  the  pollutions  of  idols,  and 
from  fornication,  and  from  things  stran- 
gled, and  from  blood.*  For  the  number 
of  Jews  dispersed  through  Gentile  cities, 
who  heard  Moses  read  every  Sabbath- 
day,  required  these  precautions. 

A  letter  was  sent  according  to  these 
views;  nor  does  it  appear  that  there  was 
one  dissenting  voice  in  the  Council.  It 
is  remarkable,  that  the  synod  used  this 
striking  expression  of  censure  against  the 
zealots,  they  "troubled  you  with  words, 
subverting  your  souls."  Certainly  the 
charitable  Apostles  would  not  so  strongly 
have  rebuked  a  trifling  error.  Nor  is 
there,  I  think,  any  other  method  of  under- 
standing this  aright,  but  on  the  principle 
already  stated,  that  the  harm  did  not  con- 
sist in  practising  these  ceremonies,  though 
virtually  abrogated  by  the  death  of  Christ. 
For  these  were  practised  by  the  Apostles 
themselves,  constantly  by  such  as  lived 
in  Judea,  and  occasionally  by  the  rest. 
The  real  fault  was  the  depending  upon 
them  for  salvation,  in  opposition  to  the 
grace  of  Christ.  Here  the  Apostles  knew 
it  behoved  them  to  be  jealous,  that  God 
might  be  glorified,  and  souls  comforted: 
and  the  joy,  and  consolation,  and  esta- 
blishment in  the  faith, j  which  ensued 
amongst  the  Gentiles,  confirms  this  in- 
terpretation. 

It  is  to  be  feared,  that  the  Church  of 
Jerusalem  received  not  all  the  benefit, 
which  was  to  be  wished  from  the  wisdom 
and   charity  of  the  Council,  though  it 


*  Though  an  idol  was  nothing,  and  what 
was  offered  to  it  was  nothing,  yet  St.  Paul  has 
given  solid  reasons  wiiy  Christians  should  ab- 
stain from  such  meats.  Fornication  was  a 
sin,  concerning  the  evil  of  which  the  heathen 
converts  miglit  be,  he  apprehended,  as  yet  un- 
informed ;  and  to  abstain  from  tilings  stran- 
gled, and  from  blood,  was  necessary,  in  order 
to  have  anv  intercourse  with  Jews. 

t  Acts  XV.  31.  andxvi.  5. 


Ceht.  I.] 


OF  JERUSALEM. 


37 


doubtless  would  be  of  service  to  many. 
But  its  most  wholesome  effects  were  felt 
among  the  Gentiles.  The  account,  which 
we  have  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians, 
leads  us  to  suspect  that  the  self-righteous 
spirit  had  a  very  deep  influence  among 
some  members  of  the  Church  at  Jerusa- 
lem. The  Apostle  Paul  was  obliged  to 
exercise  a  particular  caution  among  them, 
and  to  confer  in  private  with  the  pillars 
of  the  Church,  lest  he  should  give  um- 
brage to  the  Jewish  Christians,  and  injure 
his  own  usefulness  among  his  country- 
men.* In  this  he  acted  with  equal  pru- 
dence and  charity:  yet  nothing  could  in- 
duce him  to  act  inconsistently  with  the 
faith.  To  press  the  Gentile  converts  to 
Jewish  conformity,  appeared  to  him  in 
this  light,  as  no  reasons  but  those  of 
peace,  charity,  and  prudential  expediency, 
could  be  pleaded  for  the  continuance  of 
such  observances,  even  among  Jews :  and 
therefore  amono-  Gentiles,  who  never  had 
been  under  the  yoke,  no  other  construc- 
tion could,  be  put  on  the  practice,  than 
that  it  was  necessary  to  salvation,  and 
that  the  primary  doctrine  of  the  Cliristian 
religion,  the  sufficiency  of  the  blood  of 
Christ  for  pardon  of  sin,  was  disbelieved. 
The  same  Apostle  therefore,  who,  on 
another  occasion  circumcised  Timothyf 
because  of  the  Jews  in  the  neighbourhood, 
he  being  by  the  mother's  side  of  Hebrew 
extraction,  now  insisted,  that  Titus,  a 
perfect  Gentile,  should  not  be  circum- 
cised,:}: because  of  false  brethren,  who 
had  craftily  introduced  themselves  among 
the  Christians,  with  a  view  to  undermine 
their  dependence  on  Jesus,  and  to  draw 
them  back  to  the  self-righteousness  of 
Judaism.  The  liberty  of  Christ  was  what 
he  was  zealous  to  support;  and  he  would 
not,  for  an  hour,  allow  any  self-righteous 
mixtures,  "that  the  truth  of  the  Gospel 
might  continue  with  them;"  an  expres- 
sion, which  throws  farther  light  on  the 
controversy  we  have  reviewed ;  and  shows 
distinctly,  that  not  circumcision  itself, 
but  the  dependence  on  it  for  salvation  in 
the  room  of  Christ,  was  the  great  object 
of  the  Apostle's  opposition. 

He  had  hitherto  found,  to  his  satisfac- 
tion, that  all  his  brethren  of  the  Apostolic 
college  had  heartily  concurred  in  check- 
ing the  progress  of  self- righteousness. 
But  a  lamentable  instance  of  human  im- 
becility soon  appeared.     Peter,  after  hay- 


*  Gal.  ii. 
;t  Gal.  ii. 

Vol.  I. 


t  Acts  xvi.  5» 


D 


ing*  taken  a  social  meal  with  some  Gen- 
tile converts,  afterwards  withdrew  from 
their  company,  on  the  arrival  of  certain 
Jewish  zealots,  who  came  to  him  from 
James:  and  thus,  for  fear  of  their  cen- 
sure, he  durst  not  keep  company  with 
men,  whose  fellowship  he  yet  inwardly 
reverenced,  and  expected  to  enjoy  in  hea- 
ven. An  error  committed  by  a  respecta- 
ble character  is  infectious.  Other  Jews 
dissembled  in  a  similar  way: — even  Bar- 
nabas was  carried  away  with  their  dis- 
simulation, and  the  truth  of  the  Gospel 
was  in  danger  of  being  forsaken  on  the 
authority  of  those,  who  had  hitherto  up- 
held its  standard  in  the  world.  Such  in- 
firmities of  the  wise  and  good  prove,  be- 
yond doubt,  to  whom  alone  we  are  obliged 
for  the  preservation  of  Christian  trutii  in 
the  earth.  The  Lord  roused  the  spirit  of 
Paul  on  the  occasion :  he  vindicated  the 
truth  of  the  Gospel  by  an  open  and  manly 
rebuke  of  Peter:  and  thus  a  seasonable 
check  was  put  to  the  growing  torrent  of 
Pharisaism, — that  dark  but  deadly  foe  of 
the  Gospel, — which,  in  one  form  or  an- 
other, is  ever  ready  to  cloud  the  light  oi 
truth,  and  to  sap  the  foundation  of  Chris- 
tian peace  and  life. 

St.  Paul's  fourth  visit  to  Jerusalem  is 
but  just  mentioned  in  Scripture. j"  His 
fifth  was  attended  with  more  memorabLe 
events.  It  was  seen  by  the  spirit  ot 
prophecy,  that  he  would  undergo  bitter 
persecution  from  the  infidel  Jews;  and 
the  guarded  kindness  with  which  he  was 
received  by  many,  even  of  the  believers 
there,  formed  no  pleasing  inducement  to 
him  to  repeat  hia  visits.  But  divine 
charity  prevailed  in  St.  Paul's  mind  over 
all  objections,  difficulties,  and  dangers: 
he  rebuked  his  friends  at  Caesarea,  who 
dissuaded  him  from  prosecuting  his  jour- 
ney, by  professing  his  readiness  "not 
only  to  be  bound,  but  also  to  die  at  Jeru- 
salem, for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus. ":{: 
His  resignation  silenced  them  :  they  said, 
"the  will  of  the  Lord  be  done."  On  his 
arrival  he  went  to  James,  and  in  tha 
presence  of  all  the  elders,  recounted  the 
work  of  God  among  the  Gentiles.  They 
glorified  the  Lord,  and  rejoiced  sincerely 
on  the  account:  but  at  the  same  time 
they  expressed  what  concern  it  gave 
them,  to  find  how  jealous  of  Paul  the 
brethren  were,  having  heard  a  false  re- 
port of  his  teaching  all  the  Jews  to  for- 


*   Gal.  ii.  12. 
t  Acts  sxi.13. 


t  Acts  xviii.  22. 


38 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


Paul  and 

James 
agree  in 
sentiment. 


sake  the  Mosaic  observances.  Doubtless 
he  had  not  done  this :  but,  he  liad  done 
what  displeased  the  Jewish  zealots:  he 
had  insisted  on  the  exemption  of  Gentiles 
from  the  yoke;  and  men,  once  out  of 
humour,  are  disposed  to  hearken  to  ma- 
levolent exaggerations.  In  this  exigency 
the  advice  of  James  was  at  the  same 
time  prudent  and  charitable,  namely,  that 
he  should  join  with  four  men,  who  were 
bound  by  a  Nazarite  vow,  in  the  custo- 
mary services  of  the  temple,  till  a  sacri- 
fice should  be  offered  for  each  of  them. 
With  this  Paul  concurred ;  and  thus  he 
gave  the  clearest  proof  that  he  was  ready 
to  conform  both  to  Jew  and  Gentile  in 
things  indifferent,  with  a  view  to  pro- 
mote the  salvation  of  men.  A  few  re- 
marks, suggested  by  these  transactions, 
shall  close  this  chapter. 

1.  We  see  here  that  really  there  was 
no  difference  of  sentiment  be- 
tween Paul  and  James  in  re- 
ligious opinions,  as  from  a 
few  expressions  in  the  epis 
tie  of  the  latter,*  some  are 

glad  to  insinuate.  These  two  Apostles, 
and  indeed  the  whole  college,  were  per- 
fectly agreed  in  their  views  of  the  nature 
of  the  Gospel. 

2.  In  Peter  there  evidently  was,  in  one 
instance,  a  duplicity  of  conduct  with  re- 
spect to  the   Mosaic   rites, — in   Paul  a 
steady  uniformity.     He  lived  as  a  Jew 
himself:  vows,  synagogue-worship,  and 
the  various  rites  of  the  law  he  observed, 
not  even  sacrifices  excepted,  on  occasion. 
He  could  not  indeed  look  on  them  now 
in  any  other  light  than  as  branches  of  a 
human  establishment;  since  the  death  of 
Christ  had  annulled  their  divine  authori- 
ty.    The   establishment  itself  he  knew 
was  soon  to  cease  by  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem.     To  him  and  to  the  rest  of 
the  Apostles  it  appeared  more  charitable, 
to  submit  to  the  inconveniences  of  con- 
formity, than  to  irritate  the  whole  body  of 
the  Jews  on  account  of  circumstantials. 
On  this  ground   pious   men  in  all  ages 
have  acted,  and  those,  who  have  most 
excelled  in   Christian  fruitfulness,  have 
been  most  remarkable  for  their  candour. 
At  the  same  time  the  inflexible  firmness 
of  Paul  in  vindicating  the  doctrine   of 
justification,  by  allowing  on  no  account 
the  circumcision  of  Gentiles,  informs  us 
where  he  laid  the  stress  for  salvation 
This  union  of  candour  and  firmness 


the  same  person,  acting  variously  in  op- 
posite circumstances,  has  led  some  wri- 
ters to  accuse  him  of  inconsistency, 
who  seem  not  to  have  understood  the 
principles  of  the  controversy.  This  was 
the  case  of  Jerom  of  old.  His  controver- 
sy with  Augustine  on  the  subject  is  yet 
extant  in  the  epistle  of  the  latter,  whose 
statement  of  the  affair  I  think  perfectly 
just;  and  it  is  agreeable  to  the  views  in 
which  the  conduct  of  the  Apostle  has  now 
been  exhibited. 

3.  We  see  here  how  infinitely  impor- 
tant is  the  doctrine  of  justification!  What 
excellent  fruits  it  had  brought  forth*  in 
the  Jewish  Church,  now  consisting  of 
many  thousands,  has  been  shown.  It 
appears  how  naturally  the  human  heart 
departs  from  the  faith  of  Christ,  before 
it  is  aware.  The  penetrating  and  zeal- 
ous spirit  of  Paul  was  employed  by  the 
divine  goodness  to  uphold  still  the  stand- 
ard of  truth.  Many,  no  doubt,  received 
benefit  from  his  example;  but  the  glory 
of  this  Church  was  now  on  the  decline. 

4.  The  evil  of  bigotry  is  no  less  evi- 
dent; and  how  naturally  it  connects  itself 
with  self-righteousness  is  also  sufficient- 
ly apparent.  An  eager  stress  laid  on  any 
rite,  or  form,  or  external  work  whatever, 
easily  thus  degenerates.  Steadfastness 
in  the  faith,  and  candour,  and  charity,  are, 
under  God,  our  preservatives  against  it. 

There  was  little  opportunity  of  trying 
on  the  minds  of  Christians,  the  effect  of 
the  charitable  scheme,  concerted  between 
the   two   Apostles,   because    before   the 
seven  days  were  expired,  the  malice  of 
the  infidel  Jews  broke  out  against  Paul. 
vSt.  Luke's  narrative,  from  the  twenty- 
first  chapter  to  the  end  of  his  history,  is 
spent  on  the  consequences  of  this.     The 
cheerfulness,  magnanimity,  charity,  and 
piety  of  the  Apostle  Paul :  the  convinc- 
ing force  of  his  reasoning,  which  caused 
Felix  to  tremble,  and  Agrippa  to  confess 
himself  almost  a  Christian :  his  preser- 
vation from  Jewish  malice  by  the  privi- 
lege of  Roman  citizenship  : 
the  perils  he   underwent  by 
sea  and  land,  till  he  arrived 
a  prisoner  at  Rome,  and  his 
labours  for  two  years  in  the 
ministry    among  them   who 
visited  him  in  his  imprison- 
ment: these  things  are  so  cir- 
cumstantially, and,  I  may  justly  add,  so 
beautifully  related  by  the  sacred  writer. 


in 


Paul  was 
sent  in 
bonds 
from 
Sidon  by 
sea  : 

A.  D.  62. 


*  James  ii.,  latter  part. 


*  Acts  xxi.  20. 


Cent.  L] 


OF  JERUSALEM. 


39 


that  I  shall  refer  my  reader  to  him  alto- 
gether, especially  as  neither  the  history 
of  the  mother-church,  nor  of  any  other 
particular  churches,  is  connected  with 
the  account. 

The  malice  of  the  Jews  having  failed 
of  its  object  in  Paul',  by  his  appeal  to 
Caesar,  would  gladly  have  gratified  itself 
on  James.  But  he,  though  no  Roman 
citizen,  was  shielded  a  little  longer  by 
the  lenity  of  the  Roman  government.* 
His  long  residence  at  Jerusalem,  where 
he  was  stationary  for  the  most  part,  had 
given  him  an  opportunity,  by  a  blameless 
life,  to  abate  the  prejudice  of  his  unbe- 
lieving   countrymen,  and  to  extort  the 


A.  D.  60. 


tribute  of  praise  from  the  pop 
ulace  in  general.     About  the 
year   of  our   Lord    sixty,  he    wrote  his 
Catholic  epistle.     It  is  addressed  to  Jews 
in  general ;  sometimes  he  speaks  to  Chris- 
tians, sometimes  to  infidels,  like  a  person 
well  known,  and  of  considerable   inilu- 
ence   among  both.      The   covetousness, 
inhumanity,  and  persecuting  spirit  of  the 
nation  are  described  in  strong  colours; 
and  he  writes  like  one  who  foresees  the 
speedy  desolation  which  was  to  overtake 
them.     By  the  practical  turn  of  his  doc- 
trine, by  his  descanting  on  the  vices  of 
the  tongue, f  of  partiality  to  the  rich,  and 
of  contemptuous  treatment  of  the  poor  in 
Christian  assemblies,:):  and  by  his  direc- 
tion against  vain  swearing,§  it  is  but  too 
evident,  that  the  Church  had  considera- 
bly declined  from  its  original  purity  and 
simplicity ;  and  that  the  crafts  of  Satan, 
aided    ever   by  human   depravity,   were 
wearing  out  apace  the  precious  fruits  of 
that   effusion  of  the   Spirit,  which   has 
been   described.     Such   is   the   common 
course   of  things   in   all   similar    cases, 
within   the   like   period  of  about  thirty 
years.     The  Lord  had  not  however  for- 
saken his  Church;  though  its  members 
were   in   a  persecuted   state,   and   were 
brought  before  Jewish  magistrates, ||  and 
vexed,  so  far  as  the  rage  of  this  infatuat- 
ed nation  had  power  to  exert  itself.     He 
particularly  exhorts  them  to  patience  un- 
der their  trials,  and  a  resignation  to  the 
Divine  Will. 

About  the  same  time,  or  a  little  after, 
this  Church  was  favoured  with  the  Epis- 


tle to  the  Hebrews,  which  seems  to  have 
been  written  by  St.  Paul.* 

As  apostasy,  partly  through  the  fash- 
ionable and  natural  evil  of  self-righteous- 
ness, and  partly  through  the  cruelty  of 
persecution,  was  the  great  mischief  to  be 
feared  among  them,  he  directs  them  par- 
ticularly to  maintain  the  Christian  faith. 
St.  Paul,  in  this  Epistle,  largely  and  dis- 
tinctly shows  the  accomplishment  of  all 
the  Mosaic  types  in  Jesus.     His  priest- 
hood, sacrifice,  and  intercession,  are  am- 
ply described.     The  privileges  and  bene- 
fits of  his  salvation  are  distinctly  stated. 
He   exhorts   them   to   constancy  in   the 
simple  faith  of  Christ.     He  urges  them 
to  persevere  in  supporting  their  Christian 
assemblies,    from  which  somef  had  de- 
clined, probably  through  fear  of  persecu- 
tion.    He  reminds  them  of  the  severities 
they  had  patiently  undergone  after  their 
first     illumination,    of    the    compassion 
which  his  sufferino-s  had  excited  among 
them,  and  of  the  cheerfulness  with  which 
they  had  sustained  the  spoiling  of  their 
goods,  from  the  confidence  they  "had  of 
havino-  in  heaven  a  better  and  enduring: 
substance."     The  whole  turn  of  his  ex- 
hortation shows,   that  they  were   in  a 
state  of  grievous  molestation  at  the  time 
of  writing  this  Epistle.     And  yet  from 
their  dulness  in  divine  things,  which  he 
so  warmly  censures,^  it  is  certain  their 
spiritual  taste  had  declined.     The  perse- 
cution of  St.  Paul  at  Jerusalem  probably 
excited  a  general  hostility   against   the 
Church.      That   it   did   not  proceed    to 
blood, §  seems  owing  to  no  other  cause 
than  the  protection  of  the  Roman  govern- 
ment.    The  Apostle  is  particularly  earn- 
est in  exhorting  them  to  remember  and 
hold  fast  the  grace  of  the  Gospel,  which 
their  first  ministers  had  taught  them,  and 
to  consider  that  Jesus  Christ  was  their 
great  object,  and  that  a  return  to  Jewish 
dependencies  would  ruin  their  souls.    On 
the  whole,  we  have  here  the  most  glori- 
ous views  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  most 
distinct  information  of  the  nature  of  a 
true   adherence  to  it;  though  I  see   no 
evidence  on  the  face  of  the  Epistle  for 
concluding,   that  he   forbad    them    tliat 
same  occasional  and  prudential  compli- 
ance with  Judaism  in  external  observan- 
ces, which  all  the  Apostles  practised.     It 


•  The  first  persecution  of  the  Christians 
began  about  a.d.  64,  the  lllh  year  of  the 
reign  of  the  Emperor  Nero.     See  Cliap.  XV. 

t  Chap.  iii.  ^  Chap.  ii. 

§  Chap.  V,  I  Chap.  ii.  6. 


*  St.  Peter,  in  liis  second  epistle  to  the 
Jews,  reminds  them  of  St.  Paul's  letter  to 
them  ;  which  probably,  could  have  been  no 
other  than  this  epistle. 

t  Heb.  X.  25.        I  lb.  v.  12.        §  lb.  xii.  4. 


40 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  11. 


was  the  departure  of  the  heart  from  the 
Lord  Jesus,  against  which  he  warned 
them.  He  dwells  not  largely  on  particu- 
lar duties.  He  had  not  lived  much  among 
them  ;  and  special  details  of  practical 
matters  came  belter  from  the  pastoral 
pen  of  James. 

Thus  earnestly  did  these  tv/o  Apostles 
instruct  and  warn  a  declining  Church. 
But  grace  has  its  seasons  !  God  will  not 
always  strive  with  man  ;  yet  the  use  of 
the  Epistles  will  remain,  till  time  shall 
be  no  m.ore. 


CHAPTER   II. 

JUDEA  AND  GALILEE. 

The  Holy  Land  was  divided  into  three 
provinces,  Judea,  Galilee,  and  Sama- 
mx.  This  last  was  in  a  situation  so 
peculiar,  as  to  deserve  to  be  considered 
distinctly.  And  of  the  Churches  of  the 
two  former  I  have  not  much  more  to  say, 
than  that  their  state,  by  fair  analogy,  may 
be  estimated  from  that  of  the  mother- 
church.  Lideed  a  strong  foundation  had 
been  laid  for  their  conversion  by  the  min- 
istry of  John  the  Baptist,  and  by  that  of 
our  Lord  in  the  days  of  his  flesh.  The 
angel  Gabriel  had  foretold  of  the  son  of 
Zacharias,  "that  many  of  the  children  of 
Israel  he  should  turn  to  the  Lord  their 
God."*  Repentance  was  his  theme,  and 
by  this  he  prepared  the  way  of  the  Lord. 
Jesus  himself  condescended  in  his  subor- 
dinate capacity  of  prophet  and  teacher 
to  pursue  the  same  method,  though  no 
regular  churches  were  yet  formed.  He 
promised  that  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
should  be  vouchsafed  to  his  disciples ;  and 
we  have  several  intimations, f  that  a 
greater  degree  of  success,  of  ])urity,  of 
knowledge,  and  of  glory,  should  attend 
his  religion  after  he  should  leave  this 
world,  than  during  his  personal   rninis- 

Judea  and  Galilee  being  thus  prepared 
for  the  Gospel,  the  blessed  tidings  began 
to  be  spread  through  them,  and  to  be  at- 
tended with  rapid  success,  soon  after  the 
first  persecution  which  arose  concerning 
Stephen.     Those,  who  had  felt  the  flame 


*  Luke  i.  2.  -j-  Join:  xiv.  and  xvi. 

^  Let  this  account,  oiu-e  Cor  iill,  tor  the  iiuicli 
greater  use  vliieli  1  urake  of  the  Acts  and  of 
the  Epistles,  tlian  of  the  loui-  Gosijels.  These 
last  are  indeed  inestiniHble  ;  but  tlieir  uses  are 
of  another  kind,  and  fall  not  so  much  within 
the  ^jlan  of  this  work. 


of  Divine  Love  in  Jerusalem,  being 
obliged  to  flee,  preached  through  these 
regions,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  many 
thousands  were  converted.  The  mother- 
church,  no  doubt,  was  the  most  numer- 
ous, but  various  churches  in  the  country 
must  have  contributed  to  make  up  the 
sum.  The  small  size  of  Palestine  may 
tempt  some  to  wonder,  how,  if  many 
thousands  became  Christians,  the  main 
body  of  the  nation  could  yet  remain  in 
infidelity.  The  amazing  populousness 
and  fertility  of  the  country  accounts  for 
this.  The  number  of  populous  towns,  in 
Galilee  particularly,  is  astonishing,  as 
appears  from  Josephus's  narrative  of  the 
Jewish  war.  The  single  town  of  Gada- 
ra,  near  the  lake  of  Gennezaret,  by  no 
means  a  town  of  the  first  magnitude, 
maintained  two  thousand  swine.*  If  then 
the  importance  of  regions  be  measured  by 
the  number  of  inhabitants,  rather  than  by 
the  extent  of  ground,  this  small  country 
might  vie  perhaps  with  modern  Russia. 

Of  these  Churches  the  first  instruments 
were  not  the  Apostles  themselves,  though 
they  doubtless  visited  them  afterwards, 
and  confirmed  them.  James  the  son  of 
Zebedee  would  not  confine  his  labours  to 
Jerusalem,  till  the  time  of  his  martyr- 
dom, no  more  than  the  rest  of  the  twelve, 
if  perhaps  we  except  James  the  son  of 
Alpheus,  who  was  the  first  standing  Pas- 
tor of  Jerusalem. 

These  Churches,  most  probably,  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  the  parent-church, 
both  in  its  first  love  and  comfortable  pro- 
gress, and  also  in  its  unhappy  declension. 
Peter's  activity  in  establishing  them  was 
very  conspicuous.  "The  Lord  wrought 
effectually"  in  him  always  for  the  con- 
version of  the  Jews.f  He  passed  through 
all  quarters,  and  visited  the  places  most 
remote  from  the  capital,  such  as  Lydda, 
vSaron,  and  Joppa.:]:  In  all  these  places  the 
Spirit  of  CJod  accompanied  his  work.  It 
was  in  this  last  city  that  the  Lord  by  him 
raised  Tal)itha  from  the  dead.  I  should 
scarcely  have  mentioned  this  miracle,  in 
a  work  which  professes  all  along  to  re- 
cord the  ordinary,  not  the  extraordinary 
operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  were  not 
this  woman  distinguished  by  "her  good 
works  and  alms-deeds  which  she  did." 
All  the  widows  stood  by  Peter  weeping, 
and  showing  the  "  coats  and  garments 
which  she  had  made,  while  she  was  with 
them."     Thus   had   this   woman's  faith 


*  Mark  v.  15.      f  Gal.  ii.  8.      |  Acts  ix. 


Cext.  I.] 


OF  SAMARIA. 


41 


evidenced  itself  by  good  works ;  and  the 
Spirit  of  piety  and  of  prayer  had  gone  hand 
in  hand  with  that  of  industrious  benefi- 
cence. Hail,  Tabitha!  thou  hast  the 
highest  glory,  and  of  the  most  solid  kind, 
which  is  attainable  on  earth!  But  the 
reader  sees  how  simple  and  low  Chris- 
tian exploits  must  appear  in  the  eyes  of 
worldly  men.  They  are  not  like  the 
swelling  deeds  of  heroes  and  statesmen, 
which  have  hitherto,  for  the  most  part, 
monopolized  the  historic  page.  But  the 
persons  who  are  influenced  by  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  like  Tabitha,  will  yet  know 
with  whom  they  would  wish  to  be  num- 
bered. The  female  sex,  almost  excluded 
from  civil  history,  will  appear  perhaps 
more  conspicuous  in  ecclesiastical.  Less 
immersed  in  secular  concerns,  and  less 
haughty  and  independent  in  spirit,  they 
seem,  in  all  ages,  to  have  had  their  full 
proportion,  or  more  than  the  other  sex,  of 
the  grace  of  the  Gospel. 


CHAPTER   III. 

SAMARIA. 

This  country  lay  in  the  midst  between 
Judea  and  Galilee,  though  distinguished 
from  them  both  in  its  polity  and  religion. 
The  inhabitants  possessed  a  large  part  of 
the  district,  which  had  belonged  to  the 
ten  tribes,  whom  the  kings  of  Assyria  had 
carried  into  captivity.     These  conquerors 
had  filled  their  vacant  place  with  various 
colonists,*   who   mixed  the  worship  of 
Jehovah  with  their  idols,  vainly  boasted 
of  their  relation  to  Jacob,"]'  professed  to 
regard  the  law  of  Moses,  and  despised  or 
at  least  depreciated  the  rest  of  the  Old 
Testament.     Our  Saviour  clearly  decides 
the  contest,  which,  for  ages,  had  been 
carried  on  between  them  and  the  Jews, 
in  favour  of  the  latter. :J:     But  though  the 
Samaritan  was  an   idolater  in  his  very 
foundation,  yet  in  moral  practice  he  ap- 
pears not  worse  than  the  Jew.     Both,  in- 
deed, were  at  this  time  extremely  cor- 
rupt, and  gloried  in  cherishing  an  enmity, 
which  forbad  them  the  exercise  of  com- 
mon humanity  to  one  another. 

The  Divine  Saviour  pitied  this  people. 
He  visited  them  himself,§  and  some  sin- 
ners were  thereby  converted.  He  made 
a  second  attempt  ;||  but  the  bigotry  of  the 
village  to  which  he  approached,  prevented 


*  2  Kings xvii. 
^  John  iv.  22. 
II  Luke  ix.  52. 


f  John  V.  12. 
^  John  iv. 


them  from  receiving  him  there,  a  circum- 
stance which  excited  the  fiery  zeal  of  the 
two  sons  of  Zebedee,  and  gave  occasion 
to  our  Lord  to  say,  "  The  Son  of  man  is 
not  come  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to 
save  them."  He  meekly  bore  the  re- 
pulse, and  went  to  another  village.  But 
the  effusions  of  his  kindness  toward  this 
unhappy  people  vi^ere  now  to  appear  in 
abundance. 

Among  the  seven  deacons,  the  next 
person  to  Stephen,  in  zeal  and  activity, 
was  Philip.     Driven  from  Jerusalem  by 
the  persecution,  he  was  directed  to  go  to 
the  city  of  Samaria,  perhaps  to  the  same 
city  called  Sychar,  where  our  Lord  had 
conversed  with  the  woman  over  Jacob's 
well.     There  he  preached  Christ,  and  the 
Gospel  entered  the  hearts  of  many,  so 
"that  there  was  great  joy  in  that  city."* 
The  inhabitants  appear  to  have  been  a 
very  ignorant  simple  people;  but   now 
that  the  spirit  of  God  was  poured  upon 
them,  none  received  the  Gospel  with  more 
cordial  satisfaction.     One  effect  immedi- 
ately appeared,  which  indeed  never  fails 
to  attend  the  hearty  reception  of  the  Gos- 
pel.    Superstition   and   diabolical   delu- 
sions vanished.    A  person,  named  Simon, 
had  deceived  this  people  with  sorceries ; 
I  dare  not  say  with  pretended  sorceries : 
We  shall  see  sufficient  proof,  before  we 
have  done  with  the  apostolical  history, 
that  sorcery  was  a  real  thing.     For  a  long 
time  they  had  been  infatuated ;  but  Phi- 
lip's doctrine   expelled  their  regard  for 
these  things,  and  numbers  of  both  sexes 
were  baptized.     Simon  himself,  though 
a  stranger  to  the  nature  and  power  of 
Christ's  religion,  was  yet  convinced,  that 
Christianity  in  general  was  true ;  aad  this 
seems  the  just  idea  of  a  mere  historical 
believer. 

The  Apostles  hearing  of  the  happy  re- 
ception of  the  Gospel  at  Samaria,  sent 
down  Peter  and  John,  who  prayed  on  the 
behalf  of  the  people,  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
might  be  imparted  through  the  imposition 
of  hands.  The  Spirit  was  communicated, 
not  only  in  extraordinary  gifts,  but  also 
in  an  effusion  of  the  same  holy  graces, 
which  had  appeared  in  Judea.  The  for- 
mer were  those  which  only  attracted  the 
attention  of  Simon.  His  avaricious  heart 
immediately  conceiving  the  prospect  of 
vast  wealth  to  be  acquired  were  he  only 
once  possessed  of  this  supernatural  power, 
he  offered  the  Apostles  a  sum  of  money 


*  Acts  viii.  8. 


D  2 


42 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  IV. 


for  the  communication  of  the  secret.     Pe- 
ter, who  saw  distinctly  both  his  cove- 
tousness  and  his  io-norauce,  rebulced  liim 
in  the  severest  manner,  assured  him  that 
his  heart  was  wrong  altogether,  and  his 
state  accursed,  notwithstanding'  his  bap- 
tism and  profession  of  Cliristianity.     At 
the  same  time  he  exhorted  him  to  repent, 
and  to  seek  the  divine  forgiveness.     Here 
we  see  how  singularly  remote  the  reli- 
gion of  Jesus  Christ  is  from  all  worldly 
plans  and  schemes,  and  what  an  awful 
ditference  there  ever  is  between  a  real 
and  a  nominal  Christian.    The  conscience 
of  Simon  felt  the  reproof:  he  begged  the 
Apostles'  prayers;  but  it  does  not  appear 
that  he  prayed  for  himself.     Peter  and 
John  preached  through  many  Samaritan 
villages,  and  then  returned  to  Jerusalem. 
The  Samaritans,  a  sort  of  half  Jews, — 
for   they   were   all    circumcised, — being 
favoured  with  the  same  spiritual  bless- 
ings as  the  rest,  the  minds  of  Christians 
were  prepared  to  expect  a  similar  exten- 
sion of  heavenly  grace  to  uncircumcised 
idolaters.     And  among   the  wonders  of 
divine   love  which   we   have   reviewed, 
these   are   pleasing   circumstances,  that 
Jews  and  Samaritans,  who,  for  ages,  had 
disagreed  in  rites,  should  now  be  united 
in  Jesus;  and  while  each  felt  the  same 
obligations  to  grace,  should  have  learned 
mutual  charity  for  the  first  time. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

ETHIOPIA.^ 
It  is  instructive  to  observe,  by  what 
gentle  degrees  the  goodness  of  God  was 
preparing  the  way  for  the  general  diffu- 
sion 01  his  grace  in  the  world.  The  first 
Christians,  even  the  Apostles  themselves, 
were  by  no  means  disposed  to  think  with 
any  particular  compassion  of  Gentiles, 
and  would  scarcely  have  thought  of 
aprsading  the  Gospel  beyond  the  bounds 
of  their  own  nation,  had  not  the  persecu- 
tion driven  many  out  of  Jerusalem.  The 
teachers  themselves  needed  to  be  taught 
of  God  in  this  part  of  their  office.  So 
helpless  is  man  in  divine  things,  even 


*  The  Ethiopia  to  which  this  chapter  is 
confined,  seems  to  be  that  part  of  the  country, 
whose  loetropolis  is  called  Meroe,  situated  in 
a  large  island  encompassed  by  the  Nile  and 
tbe  rivers  of  Astapus  and  Astoborra  :  For  in 
these  parts  (as  the  elder  Pliny  informs  us), 
Queens  had  a  long  time  governed  under  the 
title  of  Candace.— See  Cave's  Life  of  Fhilip, 


after  he  has   been  favoured  with  some 
spiritual  light,  that  only  by  fresh  com- 
munications, he  can  be  induced  to  make 
any  additional  improvement.     After  Phi- 
lip had  finished  his  work  at  Samaria,  he 
was,  by  an  extraordinary  coimnission,  or- 
dered   to   travel    southward    toward    the 
desert.     He  soon  discovered  the  reason : 
he  fell  in  with  an  Ethiopian  eunuch,  a 
minister  of  Candace,  Queen  of  the  Ethio- 
pians, who  had  been  worshipping  at  Je- 
rusalein,  and  was  returning  home  in  his 
chariot.     Men,    who   feel    the   worth  of 
their  souls,  will  not  be  unemployed  when 
alone.     Their  concern  for  their  best  inter- 
ests will  operate  most  powerlully,  when 
they  are  most  disengaged  from  business. 
The  man  was  reading  the  prophet  Esaias, 
and  the  adorable  providence  of  God  had 
directed  him  at  that  particular  time  to  the 
fifty-third  chapter,  which  gives  so  clear 
a  description  of  Christ  crucified,     Philip 
asked  him,  if  he  understood  what  he  was 
reading.     The  man  confessino-  his  iorno- 
ranee,  desired  Philip  to  come  and  sit  with 
him.     The  Evangelist  took  the  opportu- 
nity of  expounding  to  him  the  Gospel, 
from  the  passage  he  was  then  reading, 
which  at  once  lays  open  the  guilty  and 
the  miserable  condition  of  mankind,  their 
recovery  only  by  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  nature,  end,  and  efficacy  of  his  death 
and  resurrection,  and  the  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification before  God  by  the  knowledge 
of  the  same  Jesus  and  by  his   merits. 
The  Ethiopian's  mind  had  been  prepared 
for  the  doctrine :  he  had  been  at  the  pains 
to   attend  Jewish  instructions,  the  best 
then  to  be  had  in  the  world,  except  the 
Christian,  which  he  now  heard,  for  the 
first  time ;  nor  had  the  scandalous  wick- 
edness of  the  Jewish  nation  hindered  him 
from  attending  that  Avorship,  which  he 
believed  to  be  of  divine  origin.     The  ig- 
norance of  his  own  country  suited  not 
even  the  weakest  and  most  glimmering 
light  of  a  serious  mind.     His  case  is  an 
encourao-ementformen,  however  ignorant 
and  mistaken  at  present,  to  seek  earnestly 
to  God,  for  HE  will  take  care  that  they 
shall  FixD.    The  man  felt  himself  guilty 
and  wicked,  and  the  views  of  the  pro- 
phetical chapter  before  us,  laid  open  by 
the  preacher,  discovered  to  him  the  re- 
medy, which  it  pleased  God  so  power- 
fully to  apply  to  his  heart,  that  as  soon 
as  they  came  to  a  certain  water,  he  de- 
sired to  be  baptized.     Philip  assured  him 
that  there  was  no  impediment,  if  he  was 
sincere  in  the  faith  of  Christ,     On  which 


Cejtt.  I.] 


OF  C^  SAKE  A. 


43 


he  professed  his  belief,  that  the  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  Avhom  Philip  had  preached  to 
him,  was  indeed  the  Son  of  God  prophe- 
sied of  by  Isaiah,  and  that  he  answered  the 
character  of  Saviour  there  g-iven  to  him. 
Philip  then  baptized  the  Ethiopian,  who, 
though  his  instructor  was,  by  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord,  immediately  taken  from  him, 
went  on  his  way  into  his  own  country 
rejoicincr.*  Doubtless  this  joy  had  a 
solid  and  powerful  cause ;  and  if  this  case 
be  compared  with  that  of  the  three  thou- 
sand first  converts,  and  both  of  them  with 
the  doctrine  of  the  fifty-third  chapter  of 
Isaiah,  conversion  Avill  appear  to  be  a 
spiritual  internal  work,  humbling-  men 
for  sin,  and  comforting  them  with  for- 
giveness by  Christ.  The  nominal  pro- 
fession, with  which  great  numbers  of 
persons  content  themselves,  may  seem 
to  fit  them  for  little  else,  than  to  disgrace 
Christianity  by  their  practice. 

It  is  impossible  that  the  Ethiopian, 
thus  powerfully  enlightened  and  rejoicing 
in  God,  could  be  silent  when  he  returned 
home.  His  influence  and  character 
would  at  least  secure  to  him  a  respectful 
attention  from  some  of  his  countrymen  ; 
and  thus,  the  Gospel,  most  probably,  was 
first  planted  in  Ethiopia.  But  we  have 
no  more  scripture-light  on  the  subject. 


CHAPTER   V. 

C^ESAREA. 

The  great  mixture  of  .Tews  and  Gen- 
tiles, in  some  of  the  extreme  parts  of  the 
Holy  Land  or  its  neighbourhood,  afforded 
a  providential  opportunity  for  the  gradual 
illumination  of  the  latter,  for  the  abate- 
ment of  Jewish  bigotr)'^,  for  the  demon- 
stration of  Divine  Grace  in  the  salvation 
of  all  sorts  of  rnen,  and  for  the  union  of 
Christian  hearts.  Thus  we  find  that  a 
Church  was  planted  at  Tyre,  another  at 
Ptolemais,!  places  which  must  have 
abounded  with  Gentiles.  But  Ca^sarea 
affords  the  most  remarkable  instance  of 
the  observation  just  now  made.  It  was 
tlie  residence  of  the  Roman  Governor, 
and  was  so  situated  in  the  confines  of 
Syria  and  Judea,  that  it  was  a  matter  of 
doubt  to  which  resrion  it  ought  to  be  as- 
signed.  And  the  final  determination  of 
this  question  in  favour  of  the  Syrians  is 
mentioned  by  Josephus,  as  one  of  the 
immediate  causes  of  the  war,  which  ended 


*  Acts  viii. 


t  Acts  xxi 


with  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  This 
circumstance  shows  the  great  importance 
of  this  city,  and  the  strong  interest  which 
both  parties  had  in  it. 

Philip,  after  a  laborious  journey  from 
Azotus,  preaching  in  all  the  cities  through 
which  he  passed,  settled  at  length  in 
Cffisarea.  Here  he  was  stationary  for 
many  years.*  We  find  him,  toward  the 
conclusion  of  the  period  of  about  thirty 
years,  which  takes  in  the  history  of  the 
Acts,  still  fixed  in  the  same  place,  with 
four  virgin  daughters,  where  he  entertain- 
ed St.  Paul  in  his  last  journey  to  Jerusa- 
lein.  I  can  no  more  conceive  Philip  to 
have  been  idle  and  unfruitful  all  this  time, 
than  James  to  have  been  so  at  Jerusalem. 
A  Church,  mixed  of  Jews  and  Gentiles, 
would  naturally  be  formed  under  so  zeal- 
ous a  pastor,  whose  observation  of  the 
Grace  of  God  in  the  case  of  the  Eunuch, 
must  have  opened  his  mind  to  an  affection- 
ate reception  of  Gentile  converts. 

Indeed  the  abuse,  which  the  malignant 
pride  of  the  Jews  had  made  of  the  Mosaic 
prohibition  of  intercourse  with  the  Gen- 
tiles, was  a  great  bar  to  the  extension  of 
the  Gospel.  They  refused  to  keep  com- 
pany with  foreigners,  and  seem  to  have 
looked  on  them  as  devoted  to  destruction. 
The  Apostles  themselves  were,  as  yet, 
under  the  power  of  similar  bigotry,  till  a 
vision  from  heaven  instructed  Peter,  as 
he  was  praying  on  the  house-top  at  Joppa, 
that  he  ought  not  to  call  any  man  com- 
mon or  unclean. f  By  this  he  was  pre- 
pared for  the  work  which  the  Lord  was 
immediately  assigning  him.  The  Holy 
Spirit  suggested  to  him  that  tliree  men 
were  at  that  time  inquiring  for  him,  and 
directed  him  to  go  with  them;  "for  I 
have  sent  them. "t  Peter  was 
soon  informed  by  the  men,  g^°  j"^  fj,"].' 
that  they  had  been  sent  to  him  pgtgj,_ 
from  Caesarea§  by  Cornelius, 

*  Acts  viii.  40  :  all  compared  whh  xsi.  8. 

f  Actsx. 

i  The  proper  personality  and  divinity  of  the 
Holv  Ghost,  and  the  unlimited  subjection  due 
to  iiim  from  Christian  pastors,  and,  of  course, 
from  all  ClH-istians,are  solidly  deducible  from 
this  and  various  similar  passages  in  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles. 

§  ^Iuch  has  been  written  concerning  two 
sorts  of  Proselytes  to  the  Jewish  religion,  cir- 
cumcised ones,  and  incomplete  ones,  called 
Proselytes  of  the  Gate.  Two  learned  critics, 
Dr.  Lardnerand  Dr.  Doddridge,  seem  to  have 
shown,  however,  tiiat  the  latter  had  no  exist- 
ence. Cornelius  was  a  Gentile  altogether,  and 
was  treated  as  such  by  the  Jews,  though  from 


44 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  V. 


a  Roman  centurion  there,  a  devout  man,  I 
and  one  that  feared  God  with  all  liis  fa- 
mily, gave  much  alms  to  the  people,  and 
prayed  to  God  alway;  who  had  been 
warned  from  God  by  a  holy  angel  to  send 
for  him. — Peter  lodged  the  three  men  that 
night ;  two  of  them  were  household  ser- 
vants, and  the  third — rare  character! — a 
devout  soldier,  who  waited  on  the  centu 
rion  continually. 

On  the  next  day  Peter  went  with  them, 
but  had  the  precaution  to  take  with  him 
six  Jewish  Christians  from  Joppa  as  wit- 
nesses of  his  proceedings.     The  follow- 
ing day  they  entered  Csesarea,  and  came 
into  the  house  of  Cornelius,  who  had 
called   together   his   kinsmen   and   near 
friends,  with  that  charity  for  their  souls, 
which  fails  not  to  influence  the  minds  of 
those,  who  have  real  charity  for  their  own. 
On  the  entrance  of  Peter  he  falls  down 
and  worships.   Peter  corrects  his  mistaken 
devotion.     Cornelius  informs  him,  that 
having  been  particularly  engaged  in  fast- 
ing and  prayer,  he  was  assured  by  an  an- 
gel  that  his  prayers  and  alms  were  accep- 
table to  God,  and  that  he  had  obeyed  the 
divine  direction  in  sending  for  him.     Pe- 
ter now  preached  the  Gospel  to  the  com- 
pany, frankly  owning,  that  he  was  at 
length  fully  convinced,  that  God  was  no 
respecter  of  persons ;  but  that  he  equally 
regarded  Jew  and  Gentile,  whoever  the 
person  was  that "  feared  God,  and  wrought 
righteousness."     On  this  broad  basis  of 
encouragement,  he  was  enabled  to  preach 
to  them  the  sfood  news  of  forgiveness  of 
sins  by  Jesus  Christ,  whose  history  they 
knew,  though  they  did  not  understand 
the  nature  of  his  doctrine.     He  directed 
tliem  now  to  receive  that  doctrine  cordi- 
ally for  their  peace  with  God.     The  per- 
fect holiness  and  the  supeinatural  works  of 
Jesus,  he  observed,  demonstrated  him  to 
be  no  impostor,  but  sent  of  God  unques- 
tionably: that  he  himself  and  the  other 
Apostles  were  witnesses  of  Christ's  re 
surrection,  and  had  received  a  commis 
sion  from  him  to  preach  to  the  people, 
and  to  urge  men's  acceptance  of  him  here 
if  ever  they  expected  to  be  welcomed  by 
him,  when  he  should  j  udge  the  quick  and 
dead   at  his   second   coming:    and   that 
all  the  prophets  had  testified,  that  who- 


his  pious  attention  to  the  Jewish  religion  lie 
must  have  been  at  least  a  Proselyte  ot"  the  se- 
cond sort,  if  any  ever  were  so.  In  that  case 
it  seems  difficult  to  conceive,  why  any  Jew 
should  liave  made  such  a  difficulty  of  convers- 
ing with  persons  of  this  description. 


ever  placed  his  confidence  for  salvation 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  should  re- 
ceive remission  of  sins. 

Where  God  himself  powerfully  oper- 
ates on  the  mind,  few  words  suffice. 
The  whole  company  were  converted  to 
God.  The  Holy  Ghost,  both  in  an  extra- 
ordinary and  in  an  ordinary  way,  sealed 
the  Apostle's  sermon.  The  Jewish  breth- 
ren were  astonished  to  find  Gentiles  put 
on  an  equal  footing  with  Jews.  Peter, 
after  observing  how  unreasonable  it  would 
be  to  deny  baptism  to  persons  who  had 
received  the  Holy  Ghost  no  less  than 
themselves,  baptized  the  whole  company; 
and  at  their  desire  spent  a  few  days  with 
them,  to  instruct  them  farther  in  Chris- 
tian principles;  and  then  left  them  to  the 
care  of  Philip,  whose  character  at  Caesa- 
rea  would  probably  from  this  time  in- 
crease in  public  esteem. 

A  remark  or  two  on  this  important 
transaction  will  be  proper. 

1.  The  Grace  of  God  acts  very  vari- 
ously in  converting  sinners.  There  are 
considerable  shades  of  difference  in  the 
cases  of  Saul,  of  the  Eunuch,  and  of  Cor- 
nelius. The  preaching  of  the  Gospel 
found  the  first  a  determined  enemy,  the 
second  an  ignorant  inquirer,  the  third  a 
person  already  prepared  by  spiritual  grace, 
though  with  no  more  than  the  Old  Testa- 
ment-light. But  to  all  these  different  cases 
the  doctrine  itself  is  the  same :  and  the 
work  of  God  in  humbling  man  for  his  sins, 
and  leading  him  to  Christ  alone  for  justi- 
fication, is  the  same  also. 

2.  How  necessary  is  it,  that  the  way 
of  peace  by  Jesus  Christ  only,  be  distinct- 
ly explained  and  understood  !  Cornelius, 
with  an  enlightened  mind  and  a  tender 
conscience,  would  never  have  found  peace 
of  conscience,  unless  he  had  understood 
the  doctrine  of  forgiveness,  by  the  blood 
of  the  Redeemer.  Imperfections  still 
attending  his  best  actions,  he  must 
have  remained  miserable  in  his  spirit. 
The  doctrine  of  forgiveness,  accompanied 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  brought  him  at  once 
to  a  peace  before  unknown.  How  care- 
ful should  we  be  to  understand  this  doc- 
trine aright !  how  zealous,  in  proportion 
to  our  ability,  to  transmit  the  precious 
jewel  to  posterity ! 

3.  How  narrow  are  the  hearts  of  men! 
how  circumscribed  the  charity  even  of  the 
best!  With  difliiculty  even  Christian 
Jews  are  brought  to  admit  as  brethren  the 
Gentile  converts.  Self-righteousness  is 
natural  to  mankind.     That  God  should 


CXXT.  I.] 


IN  ASIA. 


45 


Teceive  as  his  children  idolatrous  Gen- 
tiles, as  well  as  religious  Jews,  provokes 
tlie  pride  of  narrow-minded  selfish  men, 
who  have  long  been  accustomed  to  con- 
sider themselves  as  the  peculiar  favourites 
of  heaven. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ANTIOCII    AND    SOME    OTHER   ASIATIC 
CHURCHES. 

We  have  not  yet  seen  all  the  good 
effects  which  Providence  brought  out 
of  Stephen's  persecution.  Though  the 
Apostles  thought  it  their  duty  to  continue 
to  water  the  flocks  of  Judea  and  Galilee, 
and  to  look  on  Jerusalem  as  a  sort  of  cen- 
tral metropolis  to  them  all,  they  encourag- 
ed the  inferior  pastors,  who  fled  from  the 
rage  of  persecution,  to  disseminate  the 
Gospel  in  Gentile  regions.  Damascus, 
we  have  seen,  reaped  the  benefit  of  this 


none  at  least;  "for  a  prophet  is  not  hon- 
oured in  his  own  country ;"  and  he  brought 
him  to  Antioch.  This  populous  city  em- 
ployed them  a  whole  year.  Here  Chris- 
tian societies  were  regularly  formed,  con- 
sisting, in  a  great  measure,  a  r\  ^n 
of  Gentiles.  And  here  the  '  '  ' 
followers  of  Christ  were  first  called  Chris- 
tians. It  is  not  probable,  that  they  would 
give  themselves  that  name.     The  terms 

BRETHREN,  ELECT,  FAITHFUL,  SAINTS,  Were 

the  names  which  they  would  rather  ap- 
prove. The  name  of  Christian  seems  to 
have  been  given  by  their  adversaries.  It 
is  now  a  term  of  honour ;  at  that  time  a 
more  opprobrious  one  could  scarcely  be 
thought  of  by  the  learned  and  the  polite. 
Were  a  man  allowed  to  possess  many 
good  qualities;  "but  he  is  a  Christian," 
would  have  been  deemed  more  than  a 
counterbalance  to  them  all.  And  other 
terms  invented  by  the  malevolence  of  un- 
regenerate  men,  in  different  a^es,  to  stio-- 


dispensation,  and  so  did  Tarsus.     Some  matize  the  same  sort  of  persons,  have  prO' 

travelled  as  far  as  Phenice,  Cyrus,  and -      .    .-        - 

Antioch,   still   preaching  only  to  Jews. 
At  length  certain  Cypriot  and  Cyrenian 
Jews  ventured  to  break  through  the  pale 
of  distinction  :  and  at  Antioch,  the  me- 
tropolis of  Syria,  they  preached  the  Lord 
Jesus  to  the  Gentiles.     The  Greek  lan- 
guage here  prevailed,  and,  on  this  account, 
the  inhabitants  were  called   Grecians,* 
being  the  descendants  of  a  Macedonian 
colony,  planted  there  by  the  successor  of 
Alexander  the  Great.    And  now  the  Lord, 
willing  to  overcome  effectually  the  rehic 
tances  of  self-righteous  bigotry,  attended 
their  ministry  with  remarkable  success. 
The  idolaters  felt  the  renovating  power  of 
the  Gospel,  and  in  great  numbers  turned 
to  the  Lord.     The  mother-church  hearing 
of  this,  sent  Barnabas,  whose  piety  and 
charity  were  renowned,  to  carry  on  and 
propagate  a  work,  which  required  more 
labourers.      His    benevolent    heart   was 
feasted  with  the  prospect ;  and  the  reality 
of  salvation  by  the  grace  of  Christ  thus 
exemplified  in  persons,  who  had  hither- 
to been  involved  in  pagan  darkness,  was 
evidenced  in  a  manner  which,  till  then, 
had  never  been  known.     Finding  many 
converts,  he  exhorted   them  to  perseve- 
rance ;  and  the  addition  of  believers  was 
still  so  large,  that  he  began  to  look  out 
for  a  coadjutor.    He  sought  for  Saul,  who 
was  then  labouring   at  Tarsus   perhaps 
Avith  no  great  success:  we  are  told   of 


*  Acts  xi.  20. 


duced,  by  the  bare  sound,  similar  effects 
on  prejudiced  minds. 

The  faith  of  the  Antiochians  was  sig- 
nally operative.     Warmed  with  the  love 
of  Christ,  and  rejoicing  in  the  prospect 
of  heavenly   treasures,   they    cheerfully 
contributed  to  the  relief  of  the  poor  Chris- 
tians in  Judea,  distressed  by  a  famine. 
A   large  extension  of  Christ's  kingdom 
in  any  place,  naturally  calls  together  a 
large  number  of  pastors.     It  is  pleasant 
indeed  to  labour  among  the  faithful,  en- 
circled with  sincere  friends.     It  is  not 
every  real  saint,  who  has  the  fortitude 
and  charity  to  quit  so  agreeable  a  scene, 
for  the  sake  of  breaking  up  fresh  ground. 
How  much  longer  these  teachers  would 
have  remained  at  Antioch,  if  left  to  them- 
selves, we   know   not.      But   the   Holy 
Ghost  now  selected  Barnabas  and  Saul 
for  other  labours.     They  obeyed  the  call; 
and  Seleucia  in  the  neighbourhood  was 
their  first  destination.     At  this  port  they 
found  a  convenient  passage  to  the  fertile 
and  voluptuous  island  of  Cyprus.     Me- 
thinks  the  evil    spirits,  who   there  sup- 
ported the  religious  rites  and  the  sensual 
practices  of  the  devotees  of  Venus,  began 
to  tremble  for  this  capital  scene  of  their 
dominions. 

From  Salamis,  the  eastern  point  of  the 
island,  to  Paphos  the  western,  they  spread 
the  glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel.  In  this 
last  place  they  found  Elymas,  a  Jewish 
sorcerer  and  false  prophet,  in  company 
with  Sergius  Paulus,  the  Roman  gover- 


46 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  VI. 


nor  of  the  island,  a  man  of  sense  and  can- 
dour, who  sent  for  Barnabas  and  Savil, 
and  desired  to  hear  the  word  of  God. 
The  sorcerer  endeavoured  to  prevent  the 
good  effects  of  their  labours ;  till  Paul, 
full  of  holy  indignation  at  his  diabolical 
malice,  was  enabled  miraculously  to 
strike  him  blind  for  a  season.  Sergius 
was  astonished,  w^e  are  told,  "at  the 
doctrine"  of  the  Lord,*  and  commenced 
a  Christian  from  that  hour. 

The  two  Apostles  sailed  now  to  the  ad- 
joining continent,  and  arrived  at  Perga 
in   Pamphylia.     And   here   John  Mark, 
who  had  thus  far  attended  them  as  mi- 
nister, left  them  and  returned  to  Jerusa 
lem.     It  was,  perhaps,  more  agreeable 
to  him  to  profess  and  practise  Christian- 
ity at  home  with  his  mother  and  friends, 
than    to    expose    himself   to    heathens. 
Even   then,   traces   of  the   love   of  the 
world  were  to  be  seen  among  Christians.! 
Pisidia,  lying  to  the  north  of  Pamphy- 
lia,  was   the  next    scene.      Here    was 
another   Antioch;   and   the  Apostles  on 
the    Sabbath-day    attended   the   Jewisli 
synagogue.     After  the  usual  reading  of 
the  law  and  the  prophets,  the  rulers  gave 
them  a  friendly   invitation  to  exhort  the 
people,  which  Paul  embraced  with  his 
usual  zeal.     His  sermon  is  much  of  the 
same  strain  with  those  of  Peter,  and  of 
Stephen,  tending  to  beget  in  the  hearers 
a  conviction  of  sinfulness,  and  to  give 
testimony  to  Jesus,   concluding  with  a 
remarkably  plain  declaration  of  the  grand 
doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  in  Jesus 
only,  and  a  solemn  warning  against  the 
dreadful    consequences   of    hardness   of 
heart,  and  of  contempt  of  the  divine  mes- 
sage.   The  Gentiles,  powerfully  impress- 
ed with  the  new  doctrine,  desired  to  hear 
more  of  the  subject  the  next  Sabbath 
Many  Jews  and  proselytes  were  convert 
ed;  and  almost  the  whole  city  came  on  the 
next  Sabbath-day  to  hear.:^     The  sight 
was  too  much  for  the  envy  of  the  infidel 
Jews,  who  opposed  Paul  with  all  their 
might.    The  two  Apostles  boldly  assured 


*  Acts  xiii.  12.  The  expression  is  remark- 
able, but  has  a  peculiar  propriety.  A  mere 
historical  believer  would  have  been  astonish- 
ed at  the  miracle  merely.  Sergius,  a  true 
convert,  who  entered  into  the  holy  nature  of 
the  Gospel  by  a  spiritual  perception,  is  aston- 
ished "at  the  doctrine." 

_+  Perhaps  we  are  not  sufficiently  acquainted 
with  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  to  form  a 
fair  judgment  how  far  the  conduct  of  John 
Mark  is  to  be  justified. 
■^  Acts  xiii.  44. 


them,  that  though  it  was  their  duty  to 
carry  the  news  of  salvation  to  the  Jews 
first,  yet  as  they  despised  God's  Gift  of 
Eternal  Life,  it  would  now  be  offered  to 
the  Gentiles,  agreeably  to  the  glorious 
prophecy  of  Isaiah,*  where  the  experi- 
mental influence  of  the  Gospel  on  Gen- 
tile hearts  is  clearly  described.  The 
Pagans,  not  so  proud  as  the  Jews,  felt 
that  they  Tiad  no  righteousness  to  plead 
before  God,  thankfully  embraced  the 
Gospel,  and  believed  in  great  numbers. 

Pisidia  was  now  full  of  the  Gospel; 
and   the   Apostles   proceeded  with  vast 
success,  till  a  persecution,  stirred  up  by 
the   Jews,   induced   some  self-righteous 
women  of  rank,  in  conjunction  with  the 
magistrates,  to  drive  them  out  of  their 
coasts.     From  thence  they  came  to  Ico- 
nium,  the  northern  extremity  of  the  coun- 
try; and  the  disciples  whom  they  left, 
though  harassed  with  persecution,  were 
yet  "  filled  with  Joy  and  the  Holy  Ghost." 
The  internal  consolation  of  their  religion 
supported  their  souls.     In  Iconium  the 
two  Apostles  continued  a  long  time,  and 
delivered  the  message  of  Divme  Recon- 
ciliation with  much  freedom  and  energy, 
to   the  conversion  of  a  great  multitude 
both  of  Jews  and  Gentiles.     The  unbe- 
lieving Jewsf  exerted  their  usual  malev- 
olence, and  filled  the  Gentiles  with  the 
strongest  prejudices  against  the  Chris- 
tians.    In  truth,  their  conduct,  though  by 
no  means  uncommon,  affords  a  dreadful 
instance  of  human  depravity.     It  cannot 
be  denied,  that  those  Jews  must  in  re- 
ligious knowledge  have  far  exceeded  the 
idolatrous  inhabitants  of  Iconium.     They 
held   the   Unity  of  the  Godhead;    they 
worshipped    him    in   their    synagogue; 
they  heard  his  precepts  from  Sabbath  to 
Sabbath  out  of  the  law  of  Moses  and  the 
prophets.     They  must  have  known  thus 
far,  that  the  Messiah  was  foretold  in  the 
latter,  and  they  could  not  but  be  acquaint- 
ed with  their  duty  both  to  God  and  man 
in  many  respects  by  means  of  the  former. 
Yet  so  unreasonable  are  they,  as  to  la- 
bour to  prevent  their  pagan  neighbours 
from  being  instructed  in  any  thing  that 
deserved   the  name  of  religion,   and  to 
persecute  with  unceasing  acrimony  two 
of  their   owm   countrymen,  who   agreed 
with  them  in  the  profession  of  the  wor- 
ship of  the  one  living  and  true  God.     Of 
so  little  influence  is  what  some  call  the 
"  Unitarian"  religion,  if  it  be  unconnect- 


*  49th  Chap. 


+  Acts  xiv. 


Cext.  I.] 


IN  ASIA. 


47 


ED  with  the  knowledge    and   Love   of 
Jesus  Christ.     Persons,  who  make  that 
the  whole  of  their  religion,  can,  it  seems, 
rather  see  mankind  remain  buried  in  the 
depths  of  the  most  senseless  idolatry  in 
worship,  and  of  vicious  profligacy  in  life, 
than  brought  over  to  the  real  Christian 
religion,  to  the  hearty  renunciation  of  their 
own  righteousness,  and  to  a  humble  de- 
pendence on  the  atoning  blood  of  Jesus! 
The  preaching  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  ex- 
cited a  variety  of  speculations   in   this 
city.  The  Gentiles  were  divided ;  and  part 
ranged  themselves  with  the  Jews,  and  part 
with  the  Apostles.  But  the  former  had  the 
advantage  for  the  present,  because  they 
had  the  arms — which  Christian  soldiers 
cannot  use — of  violence  and  persecution. 
The  Apostles,  aware  of  their  designs, 
fled  into  Lycaonia,  a  country  to  the  east 
of  Pisidia;  and  there  preached  the  Gos- 
pel, particularly  in  Lystra   and   Derbe. 
In   the   former  of  these   places,  a  poor 
cripple,  who  never  had  had  the  use  of 
his  feet,  heard  Paul  with  the  most  re- 
spectful attention,  and  was  so  far  wrought 
upon  already  in  his  mind,  as  to  believe 
that  there  was  virtue  in  the  name   of 
Jesus  Christ  to  heal  him.     To  confirm 
him  in  his  yet  infant  views  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  to  attest  the  truth,  and  to 
convince  men  that  Jesus  was  both  able 
and  willing  to  save,  Paul  was  enabled 
by  a  word  to  restore  the  man  to  the  full 
use   of  his   limbs.      Immediately   these 
poor  idolaters  concluded,  that  the  gods 
were  come  down  to  them  in  the  likeness 
of  men.     Through  this  whole  country  of 
Asia   Minor,  the   Greek   literature,   and 
with  it  the   numerous  fables  of  Hellen- 
istic vanit}",  abounded.     They  had  heard 
of  Jupiter  and  Mercury  particularly  as 
visiting  mankind ;  and  now  Barnabas,  as 
the  elder    perhaps,  and  more  majestic 
figure  of  the  two,  must,  they  conceived, 
be  Jupiter;  and  Paul,  as  the  more  elo- 
quent   speaker,   must  be   INIercury,   the 
classical  god  of  eloquence.     The  priest  of 
Jupiter  brought  oxen  and  garlands  to  the 
gates,   and,   together  with   the    people, 
would  have  done  sacrifice  to  the  Apostles. 
It   was    a    grievous    circumstance;    but 
our  grief  and  regret  is  mitigated,  when 
we  reflect  that  one  of  the  finest  opportu- 
nities was  <i-iven  to  Paul  and  Barnabas  of 
demonstrating  the  spirit  of  real  godliness. 
However  pleasing  it  might  be  to  corrupt 
nature  to  receive  the  idolatrous*  homage 


of  a  deluded  people,  nothing  could  be 
more   abhorrent  from  the  nature  of  the 
Gospel  itself,  and  from  the  humble  char- 
acter of  its  teachers.      They  could  not 
bear  the  sight:  they  rent  their  clothes; 
and  ran  in  among  the  people,  and  expos- 
tulated  with   them  on  the   absurdity  of 
their  conduct;  assuring  them  that  they 
were  no  more  than  frail  men  like  them- 
selves, and  that  their  intention  in  preach- 
ing to  them  was,  to  turn  them  from  these 
vanities  to  the  living  God,  who  formerly 
indeed  had  left  all  nations  to  follow  their 
own  ways,  but  now  had  sent  his  servants 
to  preach  a  method  of  salvation  from 
such  idolatries.     Not  that   the   worship 
of  false  gods  was  excusable ;   the  con- 
stant benefits  of  Providence  callinof  for 
thankfulness,  and  pointmg  out  the  Su- 
preme   Creator    to   the    consciences    of 
men.     Thus  faithfully  did  they  preach 
conviction  of  sin  to  the  Lycaonians,  and 
with   difficulty  prevent  the   actual   per- 
formance of  the  sacrifice,  which  would 
have  given  them  more  pain  than  the  per- 
secution that  followed. 

The  fickle  multitude,  who  had  so  re- 
cently been  even  idolatrously  attached  to 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  were  soon  persuaded 
by  some  Jews,  who  came  from  Antioch 
and  Iconium,  to  harbour  the  worst  opi- 
nion of  them ;  and,  doubtless,  the  dislike 
of  secular  glory,  which  these  excellent 
Apostles,  with  a  truly  Christian  spirit, 
showed  on  all  occasions,  would  not  a  litr 
tie  contribute  to  increase  this  alienation 
of  mind.  In  a  tumult  Paul  was  stoned, 
and  dragged  out  of  the  city,  as  a  dead 
corpse;    and  while   the   disciples  stood 


round  about  him,  he  rose  up,  and  came 
into  the  city,  miraculously  restored,  as  it 
seems :  and  he  departed  the  next  day  with 
Barnabas  to  Derbe.  There  many  were 
converted ;  and  the  persecuting  spirit  in- 
termitting, they  visited  again,  in  circuit, 
the  regions  of  Pisidia  and  Lycaonia,  en- 
couraging the  disciples  to  persevere  in  the 
faith  of  Jesus  in  confidence  of  divine  sup- 
port, and  in  full  expectation  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven,  into  which  real  Chris- 
tians must  not  expect  to  enter  without 
much  tribulation. 

The}' now  ordained  some  ofthebrethren 


•  The  historical  reader  can  scarcely  fail  to 


contrast  with  this  behaviour  of  the  Apostles 
tiie  ambitious  arts  of  Jesuit  missionaries,  and 
to  res^ret  tlie  want  of  a  similar  piety  and  in- 
tegrity in  a  late  celebrated  naval  commander 
ill  a  scene  of  trial  of  the  same  kind,  which 
happened  a  little  before  his  lamented  catas- 
trophe. 


48 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chip<  VIL 


to  minister  in  every  Church,  and  devoutly 
recommended  poth  pastors  and  flocks  to 
the  care  of  that  gracious  Lord  on  whom 
they  believed :  Solemn  fasting  and  prayer 
were  used  on  this  occasion.  Returning 
through  Pamphylia,  they  preached  again 
at  Perga,  and  from  Attalia  sailed  to  the 
great  Antioch,  whence  they  had  been,  by 
the  prayers  of  the  Church,  recommended 
to  the  grace  of  God  for  the  work  which 
they  had  fulfilled. 

Here  they  remained  a  considerable  time 
previous  to  their  attendance  at  the  Coun- 
cil of  Jerusalem,  after  which  they  returned 
to  the  same  Church  in  company  with  Ju- 
das and  Silas,  who,  with  authority  from 
the  mother-church,  confirmed  them  in  the 
liberty  of  the  Gospel,  in  conjunction  with 
many  other  teachers.  The  Christians  of 
Antioch  walked  now  in  genuine  consola- 
tion, and  while  they  dared  to  rest  on 
Christ  alone,  they  practised  good  works 
in  a  filial  spirit.  Thankful  for  the  assist- 
ance of  Judas  and  Silas,  they  dismissed 
them  to  the  Apostles  who  had  sent  them.* 
Silas,  however,  loved  his  situation,  and 
remained  in  the  service  of  the  Gentiles. 

Some  days  after,  Paul  proposed  to  Bar- 
nabas  a  second  circuitous  visit   of  the 
Asiatic    Churches.      Barnabas,   fond    of 
Mark,  his  nephew,  proposed 
Contest  j^Q  j-g^jj^g  }ji,^  ^yitj^  them.  Paul, 

etween         remembering   his  former  de- 
Faul  and  ,      "  ,  ,   ,  •  ^.  ,• 

Barnabas,  sertion,  thought  him  unfit  lor 
the  work.  On  which  side 
there  was  more  blame  in  this  contest, 
may  be  hard  to  determine.  Probably  both 
were  too  positive ;  but  to  us,  at  this  dis- 
tance of  time,  Paul's  view  of  the  question 
seems  the  most  just.  The  consequence 
was  a  separation  between  these  two 
Christian  leaders ;  and  it  does  not  appear 
that  they  ever  saw  one  another  afterwards, 
though  it  ought  not  to  be  doubted,  but 
that,  on  the  whole,  their  mutual  esteem 
and  regard  continued ;  the  best  men  are 
but  men.  The  progress  of  the  Gospel  was 
not,  however,  retarded.  Barnabas  sailed 
with  Mark  to  Cyprus,  and  here  he  is  dis- 
missed from  the  sacred  memoirs.  Paul 
took  with  him  Silas,  having  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  brethren  to  the  Grace  of 
God,  which  would  lead  one  to  conclude, 
that  the  Antiochians  preferred  his  cause 
to  that  of  Barnabas.  He  now  went 
through  Syria  and  Cilicia,  confirming  the 
Churches. 

In  Lycaonia,  he  found  the  pious  Timo- 


*  Acts  XV.  33. 


thy,  whom  he  took  as  an  associate,  and 
confirmed  the  Gentile  converts  every 
where  in  Christian  Liberty :  Thus  the 
Churches  were  established  in  the  faith, 
and  increased  in  number  daily. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

GALATIA. 

The  Love  of  God,  where  it  rules  in  an 
ardent  degree,  is  insatiable.  The  Apos- 
tle's heart  is  not  content  with  the  trophies 
already  erected  in  many  parts  of  Asia 
Minor.  As  the  miser  thinks  no  acquisi- 
tions great,  while  any  prospects  of  farther 
gain  are  still  open  to  his  view,  so  Paul 
could  not  with  complacency  rest  in  the 
attainments  already  made,  while  so  much 
ground  still  lay  before  him,  to  the  north 
and  to  the  west,  in  the  hands  of  Satan, 
He  travelled  throughout  Phrygia  and  Ga^ 
latia.*  The  plantation  of  the  Churches 
in  the  former  country  will  afterwards  en- 
gage our  attention ;  the  latter,  whose  his- 
tory in  point  of  time  is  much  sooner  con- 
cluded in  sacred  story,  will  be  now  most 
conveniently  exhibited.  The  epistle  writ- 
ten to  that  Church  affords  us  almost  the 
only  materials  we  have ;  but  little  as  they 
are,  they  are  inestimable.  I  am  entirely 
convinced  by  Dr.  Lardner,f  that  this  was 
an  early  epistle,  and  by  no  means  dated 
from  Rome,  as  the  subscription  at  the  end 
of  the  epistle  intimates.  Nor  is  this  the 
only  place  in  which  those  subscriptions, 
which  the  unlearned  reader  should  know 
make  no  part  of  the  Apostolical  writings, 
deceive  us. 

The  people  of  this  country  received  the 
Gospel  in  great  numbers,  insomuch  that 
several  Churches  were  planted  through 
the  district.  They  understood  St.  Paul's 
doctrine,  and  received  it  in  its  true  sense, 
namely,  that  justification  before  God  is 
attainable  only  by  faith  in  Christ  cruci- 
fied. He  clearly  laid  before  them  the 
riches  of  Divine  Grace.  And  they  had  so 
deep  an  impression  of  the  truths,  which 
he  taught,  and  felt  so  much  of  their 
energy,  that  they  seemed  as  it  were  to 
see  the  Son  of  God  crucified  among 
them::|:  they  received  the  promised  Spirit 
of  adoption,  by  which  they  rejoiced  itx 
God  as  their  Father,§  and  they  cheerfully 
suffered  much  persecution  for  the  name 
of  Christ.ll     Before  this,  they  had  lived 


*  Acts  xvi.  6. 
4  Gal.  iii.  1. 


f  See  his  Supplement. 
§Ib.  iv.  6.        11  lb.  iii.  iv. 


Gejtt.  I.] 


IN  GALATIA. 


49 


in  the  darkest  idolatry ;  for  these  Churches 
were  formed  almost,  if  not  entirely,  of 
Gentiles.*  The  true  God  was  made 
known  to  them,  and  Unitarianism,  of  it- 
self unable  to  emancipate  men  from  sin, 
as  the  case  of  the  Jews  evinced,  was  with 
them  attended  with  the  distinct  know- 
ledge and  lively  faith  of  Jesus. 

What  proves  the  divine  taste  of  this 
people  was,  that  no  disadvantage  in  the 
circumstances  of  the  delivery  of  the  Gos- 
pel operated  with  them  to  its  prejudice. 
Some  remarkable  infirmity  this  great  man 
was  afflicted  with; — what  it  was  pre- 
cisely we  are  no  where  told ; — but  it  pre- 
sented something  contemptible  in  the 
eyes  of  profane  persons.  And  it  is  no 
small  proof  of  the  Galatians  being  much 
humbled  and  awakened  in  their  minds  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  that  this  circumstance 
lessened  not  at  all  their  regard  to  the 
Apostle  or  to  his  message.  "  They  re- 
ceived him  as  an  angel  of  God,  even  as 
Christ  Jesus."!  They  confessed  the 
blessedness,  which  they  felt  on  account 
of  the  Gospel,  and  were  ready  to  give 
even  the  most  painful  proofs  of  their  af- 
fection to  him.  In  all  this  we  see,  what 
the  Gospel  is,  what  it  does  for  men  who 
truly  understand  and  embrace  it  in  an 
humbled  heart,  what  was  St.  Paul's  man- 
ner of  preaching,  and  how  different  a 
thing  Christianity  then  appeared  from 
the  frigid  speculations  which  in  modern 
times  bear  that  name. 

But  soon  after  Paul  had  left  them  with 
the  most  pleasing  hopes  of  their  spiritual 
growth,  he  was  astonished  to  hear  of  a 
change  for  the  worse,  which  took  place 
among  them.  Some  Jews,  who  were 
either  their  own  countrymen,  or  who  had 
lately  arrived  at  Galatia  from  other  parts 
of  Asia  Minor  where  Paul  had  laboured, 
took  pains  to  pervert  them.  They  made 
no  attempts  indeed  to  unsettle  their  minds 
in  the  views  of  the  unity  of  the  Godhead, 
and  the  principal  facts  of  Christianity; 
nor  did  they  endeavour  to  draw  them  back 
to  the  worship  of  idols.  They  neither 
formally  denied  the  atonement  of  Christ, 
nor  persuaded  the  people  to  desist  from 
Christian  worship.  Yet  was  it  another 
gospel,  though  it  deserved  not  the  name 
of  Gospel,:^:  to  the  love  of  which  they  se- 
duced them.  They  assured  them,  that 
they  could  not  be  saved  without  circum- 
cision, and  prevailed  on  them  to  judaize 
so  far,  as  to  observe  the  rites  of  IMoses  in 


•  Galat.  iv.  8. 

Vol.  I. 


+  Iv.  14. 
E 


\  i.  G,  7. 


various  instances.*  They  took  pains  to 
estrange  them  from  Paul,  and  to  draw 
them  over  to  themselves,  and  to  a  worldly 
spirit  of  conformity,  loving  to  appear  fair 
in  the  eyes  of  men,  and  pretending  to  be 
zealous  for  good  works,  while  their  real 
view  was  to  avoid  the  persecution,  which 
attended  the  Cross  of  Christ. f  To  give 
the  better  eifect  to  their  insinuations,  they 
instilled  into  them  disrespectful  ideas  of 
Paul,  as  though  he  were  far  inferior  to  the 
other  xVpostles:  and,  as  it  seems,  they 
represented  the  mother-church  of  Jerusa- 
lem, with  the  college  of  Apostles  there, 
as  coinciding  with  themselves  in  doc- 
trine. 

Thus  the  self-righteous  poison,  which 
first  issued  from  Jerusalem,  was  brought 
into  this  distant  province,  where  the  ig- 
norance and  simplicity  of  the  people,  un- 
acquainted with  Jewish  modes  and  habits, 
gave  it  the  freest  room  to  operate.  These 
false  teachers  still  called  themselves 
Christians,  and  the  mischief  which  they 
introduced,  may  be  deemed  at  first  sight 
no  great  one.  So,  I  doubt  not,  some 
fashionable  perversions  of  Evangelical 
truth  at  this  day,  of  a  similar  kind,  ap- 
pear to  many  to  be  of  no  great  conse- 
quence. I  am  not,  however,  to  disguise 
that  this  Galatian  delusion  appears  strong- 
ly to  resemble  the  perversions  to  which  I 
allude.  I  have  represented  things  as  they 
appear  to  me  from  the  epistle.  The  great 
evil  lurking  under  all  this  art  and  zeal 
was  the  adulteration  of  the  faith  of  Jesus^ 
the  sole  Author  of  our  salvation.  In  no 
epistle  does  the  A])ostle  speak  so  sharp- 
ly, or  express  himself  so  vehemently. 
His  exhortation  and  rebuke  came  warm 
from  a  charitable  heart,  just  after  the  re- 
ception of  the  disagreeable  tidings.  He 
professes  himself  astonished  at  the  defec- 
tion of  the  Galatians  from  Christ;  and 
execrates  any  man  or  even  angel,  who 
should  preach  any  other  way  of  salvation. 
If  such  a  person  still  call  himself  a  Chris- 
tian, and  hold  the  historical  facts  of  the 
Gospel,  the  case  is  not  altered  for  the  bet- 
ter; the  deception  only  passing  more  cur- 
rent on  that  account.:}:  He  asserts,  that  if 
they  mixed  circumcision,  or  any  work  of 
the  law,  with  Christ  in  the  article  of  jus- 
tification, Christ  would  be  of  no  effect  to 
them.§  He  must  be  their  whole  Saviour, 
or  he  would  profit  them  nothing ;  law  and 
o-race  in  this  case  being  quite  opposite. 


*  Galat.  iv.  10. 
\  Chap.  i. 


t  vi.  12. 
^  Chap.  T. 


50 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  Vni. 


He  marks  the  mere  worldly  nature  of  the 
doctrine  they  were  embracing:*  it  would 
make  them  bigotted  Jews  indeed,  proud, 
self-righteous,  void  of  the  love  of  God 
and  man,f  and  no  better  in  their  spiritual 
state   than   they  were  while  idolaters4 
Thus  they  would  lose  all  the  liberty  of 
tlie  Gospel,  and  be  mere  slaves  in  reli- 
o-ion,  like  all  unconverted  persons,  who 
in  reality  are  self-righteous,  and  devoid  of 
holy  principle.  He  points  out  to  them  the 
peculiar  nature  of  the  Gospel,  as  perfectly 
distinct  from  any  thing  that  man  in  his 
depraved  state  is  apt  to  teach  or  ready  to 
embrace.     In  the  historical  part  of  the 
epistle  he  vindicates  his  own  Apostolical 
character,  inculcates   throughout,  in  all 
possible  variety  of  language,  and  with  his 
usual  copiousness  both  of  clear  argument 
and  strong  diction,  the  all-important  arti 
cle  of  justification,  and  presses  the  neces 
sity  of  continuing  in  it,  in  order  to  be 
benefited   by   it.     Otherwise  we    make 
Christ  the  minister  of  sin,  or  of  con- 
demnation :  we  build  again  what  we  have 
destroyed ;  and  as  far  as  in  us  lies,  make 
him  to  have  died  in  vain.     He  appeals  to 
their  own  experience  of  the  happy  fruits 
of  the  Gospel,  which  they  had  felt  in- 
ternally, and  represents  himself  as  tra- 
vailing in  birth  for  them,  till  Christ  be 
formed  in  them.     He  expresses  himself 
dubious  of  their  condition,  and  desirous 
of  visiting  them,  that  he  might  adapt  his 
language  to  their  perilous  situation.     He 
wishes  that  their  evil  advisers  were  cut 
off,  so  mischievous  were  they  to  souls ; 
and  assures  them,  that  the  Divine  Ven- 
geance would  overtake  those  that  troU' 
bled  them.     He  informs  them,  that  the 
persecution,  which  he  himself  endured, 
was   on  account   of  this  very  doctrine. 
This  it  was  that  stirred  up  the  enmity  of 
the  human  heart;  and  this  doctrine  being 
lost,  the  Gospel  becomes  a  mere  name, 
and  Christianity  is  lost  in  the  group  of 
common  religions. 

It  will  be  proper  for  us  to  bear  in  mind 
tlie  Apostle's  reasonings  on  this  subject, 
and  to  apply  them  to  every  period  of 
Church-history;  since  it  is  evident,  that 
the  rise  or  fall  of  this  great  Ch;istian  ar- 
ticle, must  determine  the  vigour  or  de- 
cline of  true  religion  in  all  ages.  He  ne- 
glects not,  however,  to  inculcate  in  his 
usual  manner  the  necessity  of  good 
works,  as  the  just  fruits  and  evidences  of 


a  real  Christian  state  ;*  and  he  particu- 
larly encourages  them  to  works  of  mercy, 
attended  with  a  patient  and  cheerful  pros- 
pect into  eternity,  and  animated  with 
genuine  charity. j" 

There  is  reason  to  hope,  that  the  best 
effects  were  produced  by  the  epistle.  No 
very  long  time  after,  the  Apostle  again 
visited  these  Churches,  and  went  over 
the  whole  country,  strengthening  "  all 
the  disciples.":]:  This  is  the  substance  of 
what  I  can  collect  from  Scripture  con- 
cerning the  history  of  this  Church, — ex- 
cept a  single  hint  in  another  epistle,§  in 
which  he  recommends  to  the  Corinthians 
to  use  the  same  plan  for  the  relief  of  the 
poor  saints,  which  he  had  suggested  to 
the  Galatians.  From  the  influence  which 
he  hence  appears  to  have  had  in  Galatia, 
it  is  probable,  that  the  Judaical  perver- 
sion was  overcome. 


*  Chap.  \\.,  towards  the  end.         f  Chap. 
1  iv.  9. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PHILIPPI. 

The  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  is 
doubtless  the  greatest  blessing  that  can 
be  vouchsafed  to  any  country.  But  the 
times  and  the  seasons  God  hath  reserved 
to  himself.  Even  in  this  sense  salvation 
is  of  graee ;  and  Divine  Providence  alone 
orders  and  appoints,  that  the  Gospel 
shall  be  preached  here  or  there,  as  he 
pleases.  Paul  and  Silas,  if  left  to  them- 
selves, in  their  progress  to  the  west, 
would  have  evangelized  Pergamus  or 
Asia  propria  and  Bithynia,||  but  were 
prevented  by  special  intimations  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  They  came  now  to  Troas, — 
so  called  from  its  being  the  place,  or  near 
the  place,  where  old  Troy  had  stood,  by 
the  sea-coast, — uncertain  whither  they 
should  go  next,  and  perhaps  little  appre- 
hensive that  God,  now  for  the  first  time, 
was  introducing  his  Gospel  into  Europe. 
A  nightly  vision,  in  which  a  Macedonian 
intreated  Paul  to  come  over  into  his  coun- 
try and  help  them,  determined  at  once 
their  destination.  They  sailed  from  Troas 
to  the  island  of  Samothracia,  and  the  next 
day  to  Neapolis,  a  Macedonian  sea-port, 
whence,  through  the  gulf  of  Strymon, 
they  came  to  Philippi,  the  first  city  of 
that  part  of  Macedonia,  which  they  would 
meet  with  in  their  way  from  Neapolis. 


*  Chap,  v.,  toward  the  end.  t  Chap.  vi. 

I  Acts  xviii.  23.  §  1  Cor.  xvi.  1. 

il  Acts  xvi.  7. 


Cent.  L] 


AT  PHILIPPI. 


51 


So  I  understand  St.  Luke's  expression 
UpaiTii;  for  Thessalonica  was  the  capital 
of  Macedonia.  The  city  of  Philippi, 
thoug^h  originally  Macedonian,  and  so 
named  from  Philip  the  father  of  Alexan- 
der, was  then  a  Roman  colony,  inhabited 
by  Roman  citizens,  and  regulated  by  Ro- 
man laws  and  customs.  The  region  in 
which  it  stood,  had  been  renowned  for 
constituting  the  third  of  the  four  great 
monarchies  under  the  arms  of  Alexander, 
and  the  place  itself  had  been,  something 
more  than  half  a  century  ago,  the  scene 
of  a  famous  battle,  between  two  Roman 
parties  engaged  in  a  civil  war.  Neither 
of  THOSE  seasons  would  have  been  at  all 
convenient  for  the  Gospel.  The  present 
was  a  scene  of  tranquility  and  order  un- 
der the  Roman  government:  and  Mace- 
donia, though  now  only  a  Roman  province, 
was  g;oing  to  be  the  subject  of  transactions 
infinitely  more  noble  than  those,  which 
adorn  the  history  of  its  greatest  princes. 
The  appearances  on  their  arrival  did 
not  promise  any  thing  remarkable.  They 
spent  a  few  days  at  first  with  little  pros- 
pect of  success.  They  found  a  few  Jews 
there,  who  used  on  the  Sabbath  day  to 
frequent  an  oratory  out  of  the  city  by  the 
river  side :  and  some  women,  religiousl}^ 
disposed,  resorted  thither.  It  was  the 
constant  method  of  the  Apostles  to  join 
themselves  to  Unitarians,  wherever  they 
could  find  them,  as  the  first  opening  for 
the  Gospel  of  Christ.  They  did  so  on 
this  occasion,  and  spake  to  the  women. 
One  of  them  was  Lydia,  a  person  of  some 
property.  Her  heart  the  Lord  opened, 
that  "she  attended  to  the  things  which 
were  spoken  by  Paul."  She  was  bap- 
tized with  her  family ;  and  with  affection- 
ate importunity  she  prevailed  on  the 
Apostle  and  his  companions  to  make  her 
house  their  home  in  Philippi.  Here  we 
have  the  beginnings  of  the  Philippian 
Church;  but  the  conversion  was  sound 
and  stable,  and  the  progress  of  Lydia  in 
the  divine  life  seems  of  the  same  kind  as 
that  of  Cornelius.  Vexed  at  the  pros- 
pect, Satan  employed  a  young  woman 
possessed  with  a  spirit  of  Python  to  bring 
the  Gospel  into  contempt  if  possible.  She 
constantly  followed  the  Christian  preach- 
ers, and  bore  them  the  most  honourable 
testimony.  Paul  was  grieved,  as  being 
fully  sensible  of  the  ill  effect,  which  a 
supposed  union  between  Christ  and  Py- 
thon* must  occasion  in  the  minds  of  men. 


*  The  very  term  leads  me  to  apprehend,  that 


He  was  at  length  enabled  miraculously 
to  eject  the  demon.  The  proprietors  of  the 
yoiuig  woman,  who  had  made  a  traffic  of 
her  oracular  powers,  finding  that  she  was 
dispossessed  of  the  demon,  wreaked  their 
vengeance  on  Paul  and  Silas,  and  by 
slanderous  accusations  induced  the  ma- 
gistrates to  scourge  them  severely,  and 
to  commit  them  to  prison.  The  jailer 
thrust  them  into  the  inner  prison,  and  fas- 
tened their  feet  in  the  stocks. 

In  this  situation,  distressing  indeed, 
and  in  the  eyes  of  many  contemptible, 
these  two  servants  of  God,  at  midnight, 
though  oppressed  with  pain  and  hunger, 
and  every  disagreeable  circumstance, 
were  yet  enabled  to  pray  and  sing  praises 
to  God.  So  powerful  are  the  consolations 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  so  much  did  the 
love  of  Christ  constrain  them !  And  now 
the  Lord  caused  a  great  earthquake, 
which  opened  all  the  doors  of  the  prison, 
and  loosed  every  one's  bonds.  The  jailer 
awaking,  in  his  first  trepidation,  by  a 
practice  which  I  wish  had  been  credita- 
ble among  Pagans  only,  was  about  to  de- 
stroy himself.  Paul  kindly  assured  him 
that  none  of  the  prisoners  had  escaped. 
And  now  being  struck  with  horror  at  the 
thought  of  the  world  to  come,  to  which 
he  had  been  hastening  in  all  his  guilt,  and 
being  divinely  convinced  of  his  danger, 
he  came  trembling,  and  fell  down  before 
Paul  and  Silas,  and  brought  them  out, 
and  asked  what  he  must  do  to  be  saved. 
The  answer  was  plain  and  direct.  Why 
do  any  persons  who  call  themselves 
Christian  ministers  ever  give  any  other  1 
"Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  shalt  be  saved  and  thy  house." 
They  then  instructed  him  and  his  house- 
hold in  the  nature  of  the  Gospel,  and 
opened  to  him  the  doctrine  of  forgive- 
ness of  sins  by  the  blood  of  Christ.  His 
conversion  appears  evidently  of  the  same 
kind,  as  that  of  the  three  thousand  at  Je- 
rusalem. He  was  humbled  for  his  sins, 
and  he  received  pardon  by  faith  in  Jesus. 
His  ready  submission  to  baptism,  his 
affectionate  treatment  of  those,  who  had 
just  before  been  the  objects  of  his  seve- 
rity, and  his  joy  in  the  Lord,  demon- 
strated, that  he  was  turned  from  Satan  to 


the  oracular  work  of  the  Pythian  Apollo 
among  the  Pagans  had  something  iliabolical  in 
it ;  and  tiie  story  before  us  demonstrates  the 
reality  of  such  delusions,  and  that  human  fraud 
and  sagacity  alone  are  not  sufiicient  to  account 
for  them. 


52 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  IX. 


God. — His  whole  family  shared  with  him 
in  the  same  blessing-s. 

In  the  morningf  the  mag-istrates  sent  an 
order  for  the  dismission  of  the  prisoners. 
But  Paul  thought  it  not  inconsistent  with 
Christian  meekness,  to  demand  from  them 
an  apology  for  their  illegal  behaviour  to 
Roman  citizens ;  for  such  it  seems  Silas 
was,  as  well  as  Paul.  The  magistrates, 
alarmed,  came  personally  to  make  con- 
cessions, which  were  easily  accepted. 
Being  dismissed  from  prison,  they  en- 
tered into  Lydia's  house,  comforted  the 
disciples,  and  left  Philippi  for  the  pre- 
sent. 

Some  years  after  the  Apostle  again 
visited  the  Philippians,  and  found  them 
still  in  a  flourishing  state.  He  always 
took  a  peculiar  pleasure  in  this  Church; 
and,  in  his  epistle  written  from  Rome,  he 
thanks  God  for  their  sincere  fellowship 
in  the  Gospel  from  the  beginning.  He 
expresses  liis  expectation  of  liberty,  and 
of  being  enabled  to  see  them  ao-ain,  and 
exhorts  them  to  bear  patiently  the  perse- 
cutions to  which  they  were  exposed,  as 
being  an  evidence  of  the  divine  favour.* 

Liberality  was  a  shining  virtue  among 
tliese  converts.  They  had  sent  once  and 
again  to  his  relief  at  Thessalonica.f  And 
now  they  had  sent  Epaphroditus  to 
Rome,  to  minister  to  his  wants.  A  dan- 
gerous illness  had  brought  that  disciple 
to  the  borders  of  the  grave.  Upon  his 
recovery  he  was  afflicted  to  think  of  the 
distress,  which  the  news  of  his  sickness 
must  have  brought  on  the  minds  of  the 
Philippians.  Paul  was  therefore  the  more 
anxious  to  send  him  back.  The  sensibility 
of  that  love,  with  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
had  influenced  all  concerned  in  this  af- 
fair, is  finely  described  in  this  part  of  the 
epistle.:):  The  Apostle,  toward  the  close 
of  it,  even  exults  in  the  pleasure  which 
the  charity  of  these  disciples  gave  him ; 
and  "he  assures  them,  that  his  God  would 
♦'supply  all  their  need  according  to  his 
riches  in  glory  by  Christ  Jesus."  He 
warns  them  however  against  the  dangers 
of  seduction.  Judaizing  teachers  desired 
to  pervert  them.  He  reminds  them,  there- 
fore,§  of  his  own  simple  dependence  on 
the  Lord  Jesus,  though  he  had  fairer  pre- 
tensions than  most  men  to  self-righteous- 
ness; and  with  tears  in  his  eyes  declares, 
that,  even  then,  many  pretended  Chris- 


tians walked  like  enemies  of  the  Cross 
of  Christ. 

Such  was  the  work  of  God  at  Philippi. 
A  considerable  number  of  persons,  once 
worshippers  of  idols,  devoted  to  the  bas- 
est lusts,  and  sunk  in  the  grossest  igno- 
rance, were  brought  to  the  knowledge 
and  love  of  the  true  God,  and  to  the  hope 
of  salvation  by  his  Son  Jesus.  In  this  faith 
and  hope  they  persevered  amidst  a  world 
of  persecutions,  steadily  brought  forth  the 
fruits  of  charity,  and  lived  in  the  joyful 
expectation  of  a  blessed  resurrection. 


*Plulip.  i.  28,29.  +  Philip,  iv.  16. 

i  Chap.ii.,  toward  the  end, 
^  Chap,  iii. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THESSALONICA. 

Of  Amphipolis  and  Apollonia,  the  next 
cities  of  Macedonia  through  which  St. 
Paul   passed,  nothing  particular  is   re- 
corded.    But    at    Thessalonica   another 
European  Church  was  formed  inferior  in 
solid  piety  to  none  in  the  primitive  times. 
This  city  had  been  rebuilt  by  Philip  of 
Macedon,  and  had  its  name  from  his  con- 
quest of  Thessaly.     Here  Paul  followed 
his  usual  practice  of  preaching  first  to 
the  Jews  in  their  synagogue;    and    he 
spent  the  first  three  Sabbaths  in  pointing 
out  the  evidences  of  Christianity.     The 
custom  of  the  Jews  in  allowing  any  of 
their  countrymen  to  exhort  in  their  syna- 
gogues, gave  the  Apostle  an  easy  oppor- 
tunity of  preaching  to  this  people,  till 
tlieir  accustomed  enmity  and  obstinacy 
began  to  exert  itself.     Some  of  the  Jews 
were  however  converted,*    and  a  great 
multitude  of  religious  Gentiles  who  used 
to  attend  the  synagogue,  and  not  a  few 
females  of  quality.     So  difficult  is  it  for 
even  Satan  himself  to  erase  all  perception 
of  the  one  true  God  from  the  minds  of 
men,  so  powerful  is  the  voice  of  natural 
conscience,  and  so  totally  unreasonable 
is  the  polytheism  of  the  Pagans,  that  not- 
Avithstanding  the   extreme   depravity  of 
human   nature,  we    find,  Avherever    the 
Jews  carried  on  the  public  worship  of  the 
God  of  Israel,  it  was  common  for  some 
Gentiles  to  join  in  their  worship.    Within 
the  bounds  of  the  Holy  Land  there  were 
a  number  of  this  sort.     And  I  observe 
through  the  whole  tenour  of  Josephus's 
history,  that  the  Romans  treated  with  re- 
spect what  the  Jews  held  sacred ;  and 
whoever  was  distinguished  by  any  reli- 
gious thoughtfulness  from  others,  such  a 


*  Acts  xvii. 


Cejtt.  I.] 


AT  THESSALONICA. 


53 


one  found  nothing  to  suit  him  in  Gentile 
rites,  but  preferred  the  worship  of  the 
Jews.  The  devout  Greeks  converted  at 
Thessalonica  were  of  this  class ;  and  this 
is  not  the  first  instance  we  have  seen  of 
the  Lord's  preparing  persons,  by  an  at- 
tention to  a  more  imperfect  light,  for  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness.  But  HE  is  not 
confined  to  one  method.  The  major  part 
of  the  Thessalonian  converts  were  idola- 
ters,* who  now  turned  to  the  living  and 
true  God,  in  the  faith  and  hope  of  Jesus, 
who  "delivered  them  from  the  wrath  to 
come."  Faith,  hope,  and  charity  evinced 
this  people  to  be  God's  elect:  the  word 
came  to  their  hearts  in  much  power  and 
assurance;  and,  though  it  exposed  them 
to  great  affliction,  this  did  not  prevent 
their  joy  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  restless  Jews  were  not  ashamed 
to  join  with  the  most  profligate  Pagans 
in  persecuting  the  new  converts;  and 
decent  hj^ocrites  and  open  sinners  were, 
once  more,  seen  united  in  opposing  the 
Church  of  God.  They  assaulted  the 
house  of  Jason,  at  whose  house  Paul  and 
his  companions  were  entertained.  Pre- 
cautions having  been  used  to  secrete 
them,  Jason  and  some  other  Christians 
were  brought  before  the  magistrates,  and 
calumniated  with  the  usual  charge  of  se- 
dition. The  Roman  governors,  however, 
were  content  with  exacting  a  security 
from  Jason  and  his  friends  for  the  peace 
of  the  state.  But  the  Apostle  knew  too 
well  the  malice  of  the  Jews  to  confide  in 
any  present  appearances  of  their  modera- 
tion ;  and  therefore  felt  himself  oblig-ed 
abruptly  to  leave  the  infant  Church, 
The  first  epistle,  however,  which  he  sent 
to  them,  not  long  after,  plainly  proves 
that  they  were  not  without  pastors,  whom 
he  charges  them  to  honour  and  obey.f 

The  growth  of  this  people  in  godliness 
was  soon  renowned  through  the  Chris- 
tian world.  Their  persecution  appears  to 
have  been  grievous ;  and  hence  the  com- 
fort of  God  their  Saviour,  and  the  pros- 
pect of  the  invisible  world,  became  more 
precious  to  them.  The  Apostle  made 
two  attempts  to  return  to  them,  but  was 
as  often  disappointed  by  the  malice  of 
Satan. :t^  Fearing,  lest  the  weight  of  af- 
fliction might  crush  their  religion  in  its 
infancy,  he  sent  Timothy  to  them,  to 
establish  and  comfort  them.  From  §  him, 
on  his  return,  he  learnt  the  strength  of 


their  faith  and  love,  and  their  affectionate 
remembrance  of  the  Apostle,  whose  be- 
nevolent effusions  of  joy  and  gratitude  on 
the  occasion  exceed  all  encomium.     The 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  enlighten- 
ing,  comforting,   and    invigorating   this 
Church,  seemed  in  a  good   measure   to 
supply  any  want  of  pastoral  instruction, 
in  which,  from  their  circumstances,  they 
might  probably  be  defective.    They  were 
tau'ght  of  God  to  love  one  another,  and 
they  exercised  this  brotherly  affection  in 
the  strongest  manner  toward  all  around.* 
Fornication  indeed  was  a  sin  so  com- 
monly   practised    among   the   Gentiles, 
without   the   least   suspicion  of  its  evil, 
that  Paul  thought  proper  to  warn  them 
against  it  expressly  and  distinctly. f 
°In  his  second  epistle  he  congratulates 
them  on  their  great  proficiency  in  faith 
and  love:  and  while  he  comforts   them 
with  the  prospect  of  the  second  coming 
of  Christ,  he  takes  occasion  to  correct  a 
mistake,  into  which  they  had  fallen  from 
what   he   had   mentioned   in  his  former 
epistle,  of  imagining  that  the  last  day 
was  at  hand.     Men,  who  had  suddenly 
passed  from  the   grossest  ignorance,  in- 
to the  full  blaze   of  Gospel-day,  might 
easily  make  such  a  mistake,  especially 
since  their  affections  were  now  so  strong- 
ly captivated  with  heavenly  objects,  and 
since  they  found  so  little  in  a  world  of 
persecution  to  cheer  their  minds.     There 
appears   only   one   fault   in   this   people 
which  he  thought  necessary  to  rebuke. 
He  intimated  something:^  of  it  in  the  for- 
mer epistle,  in  the  latter  he  was  more 
express. §     It  was  the  want  of  industry  in 
their   callings,   with   which  he  charged 
some  of  them ;  for  this  was  not  a  general 
evil.      How  they  might  fall  into  it,  is 
easy  to  conceive.     Persons  all  alive  for 
God  and  his  Christ,  and  knowing  little 
of  the  deceitfulncss  of  the  heart,  and  of 
the  crafts  of  Satan,  might  find  it  irksome 
to  attend  to  the  concerns  of  this  life.     It 
was  a  fault  indeed,  and  very  dangerous, 
if  persisted  in ;  but  as  it  was,  in  all  pro- 
bability, soon  corrected,  and  in  part  occa- 
sioned by  the  strength  of  heavenly  affec- 
tions, one  cannot  be  very  severe  in  cen- 
suring them. 

It  may  be  worth  while  for  those,  who 
feel  themselves  much  irritated  against 
similar  evils  attendant  on  the  effusion  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  our  days,  to  consider 


•  1  Thess. 
^ii.  18. 


i.  9. 


e2 


1  Thess.  V. 
iii.  9,  10. 


*  1  Thess.  iv.  9,  10. 
tiv.  11,  12. 


f  iv.  3-9. 

4  2  Thess.  iii.  11. 


54 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[CUAP.  X. 


whether  they  do  not  exercise  more  can- 
dour towards  the  Thessalonians,  than 
they  do  towards  those,  who  are  actually 
walking  in  their  steps  ;  whether  they  are 
not  apt  to  respect  the  former  as  real 
Christians,  and  to  scorn  the  latter  as  de- 
luded enthusiasts ! 

This  Church  bears  the  strongest  signa- 
tures of  godliness,  the  effect  of  no  com- 
mon effusion  of  the  Spirit.  They  adorn- 
ed the  Gospel,  with  faith,  hope,  and 
charity;  yet  showed,  by  their  faults  and 
ignorance,  the  importance  of  diligent  and 
much  pastoral  instruction,  in  which  their 
circumstances  suffered  them  not  to  abound; 
and  which,  under  God,  would  have  soon 
cured  the  former,  and  removed  the  latter. 

They  were  exposed  to  such  blemishes, 
as  are  most  apt  to  attend  great  attain- 
ments in  the  divine  life  made  with  vast 
rapidity. 

It  appears,  that  St.  Paul  visited  this 
people  a  considerable  time  after,  and  gave 
them  much  exhortation;  but  we  have 
00  particular  further  account  of  thenj.* 


CHAPTER  X. 

BEREA    AND    ATHENS. 

Paul  was  conducted  from  Thessaloni 
ca  to  Berea,  a  city  of  Macedonia.  Here 
also  was  a  Jewish  synagogue,  and  here, 
for  the  first  time,  the  preaching  of  the  Cross 
was  candidly  received  by  Jews.  A  very 
singular  character  is  given  of  the  Jews 
of  this  place  ;— they  possessed  a  liberal- 
ity of  mind,  which  disposed  them  to 
listen  with  attention,  and  to  search  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament  with 
daily  assiduity.  The  grace  of  God  seems 
to  have  prepared  these  persons  for  the 
Gospel;  and  Paul  had  the  pleasure  to 
find  a  number  of  the  stamp  of  Cornelius, 
who  were  groping  their  way  to  happi- 
ness, and  were  ready  to  hail  the  light  as 
soon  as  it  should  dawn  upon  them.  Many 
Jews  of  Berea  believed,  and  not  a  few 

*  In  the  first  epistle  he  "charges  them  hy 
the  Lord,"  that  it  be  "read  to  all  the  holy 
brethren."  As  this  seems  to  have  been  his 
first  epistle,  and  indeed  the  newest  part  of  the 
•whole  New  Testament,  the  solemnity  of  the 
abjuration  (oe^.j;-.)  has  a  peculiar  propriety,  as 
Dr.  Lardner  observes.  The  Thessalonians 
were  no  doubt  disposed  to  receive  it  as  matter 
of  apostolical  inspiration,  and  the  importance 
of  bringing  every  Christian  to  be  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  word  of  God  is  fairly  in- 
ferred. 


Gentiles  also  of  both  sexes:  those  of  the 
female  sex  were  persons  of  quality.    The 
rage  of  the  Thessalonian  Jews  soon  how- 
ever disturbed  this  pleasing  scene,  and 
stirred  up  a  persecution,  which  obliged 
the  Christians  to  use  some  art  in  saving 
the   Apostle's   life.     His   conductors   at 
first  took  the  road  toward  the  sea,  which 
might  lead  the  persecutors  to  suppose  he 
had  quitted  the  continent.      They   then 
brought  him  safe  to  Athens,*  once  the 
first  city  of  Greece  in  all  views,  and  still 
renowned  for  taste  and  science,  the  school 
in  which  the   greatest  Romans   studied 
philosophy.     Here,  while  he  waited  for 
the  arrival  of  Silas  and  Timothy,  he  be- 
held  the   monuments  of  the   city   with 
other  eyes  than  those  of  a  scholar  and  a 
gentleman.     No  place  in  the  world  could 
more  have  entertained  a  curious  and  phi- 
losophical spirit   than   this.      Temples, 
altars,  statues,  historical  memorials,  liv- 
ing philosophers  of  various  sects,  books 
of  those  who  are  deceased,  a  confluence 
of  polite  and  humanized  persons  of  vari- 
ous  countries,   enjoying    the   luxury   of 
learned   leisure, — these   things   must   at 
once  have  obtruded    themselves   on   his 
notice:    and    no   man    in   any   age,   by 
strength   of   understanding,    warmth   of 
temper,  and  justness  of  taste,  seems  to 
have  been  more  capable  of  entering  into 
the   spirit   of  such  scenes  than  Saul  of 
Tarsus.     But  Divine    Grace   had   given 
his  faculties  a  very  different   direction; 
and  the  Christian  in  him  predominated 
extremely  above  the  philosopher  and  the 
critic.     He  saw  here,  that  even  the  ex- 
cess of  learning  brought  men  no  nearer 
to  God..     No  place  on  earth  Avas  more 
given  to  idolatry.     He  could  not  there- 
fore find  pleasure  in  the  classical  luxuries 
presented  before  him:  he  saw  his  Maker 
disgraced,  and   souls   perishing   in   sin. 
Pity  and  indignation    swallowed  up  all 
other  emotions:  and  ministers  of  Christ, 
by  their  own  sensations  in  similar  scenes, 
may  try  how  far  they  are  possessed  of  the 
mind  of  Paul,  which,  in  this  case,  cer- 
tainly was  the  mind  of  Christ.     If  aff"ec- 
tions  be  lively,  some  exertions  will  fol- 
low.    He  laid  open  the  reasons  of  Chris- 
tianity to  Jews  in  their  synagogue,  also 
to   Gentile    worshippers,   who   attended 
the  synagogue,  and,  daily,  to  any  per- 
sons whom  he  met  with  in  the  forum. 
There  were  two  sects  very  opposite  to 
one  another  among  the   pagan   philoso- 


*  Acts  xvii. 


Cent.  I.] 


AT  BEREA  AND  ATHENS. 


55 


phers,  namely,  the  Epicureans  and  the  jby  the  two  Apostles  are  as  different,  as 
"  "  the  circumstances  of  a  Jewish  and  Athe- 

nian audience  were :  The  end  aimed  at  by 
both  was  the  same. 

There  is  reason  to  apprehend,  that  God 
never  suffers  the  plain  and  faithful  de- 
nunciation of  his  Gospel  to  be  altogether 
fruitless.  A  few  persons  believed  in 
reality  and  with  steadfastness,  among 
whom  was  Dionysius,  a  member  of  the 
court,  and  a  woman  named  Damaris. 
These  Paul  left  to  the  care  of  that  gra- 
cious God  who  had  opened  their  eyes, 
and  he  departed  from  a  city  as  yet  too 
haughty,  too  scornful,  and  too  indifferent 
concerning  things  of  infinite  moment,  to 
receive  the  Gospel.  A  church  could 
hardly  be  said  to  be  formed  here,  though 
a  few  individuals  were  converted.  The 
little  success  at  Athens  evinces  that  a 
spirit  of  literary  trifling  in  religion,  where 
all  is  theory,  and  the  conscience  is  uncon- 
cerned, hardens  the  heart  effectually. 
What  a  contrast  between  the  effects  of 
the  same  Gospel  dispensed  to  the  illiter- 
ate Macedonians,  and  the  philosophical 
Athenians!  Yet  there  want  not  many 
professing  Christians,  who,  while  they 
stigmatize  men  of  the  former  sort  with 
the  name  of  barbarians,  bestow  on  the 
latter  tlie  appellation  of  enlightened  phi- 
losophers. 


Stoics.  The  former  placed  the  chief 
good  in  pleasure,  the  latter  in,  what  they 
called,  virtue,  correspondent  to  the  two 
chief  sects  among  the  Jews,  the  Saddu- 
cees  and  the  Pharisees,  and  indeed  to 
the  two  sorts  among  mankind  in  all  ages, 
who  yet  are  in  a  state  of  nature,  namely, 
men  of  a  licentious  and  dissipated  turn  of 
mind  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other 
self-righteous  persons  who  substitute 
their  own  reason  and  virtue  in  the  room 
of  divine  grace  and  divine  influence.  As 
these  will  in  any  age  unite  against  the 
real  friends  of  Jesus  Christ,  so  it  was 
here :  the  Apostle  appeared  a  mere  bab- 
bler in  their  eyes.  Jesus  and  the  resur- 
rection, which  he  preached,  were  ideas, 
from  which  their  minds  were  so  abhor- 
rent, that  they  took  them  for  a  new  god 
and  goddess. 

It  belonged  to  the  court  of  Areopagus 
to  take  cognizance  of  things  of  this  nature. 
This  court  had  unjustly  condemned  the 
famous  Socrates,  as  if  he  had  depreciated 
the  established  religion,  though  he  had 
given  as  strong  proofs  of  his  polytheistic 
attachments  as  he  had  of  philosophical 
pride.  It  ought  not  however  to  be  denied, 
that  in  a  lower  sense  he  suffered  for 
righteousness'  sake.  His  honest  rebukes 
of  vice  and  improbity  exposed  him  to 
death ; — so  unsafe  is  even  the  least  ap- 
proximation to  goodness  in  a  world  like 
this.  That  St.  Paul  escaped  condemna- 
tion here,  seems  owing  to  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances. The  court,  under  the  toler- 
ating maxims  of  its  Roman  superior, 
seems  now  to  have  had  only  the  privilege 
of  examining  tenets  as  a  synod,  without 
the  penal  power  of  magistracy.* 

It  would  carry  me  too  far  to  dwell  on 
the  excellent  apology  of  Paul  delivered 
before  this  court.  He  reproved  their 
idolatory  in  language  and  by  arguments 
perfectly  classical ;  and  he  announced  so 
much  of  the  Gospel,  as  was  adapted  to 
the  very  ignorant  state  of  his  audience. 
Whoever  duly  examines  this  short  mas- 
terpiece of  eloquence,  may  see  that  he  la- 
bours to  beget  in  them  the  spirit  of  con- 
viction, and  to  prepare  them  for  Gospel- 
mercy,  just  as  Peter  did  in  his  first  ser- 
mon  at  Jerusalem.      The    means   used 

*  In  this  liowever  I  am  not  very  i)Osilivt;  :  A 
greater  degree  of  sceptical  indifference  niinlit, 
in  tlie  progress  of  refinement,  have  prevaik-d 
at  Athens  in  the  days  of  St.  Paul,  and  the 
court  might  itself  be  as  little  disposed  to  per- 
secute, as  the  Roman  powers. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

CORINTH. 

Corinth  was,  at  this  period,  the  me- 
tropolis of  Greece.  Its  situation  in  an 
isthmus  rendered  it  remarkably  conve- 
nient for  trade.  It  was  the  residence  of 
the  Roman  governor  of  Achaia,  the  name 
then  given  to  all  Greece  ;  and  it  was,  at 
once,  full  of  opulence,  luxury,  and  sen- 
suality. Hither  the  Apostle  came  from 
Athens,  and  laboured  both  among  the 
Jews  and  the  Gentiles.  Here  Providence 
favoured  him  with  the  acquaintance  and 
friendsliip  of  Aquila  and  his  wife  Pris- 
cilla,  two  Jewish  Christians  lately  ex- 
pelled from  Italy  with  other  Jews,  by  an 
edict  of  the  emperor  Claudius.  With 
them  he  wrought  as  a  tent-maker,  being 
of  the  same  occupation :  for  every  Jew, 
whether  rich  or  poor,  was  obliged  to  fol- 
low some  trade.  After  the  arrival  of  Silas 
and  Timothy,  the  Apostle  with  much  ve- 
hemence preached  to  his  countrymen ; 
but  opposition  and  abuse  were  the  only 


56 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XI. 


returns  he  met  with.  The  modern  notions 
of  charity  will  scarcely  be  reconciled  to 
the  zealous  indignation  which  he  showed 
on  this  occasion.  He  shook  his  garment, 
and  told  them,  that  he  was  clear  of  their 
destruction ;  and  that  he  would  leave 
them,  and  apply  himself  to  the  Gentiles 
in  the  city.  With  this  denunciation  he 
left  the  synagogue,  and  entered  into  the 
house  of  one  Justus,  a  devout  person, 
well  affected  to  the  Gospel.  Crispus 
also  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  with  his 
whole  family,  received  the  truth.  But 
we  hear  of  no  more  Jewish  converts  at 
this  place.  However,  many  Corinthians 
were  converted.  And  a  gracious  vision 
of  the  Lord  Jesus*  who  said  to  Paul  in  the 
night,  "  I  have  much  people  in  this  city," 
encouraged  him  to  continue  here  a  year 
and  half. — The  rage  of  the  Jews  would 
doubtless  be  raised  to  the  highest  pitch  ; 
but,  as  usual,  the  moderate  spirit  of  the 
Roman  government  prevented  its  san- 
guinary exertions.  Gallio  the  proconsul, 
brother  of  the  famous  Seneca,  was  per- 
fectly indifferent  concerning  the  progress 
of  Christianity,  and  refused  to  pay  the 
least  attention  to  their  complaints  against 
Paul,  who  now  found  himself  so  effectual- 
ly preserved  from  the  fury  of  his  coun- 
trymen, that  he  remained  in  Corinth  a 
considerable  time  longer  than  the  above- 
mentioned  year  and  a  half.  After  his 
departure,  Apollos,  a  zealous  and  elo- 
quent Alexandrian  Jew,  came  to  this  city, 
and  was  made  a  very  powerful  instru- 
ment of  building  up  this  Church,  and  of 
silencing  the  opposition  of  the  Jews. 
The  modesty  of  this  man  was  as  conspi- 
cuous as  his  spirit.  Till  he  was  instruct- 
ed more  perfectly  by  Aquila  and  Priscilla, 
he  knew  no  more  of  Christianity,  than 
what  was  contained  in  the  system  of 
John  the  Baptist.  That  so  able  a  man 
could  submit  to  profit  by  others,  was  a 
proof  of  an  humble  frame. 

It  appears,  that  St.  Paul,  so  far  as  cir- 
cumstances admitted,  kept  up  a  constant 
correspondence  with  the  Churches.  The 
care  of  them,  as  he  says,  "  came  upon 
him  daily."  The  Corinthians  wrote  to 
him  to  ask  his  advice  on  some  cases  of 
conscience ;  and  he  understood  that  a 
variety  of  evils  and  abuses  had  crept  in 
among  them.  On  these  accounts  he 
wrote  the  two  epistles  to  the  Corinthians. 
In  reviewing  them,  we  are  astonished  to 
find   how   faulty   many   persons  of  tliis 


*  Acts  xviii. 


Church  were;  and  the  scene,  which  they 
exhibit,  more  resembles  modern  than 
primitive  times,  in  a  variety  of  circum- 
stances. It  falls  not  within  the  design  of 
this  history  to  enlarge.  Former  writers 
have,  with  more  than  sufficient  accuracy, 
detailed  the  evils ;  let  one  at  least  be  al- 
lowed briefly  to  record  the  good  things 
of  the  Church  of  Christ.  In  regard  to 
the  people  of  Corinth,  their  exemption 
from  persecution  under  Gallio,  and  their 
state  of  ease  and  prosperity,  so  uncom- 
mon with  other  Churches,  in  a  great 
measure  account  for  the  little  spirituality 
which  they  manifested.  Perhaps  no 
Church  was  more  numerous,  and  none 
less  holy  in  the  Apostolic  age.  And  it  may 
teach  us  not  to  repine  at  the  want  of  the 
MIRACULOUS  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
when  we  consider  that  these  Corinthians 
abounded  in  them.  But  many  of  them 
were  proud  of  gifts,  contentious,  self- 
conceited,  and  warm  partisans  of  Paul, 
Apollos,  or  Peter;  and  by  the  indulgence 
of  this  sectarian  spirit,  showed  how  little 
they  had  learned  of  true  wisdom,  which 
gives  the  Apostle  occasion*  to  recom- 
mend the  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  to 
point  out  the  nature  and  properties  of 
spiritual  understanding,  and  to  pour  a  just 
contempt  on  that  which  is  merely  natural. 

With  the  pride  of  false  wisdom  they 
joined  a  very  blameable  neglect  in  prac- 
tice. One  of  their  Church  lived  in  incest, 
and  the  offender  was  not  excommuni- 
cated.f  St.  Paul  rebukes  them  also  for 
thier  litigiousness  and  lasciviousness.if: 
In  answer  to  their  queries,  he  recom- 
mends celibacy  as  preferable  to  matri- 
mony where  a  man  can  practise  it,  and 
that  I  think  from  general  reasons, §  as 
more  favourable  to  holiness,  without 
however  depreciating  matrimony,  or  giv- 
ing the  least  countenance  to  the  flood  of 
monastic  abuses,  which  afterwards  pre- 
vailed in  Christendom.  But  mankind 
are  ever  prone  to  extremes ;  and  the 
extreme  which  is  opposite  to  superstition 
so  much  prevails  at  present,  that  I  should 
not  wonder,  if  some  persons  should  star- 
tle at  what  I  have  mentioned  as  the  sen- 
timents of  St.  Paul,  though  it  be  almost 
impossible  for  any  unprejudiced  person 
to  understand  him  otherwise. 

So  little  were  the  Corinthians  exposed 
to  persecution,  that  they  were  invited  by 
their  idolatrous  neighbours  to  partake  of 


*  1  Cor.  four  first  chapters,     t  Cha]).  v. 
I  Chap.  vi.  §  Cliap.  vii. 


Cejtt.  I.] 


AT  CORINTH. 


57 


their  idol  feasts ;  and  there  were  among 
tliem  those  who  complied.*     There  were 
also  among'  them  false  apostles,  who,  by 
pretendinor  to  instruct  them  gratis,  endea- 
voured to  depreciate  Paul  as  a  mercenary 
person. f    Hence,  while  he  rebukes  the 
faults  or  defects  of  this  people,  he  ob- 
serves that  HE  laboured  among  them  free- 
ly, which  the  false  apostles  pretended  to 
do.  He  proceeds  to  correct  an  abuse  which 
obtained  in  their  assemblies,  in  the  article 
of  decency  of  dress ;   and  another  much 
worse, — the   profanation  of   the    Lord's 
Supper.:{:     He  insists  also  on  the  correc- 
tion of  their  abuse  of  spiritual  gifts,  par- 
ticularly those  of  languages. §     It  appears 
that  gifts  were  more  prized  by  them,  in 
some  respects,  than  grace  itself;  and  that 
love,  which  he  beautifully  describes,  was 
at  a  low  ebb  among  them.     He  occasion- 
ally mentions,  however,  a  very  common 
effect  attendant  on  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  even  at  Corinth:    If  an  ignorant 
idolater  came  into  their  assemblies,  he 
was  so  penetrated  with  the  display  of  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  that  he  could  not 
but  discover  the  very  secrets  of  his  soul : 
he  would  prostrate  himself  in  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  report  that  God  was  in 
them   of  a  truth. ||     And,   if  where   the 
Gospel   was   so  little  honoured  by  the 
lives  of  its  professors  as  at  Corinth,  such 
power  attended    the   dispensation  of  it, 
how  much  more  of  the  same  kind,  may 
we  suppose,  happened  at  Philippi  and  at 
Thessalonica  1  For  we  have  not  yet  men- 
tioned  all   the   evils   of  this    outwardly 
flourishing,    but    inwardly    distempered 
Church.     There   were   some,  who  even 
denied  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  which 
gives  occasion  to  the  Apostle  to  illustrate 
that  important  article.^ 

Though  he  had  promised  to  revisit  them 
soon,  yet  in  the  next  epistle,  he  assigns 
a  reason  why  he  delayed  longer  than  he 
had  intended.  Their  Christian  state  was 
very  imperfect;  and  he  wished  to  be  ena- 
bled, by  their  reformation,  to  come  amono- 


•  1  Cor.  viii.  10. 

1 1  Cor.  ix.,  compared  with  2  Cor.  xi.  13-20. 

t  1  Cor.  xi.  §  Chap.  xii.  xiii.xiv. 

II  This  is  a  proof  of  the  Divine  Influence  at- 
tendant on  Christianity.  General  proofs  of 
its  authenticity  may  be  drawn  also  from  the 
subject  of  miraculous  gifts.  The  Apostle's 
manner  of  describing  these  things  proves  their 
reality  and  their  frequency.  For  no  man  could 
have  convinced  these  Corinthians,  that  they 
were  in  possession  of  those  gifts,  if  they  them- 
selves had  not  been  conscious  of  them. 

5 1  Cor.  XV. 


them  with  more  pleasure.  In  truth,  he 
wrote  the  first  epistle  in  much  anguish  and 
affliction.*  His  soul  was  deeply  affected 
for  this  people,  and  while  great  prooress 
in  profession  seemed  so  inconsistent  with 
their  experience  and  their  practice,  he 
felt  the  sincerest  grief.  He  was  relieved 
at  length  by  the  coming  of  Titus, f  from 
whose  account  it  appeared,  that  the  ad- 
monitions were  by  no  means  fruitless. 
The  case  of  the  incestuous  person  at 
length  was  attended  to  by  them  as  it 
ought :  they  proceeded  even  Avith  more 
severity  than  the  Apostle  desired ;  for, 
though  the  man  gave  the  strongest  proof 
of  repentance,  they  refused  to  readmit 
him  into  their  Church,  till  St.  Paul  sig- 
nified his  express  desire  that  they  would 
do  so. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  many 
persons  belonging  to  this  Church  were 
recovered  to  a  state  of  affection  and  prac- 
tice worthy  of  Christianity.  In  particu- 
lar the  Apostle  commends  their  liberality 
towards  the  distressed  Christians.:}:  But 
there  was  still  an  obstinate  party  among 
the  Corinthians,  attached  to  the  false 
apostles,  whose  conduct  extorted  from 
him  a  zealous  and  honest  commendation 
of  himself,  his  endowments,  and  his  of- 
fice, which  yet  he  manages  with  great 
address  and  delicacy,  while  he  bewails 
the  scandalous  practices  still  existing 
among  them.§ 

On  his  arrival  at  Corinth  after  these 
epistles,  he  doubtless  executed  what  he 
had  threatened,  namely,  some  wholesome 
severities  on  offenders,  unless  their  spee- 
dy and  sincere  repentance  prevented  the 
necessity  of  such  a  step.  He  spent  three 
months  ||  in  his  second  visit.  But  we 
have  no  particular  account  in  Scripture 
of  this  Church. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ROME. 

It  may  seem  to  have  been  purposely 
appointed  by  Infinite  Wisdom,  that  our 
first  accounts  of  the  Roman  Church  should 
be  very  imperfect,  in  order  to  confute  the 
proud  pretensions  to  universal  dominion, 
which  its  bishops  have  with  unblushino- 
arrogance  supported  for  so  many  ages. 
If  a  line  or  two  in  the  Gospels  concern- 
ing the  keys  of  St.  Peter  have  been  made 


*2Cor.  ii.  4. 
i  2  Cor.  ix. 
U  Acts  XX. 


t  2  Cor.  vii. 
^  Chap.  xi.  xii. 


58 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XH. 


the  foundation  of  such  lofty  pretensions 
in  his  supposed  successors  to  the  prima- 
cy, how  would  they  have  gloried,  if  his 
labours  at  Rome  had  been  so  distinctly 
celebrated,  as  those  of  St.  Paul  in  several 
Churches'?  What  bounds  would  have 
been  set  to  the  pride  of  ecclesiastical 
Rome,  could  she  have  boasted  of  herself 
as  the  mother-church,  like  Jerusalem,  or 
even  exhibited  such  trophies  of  Scriptural 
fame,  as  Philippi,  Thessalonica,  Co- 
rinth, or  Ephesus?  The  silence  of  Scrip- 
ture is  the  more  remarkable,  because  the 
Church  itself  was  in  an  early  period  by 
no  means  insignificant,  either  for  the 
number  or  the  piety  of  its  converts.  Their 
faith  was  spoken  of  through  the  whole 
world.*  The  Apostle  thus  commends 
them ;  nor  does  he  in  his  epistle  to  them 
intimate  any  thing  peculiarly  faulty  in 
their  principles  or  conduct.  The  epistle 
to  the  Romans  itself,  while  the  world  en- 
dures, will  be  the  food  of  Christian  minds, 
and  the  richest  system  of  doctrine  to 
scriptural  theologians.  By  the  distinct 
directions  which  he  gives  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  charity  between  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles, it  appears  that  there  must  have  been 
a  considerable  number  of  the  former 
among  them.  If  one  might  indulge  a 
conjecture,  I  should  suppose  that  Aquila 
and  Priscilla,  who  had  laboured  with  St. 
Paul  at  Corinth,  botli  in  a  spiritual  and 
temporal  sense,  and  had  been  expelled 
from  Italy  by  the  emperor  Claudius,  and 
whom  he  here  salutes  as  at  Rome,  were 
first  concerned  in  the  plantation  of  this 
Church,  which  was  numerous,  before  any 
Apostle  had  been  there.  Andronicus  and 
Junias  are  saluted  also  in  the  epistle : 
they  were  men  of  character  among  the 
Apostles,  whose  conversion  was  of  an 
earlier  date  than  St.  Paul's :  they  were 
also  his  kinsmen,  and  had  suffered  in 
conjunction  with  him  for  the  faith.  He 
salutes  also  a  number  of  others,  though 
they  might  not  all  be  residents  of  Rome. 
The  work  of  Divine  Grace  in  distinguish- 
ing persons  of  various  families  and  con- 
nections is  ever  observable.  There  were 
saints  at  Rome  of  the  two  families  of 
Aristobulus  and  Narcissus.  The  former 
was  of  the  royal  blood  of  the  Maccabees, 
and  had  been  carried  prisoner  to  Rome 
by  Pompey.  He  himself  had  suffered  a 
variety  of  hardships  incident  to  a  life  of 
turbulent  ambition  like  his ;  yet  some  of 
his  family,  of  no  note  in  civil  history,  are 


*  Rom.  i. 


marked  as  the  disciples  of  Christ,  and 
heirs  of  the  true  riches.  Narcissus  is 
distinguished  in  Roman  history,  as  the 
ambitious  prime  minister  of  Claudius ;  yet 
some  of  his  household  were  in  the  Lord. 
Paul  had  long  wished  and  even  pro- 
jected a  visit  to  this  Church.  He  did  not 
expect  that  his  journey  thither  at  last  was 
to  be  at  Cfesar's  expense.  Confident 
however  he  was,  that  when  he  did  come 
to  them,  it  should  be  "  in  the  fulness  of 
the  blessing  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ." 
And  he  intreats  the  prayers  of  the  Ro- 
mans, that  he  may  be  delivered  from  the 
infidel  Jews,  and  be  acceptable  in  his 
ministry  to  his  believing  countrymen  at  Je- 
rusalem, whither  he  was  then  hastening, 
that  "  he  might  come  to  them  with  joy  by 
the  will  of  God,"  and  be  with  them  re- 
freshed. Thus  did  Christians  in  those 
days  intreat  the  prayers  of  their  brethren 
through  the  world,  and  sympathize  with 
one  another.  And  the  prayers  were  an- 
swered :  Paul  was  saved  from  Jewish 
malice :  was  acceptable  to  the  Jewish  con- 
verts, "  who  had  compassion  on  him  in 
his  bonds ;"  and  was  conducted  safe  to 
Rome.  At  Appii  Forum  and  the  three 
taverns  he  was  met  by  the  Roman  Chris- 
tians :  he  thanked  God  and  took  courage,* 
refreshed,  as  he  had  been  confident  he 
should  be,  whenever  he  might  arrive 
among  them.  None  but  those,  who  know 
what  is  meant  by  the  communion  of  saints, 
can  conceive  the  pleasure  which  he  felt 
on  the  occasion.  After  a  charitable  but 
fruitless  attempt  to  do  good  to  the  princi- 
pal Jews  at  Rome,  he  employed  the  two 
years  of  his  imprisonment  in  receiv- 
ing all  who  came  to  him,  preaching  with 
all  confidence,  and  without  molestation. 
On  account  of  his  imprisonment  and  ex- 
amination at  Rome,  the  nature  of  the 
Gospel  began  to  be  inquired  intof  in  Ne- 
ro's court,  and  the  conclusion  of  the  epis- 
tle to  the  Philippians  makes  it  evident, 
that  some  of  the  imperial  household  be- 
came Christians  indeed.  And  as  the 
court  was  by  no  means  disposed  to  treat 
him  with  rigfour,  but  rather  to  favour  him 
with  indulgences  as  a  Roman  citizen, 
hence  many  preachers  in  Rome  and  the 
neighbourhood  exerted  themselves  with 
more  courage  than  formerly  they  dared 
to  do.  Yet  certain  persons  even  then 
could  preach  Christ  with  malevolent  views 
of  depreciating  the  Apostles :  others  did 
it  with  sincere  charity.     But  as  real  bene- 


Acts  xxviii.  15. 


t  Philippians  i. 


Cestt.  I.] 


AT  COLOSSE. 


59 


fit  accrued  to  the  souls  of  men  from  the 
labours  of  the  former  as  well  as  of  the  lat- 
ter, the  heart  of  Paul,  ■svith  a  charity,  the 
wonderful  effect  of  heavenly  teacMng, 
could  rejoice  in  both. 

Some  writers  seem  to  have  gone  too 
far,  in  denying  that  Peter  ever  was  at 
Rome.  But  the  cause  of  Protestantism 
needs  not  the  support  of  an  unreasonable 
scepticism.  Undoubtedly  the  account  of 
Peter's  martyrdom  there,  with  that  of 
Paul,  rests  on  a  foundation  sufficiently 
strong,  namely,  the  concurrent  voice  of 
antiquity.  His  first  epistle,  by  an  ex- 
pression at  the  close  of  it,*  appears  to  have 
been  dated  thence  ;  for  the  Church  at 
Babylon,  according  to  the  style  of  Chris- 
tians at  that  time,  could  be  no  other 
than  the  Church  at  Rome. — Of  the  literal 
Babylon  we  find  nothing  in  the  writings 
of  those  days. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

COLOSSE. 

This  city  of  Phrygia  was  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Laodicea  and  Hierapolis,  and 
all  three  seem  to  have  been  converted  by 
the  ministry  of  Epaphras  the  Colossian, 
a  companion  and  fellow-labourer  of 
Paul,  who  attended  him  at  Rome  during 
his  imprisonment,  and  informed  him  of 
the  sincerity  and  fruitfulness  of  their 
Christian  profession.  For  though  he 
speaks  to  the  Colossians  onl}'',  yet  the  re- 
ligious state  of  the  two  neighbouring  cities 
may  be  conceived  to  be  much  the  same. 
The  example  of  Epaphras  deserves  to  be 
pointed  out  to  the  imitation  of  all  minis- 
ters. He  always  laboured  fervently  for 
them  in  prayers,  "that  they  might  stand 
perfect  and  complete  in  all  the  will  of 
God. "I  And  this  was  indeed  one  of  the 
best  methods  of  evincing  the  sincerity  of 
his  zeal,  which  Paul  owns  to  have  been 
great  for  these  Churches. 

The  Apostle  himself,  in  the  fulness  and 
fervency  of  his  charity,  wishes,  that  the 
Colossians  knew  how  strong  the  conflict 
of  his  soul  was  for  them,  that  they  might 
feel  the  comfort,  understand  the  mystery, 
and  enjoy  the  riches  of  the  Gospel.:]: 
They  had  never  seen  his  face  in  the  flesh  ; 
but  he  felt  for  them  as  Christian  breth- 
ren, and  honoured  them  as  those,  in  whom 
the  word  brought  forth  fruit,  and  who  had 


•  1  Pet.  V.  13. 
i  Chap.  ii.  1,  2. 


f  Col.  iv.  12. 


a  lively  hope  in  Christ  beyond  the  grave. 
But  there  must  have  been  some  particu- 
lar dangers  incident  to  their  situation,  to 
give  propriety  to  the  cautions  in  his 
epistle  against  philosophy  and  vain  deceit, 
against  Judaical  dependencies  and  rites, 
and  against  an  illegitimate  humility  and 
self-righteous  austerities.  Such  things, 
he  observes,  carry  indeed  the  appearance 
of  wisdom  and  goodness,*  but  lead  only 
to  pride  and  an  extravagant  self  estimation. 
And  the  tendency  of  them  is,  to  draw  the 
mind  from  that  simplicity  of  dependence 
on  Christ,  which  is  the  true  rest  of  the 
soul,  and  the  right  frame  of  a  Christian. 

In  truth,  the  Jew  by  his  ceremonies, 
and  the  Gentile  by  his  philosophy,  equal- 
ly laboured  to  overturn  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.  And  their  self-rio-hteous  efforts 
are  then  only  effectually  opposed,  when 
Christians  know  their  "completeness  in 
Christ,  and  walk  in  him."  After  deliver- 
ing a  number  of  beautiful  precepts  closely 
interwoven  with  Christian  doctrine,  the 
Apostle  directs  them  to  read  his  epistle 
in  their  assembly,  and  then  to  send  it  to 
be  read  by  the  Laodiceans ;  and  also  to 
receive  an  epistle  from  Loadicea  to  be 
read  in  their  own  Church,  which,  most 
probably,  was  the  epistle  to  the  Ephe- 
sians;  none  of  these  places  being  at  a 
great  distance  from  one  another.|  And 
he  gives  a  plain,  but  very  serious  charge, 
to  Archippus  their  present  pastor.  We 
see  hence  with  what  care  these  precious 
apostolical  remains  were  preserved  among 
primitive  Christians;  and  we  may  con- 
ceive, how,  in  the  infancy  of  spiritual 
consolation,  they  fed  on  those  lively  ora- 
cles, which  we  now  so  indolently  pos- 
sess. 

I  see  nothing  more  to  be  collected  from 
the  Scriptures  concerning  the  state  of  this 
Church,  except  the  instructive  anecdote 
in  the  epistle  to  Philemon.  This  man, 
a  Colossian  Christian,  had  a  slave,  named 
Onesimus,  who  deserted  from  his  master, 
probably  not  without  some  depredations 
of  his  property,  and  wandered  to  Rome. 
That,  like  all  great  cities,  was  the  sink, 
which  received  the  confluence  of  various 
vices  and  crimes.  There  the  wonderful 
Grace  of  God  seized  his  heart.  Provi- 
dence brought  him  to  hear  Paul  preach, 
which  we  have  seen  that  Apostle  con- 
tinue to  do  for  two  years  in  his  imprison- 
ment. Though  former  means  of  instruc- 
tion under  his  Christian  master  had  failed, 


*Col.  ii.  ult. 


t  Chap.  iv.  16, 17. 


60 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XIV, 


now,  at  length,  his  eyes  were  opened, 
and  he  became  a  Christian  indeed.  Paul 
would  have  found  him  a  useful  assistant 
at  Rome,  but  thought  it  most  proper  to 
send  him  back  to  his  master  at  Colosse ; 
and  this  he  did  with  a  short  letter,  which 
may  justly  be  considered  as  a  master- 
piece of  Christian  politeness,  address, 
and  sincerity.  In  his  Colossian  epistle 
he  mentions  him  also  as  a  faithful  and 
beloved  brother. — What  important  chan- 
ges Divine  Grace  can  effect  in  the  hearts 
of  men,  even  of  slaves,  whom  proud  phi- 
losophers despised,  appears  very  evident 
from  this  instance ! 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    SEVEN   CHURCHES    OF    ASIA. 

There  are  some  countries,  to  which  we 
understand  that  the  Gospel  was  carried 
during  the  first  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
"which  are  only  incidentally  mentioned 
without  any  detail  of  facts. 

Extensive  as  we  have  seen,  from  St. 
Luke's  narrative,  the  labours  of  the  Apos- 
tle Paul  were,  it  is  evident  from  the  epis- 
tles, that  he  is  far  from  relating  the  whole 
of  them.  We  cannot  learn,  for  instance, 
from  the  acts,  when  he  visited  Crete.  Yet 
the  short  epistle  to  Titus,  whom  he  left 
there  with  episcopal  authority  to  ordain 
ministers  in  every  city,  and  to  regulate 
the  churches,  shows  that  that  island  of  a 
hundred  cities  had  been  considerably  evan- 
gelized ;  and  that  many  persons,  among 
a  people  proverbially  deceitful,  ferocious, 
and  intemperate,  had  received  the  whole- 
some yoke  of  Christ. 

And  though  I  cannot  but  think,  that  the 
strangers  scattered  throughout  Pontius, 
Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia,  and  Bithynia, 
to  whom  St.  Peter  addresses  his  two  epis- 
tles,must  mean  the  Jews  of  those  countries, 
yet  their  conversion  would  doubtless  be 
attended  with  that  of  many  Gentiles.  Of 
tliree  of  these  we  know  nothing  particu- 
larly: the  work  of  God  in  Galatia  has 
been  reviewed ;  and  Asia  propria  alone, 
of  all  the  evangelized  regions  mentioned 
in  scripture  history,  so  far  as  I  can  dis- 
cover, remains  now  to  be  considered. 

It  was  on  his  first  departure  from  Co- 
rinth, that  Paul  first  visited  Ephesus,* 
which  name  stands  at  the  head  of  the  se- 
ven Churches  of  Asia,  to  whom  St.  John 
dedicates  the  book  of  the  Revelation.    The 

*  Acts  xviii.  19. 


impression  made  on  his  hearers  during 
this  visit,  must  have  been  remarkably 
great,  as  it  was  but  a  short  one,  and  as 
they  pressed  his  longer  continuance  among 
them.  He  left  them  however  for  their 
comfort  and  instruction  Aquila  and  Pris- 
cilla,  whose  labours  were  afterwards  as- 
sisted by  ApoUos. 

Paul  himself  returning  to  Ephesus,  bap- 
tized in  the  name  of  Jesus  about  twelve 
disciples,  who  had  hitherto  received  only 
John's  baptism.*  From  this  circumstance 
we  learn,  that  from  the  first  preacliing  of 
the  Baptist  nothing  had  been  done  in  vain. 
The  imperfect  elements  of  that  harbinger 
of  Christ  had  paved  the  way  for  clearer 
discoveries,  and  a  variety  of  preparatory 
works  had  tended  to  ripen  the  Church  of 
God  into  the  fulness  of  light  and  holi- 
ness. 

Paul  preached  three  months  in  the  Jew- 
ish synagogue  at  Ephesus,  till  the  usual 
perverseness  of  the  Jews  induced  him  to 
desist,  and  to  form  the  converts  into  a  dis- 
tinct Church.  One  Tyrannus  lent  his 
school  for  the  service  of  Christianity ;  and 
in  that  convenient  place,  for  the  space  of 
two  years,  the  Apostle  daily  ministered, 
instructed,  and  disputed.  And  thus  the 
whole  region  of  Asia  propria  had  at  differ- 
ent times  an  opportunity  of  hearing  the 
Gospel. 

In  no  place  does  the  word  of  God  seem 
so  much  to  have  triumphed  as  at  Ephe- 
sus. No  less  numerous  than  those  of 
Corinth,  the  believers  were  much  more 
spiritual.  The  work  of  conversion  was 
deep,  vigorous,  and  soul-tausforming  to 
a  great  degree.  Many  persons,  struck 
with  the  horror  of  their  former  crimes, 
made  an  open  confession ;  and  many,  who 
had  dealt  in  the  abominations  of  sorcery, 
now  showed  their  sincere  detestation  of 
them  by  burning  their  books  before  all 
men,  the  price  of  which  amounted  to  a 
large  sum.  "  So  mightily  grew  the  word 
of  God,  and  prevailed." — ^Thus  triumphs 
the  sacred  historian. — Satan  must  have 
trembled  for  his  kingdom:  the  emptiness 
of  all  the  systems  of  philosophy  appeared 
no  less  palpable,  than  the  flagitiousness 
of  vice,  and  the  enormities  of  idolatry : 
The  spiritual  power  of  Jesus  was  never 
seen  in  a  stronger  light  since  the  day  of 
Pentecost;  and  the  venal  priesthood  of 
Diana  the  celebrated  goddess  of  Ephesus, 
apprehended  the  total  ruin  of  their  hie- 
rarchy. 


*  Acts  xix. 


Cent.  I.] 


THE  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA. 


61 


Idolatry 
of  the 
Ephesians. 


No  place  on  earth  was  more  devoted 
to  idolatr}'.    A  number  of  ingenious  artists 
were  enriched  by  making  silver  shrines 
for  Diana.     They  felt  a  sen- 
sible diminution  of  their  com- 
merce, and  found  themselves 
bound  by  interest  to  support 
the  credit  of  the  goddess.     INIost  people 
through  almost  all  Asia  had  been  induced 
to  believe,  that  manufactured  gods  were 
mere  nothings ;  and  it  seemed  high  time 
to  make  some  strong  efforts  in  favour  of 
the  declining  superstition.      They  soon 
prevailed  so  far  as  to  fill  the  city  with 
tumult;  and  they  hurried  two  of  Paul's 
companions  with  them  into  the  theatre, 
where  the  whole  mob  assembled.     The 
daring  spirit  of  Paul  would  have  led  him 
into  the  same  place.  His  Christian  friends 
interposed,  and  even  some  of  the  Asi- 
archs, — persons  who  presided   over  the 
games, — who  had  a  personal  esteem  for 
him,  kindly  dissuaded  him.     His  zeal 
seems  not  void  of  rashness,  but  it  was  the 
rashness  of  a  hero  vexed  to  the  soul  to 
think  that  Gains  and  Aristarchus,  his  two 
friends,  were  likely  to  suffer  in  his  ab- 
sence.   Now  I  apprehend  was  that  season 
of  extreme  distress,  which  he  felt  in  Asia, 
and  which  he  describes  so  pathetically* 
in  his  epistle  to  the  Corinthians.    Human 
resources  failed ;  and  God  alone,  he  learnt, 
could  support  him.     The  prudent  and  elo- 
quent harangue  of  a  magistrate,  called  the 
town  clerk,  was  the  providential  instru- 
ment of  his  deliverance.     He  calmed  the 
spirit  of  the  Ephesians,  and  silenced  the 
uproar;   after  which  Paul   affectionately 
embraced  the  disciples,  and  left  Ephesus.' 
Three  years  he  had  laboured  with  great 
success ;  and  he  had  the  precaution  to 
leave  pastors  to  superintend  that  and  the 
neighbouring  Churches.     But  he  foresaw 
with  grief,  as  he  afterwards  told  these 
pastors  in  a  very  pathetic  address,  when 
he  had  sent  for  them  to  ]Miletus,f  that 
their  present  purity  would  not  continue 
unstained.     Wolves  would  enter  among 
them  to  devour  the  flock  ;   and,  among 
themselves  heretical  perverseness  would 
find  countenance,  and  produce  pernicious 
separations.    He  did  all,  however,  which 
man  could  do ;  he  warned  them  of  the 
danger ;  and  exhorted  them  to  the  perse- 
vering discharge  of  their  duty. 

The  parting  between  the  Apostles  and 
these  ministers  cannot  be  read  without 
emotion.     The  elegant  and  affecting  nar- 


rative of  St.  Luke  is  before  the  reader, 
and  ought  not  to  be  abridged.  The  cor- 
ruption of  this  excellent  Church,  seems 
not,  however,  to  have  taken  place,  Vfhen 
he  wrote  to  them  his  epistle.  It  Is  full 
of  instruction  ;  and  next  to  that  to  the 
Romans,  may  be  looked  on  as  a  most 
admirable  system  of  divinit)-.  It  has  this- 
remarkable  recommendation,  that  it  will 
serve  for  any  Church  and  for  any  age. 
Not  a  vestige  appears  in  it  of  any  thing 
peculiarly  miraculous,  or  exclusiveijr  pri- 
mitive. The  controversies  of  the  Chris- 
tian world  concerning  doctrine  would  soou 
be  decided,  if  men  would  submit  to  be 
taught  by  the  simple,  literal,  and  gratn- 
matical  meaning  of  this  short  treatise. 
Every  thing  of  doctrine  and  of  duty  is  in 
it:  and  what  the  Gospel  really  is,  srf^iy 
thence  be  collected  with  the  greatest  cer- 
tainty. 

It  appears  that  Timothy  was  the  cfiief 
pastor  at  Ephesus  in  Paul's  abser.cfil* 
The  Apostle's  first  epistle  to  hifhlhi;0ws 
some  light  on  the  state  of  this  Onurch 
during  his  administration.  There  were 
some  persons  of  a  Jadaical  and  legal  turn 
of  mind,  wiio  endeavoured,  bj'  contentious 
questions,  to  pervert  the  simplicity  of 
evangelical  faith,  hope,  and  love.  There 
were  others  in  the  opposite  extreme  :  Two 
are  particularly  characterized,  Hymenajus 
and  Alexander,  who  abused  the  profession 
of  the  faith  to  such  open  licentiousness, 
as  to  render  their  ejection  from  the  Church 
a  necessary  measure.  So  oarly  ^?ere  the 
Churches  of  Christ  infected  with  the 
same  evils,  which  at  this  day  fail  not  to 
attend  the  propagation  of  Divine  truth  ! 
From  the  directions  which  he  gives  to 
Timothy  concerning  the  regulatioii  of  pub- 
lic worship,  and  the  character  and  conduct 
of  church  officers,  it  appears,  indeed,  that 
ecclesiastical  polity  had  taken  a  firm  root 
in  this  Church.  But  modern  partizans 
and  bigots  will  still  search  the  Scriptures 
in  vain  to  find  their  own  exact  model,  ia 
matters  which  the  word  of  God  hath  left 
indifferent,  or  at  least  to  be  decided  only 
by  various  circumstances  of  prudential  ex- 
pediency :  Churches  will,  doubtless,  be 
much  better  employed,  in  establi>hing 
and  in  observing  useful  practical  ruless, 
which  are  compatible  with  very  different 
forms  of  government.  ■  I  should  suspect, 
that  the  superstitious  and  self-righteous 
spirit,  which,  under  a  thousand  austeri-. 
ties  afterwards   supported  itself  in  the 


*  2  Cor.  i.  8,  9, 10.  f  Acts  xx. 

Vol.  I.  F 


1  TiraotHy  i. 


62 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  XlV. 


eastern  Churches,  and  proved  one  of  the 
most  powerful  ensjines  of  popery,  had  even 
then  begun  to  show  itself  in  Ephesus,  and 
Lad  given  occasion  to  the  apostolical 
cautions,  as  well  as  to  the  prophetical  de- 
claration of  the  vast  increase  of  those 
evils  in  after  times.*  It  was  the  charita- 
ble practice  of  the  Church  of  Ephesus,  to 
maintain  Christian  widows  at  the  public 
expense.  But  I  fear  this  liberality  had 
been  abused.  Young  widows,  who  had 
been  living  a  life  of  ease,  had  thrown 
themselves  as  a  burden  on  their  religious 
brethren  ;  and  however  high  they  might 
appear  in  Christian  profession,  some  of 
them  exchanged  the  love  of  Christ  for  the 
love  of  the  world,  and  the  indulgence  of 
sensuality. f  As  an  idle  life  is  a  great 
source  of  these  evils,  the  Apostle  recom- 
mends that  these  should  be  encouraged 
to  enter  again  into  the  matrimonial  state, 
which  would  furnish  laudable  domestic 
employments,  rather  than  that  they  should 
be  maintained  by  the  Church,  in  a  state  of 
indolence.  The  widows,  who  should  be  so 
maintained  by  the  public  stock,  he  recom- 
mends to  be  those,  who  were  far  advanced 
in  life,  of  eminent  laborious  piety,  and 
distinguished  for  their  works  of  charity. 

On  the  whole,  we  may  discover  among 
these  excellent  people  some  appearances 
of  the  very  worst  of  evils  ;  which,  as  yet, 
made  feeble  efforts,  were  kept  down  by 
the  superior  light  and  grace  that  prevail- 
ed, and  which  seemed  in  indignant  silence 
to  be  expecting  future  opportunities  of 
diffusing  themselves. 

We  know  nothing  more  of  this  Church 
during  the  remainder  of  St.  Paul's  life,  nor 
after  his  death,  till  towards  the  close  of 
tire  first  century.  St.  John,  the  only  sur- 
vivor of  the  Apostles,  long  continued  his 
fatherly  care  of  the  Churches  of  Asia 
propria.  During  his  exile  at  Patmos  he 
was  favoured  with  an  astonishing  and 
magnificent  vision  of  the  Lord  Jesus,:}: 
from  whom  he  received  several  distinct 
charges,  addressed  to  the  seven  Churches 
of  Asia,  descriptive  of  their  spiritual  state 
at  that  time,  and  containing  suitable  di- 
rections to  each  of  tliem.  The  pastors  of 
the  Churches  are  called  angels  ;  and  what 
has  been  observable  ir  all  aares  was  then 
the  case, — the  character  of  the  pastors 
was  much  the  same  with  that  of  tlie  peo- 
ple. We  have  here  then,  from  the  high- 
est authority,  some  account  of  the  state 
of  these  Churches  at  the  close  of  the  first 


*  1  Tim.  iv. 


t  V.  15. 


t  Rev.  i. 


century. — It  is  short,  but  important. — Let 
us  endeavour  to  comprise  it  into  as  clear  a 
view  as  possible. 

The  Ephesians  were  still  alive  in  the 
faith.*  Attempts  had  been  made  to  per- 
vert them,  but  in  vain.  How- 
ever subtile  the  poison  of  he-  Character 
resy  be,  here  it  could  find  no  ;;.,,'J^,,  ^^ 
admission.  JNor  could  the  Ephesus. 
abominations  of  the  Nicolai- 
tanes,  who  appear  to  have  been  a  sect 
extremely  corrupt  in  morals,  make  any 
progress  among  them.  They  patiently 
bore  the  cross  ever  attendant  on  the  real 
faith  of  Jesus,  but  could  endure  nothing 
that  tended  to  adulterate  it.  The  taste 
and  spirit  of  the  Gospel  continued  with 
them  :  they  laboured  in  good  works  with- 
out fainting  or  weariness  ;  and  their  spi- 
ritual discernment  was  not  to  be  imposed 
on  by  any  pretences.  Yet  they  had  de- 
clined from  the  intenseness  of  that  love 
which  they  had  at  first  exhibited :  Their 
hearts  panted  not  after  Christ  with  that 
steady  ardour  which  formerly  had  ani- 
mated this  people  ;  and,  with  all  the 
marks  of  sound  health  remaining,  their 
vigour  had  much  abated. 

How  exactly  does  this  account  agree 
with  the  common  case  of  the  best  Chris- 
tian Churches.  Because  it  is  a  common 
case,  and  far  from  being  the  worst  case, 
Christians  are  apt  to  be  content  under 
such  a  decline,  and  to  impute  it  to  neces- 
sity, or  to  the  loss  of  sudden  fervours  of 
no  great  value,  and  to  plume  themselves 
on  the  solidity  of  an  improved  judgment. 
But  true  zeal  and  true  charity  should  be 
shown  habitually,  and  not  only  now  and 
then  when  occasional  inroads  of  the  ene- 
my may  happen  to  call  for  particular  ex- 
ertions. These  affections  ought  to  grow 
as  the  understanding  is  improved.  The 
spirit  of  prayer,  of  love  to  Christ,  of  ac- 
tive services  for  his  name,  was  now  abated 
at  Ephesus,  and  a  cool  prudence  w^as  too 
much  magnified  at  the  expense  of  charity. 
The  eternal  salvation  of  real  Christians 
there  was  safe ;  but  real  Christians  should 
have  more  in  view  than  their  own  salva- 
tion,— namely,  the  propagation  of  godli- 
ness to  posterity.  These  cautious  Chris- 
tians did  not  consider  that  their  decline 
pa,ved  the  way  for  farther  and  more  me- 
lancholy declensions  in  the  divine  life : 
tliat  the  influence  of  their  example  was 
likely  to  be  mischievous  to  those  who 
followed;  that  their  juniors  would  much 

*  Rev.  ii. 


Cex-t.  I.] 


THE  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA. 


63 


more  readily  imitate  their  defects  than 
their  virtues;  in  fine,  that  a  foundation 
was  already  laid  for  the  unchurching  of 
this  people,  and  for  the  desolation  in 
which  this  very  region  now  remains  un- 
der Mahometan  wickedness  and  igno- 
rance. 

The  Church  of  Smyrna  is  next  address- 
ed. They  were  at  once  in  a  state  of  great 
purity  of  doctrine,  and  holiness  of  heart 

and  life.  The  divine  Saviour 
J'*^  ,  .  commends  them  in  general. 
Smyrna.        That  toward  the  end  of  the 

first  century,  they  should  have 
preserved  the  divine  life  in  such  vigour, — 
a  period  of  about  forty  years  most  proba- 
bly, if  indeed  there  had  been  no  intermis- 
sions,— is  somewhat  extraordinary,  and 
except  in  the  case  of  Philadelphia,  not 
easily  paralleled  in  history : — So  natural- 
ly does  depravity  prevail,  in  a  course  of 
time,  over  the  best  constituted  churches. 
But  their  tribulation  and  poverty  are  par- 
ticularly marked.  Tliey  were  rich  in 
heavenly  grace,  poor  in  worldly  circum- 
stances. If  poor  Churches  were  fully 
sensible  of  the  mischiefs  which  often 
arise  from  the  accession  of  opulent  indi- 
viduals, they  would  not  plume  themselves 
so  much  on  the  admission  of  such  mem- 
bers as  they  often  do.  The  Smyrnean 
Christians  were  chiefly  of  the  poorer  sort 
of  inhabitants;  yet  were  they  infested 
with  pretenders,  of  the  same  spirit  as 
those,  who  attempted  to  adulterate  the 
Gospel  at  Ephesus.  Of  the  Smyrneans 
it  may  be  sufficient  to  say,  that  they  made 
large  pretensions  to  pure  religion;  that 
their  corruptions  were  Judaical ;  and  that 
they  were  under  the  influence  of  Satan. 
This  Church  is  taught  to  expect  a  severe 
persecution  which  was  to  last  some  time ; 
and  they  are  exhorted  to  persevere  in 
faith. 

The  Church  of  Pergamus  was  also  ap- 
proved of  in  general.  They  lived  in  the 
midst  of  a  very  impious  people,  who,  in 

eflect,  worshipped  Satan  him- 

J,  ,  c  self,  and  did  all  that  in  them 
Church  01      ,       '  ,.  i  •     i  •      j 

Pei-o-a-  y    '^  support  his  kmgdom. 

Yet  was  their  zeal  firm  and 
steady.  Nor  was  its  object  a 
few  trifling  punctilios,  or  some  little  nice- 
ties of  a  doubtful  disputation,  but  the 
precious  name  of  Christ  himself,  and  the 
faith  of  his  Gospel.  Hence  they  were 
exposed  not  only  to  contempt,  but  to  dan- 
ger of  life  itself,  and  to  cruel  sufferings. 
Our  Lord  mentions  one  person  with  par- 
ticular complacency,  "my  faithful  mar- 


mus. 


tyr  Antipas."  We  know  no  more  of  him 
than  what  is  here  recorded, — that  "he 
was  slain  among  them  where  vSatan 
dwelt,"  But  what  an  honour  to  be  thus 
distinguished !  Volumes  of  panegyric 
have  been  composed  for  mere  statesmen, 
heroes,  and  scholars.  How  frigid  do 
they  all  appear  taken  together,  compared 
with  this  simple  testimony  of  Jesus !  But 
this  Church  does  not  escape  censure  en- 
tirely. There  were  among  them  certain 
wicked  and  dangerous  characters,  who, 
acting  like  Balaam  of  old,  were  employed 
by  Satan  to  entice  persons  to  eat  things 
sacrificed  to  idols,  and  to  commit  fornica- 
tion;— two  evils  often  closely  connected  : 
Even  the  abominations  of  the  Nicolai- 
tanes  were  practised  by  some.  All  these 
are  exhorted  to  repent,  from  the  fear  of 
divine  vengeance.  On  the  whole,  with  a 
few  exceptions,  and  those  indeed  of  an 
extraordinary  degree  of  malignity,  the 
Church  of  Pergamus  was  pure  and  livel\% 
and  upheld  the  standard  of  truth,  though 
encircled  with  the  flames  of  martyrdom. 

The  Church  of  Thyatira  was  in  a  thriv- 
ing state.  Charity,  active  services,  pa- 
tient dependence  on  God, and 
a  steady  reliance  on  the  di-  „,^^  ,  g. 
Vine  promises,  marked  their  xhyatira. 
works :  and,  what  is  peculiar- 
ly laudable,  their  last  works  were  more 
excellent  than  their  first.*  A  sounder 
proof  of  genuine  religion  than  such  a 
gradual  improvement  can  scarcely  be  con- 
ceived. Yet  it  is  imputed  as  a  fault  tq 
this  Church,  that  they  suffered  an  artful 
woman  to  seduce  the  people  into  the  same 
evils,  which  had  infected  Pergamuf?.  ]icT 
real  name  we  know  not :  her  allegorical 
name  is  Jezebel :  she  resembled  the  wif.; 
of  Ahab,  who  kept  four  hundred  proph  ts 
at  her  table,  and  exerted  all  her  influe.ica 
to  promote  idolatry.  The  people  of  God 
should  have  counteracted  her,  but  they 
did  not;  an  advantage  which  deceit tul 
guides  have  often  gained  through  the 
neo-liaence  of  the  sincere.  The  Vtry  s<?x. 
of  the  pretended  prophetess  was  a  sutti. 
cient  reason  why  she  should  h;ive  been 
restrained.  "  Let  your  women  keep  si- 
lence in  the  Churches,"]"  is  an  exjjress 
prohibition  of  females  from  the  otlice  of 
teaching,  however  useful  in  other  respects 
pious  women  may  be  in  the  Church.  Our 
Lord  informs  the  Church  in  Thyatira, 
that  he  gave  her  space  to  repent,  but  to 
no  purpose,  and  therefore  now  denounces 


*  Rev.  ii.  19. 


+  1  Cor.  xiv.  J-i. 


64 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  XIV. 


The 

Cli«rph 

Sardis, 


of 


severe  threatenings  against  her  and  her 
asspciatcs,  at  the  same  time  vindicating 
bis  claim  to  divine  worship  hy  the  in- 
communicable title  of  him  who  searches 
the  hearts,  and  declaring  that  he  would 
make  himself  known  to  be  such  in  all  the 
Churches.  To  those  who  had  kept  them- 
selves unspotted  from  these  evils,  he  de- 
dares  "he  would  put  no  other  burden  on 
tliem  :"  only  he  exhorts  them  to  hold  fast 
what  they  already  had  to  the  day  of  judg- 
ment. The  unsound  Christians  in  this 
place  pretended  to  great  depths  of  know- 
ledge, which  were,  in  reality,  depths  of 
Satan.  Such  persons  often  impose  on 
others,  and  ?.re  imposed  on  themselves. 
by  pretences  to  profound  knowledge  and 
to  superior  degrees  of  sanctity. 

The  ( "hurch  of  Sardis  presents  us  with 
an  unpleasing'  spectacle.     Their  great  in- 
feriority to  Thyatira  evinces, 
how  possible  it  is  for  two  so- 
cieties of  Christians  holding 
the  same  doctrines,  to  be  in  a 
▼erj  different  state.     He  who  "  walks  in 
the' midst  of  the  Churches,"  extols  the 
growiiig  faith  and  charity  of  the  first,  and 
<»nd»,mns  the  drooping  condition  of  the 
secoud.     They  had  neglected  that  course 
of  i)raTer  and  watchfulness,  which  is  ne- 
^C5sarv  to  preserve  the  divine  life  in  vi- 
<iour.  "  Their  Avorks  were  now  faintly  dis- 
tinguishable from  those  of  persons  alto- 
gether dead 'in  sin.     Some*  good  things 
remained  in  fliem,  which  yet  were  ready 
to  die :  but  their  lives  brought  no  glory  to 
God,  nor  bcne.-it  to  the  cause  of  Christ; 
aaid  could  scarcely  prevent  its  being  sean- 
daliied  in  the  world.     A  few  names  in- 
deed iWere  were  in  Sardis,  whom  Jesus 
lo6ki-d  on  witll  coinplacency :  they  had 
not  defiled  their  garments.     But  most  of 
Hie  Christians  there  had  contracted  deep 
stains,  probably  by  freely  mixing  with 
tlie  world,  and  by  conforming  to  its  cus- 
toms.    And  we  see  here  an  awful  fact 
authenticated  in  the  highest  possible  man- 
ner,— that  amon<T  a  society  of  persons  all 
J-Toiessing  the  Gospel,  the  greater  part 
mav  be  very  dead  in  their  souls.  It  should 
CTer  be  rememberfMl,  that  human  nature 
Is  averse  to  real  faith,  heavenly  hope,  and 
genuine  charity.     An  omnipotent  energy 
alone  can  produce  or  preserve  true  holi- 
ness.    This  had  been  the  case  at  Sardis, 
when  the  Church  partook  of  the  first  ei 
fusion  of  the  Spirit.     Quite  contrary  to 
the  usual  course  of  natural  things,  which 

*  Rev.  jii. 


are  brought  to  perfection  by  slow  and 
gradual  improvements,  in  Christ's  reli- 
gion godliness  starts  up  in  the  infancy  of 
things  in  its  best  form.     Seldom  are  the 
last  works,  as  was  the  case  at  Thyatira, 
more  abundant  or  more  excellent.     Here- 
sies, refinements,  human  cautions,  com- 
monly adulterate  the  work  of    m^^^^ 
God.     An  abuse,  perhaps,  of    causes  of 
some   frantic   enthusiast   ap-     the  de- 
pears:  the  correction  of  it  by     clension 
some  presumptuous  pretender 
to  reason  introduces  another 


of  the 
Church  of 
Sardis. 


more  specious,  but  more  dura- 
ble one.     The  love  of  the  world  increases 
with  the  abatement  of  persecution.     The 
natural  propensity  of  inan  to  sin  exerts 
itself  more  and  more:  lively  Christians 
are  removed  by  death:  their  juniors  infe- 
rior in  all  solid  godliness,  superior  only 
in  self-estimation,  reduce  the  standard  of 
Christian  grace  lower  and  lower  :  apolo- 
gies are  invented  for  sin ;  what  was  once 
experimentally  known,  becomes  matter 
of  barren  speculation  :     Even  Scriptural 
terms  expressive  of  vital  religion  are  de- 
spised or  sparingly  used :  fainter  and  more 
polite  modes  of  speech,  better  adapted  to 
classical  neatness,  but  proper  to  hide  and 
disguise  the  ambiguities  of  scepticism, 
are  introduced:   the  pride  of  reasoning 
grows  strong :  and  men  choose  rather  to 
run  the  risk'of  hell  itself,  than  to  be  tho- 
roughly humbled.     The  strong  hand  of 
God  alone,  in  overbearing  convictions  and 
terrors,  and  in  the  sweetest,   but  most 
powerful  attractions  of  ffrace,  can  conquer 
this   contemptuous   spirit.      No   wonder 
then,  that  those  who  never  felt,  or  who 
have  quenched  in  a  great  measure  these 
terrors  and  these  attractions,  relapse  into 
an  impatient   fastidiousness.     And  then 
the  infiuence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  itself  is 
reasoned  against  with  petty  cavils,  and 
aspersed   by   illiberal   suspicions.      Un- 
faithful and  unexperienced  persons,  who 
undertake  to  teach  in  these  circumstances, 
will  often,  in  attempting  to  discriminate 
the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God  from 
delusions,  be  unfeeling,  rough,  and  un- 
skilful.    To  them  weeds  and  flowers  in 
the  garden  of  Paradise  will  be  the  same 
thing.     A  malignant  instinct  of  profane 
propensity  tempts  them  to  pull  up  alto- 
gether, till  they  leave  only  the  love  of  the 
world,  and,  what  they  proudly  call,  com- 
mon sense ;  which  last  expression  will  be 
found,  at  bottom,  to  denote  a  very  mis- 
chievous engine  in  religious  matters;  for, 
so  applied,  it  means  neither  more  nor  less 


Cext.  I.] 


THE  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA. 


65 


than  simply,  the  natural,  unassisted  pow- 
ers of  the  human  mind,  darkened  and  cor- 
rupted, as  they  are,  by  the  fall.  And 
now,  by  frequent  disuse,  prayer  and  re- 
ligious exercises,  grow  disagreeable : 
Sensual  and  worldly  objects  allure  the 
carnal  mind  "with  success :  Lucrative 
speculations  in  commerce  devour  the  spi- 
rit of  godly  meditation :  The  seasons  of 
religious  duty  are  justled  out  by  the 
throng  of  business ;  and  excuses  of  neces- 
sity are  easily  admitted  :  Men  find  a  plea- 
sure in  being  no  longer  reputed  fanatics; 
and  professors  of  Christianity  will  nov^  ask 
leave  of  the  world,  how  far  it  will  permit 
them  to  proceed  in  religion  without  otltnce. 
I  dare  not  say,  that  all  this  exactly  took 
place  at  Sardis;  but  much  of  it  did,  no 
doubt;  and  on  occasion  of  this  first  in- 
stance of  a  general  declension,  it  seemed 
not  unreasonable  to  point  out  its  ordinary 
progress  and  symptoms. 

The  Christians  of  Philadelphia  are 
highly  extolled.  They  were  an  humble, 
charitable,  fervent  people,  deeply  sensi- 
1-1     r^i  ^^^  ^^  their  own  weakness, 

SphiluleT''  .^earful  of  being  seduced  by 
phia  '  *  Satan  and  their  own  hearts. 
The  Spirit  assures  them,  that 
they  had  a  little  strength,  which  had  at 
once  been  proved  and  exerted  in  holding 
fast  the  simplicit)''  of  the  Gospel,  and  in 
detecting  and  resisting  all  adulterations 
of  it.  They  are  further  assured,  that  the 
Judaical  heretics  should  be  brought  at 
length  to  submit  to  become  their  disciples 
in  religion:  And  a  promise  of  strong  sup- 
port is  held  out  to  them,  because  they  had 
maintained  a  true  patience  in  sufferincr. 


cious ;  and  this  call  to  their  souls  demon- 
strates that  they  had  learnt  to  maintain, 
in  easy  indolence,  an  orthodoxy  of  senti- 
ments without  any  vivid  atlention  to  the 
Spirit  of  God : — In  a  word,  his  influence 
was  only  not  despised  in  Laodicea. 

Such  were  the  situations  of  the  seven 
Churches  of  Asia.  The  criticism  is  in- 
deed inestimable :  It  is  candid,  impartial, 
and  penetrating.  He,  who  has  indulged  us 
with  it,  intended  it  for  the  use  of  all  suc- 
ceeding Churches  : — and  "  he  that  hath 
an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
to  the  Churches." 


CHAPTER  XV 


The  Church 
of  Laodi- 
cea. 


To  them,  as  to  all  the  rest  of  the  Clmrch- 
es,  the  rewards  be^'ond  the  grave  are  pro- 
posed as  the  grand  motives  of  persever- 
ance. 

Laodicea  too  much  resembled  Sardis. 
The  people  were  in  a  lukewarm  state, 
a  religious  mediocrity,  most  odious  to 
Christ;  because  his  religion 
calls  for  the  whole  vehemence 
of  the  soul,  and  bids  us  to  be 
cool  only  in  worldly  things. 
The  foundation  of  this  lukewarmness 
was  laid  in  pride:  They  had  lost  the  con- 
viction of  their  internal  blindness,  mise- 
ry, and  depravity.  When  men  go  on  for 
years  in  a  placid  unfeeling  uniformit)', 
this  is  always  the  case.  They  were  satis- 
fied Avith  themselves,  and  felt  no  need  of 
higher  attainments.  The  counsel,  which 
is  given  to  them, — to  buy  of  him  gold, 
white  raiment,  and  eye-salve, — is  pre- 
f2 


THE    REMAINDER    OF    THE    FIRST 
CEXTURY. 

It  is  the  observation  of  one  of  the  an- 
cients, that  St.  Luke,  in  the  close  of  his 
Apostolical  history,  leaves  the  reader 
thirsting  for  more.  I  feel  the  force  and 
justness  of  the  thought  at  this  moment. 
I  have  hitherto  sailed  by  the  compass  of 
Scripture ;  and  now  find  myself  at  once 
entering  into  an  immense  ocean  without  a 
guide.  In  fact  I  have  undertaken  to  con- 
duct the  reader  tlirough  a  long,  obscure, 
and  difficult  course,  with  scarcely  a  bea- 
con here  and  there  set  up  to  direct  me  :— 
but  I  must  make  the  best  use  I  can  of  the 
very  scanty  materials  before  me. 

It  seems  plain,  that  the  Apostles  in  ge- 
neral did  not  leave  Judea,  till  after  the 
first  council  held  at  Jerusalem.  They 
seem  never  to  have  been  in  haste  to  quit 
the  land  of  their  nativity.  Probably  the 
tlirealening  appearances  of  its  desolation 
by  the  Romans,  hastened  their  departure 
into  distant  regions.  It  is  certain  that  be- 
fore the  close  of  this  century,  the  power 
of  the  Gospel  was   felt  throughout  the 

Roman   empire. 1   shall   divide   this 

chapter  into  four  parts,  and  review,  first, 
— The  progress  and  persecution  of  the 
Church.  Secondly, — The  lives,  charac- 
ters, and  deaths  of  the  Apostles  and  most 
celebrated  Evangelists.  Thirdly, — The 
heresies  of  this  period.  And,  lastly, — 
Tiie  general  character  of  Christianity  in 
this  first  age- 
It  was  aboiil  the  year  of  our  Lord  64, 
that  the  city  of  Rome  sustain-  -o,,,.,  •„„ 
ed    a   general    conflagration,     of  Rome: 


A.  D.  64. 


The  emperor  Nero,  lost  as  he 

was  to  all  sense  of  reputation, 

and  hackneyed  in  flagitiousness,  was  yet 

studious   to  avert  the  infamy  of  being 


GO 


IIISTOKY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV. 


reckoned  tlie  author  of  this  calamity, 
v-hich   was   orpjierally   imputed  to  him. 
y,Kt  no  steps  that  he  coukl  take  were  suf- 
tictent  to  do  away  the  suspicion.     There 
■was,  however,  a  particular  class  of  peo- 
])le,  so  singularly  distinct  from  the  rest  of 
mankind,  and  so  much  hated  on  account 
of  the  condemnation  which  their  doctrine 
and  purity  of  life  affixed  to  all  except 
themselves,  that  they  might  be  calum- 
niated with  impunity.     These  were  then 
known  at  Rome  by  the  name  of  Christians. 
Unless  we  transplant  ourselves  into  those 
times,  we  can  scarcely  conceive  how  odi- 
ous and  contemptible  the  appellation  then 
was.  The  judicious  Tacitus  calls  their  re- 
ligion a  detestable  superstition,*  "which 
at"  first  was  suppressed,  and  afterwards 
broke   out  afresh,  and  spread  not  only 
through  .Tudea  the  origin  of  the  evil,  but 
through  the  metropolis  also,  the  common 
sewer  in  which  every  thing  filthy  and  tla- 
gilious  meets  and  spreads."     If  so  grave 
and  cautious  a  writer  as  Tacitus  can  thus 
asperse  the  Christians  without  proof,  and 
without  moderation,  we  need  not  wonder 
that  so  impure  a  wretch  as  Nero  should 
not  hesitate  to  charge  them  with  the  fact 
of  burning  Rome. 

Now  it  was  that  the  Romans  legally 
persecuted  the  Church  for  the  first  time: 
And  those,  who  know  the  vir- 
ulence of  man's  natural  enmi- 
tjs  will  rather  wonder  that  it 
commenced  not  earlier,  than 
that  it  raged  at  length  with 
such  drea'dful  fury.     "  Some 
persons    were    apprehended, 
who    confessed     themselves 
Christians;  and  by  their  evidence,  says 
Tacitus,   a  great    multitude    afterwards 
were  discovered  and  seized: — and  they 
were   condemned   not  so  much  for    the 
burning  of  Rome  as  for  being  the  ene- 
mies ol"  mankind."     A  very  remarkable 
accusation !  It  may  be  explained  as  fol- 
lows : — True  Christians,  though  the  ge- 
nuine friends  of  all  their  fellow-creatures 
cannot  allow  men,  who  are  not  true  Chris 
tians,  to  be  in  the  favour  of  God.     Their 
very  earnestness,  in  calling  on  their  neigh- 
bours to  repent  and  believe  the  Gospel, 
proves  to  those  neighbours  in  what  a  dan- 
gerous state  they  are  then  apprehended  to 
be.  All,  who  are  notmoved  by  the  admoni- 
tions of  Christian  charity  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come,  will  naturally  be  disgust- 
ed ;  and  thus  the  purest  benevolence  will 


be  construed  into  the  most  merciless  bi- 
gotry.    Thus  Christians  incurred  the  ge- 


Fh'st  per- 
secution of 
tl\e  Chris- 
tians by 
tlie  Ro- 
mans: 

A.  D.  64. 


neral  hatred,  to  which  the  conduct  neither 
of  Jews  nor  heretics  rendered  them  ob- 
noxious.— And  the  same  cause  produces 
similar  effects  to  this  day. 

Their  execution  was  aggravated  with 
insult.    They  were  covered  with  skins  of 
wild  beasts  and  torn  by  dogs  :  they  were 
crucified,  and  set  on  fire,  that  they  might 
serve  for  lights  in  the  night-time.     Nero 
offered  his  gardens  for  this  spectacle,  and 
exhibited  the  games  of  the  circus.     Peo- 
ple  could   not,   however,  avoid   pitying 
them,  base  and  undeserving  as  they  were 
in  the  eyes  of  Tacitus,  because  they  suf- 
fered not  for  the  public  good,  but  to  gra- 
tify the  cruelty  of  a  tyrant.     It  appears 
from  a  passage  in  Seneca,*  compared  with 
Juvenal,  that  Nero  ordered  them  to  be  co- 
vered with  wax,  and  other  combustible 
materials :  and  that,  after  a  sharp  stake 
was  put  under  their  chin,  to  make  them 
continue  upright,  they  were  burnt  alive 
to  give  light  to  the  spectators."!" 

We  have  no  account  how  the  people  of 
God  conducted  themselves  under  these 
sufferino-s.  What  we  know  of  their  be- 
haviour  in  similar  scenes,  leave  us  in  no 
doubt  of  their  having  been  supported  by 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Nor  is  it 
credible,  that  the  persecution  sho\]ld  have 
been  confined  to  Rome.  It  would  natu- 
rally spread  through  the  empire  ;  and  one 
of  Cyriac's  inscriptions  found  inSpain,:|: 
demonstrates  at  once  two  important  facts, 
— that  the  Gospel  had  already  penetrated 
into  that  country,  and — that  the  Church 
there  also  had  her  martyrs. 

Three  or  four  years  were  probably  the 
utmost  extent  of  this  tremendous  perse- 
cution, as  in  the  year  68  the  tyrant  was 
himself,  by  a  dreadful  exit, 
summoned  before  the  divine      A.  D.  68. 
tribunal.     He  left  the  Roman 
world  in  a  state  of  extreme  confusion. — 
Judea  partook  of  it  in  a  remarkable  de- 
gree.    About  forty  years  after  our  Lord's 
sufTerings,  wrath  came  on  the  body  of  the 
Jewish  nation  to  the  uttermost,  in  a  man- 
ner too  well  known  to  need  the  least  re- 
lation in  this  history.     What  became  of 
the  Christian  Jews  alone  concerns  us. — 
The  cono-regation  were  commanded,  by  an 


*  Tacitus,  B.  XV. 


*  Seneca,  Ep.  14,  Juv.  1  and  8,  with  liis 
Scholiast. 

t  Bullet's  History  of  Established  Christian- 
ity- 

I  See  Gibbon's  Account  of  Christianity  con- 
sidered, p.  94. 


Cext.  I.] 


REMAINDER  OF  FIRST  CENTURY. 


67 


oracle  revealed  to  the  best  approved  among 
them,  that  before  the  wars  betjan,  they 
should  depart  from  the  cit3%  and  inhabit  a 
village  beyond  Jordan,  called  Pella.* — 
Thither  they  retired,  and  were  saved  from 
the  destruction,  which  soon  after  over- 
whelmed their  countrymen  :  and  in  so  re- 
tiring they  at  once  observed  the  precept, 
and  fulfilled  the  well-known  prophecy  of 
their  Saviour.  The  death  of  Nero,  and 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  would  na- 
turally occasion  some  respite  to  them  from 
their  sufferings ;  and  we  hear  no  more  of 
their  persecuted  state,  till  the 
A.  D.  SI.  reign  of  Domitian,  the  last  of 
the  Flavian  family,  who  suc- 
ceeded to  the  empire  in  the  year  81. 

He  does   not   appear   to    have   raged 
against  the  Christians,  till  the  latter  cud 
oi  his  reign.     Indeed,  in  imitation  of  his 
father   Vespasian,  he  made   inquiry  for 
such  of  the  Jews  as  were  descended  from 
the  royal  line  of  David.     His   motives 
were  evidently  political.    But  there  want- 
ed  not  those  who  were  glad  of  any  op- 
portunity of  wreaking  their   malice   on 
Christians.      Some   persons,   who   were 
brought  before  the  emperor,  were  charged 
with  being  related  to  the  royal  family. — 
They  appear  to  have  been  related  to  our 
Lord,    and  were   grandsons  of  Jude  the 
Apostle,  his  cousin.  Domitian  asked  them, 
if  they  were  of  the  family  of  David,  which 
they  acknowledged.     He  then  demanded, 
what  possessions  they  enjoyed,  and  what 
money  they  had.     They  laid  open  the  po- 
verty of  their  circumstances,  and  owned 
that  they  maintained  themselves  by  their 
labour.     The  truth  of  their  confession  was 
evinced  by  their  hands,  and  by  their  ap- 
pearance in  general.     Domitian  then  in- 
terroo-ated  them   concernino-   Christ  and 
his  kingdom, — when  and  where  it  should 
appear  ?     They  answered,  like  their  mas- 
ter when  questioned  by  Pilate, — that  his 
kingdom  was  not  of  this  world,  but  heav- 
enly: that  its  glory  should  appear  at  the 
consummation  of    the  world,   when   he 
should  judge  the  quick  and  dead,  and  re- 
ward every  man  according  to  his  works 
Poverty  is  sometimes  a  defence  against 
oppression,   though  it  never  shields  from 
contempt.     Domitian  was  satisfied,  that 
his  throne  was  in  no  danger  from  Chris- 
tian ambition  :  and  the  grandsons  of  Jude 
were  dismissed  with  the  same  sort  of  de- 
rision with  which  iheir  Saviour  had  for- 
merly been  dismissed  by  Herod.     Thus 


had  the  Son  of  God  provided  for  his  indi- 
gent relations  : — they  were  poor  in  cir- 
cumstances, but  rich  in  faith,  and  heirsof 
his  heavenly  kingdom. 

As  Domitian  increased  in  cruelty,  to- 
ward the  end  of  his  reign  he  renewed  the 
horrors   of  Nero's  persecution.     He*  put 
to  death  many  persons  ac- 
cused of  atheism,the  common     Domitian's 
charge   against   Christians,     peisecution: 
on  account  of  their  refusal       A.  D.  95. 
10  worship  the  pagan  gods. 
Am.ong  these  was  the  consul  Flavins  Cle- 
mens his  cousin,  who  had  espoused  Fla- 
via  Domitilla  his  relation.     Suetonius  ob- 
serves, that  this  man  was  quite  despicable 
on   account  of  his  slothfulness.     iNIany 
others  were  condemned  likewise,  who  had 
embraced   Jewish   customs,   says  Dion  ; 
part  of  them  were  put  to  death,  others 
spoiled  of  their  goods,  and  Domitilla  her- 
self was  banished  into  the  island  of  Pan- 
dataria.     E  usebius  records  the  same  facts 
with  some  little  variation  :  but,  as  he  pro- 
fesses to  borrow  from  the  pagan  writers 
in  this  instance,  1  shall  be  content  with 
their  account. 

It  is  not  hard  to  conceive  the  real  cha- 
racters of  those  two  noble  persons.  It 
ought  not  to  be  doubted  that  they  were 
genuine  Christians,  whom  God  had  dis- 
tinguished by  his  grace,  and  enabled  to 
live  upon  it,  and  to  suffer  for  it.  The 
blood  of  the  Ceesars,  and  the  splendour  of 
the  imperial  house,  rendered  them  only 
more  conspicuous  objects  of  distrust.  It 
is  well  known  that  no  positive  crime  is 
ascribed  to  either  of  them.  The  charge 
of  indolence  against  the  husband  is  natu- 
ral enough,  and  does  honour  to  the  heav- 
enly-mindedness  of  the  man,  whose  spi- 
rit could  not  mix  with  the  evils  of  secular 
ambition,  and  with  the  vices  of  the  impe- 
rial court.  The  humanity  of  the  times 
in  which  we  live,  and  the  blessings  of 
the  civil  freedom  which  the  subjects  of 
these  kingdoms  enjoy,  protect  us,  it  is 
true,  from  similar  dangers  of  life  or  pro- 
perty; nevertheless,  who  has  not  observed, 
that  even  rank  and  dignity  are  among  us 
exposed  to  considerable  contempt,  when- 
ever a  man  is  conspicuous  and  eminent 
for  a  zealous  profession  and  diligent  prac- 
tice of  truly  Evangelical  doctrines  and 
precepts  1 

In  the  year  9G  Domitian  was  slain  :  and 
Nervathe  succeeding emperor,t  published 


Euseb.,  B.  iii.  c.  5. 


»  Euseb.,  B. 
t  Dion. 


17.     Dion  Cassias. 


68 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV. 


a  pardon  for  those  who  were 
A.  D.  96.  condemned  for  impiety,  re- 
called those  who  were  ban- 
ished, and  forbad  the  accu-inor  of  any  men 
on  account  of  impiety,  or  Judaism.  Oth- 
ers, who  were  under  accusation  or  under 
sentence  of  condemnation,  now  escaped 
by  the  lenity  of  Nerva.  This  brings  us  to 
the  close  of  the  century,  in  which  we  be- 
hold the  Christians  for  the  present,  in  a 
state  of  external  peace.  Only  one  per- 
son enjoyed  not  the  benefit  of  Nerva's 
mildness.  Domitilla  still  continued  in 
exile,  probably  because  she  was  a  rela- 
tion of  the  late  tyrant,  whose  name  was 
now  odious  through  the  world.  Doubt- 
less she  was  not  forsaken  of  her  God  and 
Saviour. 

II.  The  Apostles  and  Evangelists  of 
this  period,  were  their  story  dintinctly 
known,  and  circumstantially  related, 
would  afford  materials  indeed  of  the  rar- 
est pleasure  to  every  Christian  mind. — 
But  there  never  arose  in  the  Church  any 
historians  like  Thucydides  and  Livy,  to 
illustrate  and  celebrate  the  actions  of 
saints.  Heroes  and  statesmen  have  their 
reward  here, — saints  hereafter.  Christ's 
kino-dom  must  not  appear  to  be  of  this 
world  ;  and  while  large  volumes  have 
been  filled  with  the  exploits  of  heroes, 
and  the  intrigues  of  statesmen,  the  men, 
who  were  the  divine  instruments  of  evan- 
gelizing souls, — the  New  Testament  his- 
tory excepted, — are  for  the  most  part  un- 
known. 

The  first  of  the  twelve  Apostles  who 
suffered  martyrdom,  we  have  seen,  was 
James  the  son  of  Zebedee  :  He  fell  a  sa- 
crifice to  Herod  Agrippa's  ambitious  de- 
sire of  popularity.  I  recal  him  to  the 
reader's  memory  on  account  of  a  remark- 
able circumstance  attending  his  death.* 
The  man,  who  had  drawn  him  before  the 
tribunal,  when  he  saw  the  readiness  with 
which  he  submitted  to  martyrdom,  was 
struck  with  remorse ;  and,  by  one  of  those 
sudden  conversions  not  infrequent  amidst 
the  remarkable  effusions  of  the  Spirit, 
was  himself  turned  from  the  power  of 
Satan  to  God.  He  confessed  Christ  with 
great  cheerfulness.  James  and  this  man 
were  both  led  to  execution  ;  and  in  the 
way  thither  the  accuser  requested  the 
Apostle's  forgiveness,  which  he  obtained. 
James  turning  to  him  answered,  "  Peace 
be  to  thee;"  and  kissed  him;  and  they 
were  beheaded  together.     The  efficacy  of 


*  Euseb.  i.  9. 


Divine  Grace,  and  the  blessed  fruit  of 
holy  example,  are  both  illustrated  in  this 
story,  of  which  it  were  to  be  wished  we 
knew  more  than  ithe  very  scanty  account 
which  has  been  delivered. 

The  other  James  was  preserved  in  Ju- 
dea  to  a  much  later  period.  His  martyr- 
dom took  place  about  the  year  G2;  and 
his  epistle  was  published  a  lit- 
tle before  his  death.  As  he  Martyr- 
always  resided  at  Jerusalem,  j^rnes  the 
and  was  providentially  pr&-  just : 
served  through  various  perse-  \  j)  q^ 
cutions,  he  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  overcoming  enmity  itself,  and 
abating  prejudice,  in  some  measure.  The 
name  of  Just  was  generally  given  him 
on  account  of  his  singular  innocence  and 
integrity.  And  as  he  conformed  to  Jew- 
ish customs  with  more  than  occasional 
regularity,  he  was  by  no  means  so  odious 
in  the  eyes  of  his  unbelieving  country- 
men, as  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  But 
we  are  to  observe,  that  if  he  had  fully 
overcome  their  enmity,  he  could  not  have 
been  faithful  to  his  Lord  and  Master. 
Many  Jews  respected  the  man,  and  ad- 
mired the  FRUITS  of  the  Gospel  in  him. 
The  root  and  principle  of  these  fruits  was 
still  their  abhorrence ;  and  from  the  re- 
lation of  Eusebius,  the  testimony  of 
Hegesippus,  an  early  Christian  historian 
whom  he  quotes,  and  of  Josephus,  it  is 
plain,  that  it  was  thought  a  pitiable  thing, 
that  so  good  a  man  should  be  a  Christian. 
Paul's  escape  from  Jewish  malice,  by 
appealing  to  Csesar,  had  sharpened  the 
spirits  of  this  people;  and  they  were  de- 
termined to  wreak  their  vengeance  on 
James,  who  was  merely  a  Jew,  and  could 
plead  no  Roman  exemptions.  Festus 
died  president  of  Judea;  and,  before  his 
successor  Albinus  arrived,  Ananias  the 
high-priest,  a  Sadducee  and  a  merciless 
persecutor,  held  the  supreme  power  in 
the  interim.  He  called  a  council,  before 
which  he  summoned  James  with  some  , 
others,  and  accused  them  of  breaking  the 
law  of  Moses.  But  it  was  not  easy  to  pro- 
cure his  condemnation.  His  holy  life  had 
lono-  secured  the  veneration  of  his  coun- 
trymen.* 

The  leading  men  were  uneasy  on  ac- 
count of  the  vast  increase  of  Christian 

*  I  have  compared  Josephus's  account  with 
that  of  Hegesippus,  wliich  last  appears  com- 
patible eiiougli  witli  tlie  former,  and  no  n-ay 
inii)robable  ;'tliOUgh  I  lliink  lie  gives  liis  cha- 
racter more  of  the  ascetic,  tlian  I  l>elieve  to  be 
consistent  with  that  of  a  Christian  Apostle. 


Cent.  I.] 


REMAINDER  OF  FIRST  CENTURY. 


69 


converts,  added  to  the  Church  by  his  la- 
bours, example,  and  authority :  and  they 
endeavoured  to  entangle  him,  by  persuad- 
ing him  to  mount  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple, 
and  to  speak  to  the  people  assembled  at  the 
time  of  the  passover,  against  Christianity. 
James  being  placed  aloft,  delivered  a 
frank  confession  of  Jesus ;  and  declared 
that  he  was  then  sitting  at  the  right  hand 
of  power,  and  that  he  would  come  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven.  Upon  this  Ananias 
and  the  rulers  were  highly  incensed.  To 
disgrace  his  character  was  their  first  in- 
tention— they  failed.  To  murder  his  per- 
son was  their  next  attempt ;  and  this  was 
of  much  more  easy  execution.  Crying 
out  that  Justus  himself  was  seduced,  they 
threw  the  Apostle  down,  and  stoned  him. 
He  had  strength  to  fall  on  his  knees,  and 
to  pray,  "  I  beseech  thee,  Lord  God  and 
Father,  for  them ;  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  One  of  the  priests  moved 
with  the  scene,  cried  out,  "  Cease,  what 
do  you  mean]  This  just  man  is  praying 
for  you."  A  person  present  with  a  ful- 
ler's club  beat  out  his  brains,  and  com- 
pleted his  martyrdom. 

Very  remarkable  is  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  Josephus.  "These  things" — 
meaning  the  miseries  of  the  Jews  from 
the  Romans — "happened  to 
them  by  way  of  revenging 
the  death  of  James  the  Just, 
the  brother  of  Jesus  whom 
they  call  Christ.  For  the  Jews  slew 
him,  though  a  very  just  man."*    And 


Observa- 
tion of  Jo 
sephus. 


*  I  see  no  good  reason  to  doubt  the  authen- 
ticity of  tills  passage;  which  gives  abundant 
confirmation  to  his  famous  testimony  of 
Christ ;  which  is  as  follows  :  "  About  this  lime 
lived  Jesus  a  wise  man  ;  if  indeed  we  may  call 
him  a  man ;  for  he  performed  marvellous 
things  ;  he  was  an  instructor  of  such  as  em- 
braced the  truth  with  pleasure.  He  made 
many  converts  both  among  the  Jews  and 
Greeks.  This  was  the  Christ.  And  when 
Pilate,  on  the  accusation  of  the  principal  men 
among  us,  had  condemned  him  to  the  cross, 
those,  who  before  entertained  a  respect  for 
him,  continued  still  so  to  do ;  for  he  appeared 
to  them  alive  again  on  the  third  day;  the  di- 
vine prophets  having  declared  these  and  many 
other  wonderful  things  concerning  him.  And 
the  sect  of  Christians  so  named  from  him  sub- 
sists to  this  very  time." 

I  have  examined,  as  carefully  as  I  can,  the 
doubts  which  have  been  started  on  the  authen- 
ticity of  this  passage.  To  me  they  seem  mere 
surmises.  One  of  them,  the  supposed  incon- 
gistency  of  the  historian,  in  testifying  so  much 
of  Christ,  and  yet  remaining  an  unconverted 
Jew,  affoi-ds  an  argument  in  its  favour.  In- 
consistencies ought  to  be  expected  from  incon- 


from  the  same  writer  we  learn,  that  Al- 
binus  severely  reprimanded  Ananias,  and 
soon  after  deprived  him  of  the  high  priest>' 
hood. 

After  the  death  of  James  and  desola- 
tion of  Jerusalem,  the  Apostles  and  dis- 
ciples of  our  Lord,  of  whom  many  were 
yet  alive,  gathered  themselves  together 
with  our  Lord's  kinsmen,  to  appoint  a 
pastor  of  the  Church  of  Jerusalem  in  the 
room  of  James.  The  election  fell  on 
Simeon,  the  son  of  that  Cleopas,  men- 
tioned by  St.  Luke  as  one  of  the  two  who 
went  to  Emmaus,  and  who  was  the  bro- 
ther of  Joseph  our  Lord's  reputed  father. 
We  shall  leave  Simeon,  at  the  end  of 
this  century,  the  chief  pastor  of  the  Jew- 
ish church. 

Paul  the  Apostle  seems  to  have  labour- 
ed with  unwearied  activity  from  about 
the  year  36  to  the  year  G3,  that  is,  from 
his  conversion  to  the  period  in  which  St. 
Luke  finishes  his  history.     Within  thia 
period  he  wrote  fourteen  epistles,  which 
will  be  the  blessed  means  of  feeding  the 
souls  of  the  faithful  to  the  end  of  time. 
The  second  epistle  to  Timothy  has  been 
commonly  supposed  to  have  been  written 
just  before  his  martyrdom.    I  am  con- 
vinced by  Dr.   Lardner's    reasonings,* 
that  it  was  more  probably  written  during 
his   two   years'  imprisonment  at  Rome,' 
and  that  he  was  under  no  particular  ap- 
prehension  of    suffering    immediately.! 
From  this  epistle  it  is  evident  that  he 
had   already  been    called  before   Nero, 
agreeably  to  the  prediction,  "thou  must 
be  brought  before  Csesar;"  and  that  no 
Christian,  not  even  any  of  those  who  had 
welcomed  his  arrival  in  Italy,  durst  ap- 
pear in  support  of  him ; — He  feelingly 
complains,  "all  men  forsook  me."     Yet 
he  knew  how  to  distinguish  between  ma- 
levolence and  timidity;   and    therefore, 
though  he  could  not  excuse  their  neglect 
of  him,  he  prays  God  that  it  might  not 
be  laid  to  their  charge.    The  terror  of 


sistent  persons.  Such  are  many  in  the  Chris- 
tian world  at  this  day,  who  in  like  circumstan- 
ces would  have  acted  a  similar  part.  Such 
was  Josephus.  He  knew  and  had  studied 
something  of  all  sorts  of  opinions  in  religion  ; 
and  his  writings  show  him  to  have  been  firm 
in  noliiing  but  a  regard  to  his  worldly  inter- 
est. To  me  he  seems  to  say  just  so  much  and 
no  more  of  Christ,  as  might  be  expected  from 
a  learned  sceptic,  of  remarkable  good  sense, 
and  supreme  love  of  worldly  things. 

*  See  the  Supplement  to  the  Credibility. 

f  This  seems  evident  by  his  charging  Timo- 
thy to  come  to  him  before  winter. 


TO 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV. 


Nero  seems  to  have  overawed  the  Ro- 
man Christians,  many  of  whom  might 
have  borne  witness  in  his  favour.  Even 
Demas  forsook  him,  from  the  love  of  the 
worhl,  and  departed  to  Thessalonica. 
There  are  seasons  of  critical  danger, 
which  try  the  hearts  of  the  truest  Chris- 
tians :  It  was  yet  a  new  thing  for  a  Chris- 
tian to  be  brought  before  an  emperor,  and 
they  had  not  prepared  themselves  by 
watching  and  prayer  for  the  imcommon 
occasion.  But  the  grace  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  which  had  hitherto  been  so  emi- 
nently with  the  Apostle,  forsook  him  not 
in  his  trying  moments :  The  Lord  "  stood 
with  him,  and  strengthened  him:"*  He 
was  enabled  to  testify  for  Christ  and  his 
Gospel  before  Nero,  with  the  same  frank- 
ness, fortitude,  and  eloquence,  that  he 
had  formerly  done  before  Felix,  Festus, 
and  Agrippa;  and  for  the  first  time,  and 
probably  the  last,  the  murderous  tyrant 
Nero  heard  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation. 
It  seems,  by  the  expression, — "that  all 
the  Gentiles  might  hear," — that  Paul  was 
heard  in  a  very  full  and  solemn  assembly, 
r.nd  had  an  opportunity  of  giving  a  clear 
account  of  Christianity.  And  as  some  of 
Caesar's  household  are  mentioned  as  saints 
in  the  epistle  to  the  Philippians,  there  is 
reason  to  apprehend,  that  the  preaching 
was  not  in  vain.  He  was,  as  he  owns, 
"delivered  from  the  mouth  of  the  lion." 
Nero  had  not  then  begun  to  persecute ; 
and  at  least  he  would  see  the  justness  of 
his  plea  as  a  Roman  citizen,  and  be  dis- 
posed to  favour  it.  Nor  ought  the  adora- 
ble Providence  of  God  to  be  passed  in 
silence,  who  gave  this  man  of  abandoned 
wickedness  an  opportunity  of  hearing  the 
word  of  salvation,  though  it  made  no 
useful  impression  on  his  mind.  Paul 
seems  to  have  had  this  audience  during 
the  former  part  of  his  imprisonment  at 
Rome,  and  to  have  been  remanded  to  his 
confinement  for  the  present. 

Here  he  wrote  the  epistle  to  the  Phi- 
lippians and  Colossians  before  the  end  of 

A  D  62  *^^  y®^"^  ^'^'  •^''°™  ^^^^  former 
of  these  it  appears,  that  the 
whole  court  of  Nero  was  made  acquaint- 
ed with  his  case,  and  that  the  cause  of 
the  Gospel  was  promoted  by  these  means 
In  the  epistle  to  Philemon,  which  ac- 
companied that  to  the  Colossians,  he  ex 
{•resses  a  confidence  of  being  soon  set  at 
iberty,  and  promises,  in  that  case,  short- 
ly  to   pay   them  a  visit.f     And   as  he 


*  2  Tim.  iv.  17. 

+ 1  follow  Dr.  Lardiier  in  the  dates  of  the 


mentions  Demas  with  respect  as  his  fel- 
low-labourer, both  in  this  epistle  to  the 
Colossians,  and  in  that  to  Philemon,  I 
apprehend  Demas  had  repented  of  his 
pusillanimity,  and  was  returned  to  the 
Apostle  and  to  his  duty.  This  is  the 
second  case  in  which  it  pleased  God  to 
make  use  of  this  extraordinary  man,  St. 
Paul,  for  the  preservation  of  the  Church. 
The  former  instance  respected  the  doc- 
trine of  justification,  from  which  even 
Apostles  were  indirectly  declining;  The 
latter  consisted  in  the  exhibition  of  a 
godly  spirit  of  zeal,  and  an  open  confes- 
sion of  Christ.  Such  is  the  sloth  and 
cowardice  of  man  in  divine  things,  and 
so  little  need  is  there  to  teach  us  caution 
and  reserve,  that  unless  God  now  and 
then  stirred  up  the  spirits  of  some  emi- 
nent Christian  heroes,  to  venture  through 
difficulties,  and  to  stand  foremost  for  the 
truth  against  opposition,  Satan  would 
l)ear  down  all  before  him.  Paul  was  one 
of  the  first  of  these  heroes :  and  we  shall 
see  in  every  age,  that  God  raises  up  some 
persons'  of  this  hardy  temper,  whom 
worldly  men  never  fail  contemptuously 
to  denominate  fanatics,  because  they  dis- 
cover that  greatness  of  soul  in  a  heaven- 
ly cause,  which,  in  an  earthly  one,  would 
excite  respect  and  admiration. 

Having' obtained  his  liberty  in  the  year 
63,  he  most  probably  would  soon  fulfil 
his  promise  to  visit  the  Hebrews;  after 
which  he  midit  see  his  Co-  ^_  -q  63. 
lossian  triends.  There  is  no 
certain  account  of  his  coming  either  to 
Jerusalem  or  to  Colosse ;  but  most  pro- 
bably he  executed  what  he  had  a  little 
before  promised.  That  he  ever  visited 
Spain,  or  our  island,  is,  to  say  no  more, 
extremely  doubtful.  Of  the  last  there  is 
a  very  unfounded  report,  and  of  the  form- 
er no  other  proof,  than  the  mention  of  his 
intention  in  the  epistle  to  the  Romans, 
which  had  been  written  in  the  year  58, 
since  which  time  all  his  measures  had 
been  disconcerted.  And  if  he  once  more 
made  an  Asiatic  tour  after  his  departure 
from  Rome,  there  seems  not  time  enough 
for  his  accomplishing  the  western  jour- 
ney, as  he  suffered  martyrdom  on  his  re- 
turn to  Rome  about  the  year  G5*  He 
could  have  had  no  great  pleasure  at  Jeru- 

epistles,  wliich  he  has  investigated  with  sin- 
gular diligence  and  sagacity  ;  and  I  once  for 
all  acknowledge  my  repeated  obligations  to 
him  in  things  of  this  nature. 

*  Some  very  respectable  Chronologersplace 
the  martyrdom  of  St.  Paul,  a.  d.  67. 


Cent.  I.] 


REMAIXDER  OF  FIRST  CEXTURY. 


71 


salem:  every  thin^  was  there  hastening 
to  ruin.  No  man  was  ever  possessed  of 
a  more  genuine  patriotic  spirit  than  this 
A  D  C6       Apostle.      The  Jewish  war, 

which  commenced  in  G6, 
would  have  much  afflicted  him,  had  he 
lived  to  see  it.  But  returning  to  Rome 
about  a  year  before,  he  fell  in  with  the 
very  time  when  Rome  was  burnt,  and 
Christians  were  accused  as  incendiaries. 
He  now  found  no  mercy  in  Xero,  who 
would  naturally  be  displeased  at  the  ef- 
fect, which  he  had  observed  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Apostle  had  produced  in  his 
own  household.  A  cupbearer  and  a  con- 
cubine of  the  emperor  had  been,  through 

Paul's  means,  converted  to 
Martyr-        ^^^  ^^j^j^^  ^g  Chrysostom  as- 

Pa?l  °  sures  us:  and  this  hastened 

his  death.  lie  was  slain  with 
the  sword  by  Nero's  order.* 

He  had  many  fellow-labourers,  whose 
names  he  has  immortalized  in  his  writ- 
ings. He  calls  Titus  his  own  son  after 
the  common  faith. |  Timothy  was  also  a 
particular  favourite.  Antiquity  regards 
the  former  as  the  first  bishop  of  Crete,  and 
the  latter  as  the  first  bishop  of  Ephesus. 
Luke  of  Antioch,  the  writer  of  the  third 
Gospel,  and  the  faithful  relater,  in  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,  of  this  Apostle's 
transactions,  of  which  he  was  an  eye- 
witness, is,  by  him,  affectionately  deno- 

4  T.  <•-  minated  the  beloved  Physi- 
A.  D.  60.  fj  ^     u 

cian.  He  seems  to  have  re- 
tired into  Greece  after  St.  Paul's  first 
dismission  by  the  emperor,  and  there  to 
have  written  both  his  inestimable  trea- 
tises about  the  year  63  or  6 1. 

Crescens,  whom  Paul  sent  to  Galatia, 
is  another  of  his  fellow-labourers.  Linus, 
the  first  bishop  of  Rome,  may  be  added 
to  the  list,  and  Dionysius  the  Areopagite 
of  Athens,  whom  Eusebius  reckons  the 
first  bishop  of  the  Church  in  that  city. 

We  have  now  finished  the  lives  of  two 
men,  of  singular  excellence  unquestion- 
ably, James  the  Just,  and  Paul  of  Tarsus. 
The  former  by  his  uncommon  virtues,  at- 
tracted the  esteem  of  a  whole  people, 
who  were  full  of  the  strongest  prejudices 
against  him :  and  in  regard  to  the  latter, 
p.  the   question   may  be  asked 

of  St.  Paul      "^'i^^  great  propriety,  whether 

such  another  man  ever  existed 
among  all  those,  who  have  inherited  the 
comiptfd  nature  of  Adam?  He  had  evi- 
dently a  soul  larofe  and  capacious',  and 


•  Orosius,  B.  7. 


7  Titus  i.  4. 


possessed  of  those  seemingly  contradic- 
tory excellencies  which,  wherever  they 
appear  in  combination,  fail  not  to  form  an 
extraordinary  character.  But  not  only 
his  talents  were  great  and  various — his 
learningalso  was  profound  and  extensive; 
and  many  persons  with  far  inferior  abili- 
ties and  attainments  have  effected  national 
revolutions,  or  otherwise  distinguished 
themselves  in  the  history  of  mankind. 
His  consummate  fortitude  was  tempered 
with  the  rarest  gentleness,  and  the  most 
active  charity.  His  very  copious  and 
vivid  imagination  was  chastised  by  the 
most  accurate  judgment,  and  was  connect- 
ed with  the  closest  argumentative  powers. 
Divine  grace  alone  could  effect  so  won- 
derful a  combination  ;  insomuch,  that  for 
the  space  of  near  thirty  years  after  his 
conversion,  this  man,  whose  natural 
haughtiness  and  fiery  temper  had  hurried 
him  into  a  very  sanguinary  course  of  per- 
secution, lived  the  friend  of  mankind  ;  re- 
turned good  for  evil  continually;  was  a 
model  of  patience  and  benevolence,  and 
steadily  attentive  only  to  heavenly  things, 
while  yet  he  had  a  taste,  a  spirit,  and  a 
genius,  which  might  have  shone  among 
the  greatest  statesmen  and  men  of  letters 
that  ever  lived. 

We  have  then  in  these  two  men,  a 
strong  specimen  of  what  Grace  can  do, 
and  we  may  fairly  challenge  all  the  infi- 
dols  in  the  world,  to  produce  any  thing 
like  them  in  the  whole  list  of  their  he- 
roes. Yet  amidst  the  constant  display  of 
every  godly  and  social  virtue,  we  learn 
from  Paul's  own  account,  that  he  ever  felt 
himself  "  carnal,  sold  under  sin,"  and 
that  sin  dwelt  in  him  continually.  From 
his  WTitings  we  learn,  what  the  depth  of 
human  wickedness  is  :  and  none  of  the 
Apostles  seem  to  have  understood  so  much 
as  he  did,  the  riches  of  Divine  Grace,  and 
the  peculiar  glory  of  the  Christian  reli- 
gion. The  doctrines  of  election,  justifi- 
cation, regeneration,  adoption;  of  the 
priesthood  and  oflUces  of  Christ,  and  of 
the  internal  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as 
well  as  the  most  perfect  morality  found- 
ed on  Christian  principle,  are  to  be  found 
in  his  WTitings  ;  and  what  Quintilian  said 
of  Cicero,  may  be  justly  applied  to  the 
Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  :  "77/e  se  profe- 
cme  sciaf,  cui  Paulus  valdeplacebit." 

During  this  whole  effusion  of  the  Spirit, 
— of  so  little  account  in  the  sight  of  God 
are  natural  human  excellencies  and  tal- 
ents,— I  see  no  evidence  that  any  person  of 
extraordinary  genius  and  endowments, 


72 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Cbap.  XV. 


St.  Paul  excepted,  were  employed  in  the 
divine  work  of  propagating  the  Gospel. 
St.  Luke,  indeed,appearsby  his  writings 
to  have  been  a  classical  sholar  of  a  chas- 
tised and  regular  taste  ;  and  to  approach 
more  nearly  to  attic  purity  of  diction  than 
any  of  the  New  Testament  writers.  But 
to  St.  Paul,  the  greatness  of  his  concep- 
tions, and  the  fervour  of  his  zeal,  give  a 
magnificent  kind  of  negligence  in  compo- 
sition,— in  the  midst  of  which  there  is 
also,  if  I  mistake  not,  a  vast  assemblage  of 
the  most  sublime  excellencies  of  oratory, 
which  demonstrate  how  high  he  might 
have  stood  in  this  line  of  eminence,  had  he 
been  ambitious,  or  rather  had  he  not  been 
perfectly  careless  of  such  kind  of  fame. 
But  that  men  so  unlearned  as  the  rest  of 
the  Apostles  were, — none  of  whom  ap- 
pear by  nature  to  have  been  above  the  or- 
dinary standard  of  mankind,  though  by 
no  means  below  that  standard, — that  such 
men  should  have  been  able  of  themselves 
to  speak,  to  act,  and  to  write  as  they  did  ; 
and  to  produce  such  an  amazing  revolu- 
tion in  the  ideas  and  manners  of  mankind, 
would  require  the  most  extravagant  cre- 
dulity to  believe. — ^The  power  of  God  is 
demonstrated  from  the  imbecility  of  the 
instruments. 

The  minds  of  men  void  of  the  love  of 
God  are  always  apt  to  suspect,  as  connect- 
ed with  fanaticism  the  most  precious 
mysteries  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  whole 
work  of  experimental  religion.  And  the 
more  vigorously  these  things  are  describ- 
ed, the  stronger  the  suspicion  grows. — 
May  not  this  have  been  one  reason  why 
St.  Paul  was  directed  to  expose  himself 
tlie  most  to  this  unjust  censure,  by  dwell- 
ing more  copiously  than  any  of  the  rest 
Qf  the  Apostles  on  views  most  directly 


evangelical ;  St.  Paul,  I  say, — because 
he  must  be  allowed  by  all  who  are  not 
willing  to  betray  their  own  want  of  dis- 
cernment, to  have  been  a  man  of  eminent 
solidity  of  understanding  1  If  Christian 
experience  be  a  foolish  thing  indeed,  it  is 
strange  that  the  wisest  of  all  the  Chris- 
tians should  have  been  the  most  abund- 
ant in  describing  it. 

Of  St.  Peter  we  have  by  no  means  so 
large  an  account  as  of  St.  Paul.  The 
last  view  we  have  of  him  in  Scripture 
presents  him  to  us  at  Antioch.     This  was 

probably  about  the  year  50. — 
A.  D.  50.      After  this  he  was  employed 

in  spreading  the  Gospel, — 
principally  among  his  own  countrymen, 
but  one  cannot  suppose  exclusively  of 


Gentiles, — in  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappado- 
cia,  Asia,  and  Bithynia.  His  two  epis- 
tles were  directed  to  the  Hebrew  converts 
of  these  countries.  And  if  he  was  far 
less  successful  than  Paul  among  the  Gen- 
tiles, he  was  much  more  so  than  that 
great  man  was  among  the  Jews.  He, 
who  wrought  eflfectually  in  Paul  among 
the  former,  was  mighty  in  Peter  among 
the  latter.*  It  should  ever  be  remem- 
bered, WHO  alone  did  the  work,  and  gave 
the  increase. 

Peter  probably  came  to  Rome  about  the 
year  G3.    Thence,  a  little  before  his  mar- 
tyrdom, he  wrote    his  two    epistles. — 
Strange  fictions  have  been  in- 
vented of  his  acts  at  Rome,     A.  D.  63. 
of  which  I  shall  sufl[iciently 
testify  my  disbelief  by  silence, — the  me- 
thod which  I  intend  constantly  to  use  in 
things  of  this  nature.     It  is  evident  how- 
ever,  that  he  here   met  again  with  that 
same  Simon  the  sorcerer,  whom  he  had 
rebuked  long  ago  in  Samaria,   and  who 
was  practising  his   sorceries  in  a  much 
higher  style  in  the  metropolis.    No  doubt 
the  Apostle   opposed   him  successfully ; 
but  we  have  no  account  of  this  matter, 
except  a  very  vague  and  declamatory  one 
bjf  E  usebius.     At  length,  when  Paul  was 
martyred  under  Nero,  Peter  suffered  with, 
him  by  crucifixion  with  his  head  down- 
ward,— a  kind  of  death  which  he  himself 
desired, — most    probably    from    an   un- 
feigned humility,   that  he  might  not  die 
in  the  same  manner  as  his  Lord  had  done. 
Nicephorus  informs  us,  that  he  had  spent 
two  years  at  Rome.     St,  Peter  in  his  se- 
cond epistle,  observes,  that  his  Lord  had 
shown  him,  that  his  death  was  soon  to 
take  place.     And  this  gives  a  degree  of 
credibility  to  a  story  of  Ambrose  related 
in  one  of  his   discourses,   the  purport  of 
which  is,  that  the  Pagans  being  infiamed 
against  him,  the  brethren  begged  him  to 
retreat  during  the  violence  of  the  perse- 
cution.    Their   intreaties,   ardent  as  he 
was  for  martyrdom,  moved  him.     He  be- 
gan to  go  out  of  the  city  by  night.     But 
coming  to  the  gate,|  he  saw  Christ  en- 
tering into  the  city.     Whereupon  he  said. 
Lord,   whither  art  thou  going?     Clirist 
answered,  I  am  coming  hith- 
er to  be  crucified  again.    Pe-     Crucifixion 
ter  hence    understood    that       of  Peter. 
Christ  was  to  be    crucified      A.  D._66 
again  in   his  servant.     This        ^'■'  ^'^• 
induced   him  voluntarily  to 


*  Gal.  ii.  8.         f  Sermon  cont.  Aux.  i.  11. 


Cest.  I.] 


EEMAIXDER  OF  FIRST  CENTURY. 


73 


return ;  and  he  satisfied  the  minds  of  the 
brethren  with  this  account,  and  was  soon 
after  seized  and  crucified.  Whoever  con- 
siders the  very  solemn  manner  in  which 
our  Lord  foretold  the  violent  death  of  this 
Apostle,  in  the  close  of  St.  John's  Gos- 
pel ;  and  that,  in  his  second  epistle,  he 
himself  declares  that  his  divine  Master 
had  shown  him,  that  he  should  quickly 
put  off  his  tabernacle,  will  find  no  diffi- 
culty in  conceiving,  that  the  vision*  novi' 
related  from  Ambrose  miglit  have  taken 
place  a  little  before  the  writing  cf  this 
epistle  :  and,  that  the  writing  of  the  epis- 
tle may  have  a  little  time  preceded  his 
seizure  and  violent  death.  I  mention  this 
as  a  probable  conjecture  only.  The  story 
itself  is  consonant  to  the  miraculous  pow- 
ers then  in  the  Church ;  and  its  evidence 
rests  on  the  character  of  Ambrose  himself, 
an  Italian  bishop,  Avhose  integrity  and 
understanding  are  equally  respectable. 

Peter's  v/ife  had  been  called  to  martyr- 
dom a  little  before  himself.  He  saw  her 
led  to  death  ;  and  rejoiced  at  the  grace 
of  God  vouchsafed  to  her  ;  and  address- 
ing her  b}'  name,  exhorted  and  comforted 
her  with  "  Remember  the  Lord."| 

There  are  two  striking  attestations  to 
the  character  of  St.  Peter,  which  may  be 
fairly  drawn  from  the  sacred  writings.^ 
As  it  is  allowed  on  all  hands,  that  he  au- 
thorized the  publication  of  St.  IMark's 
Gospel,  had  he  been  disposed  to  spare 
his  own  character,  he  would  not  have  suf- 
fered the  shameful  denial  of  his  ^Master 
to  have  been  described,  as  it  is  in  that 
Evangelist,  with  more  aggravated  cir- 
cumst'ances  of  guilt,  and  with  fainter 
views  of  his  repentance,  than  are  to  be 
found  in  the  other  Evangelists.  I  am  in- 
debted for  the  other  remark  to  Bishop 
Gregory,  the  first  of  that  name.  In  his 
second  epistle,  St.  Peter  gives  the  most 
honourable  attestation  to  the  Apostle 
Paul's  epistles,  though  he  must  know 
that  in  one  of  them — that  to  the  Gala- 
tians — his  own  conduct  on  a  particular 
occasion  was  censured.  This  is  evident- 
ly above  nature.  The  most  unfeigned 
humility  appears  to  have  been  an  emi- 
nent part  of  the  character  of  this  Apos- 
tle, who,  in  his  early  days,  was  remark- 
able for  the  violence  of  his  temper.  His 
natural  character  was  no  uncommon  one 
Frank,   open,   active,   courageous ;    san- 


*  There  is  no  necessity  to  consider  Christ's 
appearance  as  any  thing  more  than  a  vision. 
f  Clement.  Strom.  7. 

Vol.  I.  G 


guine  in  his  attachments  and  in  his  pas- 
sions ;  no  way  deficient,  but  not  eminent, 
in  understanding, — a  plain  honest  man  ; 
yet,  by  grace  and  supernatural  wisdom, 
rendered  an  instrument  of  the  greatest 
good  in  the  conversion  of  numbers,  and 
only  inferior  to  St.  Paul.  He  seems  to 
have  lived  long  in  a  state  of  matrimony  ; 
and  l)y  Clement's  account,  was  industri- 
ous in  the  education  of  his  children. 

Mark  was  sister's  son  to  Barnabas,  the 
son  of  Mary,  a  pious  woman  of  Jerusalem. 
He  was  probably  brought  up  in  Chris- 
tianity from  early  life  ;  and  his  conduct, 
for  some  time,  gives  credibility  to  an  opin- 
ion, tolerably  confirmed  by  experience, 
that  early  converts,  or  those  who  have 
been  religiously  brought  up,  do  not  make 
that  vigorous  progress  in  divine  things 
generally,  which  those  do,  whose  con- 
version has  commenced  after  a  life  of 
much  sin  and  vanity.  Their  views  are 
apt  to  be  comparatively  faint,  and  their 
dispositions  in  religion  languid  and  indo- 
lent. We  are  told  by  Epiphanius,  that 
Mark  was  one  of  those  who  were  offend- 
ed at  the  words  of  Christ  recorded-  in 
the  Gth  chapter  of  St.  John ;  and  that  he 
then  forsook  him,  but  was  afterwards  re- 
covered to  his  Saviour  by  means  of  Pe- 
ter. After  our  Lord's  ascension,  he  at- 
tended his  uncle  Barnabas  with  Paul ; 
but  soon  left  them  and  returned  to  Jeru- 
salem. Barnabas  however  hoping  the 
best  from  one  whom  he  held  so  dear,  pro- 
posed him  to  Paul  as  their  companion  on 
some  future  occasion.  After  the  rupture, 
which  this  occasioned,  between  the  two 
Apostles,  Barnabas  took  him  as  his  com- 
panion to  Cyprus.  Undoubtedly  his  cha- 
racter improved.  Some  plants  are  slow  of 
growth,  but  attain  at  length  great  vigour, 
and  bear  much  fruit.  Even  Paul  him- 
self, who  had  been  so  much  offended  with 
him,  at  length  declared,  "he  is  profitable 
to  me  for  the  mlnistr}%"* — 
From  the  epistle  to  the  Co- 
lossians,  it  is  evident  that  he 
was  with  the  Apostle  in  his 
imprisonment  at  Rome.  This 
was  in  the  year  6'2.  His  Gos- 
pel was  written  by  the  desire  of  the  be- 
lievers at  Rome  about  two  years  after.  I 
know  not  when  to  fix  the  time  of  his  com- 
ing to  Egypt.  But  he  is  allowed  to 
have  founded  the  Church  of  Alexandria^ 
and  to  have  been  buried  there.  He  was 
succeeded   by  Anianus,  of  whom  Euse- 


Mark  was 
at  Rome 
with  Paul  : 

A.  D.  62. 


•  2  Tim.  iv.  2. 


74 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV. 


Jerusa- 
lem: 


bins  gives  the  highest  eulogium.  It  is 
evident  that  the  society  of  those  three 
great  men,  Barnabas,  Paul,  and  Peter,  at 
different  times  was  very  useful  to  him — 
Probably  his  natural  indolence  needed 
such  incentives.  In  Mark  then  we  seem 
to  have  noticed  one  of  the  first  promoters 
of  Christianity,  of  a  cast  of  mind  differ- 
ent from  any  we  have  hitherto  reviewed. 
The  variety  of  tempers  and  talents  em- 
ployed in  the  service  of  God,  and  sancti- 
fied by  the  same  divine  energy,  affords  a 
field  of  speculation  neither  unpleasing  nor 
unprofitable. 

Of  the  labours  of  nine  Apostles,  James, 
Andrew,  Philip,  Bartholomew,  Tliomas, 
Matthivv,  Jude,  Simon,  and  Matthias, 
scarcely  any  thing  is  recorded. 

Of  John  the  Apostle  a  few  valuable 
fragments  may  be  collected.  He  was 
present  at  the  council  of  Jeru- 
Council  of  salem,  which  was  held  about 
the  year  50  :  nor  is  it  proba- 
ble,  that  he  left  Judea  till  that 
■  ■  ■  time.  Asia  Minor  was  the 
great  theatre  of  his  ministry,  particularly 
Ephesus,  the  care  of  which  Church  re- 
mained with  him  after  the  decease  of  the 
rest  of  the  Apostles.  The  breaking  out 
of  the  war  in  Judea  most  probably  obliged 
the  Apostle  to  bid  a  total  farewell  to  his 
native  country.  While  he  resided  at 
Ephesus,  going  once  to  bathe  there,  he 
perceived  that  Cerinthus  was  in  the  bath  : 
He  came  out  again  hastily  :  Let  us  flee, 
says  he,  "lest  the  bath  should  fall,  while 
Cerinthus,  an  enemy  of  truth,  is  within 
it.  The  same  story  is  told  of  Ebion  as 
well  as  of  Cerinthus:  they  were  both  be- 
Tetics,  and  of  a  similar  character :  and  it 
is  an  easy  mistake  for  a  reporter  of  the 
story  to  confound  names;  but  if  the  whole 
should  have  had  no  foundation,  it  is  not 
easy  to  account  for  the  fiction.  The  tes- 
timony of  Irenaeus,  who  had  it  from  per- 
sons who  received  their  information  from 
Polycarp  the  disciple  of  St.  John,  seems 
sufficiently  authentic.  Irenajus,  a  man 
of  exquisite  judgment,  evidently  believed 
the  story  himself;  and  surely  the  opinion 
of  such  a  person,  who  lived  near  those 
times,  must  outweigh  the  fanciful  criti- 
cisms and  objections  of  modern  autliors. 
The  fashion  of  the  present  age,  humanely 
sceptical,  and  clothing  profane  indiffer- 
ence with  the  name  of  candour,  is  ever 
ready  to  seduce  even  good  men  into  a 
disbelief  of  facts  of  this  nature,  however 
well  attested.  But  let  the  circumstances 
of  St.  John  be  well  considered.     He  was 


a  surviving  apostolical  luminar}'-.  He- 
retical pravity  was  deeply  spreading  its 
poison.  Sentiments,  very  derogatory  to 
the  person,  work,  and  honour  of  Jesus 
Christ,  were  diffused  with  great  perverse- 
ness  of  industry.  What  should  have  been 
the  deportment  of  this  truly  benevolent 
Apostle]  I  doubt  not  but  he  was  ever 
forward  to  relieve  personal  distresses: 
but  to  have  joined  the  company  of  the 
principal  supporters  of  heresy,  Avould 
have  been  to  countenance  it.  He  well 
knew  the  arts  of  seducers.  They  were 
ready  always  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
seeming  countenance  of  Apostles  or  of 
apostolical  men  ;  and  thence  to  take  an 
opportunity  of  strengthening  themselves, 
and  of  diffusing  their  poison.  Such  has 
been  their  conduct  in  all  ao-es.  Having 
no  ground  of  their  own  to  stand  on,  they 
have  continuall)'^  endeavoured  to  rest  on 
the  authority  of  some  great  man  of  al- 
lowed evangelical  respectability.  This 
artful  management,  clothed  with  the  pre- 
tence of  charity,  points  out  to  the  real 
friends  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  what  they 
ought  to  do,  from  motives  of  real  benevo- 
lence to  mankind, — namely,  to  bear  pa- 
tiently the  odious  charge  of  bigotry,  and 
to  take  every  opportunity  of  testif}'ing 
their  abhorrence  of  heretical  views  and 
li3q)ocritical  actions.  Humanly  speaking, 
I  see  not  how  divine  truth  is  to  be  sup- 
ported in  the  world,  but  by  this  procedure ; 
and  I  scruple  not  to  say,  that  St.  John's 
conduct  appears  not  only  defensible,  but 
laudable,  and  worthy  the  imitation  of 
Christians.  It  is  agreeable  to  what  he 
himself  declares  in  one  of  his  short  epis- 
tles, addressed  to  a  Christian  lady, — that 
if  "  any  come  to  her  house,  and  bring  not 
the  true  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  she  ought 
not  to  receive  him,  nor  bid  him  God  speed ; 
because  to  bid  him  God  speed,  would 
make  her  partake  of  his  evil  deeds."  His 
menaciuij  lano"uasfe  concerning  Diotre- 
phes,  in  the  other  epistle  to  Gaius, 
breathes,  what  some  would  call,  the  same 
uncharitable  spirit.  And  when  I  see  St. 
Paul  shaking  his  garment  against  the  in- 
fidel Jews,  and  hear  him  saying,  "  Your 
blood  be  on  your  own  heads,  I  am  clean ;" 
and  when  I  find  him  warning  the  Gala- 
tians  thus,  "  If  an  angel  from  heaven 
should  preach  any  other  doctrine,  let  him 
be  accursed,"  and  wishing  that  they 
which  troubled  them,  "were  even  cut 
ofi'," — I  s"i  instructed  how  to  judge  of 
the  indignation  of  holy  St.  John  against 
Cerinthus. 


Cext.  I.] 


EEMAINDER  OF  FIRST  CENTURY. 


75 


Indeed  the  primitive  Christians  were 
even  more  careful  to  avoid  the  society  of 
false  Christians  than  of  open  unbelievers. 
"With  the  latter  they  had,  at  times,  some 
free  intercourse;  with  the  former  they  re- 
fused even  to  eat.*  We  have  already 
seen,  how  our  Savionr  commends  the  im- 
patience and  discernment  of  the  Ephe- 
sians,  who  could  not  bear  false  profes- 
sors. They  had  tried  those  who  call 
themselves  "  Apostles,  and  are  not ;  and 
had  found  them  liars."   , 

It  is  one  of  the  designs  of  this  History, 
to  show  the  actual  conduct  of  real  Chris- 
tians in  life  and  conversation  :  and  the  re- 
lation before  us,  of  John's  behaviour  to 
Cerinthns,  illustrates  this.  But, — if  we 
must  so  far  humour  the  taste  of  Socinians 
and  sceptics  as  to  allow  ourselves  to 
doubt  the  existence  of  well-attested  facts 
because  they  contradict  the  fashionable 
torrent,  we  shall  injure  the  faithfulness  of 
history,  make  present  manners  the  stand 
ard  of  credibility,  and  practically  adopt 
a  very  absurd  modish  position, — that  the 
divine  charity  of  a  sound  Christian,  is  the 
same  thing  as  the  refined  humanity  of  a 
philosophical  heretic — I  would  ask  any 
person,  to  whom  the  infection  of  modern 
manners  renders  this  reasoning  of  difficult 
digestion,  whether  he  uught  more  to  ap- 
prove of  the  conduct  of  one  gentleman 
who  should  mix  in  easy  familiarity  with 
a  company  of  murderers,  or  of  another 
who  should  fly  from  it  with  horror.  If 
we  believe  spiritual  murderers,  who  la 
bour  to  ruin  souls  by  propagating  Anti 
christian  views,  to  be  still  more  perni- 
cious than  the  former,  we  shall  not  be  un- 
der any  dilhculty  in  vindicating  St.  John. 

The  unreasonable  doubts  that  have 
arisen  in  our  times  concerning  the  fact 
we  have  been  considering,  appear  to  me 
to  originate  in  a  spirit  of  heresy.  There 
is  another  fact,  respecting  the  same  Apos- 
tle, which  comes  before  us  loaded  with 
similar  sceptical  objections :  and  these 
are  to  be  ascribed,  I  fear,  to  the  preva- 
lence of  deism.  Tertullianf  tells  us, 
that,  by  order  of  Domitian,  John  was 
cast  into  a  caldron  of  boiling  oil,  and 
came  out  again  without  being  hurt.  This 
must  have  happened,  most  probably,  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of  that 
emperor;  and  Tertullian  was  certainly 
competent  to  relate  such  a  fact  as  this : — 
Yet  it  is  now  generally  disbelieved  or 
doubted.  Is  it  because  we  see  no  miracles 


in  our  own  times  ?    Let  the  reader  trans- 
port himself  into  the  first  century;  and 
he  will  see  no  more  improbability,  in  the 
nature  of  the  thing,  that  a  miracle  should 
be  wrought  in  favour  of  St.  John,  than 
in  favour  of  Paul,  as  recorded  in  the  last 
chapter  of  the  Acts.     The  miracle  soften- 
ed not  the  heart  of  Domitian,  who  would 
probably   suppose   the  Apostle   to  have 
been   fortified   by  magical   incantations. 
He  banished  him  into  the  solitary  isle  of 
Patmos,  where  he  was  favoured  with  the 
visions  of  the  Apocalypse.     After  Domi- 
tian's  death,  he  returned  from  Patmos, 
and  governed  the  Asiatic  churches.  There 
he  remained  till  the  time  of  Trajan.     At 
the  request  of  the  bishops,  he  went  to  the 
neighbouring  churches,  partly  to  ordain 
pastors,  and  partly  to  regulate  the  con- 
oreo-ations.    At  one  place  in  his  tour,  ob- 
serving  a  youth  of  a  remarkable  interest- 
ing countenance,  he  warmly  recommend- 
ed him  to  the  care  of  a  particular  pastor. 
The  young  man  was  baptized;  and  for  a 
time,  lived  as  a  Christian.     But  being 
gradually  corrupted  by  company,  he  be- 
came idle  and  intemperate ;  and  at  length 
so  dishoHest,  as  to  become  a  captain  of  a 
band  of  robbers.     Some  time  after  John 
had  occasion  to  inquire  of  the  pastor  con- 
cerning the  young  man,  who  told  him, 
that  he  was  now  dpnd  to  Cod ;  and  that 
he  inhabited  a  mountain  over  against  his 
church.*     John,  in  the  vehemence  of  his 
charity,  went  to  the  place,  and  exposed 
himself   to   be   taken    by   the    robbers. 
"  Bring  me,  says  he,  to  your  captain." 
The  young  robber  beheld  him  coming; 
and  as  soon  as  he  knew  the  aged  and 
venerable  Apostle,  he  was  struck  with 
shame,  and  fled. — St.  John  followed  him 
and  cried.  My  son,  why  fliest  thou  from 
thy  Father,  unarmed  and  old?   Fear  not;, 
as  yet  there  remaineth  hope  of  salvation. 
Believe  me,  Christ  hath  sent  me.     Hear~ 
ing  this,  the  young  man  stood  still,  trem-^ 
bled,   and   wept  bitterly.     John  prayed, 
exhorted,  and  brought  him  back  to  the 
society  of  Christians;   nor  did  he  leave 
him,  till  he  judged  him  fully  restored  by 
Divine  Grace. 

Even  the  truth  of  this  last  relation  has 
been  questioned  by  Basnage.  But  as  I 
know  no  reason  for  hesitation,  I  shall 
leave  it  with  the  serious  reader,  who 
loves  to  behold  the  tokens  of  Grace  frora 
age  to  age  dispensed  to  sinners. 

We  have  yet  another  story  of  St.  John, 


1  Cor.  V.  10,  11.       t  Prtescript.  Ihei-. 


*  Clem.  Alex,  apud  Euseb. 


76 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV. 


short,  but  pleasing,  and  which  has  had 
the  good  fortune  to  pass  uncontradicted. 
Being  now  very  old,  and  unable  to  say 
much  in  Christian  assemblies, "  Children, 
love  one  another,"  was  his  constantly 
repeated  sermon.  Being  asked,  why  he 
told  them  only  one  thing,  he  answered, 
that  "nothing  else  was  needed."  This 
account  rests  on  the  single  testimony  of 
Jerom,  so  far  as  I  have  found.  But  as  it 
seems  to  fall  in  with  the  spirit  of  the  age 
more  than  the  others,  its  truth  is  allowed. 
We  may  hence  observe  how  little  regard 
is  paid  to  real  evidence  by  many  critics, 
who  seem  to  make  modern  manners  the 
test  of  historical  credibility.  Whatever 
fact  shows  the  spirit  of  zeal,  the  reality 
of  miracles,  or  the  work  of  the  Divine 
Spirit  on  tlie  heart,  must  be  questioned  : 
What  indicates  feeling  or  humanity,  this 
only  must  be  allowed  to  stand  its  ground. 
In  truth,  I  should  be  sorry  to  have  so 
beautiful  a  story  called  in  question;  but 
its  evidences  are  by  no  means  superior  to 
those  of  the  three  former. 

John  lived  three  or  four  years  after  his 
return  to  Asia,  having  been  preserved  to 
the  age  of  almost  a  hundred  years,  for 
tlie  benefit  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  an 
inestimable  pattern  of  charity  and  good- 
ness. 

Of  tho  Apostle;  Damabas  nothing  is 
known,  except  what  is  recorded  in  the 
Acts.  There  we  have  an  honourable  en- 
comium of  his  character,  and  a  particu- 
lar description  of  his  joint  labours  with 
St.  Paul.  It  is  a  great  injury  to  him,  to 
apprehend  the  epistle,  which  goes  by  his 
name,  to  be  his. 

The  work  of  Hermas,  though  truly 
pious  and  probably  written  by  the  per- 
son mentioned  in  the  PJpistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans, is  yet  a  composition  of  inferior 
merit;  nor  is  it  worth  while  to  detain  the 
reader  concerning  it.  Indeed  we  have 
no  ecclesiastical  work,  exclusive  of  the 
Scriptures,  except  one,  which  does  any 
peculiar  honour  to  the  first  century.  To 
believe,  to  suffer,  to  love, — not  to  write, 
was  the  primitive  taste. 

The  work  which  I  except  is  Clement's 
Epistle  to  the  Corinthians.  This  is  he, 
whom  Paul  calls  his  fellow-labourer, 
whose  "name  is  in  the  book  of  life."* 
He  long  survived  Paul  and  Peter,  and 
was  no  doubt  a  blessing  to  the  Roman 
Church,  over  which  he  presided  nine 
years.     His   epistle  was  read  in   many 


*  Philip,  iv. 


primitive  churches,  and  was  admired  ex- 
ceedingly by  the  ancients.  It  has  a  sim- 
plicity and  a  plainness,  not  easily  relish- 
ed by  a  systematic  modern;  but  there  be- 
longs to  it,  also,  a  wonderful  depth  of 
holiness  and  wisdom.  A  few  quotations 
relating  to  its  history,  its  doctrine,  and 
its  spirit,  will  not  improperly  close  this 
account  of  the  pastors  of  the  first  century. 
Its  history  will  bring  again  to  our  view 
the  Church  of  (>orinth,  which  we  have 
already  seen  distracted  with  schisms  and 
contentions,  and  more  disgracing  its  high 
calling  with  secular  ambition  than  any 
other  primitive  Church.  From  the  testi- 
mony of  Clement  it  appears  that  St. 
Paul's  two  epistles  had  been  abundantly 
useful;  and  that  he  had  reason  to  rejoice 
in  the  confidence  which  he  reposed  ia 
the  sincerity  of  profession,  which  prevail- 
ed in  many  of  them,  notwithstanding 
these  evils.  The  account  which  he  gives 
of  their  good  situation,  may  justly  be 
considered  as  the  proper  fruit  of  apostoli- 
cal admonitions. — "What  strang-ers  that 
came  among  you,  did  not  take  honoura- 
ble notice  formerly  of  the  firmness  and 
fulness  of  your  faith  ?  Who  of  them  did 
not  admire  the  sobriety  and  gentleness  of 
your  godly  «pirit  in  Christ  1  Who  did 
not  pvtol  the  liberal  practice  of  your 
Christian  hospitality?  How  admirable 
was  your  sound  and  mature  knowledge ' 
of  divine  things  ]  Ye  were  wont  to  do 
all  things  without  respect  to  persons; 
and  }'e  walked  in  the  ways  of  God  in 
due  subjection  to  your  pastors,  and  sub- 
mitting yourselves  the  younger  to  the 
elder.  Ye  charged  young  men  to  attend 
to  the  gravity  and  moderation  becoming 
the  Christian  character;  young  women 
to  discharge  their  duties  with  a  blame- 
less, holy,  and  chaste  conscientiousness; 
to  love  their  husbands  with  all  suitable 
tenderness  and  fidelity ;  and  to  guide  the 
house  in  all  soberness  and  gravity.  Then 
ye  all  showed  an  humble  spirit,  void  of 
boasting  and  arrogance,  more  ready  to 
obey  than  to  command,  more  ready  to 
give  than  to  receive.  Content  with  the 
divine  allotments,  and  attendinsf  diligrent- 
ly  to  the  word  of  Christ,  ye  were  enlarg- 
ed in  your  bowels  of  love;  and  his  suf- 
ferings on  the  cross  were  before  your 
eyes.  Hence  a  profound  and  happy 
peace  was  imparted  to  you  all :  an  un- 
wearied desire  of  doing  good,  and  a  plen- 
tiful effusion  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was.  with 
you.  Full  of  holy  counsel,  in  all  readi- 
ness of  mind,  with  godly  assurance  of 


Cent.  I.] 


REMAINDER  OF  FIRST  CENTURY. 


77 


faith,  ye  stretched  forth  your  hands  to 
the  Lord  Almighty,  entreating  him  to  be 
gracious  to  yon,  if  in  any  thing  ye  un- 
willingly offended.  Your  care  was,  day 
and  night,  for  all  the  brethren:  that  the 
number  of  his  elect  might  be  saved  in 
mercj'^  and  a  good  conscience.  Ye  were 
indeed  sincere  and  harmless,  and  forgiv- 
ing one  another.  All  dissension  and 
schism  in  the  Church  was  abominable  to 
you :  ye  mourned  over  the  faults  of  your 
neighbours;  ye  sympathized  with  their 
infirmities  as  your  own ;  ye  were  unwear- 
ied in  all  goodness,  and  ready  to  every 
good  work.  Adorned  with  a  venerable 
and  upright  conversation,  ye  performed 
all  things  in  his  fear ;  and  the  law  of  God 
was  Avritten  deep  indeed  on  the  tables  of 
your  hearts." 

It  is  pleasing  to  see  this  numerous 
Church,  of  whom  our  Saviour  had  so  long 
ago  declared  that  "  he  had  much  people 
in  this  city,"  toward  the  close  of  the  cen- 
tury, still  alive  in  the  faith,  hope,  and 
charity  of  the  Gospel,  free  in  a  great  de- 
gree from  the  evils,  which  had  cost  St. 
Paul  so  much  care  and  grief,  and  preserv- 
ing the  vigour  of  tnie  Christianity.  But 
history  must  be  faithful :  and  their  decline 
is  described  in  the  same  epistle.  Pride 
and  a  schismatical  spirit,  which  have 
since  tarnished  so  many  churches,  and 
which  were  evils  particularly  Corinthian, 
defaced  this  agreeable  picture.  But  let 
Clement  speak  for  himself: 

"Thus,  when  all  glory  and  enlarge- 
ment were  given  to  you,  that  Scripture 
was  fulfilled,  'Jeshurun  waxed  fat  and 
kicked.'  Hence,  env^",  strife,  dissension, 
persecution,  disorder,  war,  and  desolation 
have  seized  your  church.  'The  child 
has  behaved  himself  proudly  against  the 
ancient,  and  the  base  against  the  honour- 
able, the  mean  against  the  eminent,  and 
the  foolish  against  the  wise.'  Hence 
righteousness  and  peace  are  far  from  you ; 
because  ye  all  leave  the  fear  of  God  ;  and 
your  spiritual  sight  is  become  too  dim  to 
be  guided  by  the  faith  of  the  Gospel.  Ye  | 
walk  not  in  his  ordinances,  nor  walk 
worthy  of  the  Lord  Christ;  but  ye  all 
walk  too  much  according  to  your  own  evil 
lusts,  nourishii^  and  cherishing  a  malig- 
nant spirit  of  envy,  by  which  the  first 
death  came  into  the  world." 

The  schism  pregnant  with  so  many 
evils  gave  occasion  to  this  epistle.  It 
seems  the  distracted  Corinthians  asked 
counsel  of  the  Church  of  Rome;  and  her 
venerable  pastor  wrote  this  epistle  in  con- 
g2 


sequence  of  their  request.  He  apologizes, 
indeed,  for  the  delay  of  writing,  which 
he  imputes  to  the  afflictions  and  distresses 
wliich  befel  the  Christians  of  Rome,* 
most  probably  on  account  of  Domitian's 
persecution,  the  letter  itself  being  written 
about  the  year  94,  or  95.  In  these  times 
the  sin  of  schism  was  looked  on  with  the 
greatest  horror.  Clement  calls  the  pro- 
moters of  it,  "the  haughty,  disorderly 
leaders  of  the  abominable  schism." — It  is 
no  trifling  guilt,  which  men  incur,  by  pre- 
cipitately giving  themselves  up  to  the 
will  of  those,  whose  aim  is  strife  and  the 
advancement  of  a  sect  or  party,  not  the 
interest  of  godliness.  He  speaks  of  per- 
sons, who  talk  of  peace  with  their  lips, 
while  their  conduct  shows,  that  they  love 
to  break  the  unity  of  the  Church ;  like 
the  hvpocrite,  who  draws  nigh  to  "the 
Lord  with  his  lips,  while  his  heart  is  far 
from  him." 

Th e  attentive  reader  cannot  but  ob serve, 
how  the  same  evil  prevails  in  our  days  to 
the  great  injury  of  real  piety;  and  yet 
how  little  it  is  deplored ;  rather,  how 
much  encouraged  and  promoted  by  spe- 
cious representations  of  liberty,  of  the 
right  of  private  judgment,  of  a  just  con- 
tempt of  implicit  faith,  and  of  pleas  of 
conscience.  Doubtless,  from  these  topics 
there  are  deducible  arguments  of  great  mo- 
ment, and  which  deserve  the  most  serious 
attention  in  practical  concerns :  but,  at  pre- 
sent, it  is  not  my  province  to  explain  the 
middle  path  in  this  subject,  nor  to  prove 
that  modern  evangelical  Churches  are  far 
gone  into  the  vicious  extreme  of  schism. 

Vera  renim  vocabula  ajiiisimies. 

However  some  persons  may  triumph 
in  effecting  separations  from  faithful 
pastors,  it  is  a  shameful  and  an  unchristian 
practice ;  and  perhaps  humble  spirits  may, 
from  Clement  himself,  acquire  sufficient 
instruction,  how  to  discriminate  the  spirit 
of  conscientious  zeal  from  that  of  schism, 
and  to  know  when  they  oujht  not  to  se- 
parate from  the  Church  to  which  they  be- 
long. 

"The  Apostles,"  says  he,  "with  the 
greatest  care  ordained  the  rulers  of  the 
Church,  and  delivered  a  rule  of  succes- 
sion in  future,  that  after  their  decease  other 
approved  men  might  succeed.  Those  then 
who,  by  them,  or  in  succession  by  other 
choice,  were  ordained  rulers  with  the  ap- 
probation and  concurrence  of  the  whole 

*  The  second  perseculiou  of  the  Chrislians, 
was  bj-  Domitiaii,  a.  d.  95. 


78 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chaf.  XV. 


Church  ;  and  who  in  a  blameless  conduct 
have  ministered  to  the  flock  of  Christ  in 
humility  ;  who  for  a  series  of  years  have 
been  well  reported  of  by  all  men,  these  we 
tliink  it  unrio;hteous  to  deprive  of  the 
ministry.  Nor  is  it  a  sin  of  small  mag- 
nitude, to  eject  from  the  sacred  office 
men  whose  ministry  hath  been  thus  blame- 
less and  holy.  Happy  those  presbyters, 
who  have  finished  their  course,  and  have 
departed  in  peace  and  in  the  fruitful  dis- 
charge of  their  duties  !  They  at  least, 
remote  from  envy  and  faction,  are  not 
subject  to  popular  caprice,  nor  exposed 
to  the  danger  of  outliving  the  affections 
of  their  flocks,  and  their  own  unfruitful- 
ness.  We  see  with  grief,  brethren,  that 
ye  have  deprived  of  the  ministry  some  of 
your  godly  pastors,  whose  labours  for 
your  souls  deserved  a  different  treatment." 
And  he  goes  on  to  show,  that  godly  men 
in  Scripture  "were  indeed  persecuted, 
but  by  the  wicked;  were  imprisoned,  but 
by  the  unholy  ;  were  stoned,  but  by  tlie 
enemies  cf  God  ;  were  murdered,  but  by 
the  profane.  Was  Daniel  cast  into  the 
den  of  lions  by  men  who  feared  God '? 
Were  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego 
cast  into  the  midst  of  the  burning  fiery 
furnace  by  men  who  worshipped  the  Most 
High  r' 

What  the  sin  of  schism  is, — in  what 
manner  the  Corinthians  were 
guilty  of  it, — and  how  far  ail 
this  is  applicable  to  the  case 
of  Churches  at  this  day,  will 
need  but  little  comment. 
Clement  afterwards  reminds  them  of 
their  former  guilt  in  St.  Paul's  time.  "  Do 
take  up  the  writings  of  the  blessed  Apos- 
tle ;  what  did  he  say  to  you  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Gospel  1  Truly,  by  Di- 
vine Inspiration,  he  gave  you  directions 
concerning  himself,  and  Cephas  and  Apol- 
los,  because  even  then  ye  were  splitting 
into  parties.  But  your  party-spirit  at  that 
time  had  less  evil  in  it,  because  it  was 
exercised  in  favour  of  Apostles  of  eminent 
holiness,  and  of  one  much  approved  of  by 
them.  But  now  consider  who  they  arc 
that  have  subverted  you,  and  broken  the 
bonds  of  brotherly  love.  These  are  shame- 
ful things,  brethren,  very  shameful !  Oh, 
tell  it  not  on  Christian  ground,  that  the 
ancient  and  flourishing  Church  of  Corinth, 
have  quarrelled  with  their  pastors,  from 
a  weak  partiality  for  one  or  two  persons. 
This  rumour  hath  not  only  reached  us 
Christians,  but  is  spread  among  infidels : 
so  that  the  name  of  God  is  blasphemed 


Schisms 
among  the 
Corin- 
thians. 


through  jrour  folly ;  and  your  own  spirit- 
ual health  is  endangered  indeed."  After 
exhorting  them  with  much  pathos  to  heal 
the  breaches,  he,  towards  the  close,  be- 
seeches them — "to  send  back  our  mes- 
sengers shortly  in  peace  with  joy,  that 
they  may  quickly  bring  us  the  news  of 
your  concord,  which  we  so  ardently  long 
for ;  that  we  may  speedily  rejoice  on  your 
account." 

What  effect  on  the  Corinthians  this 
kind  animadversion  produced  we  know 
not :  The  whole  history  of  the  schism 
certainly  deserved  to  be  noticed :  It  is 
related  by  the  faithful  pen  of  Clement; 
and  the  spirit  of  declension  from  simple 
Christianity,  and  the  way  by  which  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  commonly  provoked  to 
depart  from  churches  once  flourishing  in 
holiness,  are  well  described.  Human 
nature  appears  to  have  been  always  the 
same  :  And  this  example  affords  a  stand- 
ing admonition  to  Christian  churches  to 
beware  of  that  nice,  factious,  and  licenti- 
ous spirit,  which,  under  pretence  of  su- 
perior discernment  and  regard  for  liberty 
of  conscience,  has  often  broken  the  bonds 
of  peace,  and  sometimes  subjected  the  best 
of  pastors  to  suffer,  from  a  people  profess- 
ing godliness,  what  might  have  been  ex- 
pected only  from  persons  altogether  impi- 
ous and  profane. 

No  apology,  I  trust,  can  be  necessary 
for  laying  before  the  reader,  from  the  same 
excellent  author,  the  following  occasional 
exhortation.  "Set  before  your  eyes  the 
holy  Apostles. — Through  the  enmity  of 
the  human  heart  Peter  underwent  a  varie- 
ty of  afflictions ;  and  having  suflTered  mar- 
tyrdom, departed  to  the  due  place  of  glo- 
ry. Through  the  hatred  of  a  wicked 
world  Paul  having  been  scourged,  stoned, 
and  seven  times  cast  into  prison,  obtained 
at  length  the  reward  of  his  patience: 
Having  preached  the  Gospel  in  the  east 
and  west,  he  obtained  a  good  report 
through  faith :  Having  preached  righte- 
ousness to  the  utmost  bounds  of  the  West, 
and  having  suffered  martyrdom  from  prin- 
ces, he  let^t  this  world,  and  reached  the 
shore  of  a  blessed  immortality  : — He  was 
an  eminent  pattern  of  those,  who  suffer  for 


righteousness'  sake.  By  the  godly  conver- 
sation and  labours  of  these  men,  a  great 
multitude  of  the  elect  was  gathered  toge- 
ther ;  who,  through  similar  hatred  of  the 
world,  were  afflicted  with  cruel  torments, 
and  obtained  a  similar  good  report  among 
us  through  faith.  Through  the  operation 
of  tlie'same  principle,  even  women  among 


Cent.  I.] 


REMAINDER  OF  FIRST  CENTURY. 


79 


us  have  sustained  the  most  cruel  and  un- 
righteous sufferings,  and  finished  in  pa- 
tient faith  their  course,  and  received,  not- 
withstanding the  weakness  of  their  sex, 
the  prize  of  Christian  heroines." 

The  nature  of  the  epistle  being  practi- 
cal, and  those  to  whom  it  was  written 
not  being  corrupted  in  their  sentiments, 
much  of  doctrine  by  accurate  exposition 
and  enforcement  is  not  to  be  expected. 
Yet  the  fundamentals  of  godliness  are 
very  manifest:  Salvation  only  by  the 
blood  of  Christ,  the  necessity  of  repent- 
ance in  all  men, — because  all  men  are 
guilty  before  God, — these  great  truths 
he  supposes,  and  builds  on  continually. 
"  Let  us  steadfastly  behold  the  blood  of 
Christ,  and  see  how  precious  it  is  in  the 
sight  of  God,  which  being  slied  for  our 
salvation,  hath  procured  the  Grace  of  Re- 
pentance for  all  the  world." 

And  the  nature  and  necessity  of  lively 
faith,  as  a  principle  of  all  true  goodness 
and  happiness,  and  perfectly  distinct  from 
the  dead  historical  assent,  with  which  it 
is  by  many  so  unhappily  confounded,  is 
well  illustrated  in  the  case  of  Lot's  wife. 
"She  had  another  spirit,  another  heart: 
hence,  she  was  made  a  monument  of  the 
Lord's  indignation,  a  pillar  of  salt  to  this 
day;  that  ail  the  earth  in  all  generations 
may  know,  that  the  double-minded,  who 
stago-cr  at  the  promises  of  God,  and  dis- 
trust  the  power  of  grace  in  unbelief,  shall 
obtain  nothing  of  the  Lord,  but  the  signal 
display  of  his  vengeance." 

The  divine  dignity  and  glory  of  our 
Saviour,  is  well  described  in  these  words : 
"Our  Lord  Jesus  Clirist,  the  Sceptre  of 
the  Majesty  of  God,  came  not  in  the 
pomp  of  arrogance  or  pride ;  for,  notwith- 


standing his  power,  he  was  meek  and 
lowly." 

The  doctrine  of  Election,  in  connexion 
with  holiness,  as  the  Scripture  always 
states  it,  appears  remarkably  distinct  in 
this  epistle.  A  passage  may  properly  be 
introduced  here,  to  show  that  it  was  a 
primitive  doctrine,  and  made  use  of  for 
the  promotion  of  a  holy  life: 

"  Let  us  go  to  him  in  sanctification  of 
heart,  lifting  up  holy  hands  to  him,  in- 
fluenced by  the  love  of  our  gracious  and 
compassionate  Father,  who  liath  made  us 
for  himself  a  portion  of  the  election.  For 
thus  it  is  written,  'When  the  Most  High 
divided  to  the  nations  their  inheritance, 
and  as  it  were  separated  tlie  sons  of 
Adam,  he  set  the  bounds  of  llie  people 
according  to  the  number  of  his  e-'^rvants. 


The  Lord's  portion  is  his  people :  Jacob 
is  the  cord  of  his  inheritance.'  And  in 
another  place  he  says,  '  Behold  the  Lord 
taketh  to  himself  a  nation  from  tlie  midst 
of  the  nations,  as  a  man  taketli  to  himself 
the  first  fruits  of  his  threshing  floor ;  and 
from  that  nation  shall  proceed  the  most 
holy  things.' 

"  Since  therefore  we  are  the  holy  one's 
portion,  let  us  be  careful  to  abound  ia  all 
things  which  appertain  to  holiness."* 

But  the  distinoruishinor  doctrine  of 
Christianity,  without  which  indeed  the 
Gospel  is  a  mere  name,  and  incapable  of 
consoling  sinners,  is  doubtless  justifica- 
tion by  the  Grace  of  Christ  through  faith 
alone.  See  the  following  testimony  to  it 
in  this  author.  It  deserves  to  be  distinct- 
ly remembered,  as  an  unequivocal  proof 
of  the  faith  of  the  primitive  Church. 

"  All  these,"  he  is  speaking  of  the  Old 
Testament  fathers,  "  were  magnified  and 
honoured,  not  through  themselves,  not 
through  their  own  works,  not  tlirough  the 
righteous  deeds  which  they  performed, 
Ijut  through  HIS  will.  And  we  also  by 
his  will  being  called  in  Christ  Jesus,  are 
justified  not  by  ourselves,  nor  by  our 
own  wisdom,  or  understanding,  or  godli- 
ness, or  by  the  works  which  we  have 
wrought  in  holiness  of  heart,  but  by 
FAITH ; — ^by  which  the  Almiglity  hath 
justified  all,  who  are  or  have  been  justified 
from  the  beginning." 

His  quick  perception  of  the  common  ob- 
jection,— whr.t  need  then  of  good  works? 
— liis  ready  answer  to  it,  and  his  manner 
of  stating  the  necessity  of  good  works, 
and  of  placing  them  on  their  proper  basis, 
show  how  deeply  he  had  studied,  and 
how  exquisitely  he  relished  and  felt  St. 


Paul's  doctrines ; 

"But  what  then?  Shall  we  neglect 
good  works'?  Does  it  hence  follow,  that 
we  should  leave  the  law  of  loving  obe- 
dience ?  God  forbid ; — ^let  us  rather  hasten 
with  all  earnestness  of  mind  to  every 
good  work;  for  the  Lord  himself  rejoices 
in  his  works.  Having  such  a  pattern, 
how  strenuously  should  we  follow  his 
will,  and  worlv  the  works  of  righteous- 
ness with  all  our  might." 

The  doctrine  of  the  work  of  the  Spirit 
on  the  heart,  and  of  the  experience  of  his 
consolations  in  the  soul,  which,  in  our 
days,  is  so  generally  charged  with  enthu- 
siasm, appears  from  the  following  pas- 
sasfc : 


Ep.  ad  Cor.  1.  29  sect. 


80 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV. 


"  How  blessed,  how  amazing  the  gifts 
of  God  ;  beloved  !  Life  in  immortality,— 
splendour  in  righteousness, — truth  in  li- 
berty,— faith  in  assurance, — sobriety  in 
holiness !— And  thus  far  in  this  life  we 
know  experimentally.  If  the  earnests  of 
the  Spirit  be  so  precious,  what  must  be 
the  things  which  God  hereafter  hath  pre- 
pared for  them  that  wait  for  him  ]" 

I  forbear  to  produce  his  views  of  the 
resurrection,  and  his  beautiful  manner  of 
supporting  the  doctrine  by  the  analogy  of 
nature,  after  the  manner  of  St.  Paul.  His 
mistake  in  applying  the  story  of  the  Ara- 
bian Phoenix  has  been,  I  think,  too  severe- 
ly censured.  None  in  truth  ought  to  cen- 
sure it  as  a  blemish,  except  those  who 
can  so  much  compliment  their  own  sa- 
gacity, as  to  say,  that  they  in  like  circum- 
stances would  not  have  done  the  same. 
If  the  fact  had  been  true,  it  doubtless 
would  have  afforded  a  happy  illustration 
of  the  doctrine  of  a  resurrection.  The 
story  was  generally  believed  in  his  days. 
That  Clement  believed  it,  is  no  proof  of 
weakness  of  judgment:  and  nobody  con- 
tends, that  his  epistle,  in  the  proper  and 
strict  sense  of  the  word,  is  written  by  in- 
spiration. 

What  men  are  by  nature, — how  dark  and 
miserable ; — what  they  become  by  con- 
verting grace  in  the  renewal  of  the  under- 
standing, is  thus  expressed  :  "  Through 
him,  that  is,  through  Jesus  Christ,  let  us 
behold  the  glory  of  God  shining  in  his 
face  :  Through  him  the  eyes  of  our  hearts 
were  opened  :  Through  him  our  under- 
standing, dark  and  foolish  as  it  was,  rises 
again  into  his  marvellous  light :  Through 
him  the  Lord  would  have  us  to  taste  of 
immortal  knowledge." 

This  epistle  seems  to  come  as  near  to 
apostolical  simplicity,  as  any  thing  we 
have  on  record :  The  illustration  of  its 
spirit  would  show  this  abundantly.  It 
is  difficult  to  do  this  by  single  passages  : 
A  temper  so  heavenly,  meek,  holy,  cha- 
ritable, patient,  yet  fervent,  pious,  and 
humble,  runs  through  the  whole.  The 
following  specimen  deserves  the  reader's 
notice : 

"Christ  is  their's,  who  are  poor  in 
spirit,  and  lift  not  up  themselves  above 
the  flock  ;  but  are  content  to  be  low  in  the 
Church." — "  Let  us  obey  our  spiritual 
pastors,  and  honour  our  elders,  and  let  the 
younger  be  disciplined  in  ^^  le  fear  of  God. 
Let  our  Avives  be  directed  to  what  is  good ; 
to  follow  chastity,  modesty,  meekness, 
sincerity.   Let  them  evidence  their  power 


of  self-government  by  their  silence ;  and 
let  them  show  love,  not  in  the  spirit  of  a 
sect  or  party,  but  to  all  who  fear  God." 
Again,  "  Let  not  the  strong  despise  the 
weak:  and  let  the  weak  reverence  the 
strong.  liCt  the  rich  communicate  to  the 
poor ;  and  let  the  poor  be  thankful  to  God, 
for  those  through  whom  their  wants  are 
supplied.  Let  the  wise  exert  his  wisdom, 
not  merely  in  words,  but  in  good  works. 
Let  the  humble  prove  his  humility,  not 
by  testifying  of  himself  how  humble  he 
is;  but  by  a  conduct  that  may  occasion 
others  to  give  testimony  to  him :  Let  not 
the  chaste  be  proud  of  his  chastity,  know- 
ing that  from  God  he  has  received  the 
gift  of  continency."  "  Have  we  not  all 
one  God,  one  Christ,  one  spirit  of  Grace 
poured  upon  us,  and  one  calling  in  Christ? 
Why  do  we  separate  and  distract  the 
members  of  Christ,  and  fight  against  our 
own  body,  and  arrive  at  such  a  height  of 
madness,  as  to  forget  that  we  are  mem- 
bers one  of  another]" 

"  Is  any  among  you  strong  in  faith, 
mighty  in  knowledge,  gifted  in  utterance, 
judicious  in  doctrines,  and  pure  in  con- 
duct ]  The  more  he  appears  exalted  above 
others,  the  more  need  has  he  to  be  poor 
in  spirit;  and  to  take  care,  that  he  look 
not  to  his  own  things;  but  that  he  study 
to  promote  the  common  good  of  the 
Church." 

"  E  very  one,  whose  heart  has  any  good 
degree  of  the  fear  and  love,  wliich  is  the 
result  of  our  common  hope,  would  rather 
that  he  himself  be  exposed  to  censure 
than  his  neighbours;  and  would  rather 
condemn  himself,  than  break  that  beauti- 
ful bond  of  brotherly  love,  which  is  de- 
livered to  us." 

After  pressing  the  beautiful  example 
of  the  charity  of  Moses  recorded  in  the 
book  of  Exodus,*  he  says,  "  Who  of  you 
has  any  generosity  of  sentiment,  or  bow- 
els of  compassion,  or  fulness  of  level 
Let  him  say,  if  the  strife  and  schism  be  on 
my  account :  I  will  depart,  wherever  you 
please,  and  perform  whatever  the  Church 
shall  require.  Only  let  Christ's  flock 
live  in  peace  with  their  settled  pastors. 
Surely  the  Lord  will  smile  on  such  a  cha- 
racter."]' 


*  Ex.  xxxii. 

f  Sutli  sentiments  as  these,  coming  from  the 
pen  of  a  writer,  wliom  St.  Paul  (4  c-li.  Pliil. 
and  3(1  v.)  describes  as  liis  fellow-labourer, 
and  also  as  one  whose  name  is  in  the  book  ot 
life,  cannot  fail  to  be  grateful  to  every  sound 
and  pious  Christian. 


Cext.  I.] 


REMAINDER  OF  FIRST  CENTURY. 


81 


Heresies 
of  the  first 
Century. 


III.  The  reader  will  not  expect  that  I 
should  solicitously  register  the  names, 
and  record  the  opinions  and 
acts  of  those  who  are  com- 
monly called  heretics.  I  have 
only  to  view  them  in  one  sin- 
gle light,  namely,  as  they  deviated  from 
the  SPIRIT  of  the  Gospel.  Let  us  keep 
in  view  what  that  really  is.  The  simple 
faith  of  Christ  as  the  only  Saviour  of  lost 
sinners,  and  the  effectual  influences  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  recovering  souls  altogether 
depraved  by  sin, — these  are  the  leading 
ideas. 

When  the  effusion  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
first  took  place,  these  things  were  taught 
with  power;  and  no  sentiments,  which 
militated  against  them,  could  be  sup- 
ported for  a  moment.  As,  through  the 
prevalence  of  human  corruption  and  the 
crafts  of  Satan,  the  love  of  the  truth 
was  lessened,  heresies  and  various  abuses 
of  the  Gospel  appeared :  and  in  estimat- 
ing them,  we  may  form  some  idea  of  the 
declension  of  true  religion  toward  the 
end  of  the  century,  which  doubtless  was 
not  confined  to  the  Jewish  Church,  but 
appears,  in  a  measure,  to  have  affected 
tlie  Gentiles  also. 

The  epistolatory  part  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament affords  but  too  ample  proof  of  cor- 
ruptions. The  Apostle  Paul  guards  the 
Romans  against  false  teachers,  one  mark 
of  whose  character  was,  that  "by  good 
words  and  fair  speeches  they  deceive  the 
hearts  of  the  simple."*  Corinth  was 
full  of  evils  of  this  kind.  Their  false 
apostles  transformed  themselves  into  the 
appearance  of  real  ones.  The  Jewish 
corruption  of  self-righteousness,  which 
threatened  the  destruction  of  the  Galatian 
Church,  has  been  distinctly  considered. 
Many  Christians,  so  called,  walked  as  ene- 
mies of  the  cross  of  Christ,  "whose  end 
was  destruction,  whose  god  was  their  bel- 
ly, whose  glory  was  in  their  shame,  who 
minded  earthly  things." f  So  Paul  tells 
the  Philippians,  and  with  tears  of  chari- 
ty.— The  epistle  to  the  Colossians  proves, 
that  pretty  strong  symptoms  of  that  amaz- 
ing mass  of  austerities  and  superstitions 
by  which,  in  after  ages,  the  purity  of  the 
faith  was  so  much  clouded,  and  of  that  self- 
righteousness  which  superseded  men's 
regard  to  the  mediation  of  Jesus  and  the 
glory  of  Divine  Grace,  had  begun  to  dis- 
cover themselves,  even  in  the  Apostles' 
days. 


The  prophecy  of  Antichrist,  in  the  first 
epistle  of  Timothy,  chapter  the  fourth, 
expressly  intimates,  that  its  spirit  had 
already  commenced  by  the  excessive  es- 
teem of  celibacy  and  abstinence.  The 
corrupt  mixtures  of  vain  philosophy  ha,d 
also  seduced  some  from  the  faith.  Under 
the  gradual  increase  of  these  complicated 
evils,  a  meaner  religious  taste  was  form- 
ed, at  least  in  several  churches,  which 
could  even  bear  to  admire  such  injudi- 
cious writers  as  Hermas  and  the  Pseudo- 
Barnabas.* — Peter,  and  Jude,f  have 
graphically  described  certain  horrible  en- 
ormities of  nominal  Christians,  little,  if 
at  all,  inferior  to  the  most  scandalous 
vices  of  the  same  kind  in  these  latter 
ages.  The  spirit  of  schism  we  have  seen 
again  breaking  out  in  the  Church  of  Co- 
rinth.— But  let  us  observe  more  distinctly 
the  HERETICAL  opinio^if  of  the  first  cen- 
tury. 

Ecclesiastical  historians,  who  have 
passed  by  the  most  glorious  scenes  of 
real  Christianity,  liave  yet  with  minute 
accuracy  given  us  the  lists  of  heretics, 
subtilized  by  refined  subdivisions  with- 
out end.  It  seems  more  useful  to  notice 
them,  as  they  stand  contradistinguished 
to  that  FAITH  which  was  once  delivered 
to  the  saints.  TertuUian  reduces  the 
heretics  of  the  apostolic  times  to  two 
classes,  the  Doceta;,  and  the  Ebionites. 
Theodoret  also  gives  the  same  account  of 
them. 

Of  the  instruments  of  Satan  in  these 
things,  Simon,  who  had  been  rebuked  by 
Peter  in  Samaria,  was  the  most  remarka- 
ble ;  he  was  the  father  of  the  Gnostics  or 
Docetaj,  and  of  a  number  of  heretical 
opinions  and  practices  of  the  first  centu- 
ry. However  obscure  the  history  of  Si- 
mon himself  may  be,  the  leading  opin- 
ions of  the  Docetas  are  sufficiently  obvi- 
ous. They  held  that  the  Son  of  God 
had  no  proper  humanity,  and  that  he  died 
on  the  cross  only  in  appearance. — Ce- 
rinthus  allowed  him  a  real  human  nature: 
he  considered  Jesus  as  a  man  born  of 
Joseph  and  Mary;  but  supposed  that 
Christ, — ^whom  yet  all  the  heretics  look- 
ed on  as  properly  inferior  to  the  supreme 
God, — descended  from  heaven,  and  unit- 
ed liimself  to  the  man  Jesus. 

The  Ebonites  were  not  much  different 
from  the  Cerinthians  :  they  removed  the 
appearance  of  mystery  from  the  subject : 
In  general  they  looked  on  Jesus  Christ 


*  Horn,  xvi 


t  Philipp.  iii. 


*  2  Pet. 


t  Jude's  Epistle. 


82 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV. 


as  a  mere  man  born  of  Mary  and  her 
husband,  though  a  man  of  a  most  excel- 
lent character. — Whoever  thinks  it  need- 
ful to  examine  these  thing's  more  nicely, 
may  consult  Irenasus  and  Eusebius:  The 
account  of  Ebion  in  the  latter  is  short, 
but  sufficiently  clear. 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  with 
such  low  ideas  of  the  Redeemer's  person, 
the  Ebionites  denied  the  virtue  of  his 
atoning  blood  ;  and  laboured  to  establish 
justification  by  the  works  of  the  law. 
Their  rejection  of  the  divine  authority  of 
St.  Paul's  epistles,  and  their  accusation 
of  him  as  an  Antinomian,  naturally  arise 
from  their  system.  TertuUian  tells  us, 
that  this  was  a  .Jewish  sect:  and  their 
observance  of  Jewish  rites  makes  his  ac- 
count the  more  credible. 

These  two  heretical  schemes,  the  one 
opposing  the  humanity  of  Christ,  the 
other  annihilating  the  divinity,  were  the 
inventions  of  men  leaning  to  their  own 
understandings,  and  unwilling  to  admit 
the  great  mystery  of  godliness, — "  God 
manifest  in  the  flesh."  The  primitive 
Christians  held,  that  the  Redeemer  was 
both  God  and  man,  equally  possessed  of 
the  real  properties  of  both  natures ;  and 
no  man,  willing  to  take  his  creed  from  the 
New  Testament,  ever  thought  otherwise ; 
the  proofs  of  both  natures  in  one  person, 
Christ  Jesus,  being  abundantly  diffused 
through  the  sacred  books.  One  single 
verse  in  the  ninth  chapter  to  the  Romans,* 
expressing  both,  is  sufficient  to  confound 
all  the  critical  powers  of  heretics :  and 
therefore  on  the  slightest  grounds,  they 
have  been  compelled  to  have  recourse  to 
their  usual  method  of  suspecting  the 
soundness  of  the  sacred  text.  The  only 
real  difficulty  in  this  subject  is,  for  man 
to  be  brought  to  believe,  on  divine  au- 
thority, that  doctrine,  the  grounds  of 
which  we  cannot  comprehend.  Though 
we  have  just  as  good  reason  to  doubt  the 
union  of  soul  and  body  in  man,  from  our 
equal  ignorance  of  the  bond  of  that  union, 
yet  proud  men,  unacquainted  with  the 
internal  misery  and  depravity  of  nature, 
which  renders  a  complete  character,  like 
that  of  Christ,  so  divinely  suitable  to  our 
wants,  and  so  exactly  proper  to  mediate 
between  God  and  man,  soon  discovered 
a  disposition  to  oppose  the  doctrine  of  the 
Incarnation  of  Jesus ;  and,  as  there  were 


*  Verse  5.  Whose  are  the  fatliers,  and 
of  whom,  as  concerning  the  flesh,  Clirist  came, 
who  is  over  all,  God  blessed  forever.    Amen. 


two  ways  of  doing  this — by  taking  away 
either  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  natures — 
we  see  at  once  the  origin  of  the  two  sects 
before  us.  The  doctrine  of  the  atone- 
ment was  opposed  by  both ; — by  the  Do- 
ceta3  in  their  denial  of  the  real  human 
nature  of  Jesus;  and  by  the  Ebionites  in 
their  denial  of  the  Divine  Nature,  which 
stamps  an  infinite  value  on  his  sufferings. 
Such  were  the  perversions  of  the  doc- 
trines of  the  incarnation  and  atonement 
of  the  Son  of  God.  Nor  did  the  doctrine 
of  justification  by  faith  only,  which  St. 
Paul  had  so  strenuously  supported,  es- 
cape a  similar  treatment.  In  all  ages 
this  doctrine  has  been  either  fiercely  op- 
posed, or  basely  abused.  The  epistle  to 
the  Galatians  describes  the  former  treat- 
ment ;  the  epistle  of  Jude  the  latter. — The 
memoirs  of  these  heretics,  short  and  imper- 
fect as  they  are,  inform  us  of  some,  who 
professed  an  extraordinary  degree  of  sanc- 
tity, and  affected  to  be  abstracted  alto- 
gether from  the  flesh,  and  to  live  in  ex- 
cessive abstemiousness.  W^e  find  also 
that  there  were  others,  who,  as  if  to  sup- 
port their  Christian  liberty,  lived  in  sin 
with  greediness,  and  indulged  themselves 
in  all  the  gratifications  of  sensuality. 
Nothing  short  of  a  spiritual  illumination 
and  direction  can  indeed  secure  the  im- 
provement of  the  grace  of  the  Gospel  to 
the  real  interests  of  holiness.  At  this 
day  there  are  persons,  who  think  that  the 
entire  renunciation  of  all  our  own  works 
in  point  of  dependence  must  be  the  de- 
struction of  practical  religion ;  and  they 
are  thence  led  to  seek  salvation  "by 
the  works  of  the  law:"  while  others,  ad- 
mitiino-  in  words  the  grace  of  Jesus 
Christ,  encourage  themselves  m  open  sm. 
A  truly  humbled  frame,  and  a  clear  in- 
sight into  the  beauty  of  holiness,  through 
the  effectual  influence  of  the  Divine  Spi- 
rit, will  teach  men  to  live  a  sanctified 
life  by  the  faith  of  Jesus.  The  Gentile 
converts  by  the  Gnostic  heres)^,  and  the 
Jewish  by  that  of  Ebion,  were  considera- 
bly corrupted  towards  the  close  of  the 
century.  The  latter  indeed  of  these  here- 
sies had  been  gradually  making  progress 
for  some  time.  We  have  seen,  that  the 
object  of  the  first  council  of  Jerusalem 
was  to  guard  men  against  the  imposition 
of  Mosaic  observances,  and  to  teach  them 
to  rely  on  the  grace  of  Christ  for  salva- 
tion. But  self-righteousness  is  a  weed 
of  too  quick  a  growth  to  be  easily  eradi- 
cated. The  Pharisaic  Christians,  we  may 
apprehend,   were  not   immediately    ad- 


Cejjt.  I.] 


EEMAINDER  Ox^  FIRST  CENTURY. 


83 


vanced  to  the  full  size  of  heresy.  But 
when  they  proceeded  to  reject  St.  Paul's 
writings,  we  may  fairly  conclude,  that 
they  fully  rejected  the  article  of  justifica- 
tion.— A  separation  was  made ;  and  the 
Ebionites,  as  a  distinct  body  of  men,  de- 
served the  name  of  heretics. 

St.  Paul  indeed,  who,  with  an  eag-Ie's 
eye,  had  explored  the  growing  evil,  was 
now  no  more  in  the  world.  But  the  Head 
of  the  Church  prolonged  the  life  of  his 
favourite  John  to  the  extreme  age  of  al- 
most a  hundred :  and  his  authority  check- 
ed the  progress  of  heretical  pravity.  He 
resided  much  at  Ephesus,  where  Paul  had 
declared,  thatgievous  wolves  would  make 
their  appearance.  Jerom  says,  that  he 
wrote  his  Gospel  at  the  desire  of  the  bish- 
ops of  Asia,  against  Cerinthus  and  Eb- 
ion.  Indeed  such  expressions  as  these, 
"  the  passover,  a  feast  of  the  Jews," — 
and,  "  that  Sabbath  day  was  a  high  day," 
seem  to  indicate  that  the  Jewish  polity 
was  now  no  more,  it  not  being-  natural  to 
give  such  explications  of  customs,  ex- 
cept to  those,  who  had  no  opportunity  of 
ocular  inspection.  I  cannot  but  think, 
that  Dr.  Lardner,  who  is  no  friend  to  the 
vital  doctrines  of  Christianity,  has  be- 
trayed his  predilection  for  Socinianism, 
in  his  attempts  to  show  that  St.  John  in 
his  Gospel  did  not  intend  to  oppose  any 
particular  heresies.*  In  truth,  there  are 
various  internal  proofs  which  corroborate 
the  testimony  of  Jerom.  The  very  be- 
ginning of  his  Gospel  is  an  authoritative 
declaration  of  the  proper  Deity  of  Jesus 
Christ.  The  attentive  reader  cannot  but 
recollect  various  discourses  to  the  same 
purport :  The  confession  of  Thomas, 
after  his  resurrection,  stands  single  in  St. 
John's  Gospel :  Tlie  particular  pains, 
which  he  takes,  to  assure  us  of  the  real 
death  of  his  Master,  and  of  the  issuing 
of  real  blood  and  water,  from  his  wound- 
ed side,  are  delivered  with  an  air  of  one, 
zealous  to  obviate  the  error  of  the  Do- 
cetaj :  Nor  can  I  understand  his  layincr  so 
great  a  stress  on  Jesus  Christ's  coming 
in  the  fleshf  in  any  other  manner. 

While  this  Apostle  lived,  the  heretics 
were  much  discountenanced.  And  it  is 
certain  that  Gnostics  and  Ebionites  were 
always  looked  on  as  perfectly  distinct 
from  the  Christian  Church.  There  needs 
no  more  evidence  to  prove  this,  than  their 


*  See  his  Supplement  to  tlie  Credibility,  in 
the  liLslnt y  of  St.  John, 
f  1  John  iv. 


arrangement  by  Irenaeus  and  Eusebius 
under  heretical  parties.  Doubtless  they 
called  themselves  Christians  ;  and  so  did 
all  heretics,  for  obvious  reasons  ;  and, 
for  reasons,  equally  obvious,  all,  who 
are  tender  of  the  fundamentals  of  Christ's 
religion,  should  not  owntheir  right  to  the 
appellation.  Before  we  dismiss  them  I 
would  remark, — 

1.  That  it  does  not  appear  by  any  evi- 
dence which  I  can  find,  that  these  men 
were  persecuted  for  their  religion.  Re- 
taining the  Christian  name;  and  yet  glo- 
rifying man's  righteousness,  wisdom,  and 
strength,  "  they  spake  of  the  world,  and 
the  world  heard  them."  The  Apostle 
John  in  saying  this,  had  his  eye,  I  be- 
lieve, on  the  Docetae  particularly.  In  our 
own  times  persons  of  a  similar  stamp 
would  willingly  ingratiate  themselves 
with  real  Christians  ;  and  yet  at  the  same 
time  avoid  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  what- 
ever would  expose  them  to  the  enmity  of 
the  world.  We  have  the  testimony  of 
Justin  Martyr,  that  Simon  was  honoured 
in  the  pagan  world,  even  to  idolatry.* — 
What  stress  is  laid  on  this  circumstance 
in  the  New  Testament,  as  an  evidence  of 
the  characters  of  men  in  religious  con- 
cerns, is  well  known. 

2.  If  it  be  made  an  objection  against 
evangelical  principles,  that  numbers,  who 
profess  them,  have  run  into  a  variety  of 
abuses,  perversions  and  contentions,  we 
have  seen  enough,  even  in  the  first  cen- 
tury, of  the  same  kind  of  evils,  to  convince 
us,  that  such  objections  militate  not 
against  divine  truth,  but  might  have  been 
made  with  equal  force  against  the  apostol- 
ical age. 

3.  A  singular  change  in  one  respect 
has  taken  place  in  the  Christian  world. — 
The  two  heretical  parties  above  described, 
were  not  much  unlike  the  Arians  and  So- 
cinians  at  this  day.  The  former  have, 
radically,  the  same  ideas  as  the  Docetae, 
though  it  would  be  unjust  to  accuse  them 
of  the  Antinomian  abominations  which 
defiled  the  followers  of  Simon  :  The  lat- 
ter are  the  very  counterpart  of  the  Ebi- 
onites. The  Trinitarians  were  then  the 
body  of  the  Church ;  and  so  much  supe- 
rior was  their  influence  and  immbers,  that 
the  other  two  were  treated  as  heretics. — 
At  present  the  two  parties,  who  agree  in 
lessening  the  dignity  of  Christ,  though 
in  an  unequal  manner,  are  carrying  on  a 
vigorous  controversy  against  one  another, 


Apud  Euseb.  B.  ii.  E.  H. 


84 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV. 


while  the  Trinitarians  are  despised  by 
botli  as  unworthy  the  notice  of  men  of 
reason  and  letters.  Serious  and  hurnble 
minds  will,  however,  insist  on  the  neces- 
sity of  our  understanding  that  certain 
fundamental  principles  are  necessary  to 
constitute  the  real  Gospel.  The  Divinity 
of  Christ,  his  atonement, — justification 
by  faith, — regeneration, — these  they  will 
have  observed  to  be  the  principles  of  the 
primitive  Church :  and,  within  this  in- 
closure,  the  whole  of  that  piety  which 
produced  such  glorious  effects  has  been 
confined :  and  it  is  worthy  the  attention 
of  learned  men  to  consider^  whether  the 
same  remark  may  not  be  made  in  all 
ages. 

4.  Thus  have  we  seen  a  more  astonish- 
ing revolution  in  the  human  mind  and  in 
human  manners,  than  ever  took  place  in 
any  age,  effected  without  any  Imman  pow- 
er, legal  or  illegal,  and  even  against  the 
united  opposition  of  all  the  powers  then 
in  the  world,  and  this  too  not  in  countries 
rude  or  uncivilized,  but  in  the  most  hu- 
manized, the  most  learned,  and  the  most 
polished  part  of  .the  globe, — within  the 
Roman  empire,  no  part  of  which  was  ex- 
empted from  a  sensible  share  in  its  ef- 
fects.— ^This  empire,  within  the  first  cen- 
tury at  least,  seems  to  have  been  the  pro- 
per limit  of  Christian  conquests.* 

If  an  infidel  or  sceptic  can  produce  any 
thing  like  this,  effected  by  Mahometan- 
ism  or  by  any  other  religion  of  the  hu- 
man invention,  he  may  then  with  some 
plausibility  compare  those  religions  with 
Christianity :  But,  as  the  Gospel  stands 
unrivalled  in  its  manner  of  subduing  the 
minds  of  men, — the  argument  for  its  di- 
vinity, from  its  propagation  in  the  world, 
will  remain  invincible. 

And,  surely,  every  dispassionate  ob- 
server must  confess,  that  the  chansre  was 
from  BAD  to  GOOD.  No  man  will  venture 
to  sajr,  that  the  religious  and  moral  prin- 
ciples of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  before  their 
conversion  to  Christianity,  were  good. — 
The  idolatries,  abominations,  and  ferocity 


*  Indeed,  that  France  had  9.ny  sliare  in  the 
blessings  of  the  Gosijel  witliin  this  century, 
can  only  he  inferred  from  the  knowledge  we 
have,  that  it  was  introduced  into  Spain.  Whe- 
ther our  own  country  was  evangelized  at  all 
ia  this  century,  is  very  doubtful.  Nor  can  we 
be  cei-tain  that  any  ministers  as  yet  had  passed 
into  Africa.  The  assertion,  therefore,  that 
the  Gospel  had  spread  through  the  Roman 
empire,  must  be  understood  with  a  few  excep- 
tions, though  I  think  scarcely  any  more  than 
those  which  have  been  raenlioaed. 


of  the  Gentile  world  will  be  allowed  to 
have  been  not  less  than  they  are  described 
in  the  first  chapter  to  the  Romans :  and  the 
writings  of  Horace  and  Juvenal  wiU 
prove,  that  the  picture  is  not  exaggerated. 
The  extreme  wickedness  of  the  Jews 
is  graphically  deliniated  by  their  own 
historian,  and  is  neither  denied  nor  doubt- 
ed by  any  one.  What  but  the  influence 
of  God,  and  an  effusion  of  his  Holy  Spi- 
rit,— the  first  of  the  kind  since  the  com- 
ing of  Christ,  and  the  measure  and  stand- 
ard for  regulating  our  views  of  all  suc- 
ceeding ones, — can  account  for  such  a 
change  1  From  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
and  their  Epistles,  I  have  drawn  the 
greatest  part  of  the  narrative ;  but  the 
little  that  has  been  added  from  other 
sources  is  not  heterogeneous. — Here  are 
thousands  of  men  turned  from  the  practice 
of  every  wickedness  to  the  practice  of 
every  virtue :  many,  very  suddenly,  or  at 
least  in  a  short  space  of  time,  reformed  in 
understanding,  in  inclination,  in  affection ; 
knowing,  loving,  and  confiding  in  God  ; 
from  a  state  of  mere  selfishness  converted 
into  the  purest  philanthropists  :  living 
only  to  please  God  and  to  exercise  kind- 
ness toward  one  another ;  and  all  of  them, 
recovering  really,  what  philosophy  only 
pretended  to, — the  dominion  of  reason  over 
passion  :  unfeignedly  subject  to  their  Ma- 
ker ;  rejoicing  in  his  favour  amidst  the  se- 
verest sufferings  :  and  serenely  waiting 
for  their  dismission  into  a  land  of  blissful 
immortality.  That  all  this  must  be  of  God, 
is  demonstrative  :  but  the  important  infer- 
ence, which  teaches  the  divine  authority 
of  Christ,  and  the  wickedness  and  dan- 
ger of  despising,  or  even  neglecting  him, 
is  not  always  attended  to  by  those  who 
are  most  concerned  in  it. 

But  the  Christian  Church  was  not  yetia 
possession  of  any  external  dignity  or  po- 
litical importance.  No  one  nation  as  yet 
was  Christian,  though  thousailds  of  in- 
dividuals were  so  ; — but  those  chiefly  of 
the  middling  and  lower  ranks.  The  mo- 
dern improvements  of  civil  society  have 
taught  men,  however,  that  these  are  the 
strenofth  of  a  nation ;  and  that  whatever 
is  praiseworthy  is  far  more  commonly 
diffused  among  them,  than  among  the 
noble  and  great.  In  the  present  age  then 
it  should  be  no  disparagement  to  the 
character  of  the  first  Christians,  that  the 
Church  was  chiefly  composed  of  persons 
too  low  in  life,  to  be  of  any  weight  in  the 
despotic  systems  of  government  which 
then  prevailed.    We  have  seen  one  per- 


Ck>-t.  I.] 


REMAINDER  OF  FIRST  CENTURY. 


85 


son*  of  uncommon  genius  and  endow- 
ments, and  twof  belonging  to  tlie  Impe- 
rial family,  but  scarcely  any  more,  either 
of  rank  or  learning,  connected  with  Chris- 
tianit)^  We  ought  not  then  to  be  sur- 
prised, that  Christians  are  so  little  no- 
ticed by  Tacitus  and  Josephus :  These 
historians  are  only  intent  on  sublunary 
and  general  politics  ;  they  give  no  atten- 
tion even  to  the  eternal  welfare  of  indi- 
viduals.— Nor  is  this  itself  a  slight  ex- 
emplification of  the  genius  of  that  reli- 
gion, which  is  destined  to  form  men  for 
the  next  life,  and  not  for  this. 

In  doctrines  the  primitive  Christians 
agreed :    They   all   worshipped   the  one 
living   and    true    God,    who 
Doctrines      made  himself  known  to  them 
°^}^^  .  in  three  persons.  Father,  .Son, 

ChrTs-'^^  and  Holy  Ghost:  Each  of 
tians.  these  they  were  taug-ht  to  wor- 

ship by  the  very  office  of  bap- 
tism performed  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost : — And  the 
whole  economy  of  grace  so  constantly  re- 
minded them  of  their  obligations  to  the 
Father  who  chose  them  to  salvation,  to 
the  Saviour  who  died  for  them,  and  to  the 
Comforter  who  supported  and  sanctified 
them,  and  was  so  closely  connected  with 
their  experience  and  practice,  that  they 
■were  perpetually  incited  to  worship  the 
Divine  Three  in  One.  They  all  concur- 
red in  feeling  conviction  of  sin,  of  help- 
lessness, of  a  state  of  perdition:  in  rely- 
ing on  the  atoning  blood,  perfect  righte- 
ousness, and  prevalent  intercession  of 
Jesus,  as  their  only  hope  of  heaven.  Re- 
generation by  the  Holy  Ghost  was  their 
common  privilege,  and  without  his  con- 
stant influence  they  owned  themselves 
obnoxious  only  to  sin  and  vanity.  Their 
community  of  goods,  and  their  love 
feasts,:j:  though  discontinued  at  length, — 
probably  because  found  impracticable, — 
demonstrated  their  superlative  charity 
andheavenly-mindedness. — Yet  a  gloomy 
cloud  hung  over  the  conclusion  of  the 
first  century. 

The  first  impressions  made  b)''  the  ef- 
fusion of  the  Spirit  are  generally  the 
strongest  and  the  most  decisively  distinct 
from  the  spirit  of  the  world.     But  human 


*  Paul.  +  Clemens  and  Domitilla. 

:|:  See  Jude's  Epistle. 

Vol.  I.  H 


depravity,  overborn  for  a  time,  arises 
afresh,  particularly  in  the  next  generation. 
Hence  the  disorders  of  schism  and  heresy. 
Their  tendency  is  to  destroy  the  pure 
work  of  God.  The  first  Christians,  with 
the  purest  charity  to  the  persons  of  here- 
tics, gave  their  errors  no  quarter;  but 
discountenanced  them  by  every  reasona- 
ble method. 

The  heretics,  on  the  contrary,  endea- 
voured to  unite  themselves  with  Chris- 
tians. If  the  same  methods  be  at  this 
day  continued  ; — If  the  heretic  endeavour 
to  promote  his  false  religion  by  pretended 
charity,  and  the  Christians  stand  aloof 
from  him,  without  dreading  the  charge  of 
bigotry,  each  act  in  character,  as  their 
predecessors  did.  The  heretics  by  weak- 
ening mien's  attachment  to  Christ,  and 
the  schismatics  by  promoting  a  worldly 
and  uncharitable  spirit,  each  did  consider- 
able mischief;  but  it  was  the  less,  be- 
cause Christians  carefully  kept  them- 
selves distinct  from  heretics,  and  thus 
set  limits  to  the  infection. 

It  has  been  of  unspeakable  detriment 
to  the  Christian  religion,  to  conceive  that 
all  who  profess  it,  are  believers  of  it, 
properly  speaking.  Whereas  very  many 
are  Christians  in  name  only,  never  attend- 
ing to  the  NATURE  of  the  Gospel  at  all. 
Not  a  few  glory  in  sentiments  subversive 
of  its  genius  and  spirit.  And  there  are 
still  more  who  go  not  so  far  in  opposition 
to  godliness ;  yet,  by  making  light  of  the 
whole  work  of  Grace  on  the  heart,  they 
are  found,  on  a  strict  examination,  to  be 
as  decidedly  void  of  true  Christianity. 
We  have  seen  the  first  Christians  indi- 
vidually converted  :  and,  as  human  na- 
ture needs  the  same  change  still,  the  par- 
ticular instances  of  conversion  described 
in  the  Acts  are  models  for  us  at  this  day. 
National  conversions  were  then  unknown ; 
nor  has  the  term  any  proper  meaning. 
But  when  whole  countries  are  supposed 
to  become  Christians  merely  because 
they  are  so  termed ;  when  conversion  of 
heart  is  kept  out  of  sight ;  and  when  no 
spiritual  fruits  are  expected  to  appear  in 
practice ; — when  such  ideas  grow  fash- 
ionable, opposite  characters  are  blended 
with  each  other ;  the  form  of  the  Gospel 
stands,  and  its  power  is  denied. — But  let 
us  not  anticipate  ; — These  scenes  appear- 
ed not  in  the  first  century. 


86 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


CENTURY   II. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE    HISTORY    OF    CHRISTIANS   DURING 
THE    REIGN    OF    TRAJAN. 

The  master  of  the  Roman  world  in  the 
beginning  of  this  century  was  the  renown- 
ed Trajan.  His  predecessor  Nerva  had 
restored  the  Christian  exiles,  and  granted 
a  full  toleration  to  the  Church.  Hence 
the  last  of  the  Apostles  had  recovered  his 
station  at  Ephesus,  and  slept  in  the  Lord, 
before  the  short  interval  of  tranquillity 
was  closed  by  the  persecuting  spirit  of 
Trajan.  Whatever  explication  may  be 
given  or  conjectured  of  the  cause  of  his 
dislike  of  Christians,  he  had  a  confirmed 
prejudice  against  them,  and  meditated»the 
extinction  of  the  name :  nor  does  it  ap- 
pear that  he  ever  changed  his  sentiments, 
or  retracted  his  edicts  against  them. 

There  is  an  account  of  his  persecution 
The  3d  '"    ^^^   correspondence   with 

Persecu-  PHny  the  governor  of  Bithy- 
tion  of  the  nia,  a  character  well  known 
Chris-  in  classical  history.    The  two 

epistles  between  the  emperor 
and  the  governor  deserve  to 
be  transcribed  at  length  :* 
they  seem  to  have  been  written  in  106  or 
107.t 

C,  Pliny  to  Trajan  Empercyr. 
"  Health. — It  is  my  usual  custom.  Sir, 
to  refer  all  things,  of  which  I  harbour 
.,  any  doubts,  to  you.     For  who 

leiter  to  ^^"  better  direct  my  judgment 
Trajan.  ^"  '^^  hesitation,  or  instruct 

my  understanding  in  its  igno- 
rance ]  I  never  had  the  fortune  to  be  pre- 
sent at  any  examination  of  Christians,  be- 
fore I  came  into  this  province.  I  am 
therefore  at  a  loss,  to  determine  what  is 
the  usual  object  either  of  inquiry  or  of  pun- 
ishment, and  to  what  length  either  of  them 
is  to  be  carried.  It  has  also  been  with 
me  a  question  very  problematical, — 
whether  any  distinction  should  be  made 

*  Pliny's  Epistles,  x.  97,  98. 

t  Or  perhaps  in  102  or  103  of  the  vulgar  rera. 
The  reader  will  do  well  to  keep  in  mind,  that 
many  disagreements  in  chronology  are  account- 
ed for  hy  considering  that  the  Birth  of  our 
Saviour  is  placed  by  some  of  the  best  chrono- 
logers  four  years  before  our  vulgar  »ra. 


tians  : 
A.  D. 106 
or  107. 


between  the  young  and  the  old,  the  ten- 
der and  the  robust ; — whether  any  room 
should  be  given  for  repentance,  or  the 
guilt  of  Christianity  once  incurred  is  not 
to  be  expiated  by  the  most  unequivocal 
retractation ; — whether  the  name  itself,  ab- 
stracted from  any  flagitiousness  of  con- 
duct, or  the  crimes  connected  with  the 
name,  be  the  object  of  punishment.  In 
the  mean  time  this  has  been  my  method, 
with  respect  to  those  who  were  brought 
before  me  as  Christians.  I  asked  them, 
whether  they  were  Christians :  if  they 
pleaded  guilty,  I  interrogated  them  twice 
afresh,  with  a  menace  of  capital  punish- 
ment. In  case  of  obstinate  perseverance, 
I  ordered  them  to  be  executed.  For  of 
this  I  had  no  doubt,  whatever  was  the 
nature  of  their  religion,  that  a  sullen  and 
obstinate  inflexibility  called  for  the  ven- 
geance of  the  magistrate.  Some  were  in- 
fected with  the  same  madness  whom,  on 
account  of  their  privilege  of  citizenship, 
I  reserved  to  be  sent  to  Rome,  to  be  re- 
ferred to  your  tribunal.  In  the  course  of 
this  business,  informations  pouring  in,  as 
is  usual  when  they  are  encouraged,  more 
cases  occurred.  An  anonymous  libel  was 
exhibited,  with  a  catalogue  of  names  of 
persons,  who  yet  declared,  that  they  were 
not  Christians  then,  or  ever  had  been  ;  and 
they  repeated  after  me  an  invocation  of  the 
gods  and  ofyourimage,which,  for  this  pur- 
pose, I  had  ordered  to  be  brought  with 
the  images  of  the  deities  :  They  perform- 
ed sacred  rites  with  wine  and  frankin- 
cense, and  execrated  Christ, — none  of 
which  things  I  am  told  a  real  Christian 
can  ever  be  compelled  to  do.  On  this 
account  I  dismissed  them.  Others  named 
by  an  informer,  first  affirmed,  and  then 
denied  the  charge  of  Christianity ;  de- 
claring that  they  had  been  Christians,  but 
had  ceased  to  be  so,  some  three  years  ago, 
others  still  longer,  some  even  twenty 
years  ago.  All  of  them  worshipped  your 
image,  and  the  statues  of  the  gods,  and 
also  execrated  Christ.  And  this  was  the 
account  which  they  gave  of  the  nature  of 
the  religion  they  once  had  professed, 
whether  it  deserves  the  name  of  crime  or 
error, — namely — that  they  were  accus- 
tomed on  a  stated  day  to  meet  before  day- 
light, and  to  repeat  among  themselves  a 


Cbnt.  II.] 


DURING  THE  REIGN  OF  TRAJAN. 


87 


hymn  to  Christ  as  to  a  orod,  and  to  bind 
themselves  by  an  oath,  with  an  obligation 
of  not  committing'  any  wickedness; — but 
on  the  contrary,  of  abstaining  from  thefts, 
robberies,  and  adulteries  ; — also,  of  not 
violating  their  promise,  or  denying  a 
pledge  ; — after  which  it  was  their  custom 
to  separate,  and  to  meet  again  at  a  pro- 
miscuous harmless  meal,  from  which  last 
practice  they  however  desisted,  after  the 
publication  of  my  edict,  in  which,  agreea- 
bly to  your  orders,  I  forbad  any  socie- 
ties of  that  sort.  On  which  account  I 
judged  it  the  more  necessary,  to  inquire 
Bv  TORTURE,  from  two  females,  who  were 
said  to  be  deaconesses,  what  is  the  real 
truth.  But  nothino-  could  I  collect,  ex- 
cept  a  depraved  and  excessive  supersti- 
tion. Deferring  therefore  any  farther  in- 
vestigation, I  determined  to  consult  ycu. 
For  the  number  of  culprits  is  so  great,  as 
to  call  for  serious  consultation.  Many 
persons  are  informed  against  of  every  age 
and  of  both  sexes;  and  more  still  will  be 
in  the  same  situation.  The  conuigion 
of  the  superstition  hath  spread  not  only 
through  cities,  but  even  villagfes  and  the 
country.  Not  that  I  think  it  impossible 
to  check  and  to  correct  it.  The  success 
of  my  endeavours  hitherto  forbids  such 
desponding  thoughts :  for  the  temples, 
once  almost  desolate,  begin  to  be  frequent- 
ed, and  the  sacred  solemnities,  which  had 
long  been  intermitted,  are  now  attended 
afresh  ;  and  the  sacrificial  victims  are  now 
sold  every  where,  which  once  could  scarce- 
ly find  a  purchaser.  Whence  I  conclude, 
that  many  might  be  reclaimed,  were  the 
hope  of  impunity,  on  repentance,  abso- 
lutely confirmed." 

Trajan  to  Pliny. 

"  You  have  done  perfectly  right,  my 
dear  Pliny,  in  the  inquiry  which  you  have 
made  concerning  Christians.  For  truly 
no  one  general  rule  can  be  laid  down, 
which  will  apply  itself  to  all  cases.  These 
people  must  not  be  sought  after  : — If  they 
are  brought  before  you  and  convicted,  let 
them  be  capitally  punished,  yet  with  this 
restriction,  that  if  any  one  renounce  Chris- 
tianity, and  evidence  his  sincerity  by  sup- 
plicating our  gods,  however  suspected  he 
may  be  for  the  past,  he  shall  obtain  par- 
don for  the  future,  on  his  repentance. 
But  anonymous  libels  in  no  case  ought  to 
be  attended  to;  for  the  precedent  would  be 
of  the  worst  sort,  and  perfectly  incongru- 
ous to  the  maxims  of  my  government." 

The  moral  character  of  Pliny  is  one  of 


the  most  amiable  in  all  pagan  authority; 
yet  does  it  appear,  that  he  joined  with  his 
master  Trajan  in  his  hatred  of  Christians. 
In  the  course  of  this  history,  many  in- 
stances of  the  same  kind  will  occur. 
Trajan's  character  is  doubtless  much  infe- 
rior to  Pliny's ; — it  is  indeed  illustrious 
by  reason  of  great  talents,  and  great  ex- 
ploits ;  but  by  the  testimony  of  Dio,  Spar- 
tian,  and  Julian,  stained  with  flagrant 
vices;*  and,  as  is  generally  confessed, 
tarnished  by  an  extravagant  ambition. 
But  how  is  it  to  be  accounted  for,  that 
men,  who  seem  enamoured  with  the  beau- 
ty of  virtue,  should  turn  from  it  with 
perfect  disgust,  and  even  persecute  it 
with  rancour,  when  it  appears  in  the  most 
genuine  colours?  Let  those  who  imagine 
such  men  as  Pliny  to  be  good  and  virtu- 
ous in  the  proper  sense  of  the  words,  try 
to  solve  this  phenomenon  on  their  own 
principles.  On  those  of  the  real  Gospel, 
the  question  is  not  hard  to  be  determined. 
Admitting;-  that  Plinv  migrht  at  first  be 
prejudiced  against  Christians  from  mis- 
representation, how  happens  it,  that  he 
continues  so  after  better  information,  even 
when  he  is  convinced  that  no  moral  evil 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Christians  of  Bithy- 
nia,  that  their  meetings  are  peaceable,  and 
the  ends  aimed  at  by  them,  not  only  in- 
nocent, l)ut  laudable?  The  truth  is,  vir- 
tue in  Pliny's  writings,  and  virtue  in  St. 
Paul's,  mean  not  the  same  thing.  For 
humility,  the  basis  of  a  Christian's  vir- 
tue, the  Pagan  has  not  even  a  name  in  his 
language.  The  glory  of  God  is  the  end 
of  virtue  in  the  system  of  one, — his  own 
glory  is  the  end  of  virtue  in  the  system 
of  the  other.  The  Christians  of  Bithy- 
nia  would  be  able  to  give  the  severe  in- 
quisitor "a  reason  of  the  hope  that  was 
in  them  with  meekness  and  fear,"  and 
then  suffering  according  to  the  will  of 
God,  to  commit  the  keeping  of  their  souls 
to  him  in  well  doing,  as  to  a  faithful  Crea- 
tor. Tliese  and  other  precious  sentiments 
in  >St.  Peter's  first  epistle,  which  was  ad- 
dressed to  some  of  their  fathers,  possibly 
to  some  of  themselves  then  alive,  would 
now  be  rememljered  with  peculiar  force. 
A  vain-glorious  mind  like  Pliny's,  elated 
with  conscious  rectitude,  would  scorn  to 
hear  of  being  saved  by  the  atoning  blood 
of  Jesus,  would  not  believe  the  represen- 
tation of  human  nature  which  the  Chris- 
tians would  give  him,  and  would  prefer 
his  own  reason  before  the  instniction  of 


*  See  Larduer's  Collections,  v.  ii,  c. 


88 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


the  Holy  Spirit.  Had  he  been,  like  Ci- 
cero, deeply  tinged  with  the  academical 
philosophy  of  Greece,  like  him  he  would 
have  gloried  in  sceptical  ambiguity,  or 
have  inclined  to  the  atheistic  views,  to 
which  most  of  the  old  philisophers  were 
devoted.  But  as  he  seems  to  have  imi- 
tated him,  rather  in  his  passion  for  orato- 
rical glory,  than  in  his  philosophical 
spirit,  he  rested  in  the  vulgar  creed,  high- 
ly absurd  as  it  was,  and  preferred  it  to 
the  purest  dictates  of  Christianity.  The 
former  thwarted  not  his  pride  and  las 
lusts:  the  latter  required  the  humiliation 
of  the  one,  and  the  mortification  of  the 
other. 

In  all  ages,  men  even  of  amiable  mo- 
rals, if  destitute  of  true  holiness,  are  ene- 
mies of  the  Gospel.  We  here  see  the 
true  reason  of  this  enmity;  which  is  not 
capable  of  being  abated  by  argument:  for 
if  that  had  been  the  case,  Pliny  might 
have  seen  the  iniquity  of  his  proceedings. 
To  call  a  thing  madness  and  depraved 
superstition,  on  the  face  of  which  he  sees 
much  good  and  no  evil,  is  the  height  of 
unreasonableness.  But  it  is  practised  by 
many  at  this  day,  who  call  themselves 
Christians,  and  yet  are  really  as  averse 
to  the  Gospel  as  Pliny  was.  Now  if  we 
were  not  willing  to  be  deceived  by  mere 
names,  but  would  enter  into  the  spirit  of 
things,  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  under- 
stand, who  they  are  that  resemble  Pliny, 
and  who  they  are  that  resemble  the  Chris- 
tians of  Bithynia. 

In  fact,  as  there  are  now,  so  there  were 
then,  persons,  who  worshipped  Christ  as 
their  God,  who  loved  one  another  as  bre- 
thren united  in  him :  men  who  derived 
from  his  influence  support  under  the  se- 
verest pressures  :  who  were  calumniated 
by  others :  who  were  treated  as  silly  peo- 
ple, on  account  of  that  humble  and  self- 
denying  spirit,  by  which  they  kept  up 
communion  with  their  Saviour  on  earth ; 
and  who  expected  to  enjoy  him  in  hea- 
ven. It  was  not  the  fault  of  Trajan  and 
Pliny,  that  such  principles  were  not  ex- 
terminated from  the  earth.  They  hated 
the  men  and  their  religion. 

The  difference  between  the  persecutors 
and  the  sufferers  is  remarkable  with  re- 
spect to  the  spirit  of  politics.  The  reli- 
gion of  Trajan  was  governed  by  this 
spirit :  And  his  minister  thinks  it  needful 
to  force  men  to  follow  the  pagan  religion, 
whether  they  believed  it  to  be  right  or 
not.  Persecuting  edicts  appear  to  have 
been  in  force  against  Christians  before 


the  correspondence  which  we  have  seen ; 
and  Nerva's  toleration  seems  to  have 
ceased.  But  the  Christians  showed,  that 
their  Master's  kingdom  was  not  of  this 
world  :  They  were  meek  and  passive,  as 
Christ  himself  had  been,  and  as  Peter 
had  exhorted  them  to  be.  Their  number 
was  very  large  in  Bithynia,  capable  sure- 
ly of  raising  a  rebellion  troublesome  to 
the  state ;  and  they  would  have  done  so, 
if  their  spirits  had  been  as  turbulent  as 
those  of  many  pretended  Christians. — 
"  But  they  were  subject  not  only  for 
wrath,  but  also  for  conscience'  sake." 
If  there  had  been  the  least  suspicion  of  a 
seditious  spirit  among  them,  Pliny  must 
have  mentioned  it;  and  their  discontinu- 
ance of  their  feasts  of  charity,  after  they 
found  them  disagreeable  to  government, 
is  a  proof  of  their  loyal  and  peaceable 
temper. 

In  Asia,  Arrius  Antoninus  persecuted 
them  with  extreme  fury.  I  am  not  cer- 
tain whether  Jais  persecution  belongs  to 
the  reign  of  Trajan;  but  as  there  was  an 
Antoninus  very  intimate  with  Pliny,  the 
following  story  of  him,  from  Tertullian,* 
may  not  improperly  be  introduced  here. 
The  whole  body  of  Christians,  wearied 
with  constant  hardships,  presented  them- 
selves before  his  tribunal:  He  ordered  a 
few  of  them  to  execution,  and  said  to  the 
rest,  "  Miserable  people,  if  you  choose 
death,  you  may  find  precipices  and  hal- 
ters enow." — I  am  willing  to  believe  that 
the  Christians  hoped  to  disarm  the  per- 
secutor by  the  sight  of  their  numbers. 

One  of  the  most  venerable  characters 
at  this  time  was  Simeon,  bishop  of  Jeru- 
salem, the  successor  of  St.  James.  Jeru- 
salem indeed  was  no  more,  but  the  Church 
still  existed  in  some  part  of  Judea.  Some 
heretics  accused  him,  as  a  Christian,  be- 
fore Atticus  the  Roman  governor.  He 
was  then  a  hundred  and  twenty  years 
old,  and  was  scourged  many  days.  The 
persecutor  was  astonished  at  his  hardi- 
ness; but  not  moved  with  pity  for  his 
sufl'erings : — at  last  he  ordered  him  to  be 
crucified. f 

It  was  in  the  year  107,  that  Ignatius, 
bishop  of  Antioch,  was  martyred  for  the 
faith  of  Jesus.     On  the  death  of  Euodius, 
abouttheyear  70,he  had  been     ^  j^   j^^ 
appointed  in  his  room  by  the 
Apostles  who  were  then  alive,     jj^^^^f" 
He  governed  the  Church  dur-     icrnatius. 
ing  this  long  period  :  Nor  was 


Ad.  Scapul.  C.  ult.     f  Euseb.B.  iii.  c.  29. 


Cent.  II.] 


DURING  THE  REIGN  OF  TRAJAN. 


89 


it  a  small  indication  of  the  continued 
grace  of  God  to  that  city,  to  have  been 
blessed  so  long  with  such  a  luminary. 
We  must  be  content  with  the  short  cha- 
racter given  of  his  ministry  in  the  Acts 
of  Ignathis,  a  piece  of  martyrology  first 
published  in  1647  by  Archbishop  Usher, 
from  two  old  manuscripts  which  have 
stronger  marks  of  credibility  than  is  usual 
in  such  compositions. 

"  He  was  a  man  in  all  things  like  to 
the  Apostles.  As  a  good  governor,  by 
the  helm  of  prayer  and  fasting,  by  the 
constancy  of  his  doctrine  and  spiritual  la- 
bour, he  opposed  himself  to  the  floods  of 
the  adversary:  he  was  like  a  divine  lamp 
illuminating  the  hearts  of  the  faithful  by 
his  exposition  of  the  Holy  Scriptures: 
and  lastly,  to  preserve  his  Church,  he 
scrupled  not  freely  to  expose  himself  to  a 
bitter  death."  These  Acts  were  compiled 
by  those  who  went  with  him  from  Anti- 
och,  and  were  eye-witnesses  of  his  suf- 
ferings.* 

Ambition  and  the  lust  of  power  were 
not  stronger  features  in  the  character  of 
Caesar,  than  the  desire  of  martyrdom  was 
in  that  of  Ignatius.  Divine  Providence 
however  preserved  him  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Church  during  the  persecution  of  Do- 
mitian,  and  reserved  him  to  the  time  of 
Trajan.  This  prince  being 
come  to  Antioch  about  the 
tenth  year  of  his  reign,  in  the 
year  107,  in  his  way  to  the 
Parthian  war,  Ignatius,  fear- 
ing for  the  Christians,  and  hoping  to  avert 
the  storm  by  offering  himself  to  suffer  in 
their  stead,  came  voluntarily  into  the  pre- 
sence of  Trajan.  I  shall  deliver  the  con 
ference,  as  it  stands  in  the  Acts  of  Igna- 
tius,— a  monument  of  false  glory  shroud- 
ing itself  under  superstition  and  igno- 
rance, on  the  one  hand ;  and  of  true  glory, 
supported  by  the  faith  and  hope  of  Jesus, 
on  the  other. 

Being  introduced  into  the  emperor's 
presence,  he  was  thus  addressed  by  Tra- 
jan.]" What  an  impious  spirit  art  thou, 
both  to  transgress  our  com- 
mands, and  to  inveigle  others 
into  the  same  folly,  to  their 
mini       Ignatius     answered. 


Trajan 
comes  to 
Ant'och: 

A.  D.  107. 


Ignatius 
examined 
by  Trajan. 


*  Wake's  Epistles. 

t  See  the  Acts  of  Ignatius;  and  the  Preface 
of  the  Life  of  Itjnatius  prefixed  to  a  Tragedy 
written  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  GHmbold,  which  re- 
presents the  spirit  of  primitive  Christianity. 
The  tragedy,  considered  as  a  composition,  is 
h2 


Theophorus  ought  not  to  be  called  so; 
forasmuch  as  all  wicked  spirits  are  de- 
parted far  from  the  servants  of  God.    But 
if  you  call  me  impious  because  I  am  hos- 
tile to  evil  spirits,  I  own  the  charge  in 
that  respect.     For  I   dissolve   all   their 
snares,  through  the   inward  support   of 
Christ  the  heavenly  King. — Traj.  Pray, 
who  is  Theophorus'? — Ign.  He  who  has 
Christ  in  his  breast. — Traj.  And  thinkest 
thou  not  that  gods  reside  in  us  also,  who 
fight  for  us  against  our  enemies? — Ign. 
You  mistake  in  calling  the  demons  of  the 
nations  by  the  name  of  gods.     For  there 
is  only  one  God,  who  made  heaven  and 
earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  is  in  them; 
and  ONE  Jesus  Christ,  his  only  begotten 
Son,  whose  kingdom  be  my  portion  I — 
Traj.  His  kingdom  do  you  say,  who  was 
crucified  under  Pilate] — Ign.  His,  who 
crucified  my  sin  with  its  author;  and  has 
put  all  the  fraud  and   malice  of  Satan 
under  the  feet  of  those  who  carry  him  in 
their  heart. — Traj.  Dost  thou  then  carry 
him  who  was  crucified  within  thee? — 
Ign.  I  do;  for  it  is  written;  "  I  dwell  in 
them,  and  walk  in  them."     Then  Trajan 
pronounced  this   sentence   against  him : 
"  Since  Ignatius  confesses,  that  he  carries 
within  himself  him  that  was  crucified,  we 
command,  that  he  be  carried  bound  by 
soldiers  to  Great  Rome,  there  to  be  thrown 
to  the  wild  beasts,  for  the  entertainment 
of  the  people." 

The  learned  Scaliger  was  puzzled  to  con- 
ceive what  could  induce  Trajan  to  order 
his  being  sent  so  long  a  journey  for  execu- 
tion. It  might  seem  more  natural  for  him 
to  have  directed  that  he  should  suffer  in 
the  view  of  his  own  flock,  in  order  to 
deter  them  from  Christianity.  But  Tra- 
jan might  think  the  example  much  more 
striking  and  extensive,  by  using  the 
method  which  he  took.  At  any  rate, 
Providence  undoubtedly  displayed,  in 
this  way,  much  more  abundantly  the  ho- 
nours of  the  cross,  as  will  appear  by  what 
follows. — The  doctrine  of  Union  with 
Christ  by  faith,  now  so  much  ridiculed, 
appears  here  in  its  full  glory  :  And  if  ever 
we  be  called  to  scenes  like  these,  we 
shall  feel  the  need  of  it  strongly,  and  be 
sensible  of  the  impotence  of  those  schemes 
of  mere  human  invention,  which  are  often 
substituted  in  its  room.  Only  Christ 
within  can  support  the  heart  in  the  hour 
of  severe  trial:  The  boasted  moral  virtue 


unequal;  but  it  contains  many  beautiful  pas- 


90 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chip.  I. 


of  proud  philosophers  is  radically  defec- 
tive and  unsound. 

The  scene  before  us  is  august;  and  the 
state  of  Christendom  at  that  time  is  much 
illustrated  by  it.  The  seven  epistles  of 
this  great  man,  undoubtedly  genuine  as 
they  are,  and  accurately  distinjruished 
from  all  corrupt  interpolations,*  will  come 
in  aid  to  the  Acts  of  his  martyrdom  :  By 
them  he  being  dead,  yet  speaketh;  and 
what  the  Gospel  can  do  for  men,  who 
really  believe  it,  and  feel  the  energy  of 
the  Spirit  of  its  divine  Author,  has  not 
often  Ijeen  more  illustriously  displayed. 

From  Antioch  he  w^as  hurried  by  his 
guards  to  vSeleucia:  Sailing  thence,  after 
great  fatigue,  he  arrived  at  Smyrna. 
While  the  ship  remained  in  port,  he  was 
allowed  the  pleasure  of  visiting  Polycarp, 
who  was  bishop  of  the  Christians  there. 
They  had  been  fellow-disciples  of  St. 
John;  and  the  holy  joy  of  their  interview- 
may  be  conceived  by  such  persons  as 
know  what  the  love  of  Christ  is,  and  how 
it  operates  in  the  breasts  of  those  in  whom 
he  dwells.  Deputies  were  sent  from  the 
various  churches  of  Asia  to  attend  and 
console  him,  and  to  receive  some  benefit 
by  his  spiritual  communications.  Bish- 
ops, presbyters,  and  deacons,  conversed 
with  him :  a  general  convocation  seems 
to  have  taken  place.  Four  of  Ignatius's 
seven  epistles  were  written  from  Smyrna, 
to  the  Churches  of  Ephesus,  Magnesia, 
Tralles,  and  Rome. 

The  Church  of  Ephesus  appears,  from 
his  epistle  to  them,  still  to  have  main- 
tained its  character  of  evangelical  purity. 
Their  zeal  indeed  had  decayed,  but  was 
revived:  and  the  rage  of  persecution  was 
the  hot-bed,  which  reanimated  their  souls, 
and  made  them  fruitful  again  in  faith, 
hope,  and  charity.  The  very  titles,  by 
which  he  addresses  them,  demonstrate 
what  their  faith  was  in  common  with 
that  of  the  whole  Church  at  that  time; 
and  abundantly  show  the  vanity  of  those, 
whose  dislike  of  the  peculiar  truths  of 
Christianity  induces  them  to  suppose, 
that  the  ideas  of  predestination,  election, 
and  grace,  were  purely  the  systematic 
inventions  of  Augustine,  and  unknown  to 
the  primitive  Christians.  We  are  cer- 
tain, that  St.  Paul's  epistles,  and  that  par- 
ticularly addressed  to  this  Church,  are 
full  of  the  same  things. 

"Ignatius,  who  is  also  called  Theo- 

*  Archbishop  Usher  has  preserved,  or  ra- 
ther restored,  these  Epistles  to  us. 


])horus,  to  the  worthily  happy  Church  in 
Ephesus  of  Asia,  blessed  in  the  majesty 
and  fulness  of  God  the  Father,  predesti- 
nated before  the  world  to  be  perpetually 
permanent  in  glory,  immovable,  united, 
and  elect  in  the  grenuine  suffering  for  the 
truth,*  by  the  will  of  the  Father,  and  of 
Jesus  Christ  our  God,  much  joy  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  in  his  spotless  grace."  The 
character,  whicli  he  gives  of  their  bishop 
Onesimus,  raises  our  idea  of  him  to  a 
great  degree.  He  calls  him  "  inexpressi- 
h\e  in  charity,  whom  I  beseech  you  to 
love  according  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  all  of 
you  to  imitate  him.  Blessed  be  his  name, 
who  has  counted  you  worthy  to  enjoy 
such  a  bishop."  With  him  he  honoura- 
bly mentions  also  some  presbyters  or 
deacons  of  their  Church,  "  Through 
whom,"  says  he,  "I  have  seen  you  all 
in  love."  Onesimus  probably  was  the 
fugitive  slave  of  Philemon,  a  growing 
plant  in  St.  Paul's  time. 

The  unaffected  charity  and  humility  of 
Ignatius  deserve  our  attention.  He  alone 
seemed  unconscious  of  his  attainments, 
while  the  whole  Christian  world  admired 
him.  "I  do  not,"  says  he,  "dictate  to 
you,  as  if  I  were  a  person  of  any  conse- 
quence. For  though  I  am  bound  for  the 
name  of  Christ,  I  am  not  yet  perfected  in 
Christ  Jesus.  For  now  I  begin  to  be  a 
disciple,  and  speak  to  you  as  my  teachers. 
For  I  ought  to  be  sustained  by  you  in 
faith,  in  admonition,  in  patience,  in  long 
suffering.  But  since  charity  will  not 
suffer  me  to  be  silent  concerning  you,  for 
this  reason  I  take  upon  me  to  exhort  31'ou 
to  run  together  with  me  according  to  the 
mind  of  God." 

Nothing  lies  more  on  his  heart  in  all 
his  epistles,  than  to  recommend  the  most 
perfect  union  of  the  members  of  the 
Church,  and  to  reprobate  schisms  and 
dissensions.  He  represents  the  Chris- 
tians as  all  united  to  Jesus  Christ;  all 
partaking  of  the  same  spiritual  life.  To 
separate  from  the  Church ;  and  to  lose 
that  subordination  in  which  they  stood  to 
their  pastors,  was  to  tear  in  pieces  the 
body  of  Christ,  and  to  expose  themselves 
to  the  seductions  of  those  who  would 
draw  them  from  the  faith  and  hope  of  the 
Gospel.  In  modern  times  this  language 
is  judged  not  very  consonant  to  the  spirit 
of  liberty,  on  which  we  are  so  apt  to  fe- 
licitate ourselves.     And  I  am  persuaded, 

*  Alluding,  doubtless,  to  the  Errors  of  the 
Docetse. 


Ce:tt.  II.] 


DURING  THE  REIGN  OF  TRAJAN. 


91 


that  the  strong  manner,  in  which  submis- 
sion to  the  Bishop  is  inculcated,  has  been 
the  most  weighty  argument  with  several 
persons  to  encourage  themselves  in  doubts 
of  the  authenticity  of  these  pieces.  But 
to  doubt  the  genuineness  of  these  epistles 
on  this  account,  is  to  be  the  slaves  of 
prejudice.  Usher,  and  after  him  Vossius, 
have  sufficiently  distinguished  the  genu- 
ine from  the  false  and  the  interpolated : 
and  the  testimony  of  antiquity,  and  the 
agreement  of  the  epistles,  as  thus  puri- 
fied, with  the  quotations  of  the  ancients, 
render  them  superior  to  all  exceptions.* 

The  circumstances  in  which  the  Church- 
es were,  sufficiently  justify  the  strong 
expressions  of  Ignatius.  Heretics  of  va- 
rious kinds  abounded ;  and  their  specious 
artifices  were  likely  to  seduce  the  minds 
of  the  weak.  What  then  could  be  so 
just  a  preservative  to  them,  as  to  stick 
close  to  the  society  of  their  faithful  pas- 
tors, the  successors  of  the  Apostles  ]  Hu- 
milit}'  is  the  guard  of  real  Christian 
goodness :  nothing  but  the  want  of  it 
could  have  tempted  them  to  desire  a  se- 
paration :  and  in  every  age  the  same  con- 
duct toward  godly  pastors  is,  doubtless, 
the  true  wisdom  of  the  Church :  The 
spirit  of  schism,  of  ambition,  of  self-con- 
ceit, disguising  itself  under  the  specious 
pretences  of  liberty  and  of  conscience, 
has  constantly  produced  the  most  fatal 
eflects.  Ignatius  certainly  would  not 
have  wished  the  Ephesians  to  follow  un- 
sound and  unfaithful  pastors  :  but  much 
more  caution  in  iudo-ino-,  and  a  much 
greater  degree  of  submission  to  ministers 
confessedly  upright,  are  doubtless  re- 
quisite, than  many  persons  in  our  days 
are  willing-  to  admit. — "  Let  no  one," 
sa)'S  Ignatius,  "mistake; — if  anj''  man 
is  not  within  the  altar,  he  is  deprived 
of  the  bread  of  God.  If  the  prayer  of 
one  or  two  has  so  much  strength,  how 
much  more  that  of  the  Bishop  and  of  the 
whole  Church:  He,  who  separates  from 
it,  is  proud,  and  condemns  himself:  For 
it  is  written,  God  rcsisteth  the  proud. 
Let  us  stud)^  therefore  obedience  to  the 
Bishop,  that  we  may  be  subject  to  God. 
And  the  more  silent  and  gentle  any  one 
observes  the  Bishop  to  be,  the  more  on 


*  I  shall  not  enter  into  so  large  a  field  of 
criticism  : — whoever  has  leisure  and  temper 
sufficient  for  the  subject,  may  read  with  ad- 
vantage Dii  Pin's  statement  of  the  controversy 
concerninglgnatins'se])! sties  ;  and  may  thence, 
I  believe,  learn  all  that  is  needful  to  lie  known 
concerning  it. 


that  account  should  he  reverence  him. 
Every  one,  to  whom  the  Master  commits 
the  stewardship,  ought  to  be  received  as 
the  Master  himself." — "Indeed,"  says 
he,  "  Onesimus  exceedingly  commends 
your  godly  order  : — and  that  you  live  ac- 
cording to  truth,  and  that  no  heresy 
dwells  with  you." — "  Some  indeed,  with 
much  ostentation,  make  specious  but  fal- 
lacious pretensions,  whose  works  are  un- 
worthy of  God,  whom  you  ought  to  avoid 
as  wild  beasts.  For  they  are  raging 
dogs,  biting  in  secret,  whom  you  should 
shim,  as  being  persons  very  difficult  to 
be  cured.  One  physician  there  is  bodily 
and  spiritual,  begotten  and  unbegotten, 
God  appearing  in  flesh,  in  immortal  true 
life,  both  from  Mary  and  from  God, — 
first  suffering, — then  impassible" — "I 
have  known  some  who  went  from  this 
place,*  whom  you  did  not  suffer  to  sow 
tares  among  you :  you  stopped  your  ears; 
so  that  you  would  not  receive  their  seed, 
as  being  stones  of  the  temple  of  your 
Father,  prepared  for  the  building  of  God 
the  Father,  lifted  up  into  heavenly  places 
by  the  engine  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  is 
his  cross,  using  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a 
cord." — "  Yet  pray  earnestly  for  other 
men  without  ceasing;  for  there  is  hope 
of  conversion  in  them,  that  they  also  may 
be  brought  to  God.  Give  them  an  op- 
portunity to  be  instructed,  at  least,  by 
your  works." — "Without  Christ,  think 
nothing  becoming; — in  whom  I  carry 
about  my  bonds, — spiritual  jewels; — in 
which  may  I  be  found  at  the  resurrection 
through  your  prayer,  that  my  lot  may  be 
cast  among  the  Ephesian  Christians,  who 
have  always  harmonized  with  the  Apos- 
tles in  the  power  of  Jesus  Christ!" 

"Ye  are  partakers  of  the  mysteries 
with  Paul  the  holy,  the  renowned,  the 
blessed,  whose  footsteps  may  I  follow  !" 
"  Neglect  not  assemblies  for  thanksgiv- 
ing and  prayer:  For  when  you  assidu- 
ously attend  on  these  things,  the  powers 
of  Satan  are  demolished,  and  his  perni- 
cious kingdom  is  dissolved  by  the  unani- 
mity of  your  faith" — "Remember  me, 
as  Jesus  Christ  also  does  you.  Pray  for 
the  Church  in  Syria,  whence  I  am  led 
bound  to  Rome, — the  meanest  of  the 
faithful  who  are  there." 

I  know  not  how  the  reader  may  con- 
ceive ;  but  to  my  mind,  under  all  the  dis- 
advantages of  a  style  bloated  with  Asi- 

*  From  Smyrna,  I  suppose,  where  the  here- 
sy of  the  DocetK  was  more  common. 


92 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


atic  tumour,  and  still  more  perhaps  of  a 
text  very  corrupt,  the  ideas  contained  in 
these  passages  of  Ignatius's  epistle — and 
indeed  the  greatest  part  of  it  is  little  in- 
ferior to  this  specimen, — while  they  re- 
present partly  the  faith,  discipline,  and 
spirit  of  the  Ephesian  Church,  and  part- 
ly the  charitable  and  heavenly  mind  of 
the  author,  give  the  fairest  pattern  of 
real  Christianity  alive  in  its  root  and  in 
its  fruits.  We  see  here  what  Christians 
once  were,  and  what  the  doctrines  of 
divine  grace  are.  And  that  happy  union, 
order,  and  peace,  which  flourished  so 
long  at  Ephesus,  untainted  with  heresy, 
and  ever  preserving  the  simplicity  of  re- 
liance on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  calls  for 
our  commendation  of  their  obedience  to 
their  faithful  pastors ;  the  want  of  a  ten- 
der conscientiousness  in  which  matter, 
so  soon  dissipates  the  spirit  of  the  Gos- 
pel in  many  modern  Churches,  and  fa- 
vours very  much  the  growth  of  a  contrary 
spirit  of  fickleness,  turbulence,  and  self- 
importance  :  which  at  the  same  time  that 
it  feeds  the  pride  of  corrupt  nature,  re- 
duces large  societies  of  Christians  into 
contemptible  little  parties  at  variance  with 
one  another,  and  leaves  them  an  easy 
prey  to  the  crafty  and  designing. 

The  letters  of  Ignatius  add  something 
to  the  stock  of  history,  as  they  introduce 
to  our  acquaintance  the  two  Asiatic 
Churches  of  Magnesia  and  Trallcs,  which 
else  had  been  unknown  to  us.  In  triuli, 
that  whole  fertile  region  of  Asia  propria 
seems  to  have  been  more  thoroughly 
evangelized  than  any  other  part  of  the 
world  at  that  period.  From  the  time  of 
St.  Paul's  labours  at  Ephesus,  "when 
all  they,  which  dwelt  in  Asia,  heard  the 
word  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  both  Jews  and 
Greeks,"*  to  the  martyrdom  of  Ignatius, 
that  is  for  half  a  century  or  upwards, — 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  was  preserved 
in  its  purity  in  these  Churches :  The  op- 
posers  of  the  Gospel  could  gain  no  foot- 
ing at  all  in  some  of  them :  In  others 
they  made  no  great,  or  ai  least,  no  abiding 
impressions :  In  some  the  fervour  of  piety 
was  much  declined  ;  and  in  others  it  still 
retained  a  considerable  strength.  A 
strong  sense  of  the  infinite  value  of  Jesus 
in  his  Godhead,  his  priesthood,  and  his 
blood,  prevailed  in  this  region :  Faith  and 
love  were  fed  by  the  view  of  the  Saviour; 
and  patience  in  suffering  for  his  name 
was  one  of  their  most  common  virtues. 


Damas,  the  Bishop  of  Magnesia,  was 
a  young  person,  whom  Ignatius  calls 
"worthy  of  God."  Eminent  grace  in 
persons  of  tender  years  was  sometimes 
in  the  primitive  Church  distinguished  by 
their  advancement  to  the  Episcopacy. 
In  his  letter  to  the  Magnesians,  he  warns 
them  not  to  despise  his  youth,  but  to  im- 
itate the  holy  Presbyters,  who  gave  place 
to  him,  but  not  to  him  so  properly,  as  to 
the  Father  of  Jesus  Christ. — "  Some  per- 
sons, indeed,  call  a  man  a  Bishop,  but  do 
every  thing  independently  of  him.  Such 
seem  to  me  to  have  lost  a  good  conscience, 
because  their  assemblies  are  not  regulat- 
ed with  steadfastness  and  Christian  or- 
der." He  mentions  also  with  honour 
Bassus  and  Apollonius  as  Presbyters,  and 
Sotio  the  deacon,  "whose  happiness," 
says  he,  "may  I  partake  of !  because  he 
is  subject  to  the  Bishop,  as  to  the  grace 
of  God,  and  to  the  Presbytery,  as  to  the 
law  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Here,  as  elsewhere,  he  evidently  points 
out  three  distinct  ranks  in  the  primitive 
Church, — the  Bishop,  the  Presbyters,  and 
the  Deacons,  A  blind  and  implicit  sub- 
mission to  a  hierarchy,  however  corrupt, 
worthless  and  ignorant,  was  then  un- 
known. But  a  just  and  regular  subor- 
dination, according  to  the  ranks  of  men 
in  the  Church  was  much  attended  to; 
and  nothing  like  it,  humanly  speaking, 
so  much  encourages  and  enables  godly 
pastors  to  discharge  their  office  with  zeal 
and  alacrity.  Nor  is  it  difficult  to  con- 
ceive, what  was  the  most  customary 
mode  ofchurch-governmont  in  those  times. 
In  vain,  I  think,  will  almost  any  modern 
church  whatever  set  up  a  claim  to  exact 
resemblance.  Usher's  model  of  reduced 
Episcopacy  seems  to  come  the  nearest  to 
the  plan  of  the  primitive  Churches,  At 
first,  indeed,  or  for  some  time,  church 
governors  were  only  of  two  ranks.  Pres- 
byters and  Deacons :  At  least,  this  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  case  in  particular 
instances;  as  at  Philippi*  and  at  Ephe- 
sus :|  and  the  term  Bisbop  was  confound- 
ed with  that  of  Presbyter.  The  Church 
of  Corinth  continued  long  in  this  state, 
so  far  as  one  may  judge  by  Clement's 
epistle ;  and  thence  we  may  in  part  ac- 
count for  the  continuance  of  tjieir  conten- 
tious spirit.  As  these  Churches  grew 
numerous,  they  could  never  be  all  assem- 
bled in  one  place :  the  Presbyters  must 
have    ministered   to   different  congrega- 


*  Acts  xix.  10, 


Lh.  i.  Philipp, 


f  Acts  XX,  17, 


Cist.  II.] 


DURING  THE  REIGN  OF  TRAJAN. 


93 


tions,  though  the  Church  continued  one. 
Toward  the  end  of  the  first  century,  all 
the  churches  followed  the  model  of  the 
mother-church  of  Jerusalem,  where  one 
of  the  Apostles  was  the  first  Bishop.  A 
settled  presidency  obtained,  and  the  name 
of  Angel  was  first  given  to  the  supreme 


indeed,  must  have  been  at  this  time  in  a 
very  low  state ;  yet  the  same  Pharisa- 
ism is  so  congenial  to  the  human  mind, 
that  ministers  in  all  ages  will  see  occar 


agamst 


It,  as 


sion  to  warn  their   people 
Ignatius  did. 

"  Be  not  deceived  with  heterodox  opin- 


ruler,  "though  that  of  Bishop  soon   sue-  ions,  nor  old  unprofitable  fables.     For  if 

■      ■      we  still  live  according  to   Judaism,  we 
confess  that  we  have  not  received  grace. 
For  the  Divine  Prophets  lived  according 
to  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.     For  this 
they  were  persecuted,  being  inspired  by 
his  grace,  to  assure  the  disobedient,  that 
there  is  one  God,  who  manifested  him- 
self by  Jesus  Christ  his  Son,  who  is  His 
eternal  Word. — If  then  they  have  indeed 
cast  off  their  old  principles,  and  are  come 
to  a  new  hope  in  Christ,  let  them  no  Ion 
ger  observe  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  but  live 
according  to  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord* 
in  whose  resurrection  from  the  dead  our 
resurrection  also  is  ensured,  by  him  and 
by  his  death,  which  some  deny  ;  through 
whom  and  by  whom  we  have  received 
the  mystery  of  believing  ;  and  on  account 
of  this  we  endure,  that  we  may  be  found 
disciples  of  Jesus  Christ  our  only  teacher. 
How  can  we  live   without  him,   whose 
disciples  even  the  prophets  were  ]  for  in 
spirit  they  expected  him  as  their  teacher. 
Let  us  not  then  be  insensible  of  his  lov- 
ing-kindness :  For  if  he  measured  to  us 
according  to   what  we  have   done,   we 
should  be  ruined.     Therefore  being  his 
disciples,  let  us  learn  to  live  according  to 
Christianity  :  he  who  follows  any  other 
name  than  this,  is  not  of  God.     Lay  aside 
then  the  old  bitter  leaven,  and  be  trans- 


ceeded.  That  this  was  the  case  in  the 
seven  churches  of  Asia,  is  certain.  The 
address  of  the  charges  to  him  in  the  book 
of  the  Revelation  demonstrates  his  su- 
periority. The  Deacon,  it  is  well  known, 
was  chosen  to  administer  in  sacred  em- 
ployments of  an  inferior  kind.  These 
three  ranks  appear  to  have  been  general 
through  the  Christian  world  in  the  former 
part  of  this  century. 

It  has  been  an  error  common  to  all  par 
ties,  to  treat  these  lesser  matters,  as  if 
they  were  jure  diving,  or  like  the  laws 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  unalterable. 
Could  it,  however,  conveniently  be  done, 
it  may  perhaps  be  true  that  a  reduced 
Episcopacy,  in  which  the  dioceses  are  of 
small  extent,  as  those  in  the  primitive 
Church  undoubtedly  were,  and  in  which 
the  President,  residing  in  the  metropolis, 
exercises  a  superintendency  over  ten  or 
twelve  Presbyters  of  the  same  city  and 
neio-hbourhood,  would  bid  the  fairest  to 
promote  order,  peace,  and  harmony. 

But  the  Christian  world  has  been  more 
anxious   to   support   different  modes   of 
government,  than  to  behave  as  Christians 
ought  to  do  in  each  of  them.     A  subject 
of  much  greater  importance  is  suggested 
to  us  by  a  passage  in  the  epistle  to  the 
Magnesians,    "  As  there  are  two  coins, 
one"  of  God,   the    other   of  the   world, 
and  each  of  them   is  impressed  with  its 
own  character :    the  unbelievers  are   of 
this  world,  the  believers  in  love  have  the 
character  of  God  the  Father  through  Je- 
sus, into  whose  sufferings  if  we  are  un 
■willing  to   die,  his  life  is  not  in  us."— 
Thus  does  Ignatius  call  our   attention  to 
the  grand  distinction  of  men  into  two  sorts 
before  God ;  of  which  whoever  has  felt 
the  force,  will  be  little  solicitous  concern- 
ing other  distinctions. 

"Let  us  hear  Ignatius's  testimony  to  the 
Deity  of  Christ,  and  to  justification  by 
his  grace  through  faith,  and  to  the  con- 
stant influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit :  And 
we  may  observe  at  the  same  time,  how 
tlie  Jewish  leaven  of  self-righteousness 
had  not  ceased,  to  attem])t  at  least,  to 
darken  and  to  corrupt  these  essentials 
of  the  Gospel.     The  religion  of  the  Jews, 


formed  into  a  new  leaven,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ — for  Christianity  is  not  converted 
to  Judaism,  but  Judaism  to  Christianity, 
that  every  tongue  confessing  God  might 
be  gathered  together.  These  things  I 
warn  you,  my  beloved,  not  because  I  have 
known  some  of  you  thus  ill-disposed; 
but,  as  the  least  of  you,  I  am  willing  to 
admonish  you,  that  ye  fall  not  into  the 
snares  of  vain-glory,  but  that  ye  may 
be  well  assured  of  that  nativity,  suf- 
fering, and  resurrection,  during  the  gov- 
ernnient  of  Pontius  Pilate,  of  which  lit- 
erally and  really  Jesus  Christ  was  the 
subject,  who  is  our  hope,  from  which 
may  none  of  you  be  turned  aside  ! — I 
know  that  ye  are  not  puffed  up,  for  ye 
have  Jesus  Christ  in  yourselves  ;   and 


*  Kufianiii'  ^cuMf—A   manifest   intimation   to 
them  to  observe  the  Lord's  day. 


94 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


the  more  I  praise  you,  the  more  I  know 
that  ye  will  be  lowly-minded."  Beauti- 
ful view  of  their  genuine  humility  ! — He 
proceeds  thus  : — "  Study  then  to  be  con- 
firmed in  the  doctrines  of  the  Lord  and  of 
the  Apostles,  that  in  all  things  which  ye 
do,  ye  may  have  good  success  in  flesh  and 
spirit,  in  faith  and  love,  in  the  Son,  and  the 
Father  and  the  Spirit. — Knowing  that  ye 
are  full  of  God,  I  have  briefly  exhorted 
you.  Remember  me  in  your  prayers,  that 
I  may  come  to  God,  and  to  the  Church 
in  Syria,  of  which  I  am  unworthy  to  be 
called  a  member.  For  I  need  your  united 
prayer  in  God,  and  your  charity,  that  the 
Churchjn  Syria  may  be  thought  worthy  to 
partake  of  the  dew  of  heavenly  grace 
through  your  Church.  The  Ephesians  at 
Smyrna,  whence  I  write,  together  with 
Polycarp,  Bishop  of  the  Smyrneans  and 
the  rest  of  the  Churches  in  the  honour  of 
Jesus  Christ,  salute  you  :  They  live  as  in 
the  presence  of  the  glory  of  God,  as  ye  do 
also,  who  have  refreshed  me  in  all  things  : 
Continue  strong  in  the  concord  of  God  : 
Possess  a  spirit  of  union  in  Jesus  Christ." 

From  Smyrna  he  wrote  also  to  the 
Church  of  Tralles,  the  Bishop  of  which 
was  Polybius,  "who  so  rejoiced  with 
me,"  says  he,  "  that  I  beheld  all  your  mul- 
titude in  him.  Receiving  therefore  your 
divine  benevolence  through  him,  I  seemed 
actually  to  find  you,  as  I  Jiave  known  you 
to  be,  followers  of  God.  For  since  ye  are 
subject  to  the  Bishop  as  to  Jesus  Christ, 
ye  appear  to  live,  not  after  man,  but  after 
Jesus  Clrist:  who  died  for  us,  that  be- 
lieving in  his  death  ye  might  escape 
death." 

In  what  follows  we  have  an  intimation  of 
the  weak  and  infant  state  of  this  Church  ; 
which  though  sound,  had  probably  not  been 
so  long  planted  as  the  rest.  And  the  mar- 
tyr seems  to  express  some  consciousness 
of  superior  attainments  and  gifts,  though 
nevertheless  restrained  by  deep  humility. 

"  I  have  a  strong  savour  of  God  ;  but 
I  take  a  just  measure  of  myself,  lest  I 
perish  by  boasting.  For  now  I  must  more 
abundantly  fear,  and  not  attend  to  those 
who  would  inflate  me  with  pride — I  love 
indeed  to  suflTer,  but  do  not  know  whe- 
ther I  am  worthy.  I  need  gentleness  of 
spirit,  by  which  the  prince  of  this  world 
is  subdued.  Cannot  I  write  to  you  of 
heavenly  things  ? — Ye  are  infants ;  and 
I  fear  lest  I  should  hurt  you  : — I  fear  lest, 
through  incapacity  of  receiving  stronger 
meat,  ye  should  be  injured  in  your  spirit- 
nal  growth."     He  goes  on  to  guard  them 


against  schisms  and  heresies,  to  remind 
them  of  the  foundation  of  the  Gospel, 
viz :  Christ  and  him  crucified  ;  and,  in 
his  usual  manner,  to  recommend  obedi- 
ence to  their  pastors  : — He  modestly  thus 
concludes, — "  As  yet  I  am  not  out  of  the 
reach  of  danger;  but  the  Father  is  faith- 
ful in  Jesus  Christ  to  fulfil  my  petition 
and  yours,  in  whom  may  we  be  found 
blameless  !" 

The  subject  of  his  letter  to  the  Roman 
Christians  was,  to  intreat  them  not  to  use 
any  methods  for  his  deliverance.  He  had 
the  prize  of  martyrdom  before  him,  and 
he  was  unwilling  to  be  robbed  of  it.  He 
speaks  with  uncommon  pathos  : 

"  I  fear  your  charity,  lest  it  should  in- 
jure me.  It  will  be  easy  for  you  to  do 
what  you  Avish  :  But,  it  will  be  diflicult 
for  me  to  glorify  God,  if  I  should  be 
spared  through  your  entreaties. — If  you 
be  silent  in  my  behalf,  I  shall  be  made 
partaker  of  God  ;  but  if  you  love  to  re- 
tain me  in  the  flesh,  I  shall  again  have 
my  course  to  run.  I  write  to  the  Churches, 
and  signify  to  them  all,  that  I  die  wil- 
lingly for  God,  unless  you  prevent  me : 
I  beseech  you,  that  you  show  not  an  un- 
reasonable love  toward  me  :  Suffer  me  to 
be  the  food  of  beasts,  by  which  means  I 
shall  attain  to  the  kingdom  of  God. — 
Rather  encourage  the  wild  beasts,  that 
they  may  become  my  sepulchre ;  that 
nothing  of  my  body  may  be  left;  that  I 
may  give  no  trouble  to  any  one,  when  I 
fall  asleep.  From  .Syria  to  Rome,  I  fight 
with  wild  beasts — in  human  form, — by 
land  and  sea,  by  night  and  day,  chained 
to  ten  leopards,  who  are  made  even  worse 
by  kind  treatment.  By  their  injuries  I 
learn  the  more  to  be  a  disciple  of  Jesus, — 
yet  am  I  not  hereby  justified.  May  I 
enjoy  the  real  wild  beasts,  which  are 
prepared  for  me  :  May  they  exercise  all 
their  fierceness  upon  me  !  I  will  encou- 
rage them,  that  they  may  assuredly  devour 
me,  and  not  use  me  as  some,  whom  they 
have  feared  to  touch.  But  if  they  will 
not  do  it  willingly,  I  will  provoke  them 
to  it : — Pardon  me, — I  know  what  is 
good  for  me.  Now  I  begin  to  be  a  disci- 
ple :  nor  shall  any  thing,  of  things  visi- 
ble and  invisible,  move  me  : — Let  fire  and 
the  cross,  let  the  companies  of  wild 
beasts,  let  breaking  of  bones  and  tearing 
of  limbs,  let  the  grinding  of  the  whole 
body,  and  all  the  malice  of  the  Devil 
come  upon  me  ;  be  it  so,  only  may  I  enjoy 
Jesus  Christ !  All  the  ends  of  the  world, 
and  the   kingdoms  of  it  will  profit  me 


CEjfT.  n.] 


DURING  THE  REIGN  OF  TRAJAN. 


95 


nothinor ;  It  is  better  for  me  to  die  for 
Jesus  Christ,  than  to  reign  over  the  ends 
of  the  earth  :  Him  I  seek  who  died  for 
us  :  Him  I  desire  who  rose  again  for  us 
He  is  my  gain  laid  up  for  me  :  Suffer 
me  to  imitate  the  Passion  of  my  God. — 
If  any  of  you  have  Him  within  you,  let 
him  conceive  what  I  feel,  and  let  him 
sympathize  with  me,  and  know  what  a 
conflict  I  have.  The  prince  of  this  world 
wishes  to  corrupt  my  purpose  toward 
God  :  Let  none  of  you  present  assist 
him  :  My  worldly  affections  are  crucified: 
the  fire  of  God's  love  burns  within  me,  and 
cannot  be  extinguished:  Itlives:  itspeaks, 
and  says,  '  Come  to  the  Father.'  I  have 
no  delight  in  the  bread  that  perisheth,  nor 
in  the  pleasures  of  this  life:  I  long  for 
the  bread  of  God  ;  the  flesh  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  the  seed  of  David  :  and  I  desire 
to  drink  his  blood — incorruptible  love." 

Certainly  no  words  can  express  in  a 
stronger  manner  the  intenseness  of  spirit- 
ual desire :  and  one  is  disposed  to  look 
down  with  contempt  and  pity  on  the  mag- 
nanimity of  secular  heroes  and  patriots, 
as  compared  with  it.  Yet  I  have  some 
doubt,  whether  all  this  flame,  strong  and 
sincere  as  it  unquestionably  was,  had  not 
something  mixed  with  it  by  no  means  of 
so  pure  a  kind.  For  I  would  not  carry 
the  reader's  admiration  or  ray  own  be- 
yond the  limits  of  human  imbecility. — 
Ought  not  the  Roman  Christians  to  have 
endeavoured  to  save  Ignatius's  life  by  all 
honest  means  1 — Has  any  man  a  right  to 
hinder  others  from  attempting  to  save  the 
life  of  the  innocent] — or,  Will  his  entrea^ 
ties  give  them  a  right  to  be  as  indifferent 
for  his  preservation  as  he  himself  is  ] — 
Ought  not  every  man,  however  prepared 
for  death,  and  preferring  it,  if  God  please, 
to  use  all  possible  methods,  consistent 
with  a  good  conscience,to  preserve  his  life? 

I  cannot  answer  these  queries  to  the 
advantage  of  Ignatius's  determination. — 
Was  not  his  desire  of  martyrdom  exces- 
sive'? If  he  was  wrong,  it  was  doubtless 
a  mistake  of  judgment.  I  fear  the  exam- 
ple of  Ignatius  did  harm  in  this  respect 
in  the  Church.  Martyrdom  was,  we 
know,  made  too  much  of  in  the  third  cen- 
tury : — so  hard  is  it  to  be  kept  from  all 
extremes  : — ours  are  generally  of  the  op- 
posite kind. 

These  reflections  are  suggested,  in 
part  by  the  example  of  St.  Paul.  He, 
indeed,  "would  go  to  Jerusalem,"  though 
he  knew  he  should  be  bound.  But  the 
certainty  of  death  was  not  before  his 


eyes,  and  therefore  his  resolution,  in  this 
case,  is  not  similar  to  that  of  Ignatius. 
As  for  the  rest,  he  took  no  pains  to  dis- 
suade others  from  saving  his  life:  He 
took  pains  to  save  it  himself:  Ho  blames 
his  friends  at  Rome  for  deserting  him: 
And  that  eagerness  for  martyrdom  which 
Ignatius  expresses,  I  see  neither  in  Paul 
nor  in  any  of  the  Apostles.  They  rather 
refer  themselves  calmly  to  the  will  of 
God  in  things  which  concern  themselves. 
On  the  whole,  there  appears  in  Ignatius, 
the  same  zeal  for  God  and  love  to  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  same  holy  contempt  of 
earthly  things,  which  was  so  eminent  in 
the  Apostles;  but,  I  suspect,  not  an 
equal  degree  of  calm  resignation  to  the 
Divine  Will. 

The  time  which  he  was  allowed  to 
spend  at  Smyrna,  in  company  with  his 
beloved  Polycarp  and  other  friends,  must 
have  been  highly  agreeable  to  him.  But 
his  keepers  were  impatient  of  their  long 
stay:  the  reasons  were,  most  probably  of 
a  maritime  nature.  The  season,  how- 
ever, for  the  public  spectacles  at  Rome 
was  advancing,  and,  perhaps,  they  were 
afraid  of  not  arriving  in  time.  They  now 
set  sail  for  Troas,  where,  at  his  arrival, 
he  was  refreshed  with  the  news  of  the 
persecution  ceasing  in  the  Church  of  An- 
lioch.  He  had  been  attended  hither  by 
Burrhus,  the  deacon  of  Polycarp;  and 
him  he  despatched  with  an  epistle  to  the 
Philadelphians,  by  way  of  return  for  the 
visit  which  their  Bishop  had  paid  him  at 
Troas.  For  here  also  several  Churches 
sent  their  messengers  to  visit  and  to  sa- 
lute him  :  and  Providence  so  far  restrain- 
ed the  inhumanity  of  his  guards,  that  he 
was  allowed  to  have  intercourse  with 
them. — He  wrote  three  epistles  more  at 
this  place. 

The  Philadelphians,  from  his  account, 
were  still  favoured  with  the  same  spirit 
of  grace,  by  which  they  had  been  already 
so  honourably  distinguished  among  the 
seven  churches  of  Asia.  He  recommends, 
as  usual,  unity,  concord,  obedience; — not 
that  he  had  found  any  thing  amiss  in 
them,  in  these  respects. 

One  may  form  some  idea  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  these  primitive  Christians 
enjoyed  the  grace  of  God,  and  admired 
and  loved  it,  as  it  appeared  in  one  an- 
other, by  his  way  of  speaking  of  the  Phi- 
ladelphian  Bishop,  whose  name  is  not 
given  to  us,  "whom,"  says  he,  "I  know 
to  have  obtained  the  ministry,  not  by  any 
selfish  or  worldly  means  or  motives,  but 


96 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


for  the  common  good  of  saints ;  nor 
through  vain  glory;  but  from  the  love  of 
God  the  Father,  and  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  I  am  perfectly  charmed  with 
his  meekness  :  When  silent,  he  exhibits 
more  power  than  vain  speakers." 

He  recommends  to  them  to  preserve  a 
unity  in  the  administration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper:  "For  there  is  one  body  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  one  cup  in  the 
unity  of  his  blood;  one  altar,  as  also  one 
Bishop,  with  the  Presbytery  and  the  Dea- 
cons my  fellow  servants. — Whatever  ye 
do,  do  all  according  to  the  will  of  God." 

The  firmness  of  the  Christian  faith, 
and  his  zeal  against  the  spirit  of  self- 
righteousness,  are  observable  in  the  fol- 
lowing passage : — "  If  any  interpret  Ju- 
daism to  you,  hear  him  not.  For  it  is 
better  to  hear  the  Gospel  from  a  circum- 
cised person,  than  Judaism  from  an  un- 
circumcised  one.  But  if  both  speak  not 
of  Jesus  Christ,  they  are  to  me  pillars 
and  sepulchres  of  the  dead,  on  which  are 
written  only  the  names  of  men. — The  ob- 
jects dear  to  me  are  Jesus  Christ,  his 
cross,  his  death,  his  resurrection,  and  the 
faith  which  is  in  him;  by  which  I  desire, 
through  your  prayer,  to  be  justified." 
He  begs  them  to  send  a  Deacon  to  Anti- 
och,  to  congratulate  his  people  on  the 
cessation  of  persecution.  Toward  the 
conclusion  he  speaks  of  Philo,  the  Dea- 
con from  Cilicia,  who  ministered  to  him, 
together  with  Agathopes,  a  choice  saint, 
who,  renouncing  the  world,  had  followed 
him  from  Syria. 

He  wrote  also  from  Troas  to  the  Smyr- 
nians,  and  his  commendations  of  them 
are  consonant  to  the  character  they  bear 
in  the  book  of  the  Revelation.  They  had 
•apeathered  the  storm  of  persecution, 
which  was  there  predicted,  and  had  pro- 
bably enjoyed  the  ministry  of  Poly  carp 
from  St.  John's  time.  The  most  striking 
thing  in  this  epistle,  is  the  zeal  with 
which  he  warns  them  against  the  Do- 
cetae.  In  his  view  the  evil  of  their  here- 
sy consisted  in  taking  away  the  atoning 
blood  of  Christ,  and  the  hope  of  a  bless- 
ed resurrection  : — Let  modern  Divines 
hear  him,  and  be  instructed.  "I  glorify 
Jesus  Christ  our  God,  who  hath  given 
you  wisdom.  For  I  understand,  that  ye 
are  perfect  in  the  immovable  faith  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  who  really  was  of 
the  seed  of  David  according  to  the  flesh, 
and  born  of  a  virgin  really  ;  who  real- 
ly suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate. — For 
these  things  he  suffered  for  us,  that  we 


might  be  saved.  And  he  truly  suflfered: 
as  also  he  truly  raised  up  himself:  not 
as  some  infidels  say  that  he  seemed  to 
suffer. — I  forewarn  you  of  those  beasts, 
who  are  in  the  shape  of  men ;  whom  you 
ought  not  only  not  to  receive,  but  if  pos- 
sible not  even  to  meet  with.  Only  you 
ought  to  pray  for  them — if  they  may  be 
converted, — which  is  a  difficult  case. — 
But  Jesus  Christ,  our  true  life,  has  power 
to  save  to  the  uttermost." — An  humble 
and  thankful  sense  of  the  unspeakable 
value  of  Christ,  leads  naturally  to  this 
charity,  and  the  want  of  it  leaves  men  al- 
ways, under  the  appearance  of  candour, 
to  a  cruel  insensibility  of  heart  and  an 
undistinguished  scepticism.  It  seems, 
that  these  heretics,  with  the  usual  arti- 
fices of  such  persons,  laboured  to  work 
themselves  into  the  good  graces  of  Igna- 
tius. He  sees  through  their  designs,  and 
says, — "  for  what  does  it  profit  me,  if  any 
man  commend  me,  and  yet  blaspheme 
my  Lord,  denying  him  to  have  come  in 
the  flesh? — They  separate  from  the  Eu- 
charist and  from  prayer,  because  they 
confess  not  the  Eucharist  to  be  the  body 
of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  who  suffer- 
ed for  our  sins. — They  who  contradict 
the  gift  of  God,  die  in  their  reasonings." 
— Union  with  the  Bishop  he  strenuously 
insists  on.  "  It  is  not  lawful  without  the 
Bishop,  to  baptise,  or  to  make  a  love 
feast." 

We  see  the  practice  of  true  Christians 
in  those  times.  They  carefully  separated 
themselves  from  heretics :  they  beheld 
their  views  with  horror:  they  stuck  close 
to  Christ. — His  Godhead,  Manhood, 
Atonement,  Priesthood,  were  inestima- 
bly precious  in  their  eyes.  They  could 
not  allow  those  to  be  Christians  at  all, 
who  denied  the  fundamentals :  In  fine, 
they  preserved  order  and  close  connexion 
with  their  pastors:  they  did  nothing  in 
religion  without  them. — These  were  the 
means  of  protecting  truth  among  them : 
and  the  long  course  of  evangelical  pros- 
perity in  these  Churches,  under  God,  may 
be  ascribed  to  the  use  of  these  means. 

One  letter  only  remains  to  be  men- 
tioned,— that  to  Polycarp. — It  contains  a 
just  picture  of  pastoral  integrity,  wisdom, 
and  charity :  The  whole  of  it  deserves  to 
be  studied  by  all  ministers.  The  more 
holy  any  Pastor  is,  the  more  will  he  be 
sensible  of  the  need  of  divine  wisdom  and 
strength. — The  disadvantages  in  which  a 
poor  sinful  worm  is  involved,  who  has  to 
contend  against  the  united  powers  of  the 


Cekt.  II.] 


DURING  THE  REIGN  OF  TRAJAN. 


sr 


world  and  the  devil,  against  the  corrupt 
workings  of  his  own  nature,  the  open  op- 
position of  the  profane,  and  the  faults  of 
God's  own  people,  cannot  even  be  con- 
ceived by  a  mere  secular  Clergy,  intent 
only  on  ease  and  preferment,  or,  at  best, 
on  literary  indulgences  and  external  deco- 
rum :  as  little  will  they  be  conceived  by 
those  ambitious  and  turbulent  teachers, 
who  are  so  swallowed  up  in  political 
dreams,  as  to  forget  that  Christ's  king- 
dom is  not  of  this  world. 

"  I  exhort  thee,  by  the  grace  with  which 
thou  art  clothed,  to  apply  thyself  to  thy 
course  of  duty;  and  to  admonish  all,  that 
they  may  all  be  saved.     Do  justice  to  thy 
station  in  all  dil'.gence,both  temporal  and 
spiritual :  Be  studious  of  that  best  of  all 
blessings,  unity :  Bear  with  all,  as  also 
the  Lord  doth  with  thee :  Bear  with  all 
in  charity,  as  indeed  thou  also  dost.  Find 
time  for  prayer  without  ceasing:  Ask  for 
more   understanding  than   thou   hast  at 
present:    Watch, — and  possess  a  spirit 
ever  attentive  :  Speak  to  each  separately, 
as  Almighty  God  shall  enable  thee  to  do  : 
Bear  with  the  diseases  of  all,  as  a  perfect 
combatant: — The  more  labour,  the  more 
reward. — If  thou  love  only  the  obedient 
disciples,  thou  evidencest  no  grace  :  Ra- 
ther bring  into  orderly  subjection  the  tur- 
bulent through  meekness :  Every  wound 
is  not  cured  by  the  same  method  of  appli- 
cation :  Watch  as  a  divine  wrestler :  Thy 
theme  is  immortality  and  eternal  life. — 
Let   not   those    who    seem   experienced 
Christians,  and  are  yet  unsound  in  the 
faith,   stagger   thee :    Stand  firm   as   an 
anvil  continually  struck.     It  is  the  cha- 
racter of  a  great  wrestler  to  be  mangled, — 
and  yet  to  conquer : — Be  more  studious 
than  thou  art: — Consider  the  times  ;  and 
expect  Him  who  is  above  all  time,  who 
is  unconnected  with  time,  the  invisible 
one  made  visible  for  us, — the  impassible, 
but  passible  for  us;  who  bore  all  sorts  of 
sufferings  for  us. — Let  not  widows  be  ne- 
glected :  Next  to  the  Lord,  do  thou  take 
care  of  them  :  Let  nothing  be  done  with- 
out thy   cognizance:    Do  thou   nothing 
without  the  mind  of  God. — Let  assem- 
blies be  more  frequently  held  :  Seek  out 
all  by  name :  Despise  not  slaves  of  either 
sex;  yet  let  them  not  be  puffed  up,  but 
serve  more  faithfully  to  the  glory  of  God, 
that  they  may  obtain  a  better  liberty  from 
God :   Let  them  not  desire  to  be  set  at 
liberty  at  the  charge  of  the  Church,  lest 
they  be  found  slaves  of  lust.     If  any  can 
remain  in  chastity  for  the  honour  of  the 
Vol.  I.  I 


Lord,  let  them  do  so  without  boasting. 
If  they  boast,  they  are  lost :  and  if  the 
man  set  himself  up  above  the  Bishop,  he 
is  lost.  It  behoves  the  married  to  enter 
into  that  connection  with  the  consent  of 
the  Bishop,  that  the  marriage  may  be 
after  the  will  of  God,  and  not  to  fulfil  the 
lusts  of  the  flesh." 

From  Troas,  Ignatius,  being  brought 
to  Neopolis,  passed  by  Philip])!  through 
Macedonia,   and   that    part    of    Epirus, 
which  is  next  to  Epidamnus.     Having 
found  a  ship  in  one  of  the  sea-ports,  his 
conductors  sailed  over  the  Adriatic :  and 
thence,  entering  into  the  Tuscan  sea,  and 
passing  by  several  islands  and  cities,  at 
length  they  came   in   view   of  Puteoli, 
which  being  shown  to  him,  he  hastened 
to  go  forth,  desirous  to  tread  in  the  steps 
of  the  Apostle  Paul ;  but  a  violent  wind 
arising  would  not  permit  him  to  accom- 
plish this  design.     His  attendants,  the 
relaters  of  the  martyrdom,  say,  that  the 
wind  then  became  favourable  for  one  day 
and  night; — and  that  they  were  hurried 
on  contrary  to  their  wishes:    They  sor- 
rowed at  the  thought  of  being  separated 
from  him :  but  he  rejoiced  in  the  prospect 
of  soon  leaving  the  world  and  departing 
to    his    Lord,    whom   he   loved : — They 
sailed  into  the  Roman  port  Ostia;   and 
when  the  impure  sports  were  at  an  end, 
the  soldiers  began  to  be  offended  with 
his   slowness ;    but  the  Bishop  joyfully 
complied   with    their   hastiness.      Ostia 
was  son^  miles  from  Rome;  and  he  was 
met  by  me  Roman  Christians,  who  inti- 
mated their  strong  desire  for  his  preser- 
vation.    Some  of  them  probably  had  in- 
fluence v/ith   the  great;  and  they   were 
willing  to  try  it:   Ignatius,  however,  was 
inflexible.     He   was   brought   to   Rome, 
and  presented  to  the  prefect  of  the  city. 

When  he  was  led  to  execution,  he  was 
attended  by  a  number  of  the  brethren,  and 
was  allowed  to  join  in  prayer  with  them. 
And  he  prayed  to  the  Son 
of  God*  in  behalf  of  the 
Churches, — that  he  would 
put  a  stop  to  the  persecution, 
and  continue  the  love  of  the 
brethren  toward  each  other, 
then  led  into  the  amphitheatre,  and  speedi- 
ly thrown  to  the  wild  beasts.  He  had 
here  also  his  wish:  The  beasts  were  his 
o-rave  :  A  few  bones  only  were  left,  which 

*  I  use  the  expression  of  the  Narrative:  let 
tlie  reader  make  the  obvious  iuference  for 
himself. 


Martyr- 
dom of 
Ignatius: 

A.  u.  lor. 


He 


was 


06 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  H. 


the    Deacons    gathered,    carefully    pre- 
served, and  afterwards  buried  at  Antioch. 

The  writers  thus  conclude :  "  We  have 
made  known  to  you  both  the  day  and  the 
time  of  his  martyrdom, — that  being  as- 
sembled together  according  to  that  time, 
we  may  jointly  commemorate  the  mag- 
nanimous martyr  of  Christ,  who  trode 
under  foot  the  devil,  and  completed  the 
course  which  he  had  devoutly  wished  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,  by  whom  and 
with  whom  all  glory  and  power  be  to  the 
Father  with  the  blessed  Spirit  for  ever. 
Amen." 

Usher  has  preserved,  or  rather  restored 
to  us  also  an  epistle  of  Polycarp  to  the 
Philippians.  It  breathes  the  same  spirit 
as  those  of  his  fellow-disciple,  but  has 
less  pathos  and  vigour  of  sentiment.  Ci- 
tations from  it  will  be  needless. — He  begs 
the  Philippians  to  communicate  to  him 
what  they  knew  of  Ignatius,  whom  they 
had  seen  at  Philippi,  after  his  departure 
from  Smyrna.  We  hence  see  how  the 
Churches  then  formed  one  large  fraterni- 
ty, abstracted  from  partial  views  of  sup- 
porting little  factions  and  interests.  He 
exhorts  them  to  obey  the  word  of  right- 
eousness, and  to  exercise  all  patience, 
which  they  had  seen  exemplified  in  Igna- 
tius, and  in  others  among  themselves, 
and  in  Paul  himself,  and  the  rest  of  the 
Apostles :  for  these  loved  not  this  present 
world,  but  him,  who  died  and  w^as  raised 
again  by  God  for  us.  By  his  account  it 
appears,  that  the  Philippians  still  retained 
the  Christian  spirit. — One  of  th^  Presby- 
ters, Valens,  together  with  his  wife,  had 
sinned  through  covetousne|s. — Would  to 
God  such  spots  in  the  pastoral  character 
were  as  singular  in  our  times  !  Polycarp 
beautifully  expresses  his  charitable  con- 
cern for  them,  and  exhorts  them,  in  affec- 
tionate sympathy,  to  endeavour  to  restore 
their  spiritual  health. 

These  facts  and  observations  throw 
some  light  on  the  persecution  of  Trajan, 
on  the  spirit  of  Christians  so  far  as  it  can 
be  collected  at  that  time,  on  the  martyr- 
dom of  Ignatius,  and  on  the  signal  glory 
which  God  was  pleased  to  diffuse  around 
it  amonar  the  Churches. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  CHRISTIANS  DURING 
THE  REIGNS  OF  ADRIAN  AND  ANTO- 
NINUS PIUS. 

Trajan  died  in  the  year  117.     The  lat- 


ter part  of  his  reign  had  been  employed 
in  his  great  military  expedi-  f)pj,th  of 
tion  into  the  East,  whence  he  Trajan, 
lived  not  to  return.  His  ex-  j^  ^  j^^^ 
ploits  and  triumphs  fall  not 
within  my  province  : — 1  have  no  concern 
with  him  except  in  that  line,  in  which  to 
a  Christian  he  must  appear  to  the  great- 
est disadvantage ;  and  out  of  which,  it 
were  heartily  to  be  wished,  that  he  had 
ever  given  any  evidence  of  a  desire  to  re- 
move. His  successor,  Adrian,  appears 
not  to  have  issued  any  persecuting  edicts. 
But  the  iniquity  of  his  predecessor  sur- 
vived ;  and  Adrian's  silent  acquiescence 
for  a  time,  gave  it  sufficient  scope  to  exert 
itself  in  acts  of  barbarity.* 

In  the  mean  time  the  Gospel  spread 
more  and  more.  A  number  of  apostolical 
persons  demonstrated  by  their  conduct, 
that  the  Spirit  which  had  influenced  the 
Apostles,  rested  upon  them.  Filled  with 
divine  charity,  they  distributed  their  sub- 
stance to  the  poor,  and  travelled  into  re- 
gions, which,  as  yet,  had  not  heard  the 
sound  of  the  Gospel :  and  having  planted 
the  faith,  they  ordained  pastors,  com- 
mitted to  them  the  culture  of  the  new 
ground,  and  then  passed  into  other  coun- 
tries. Hence  numbers,  through  grace, 
embraced  the  doctrine  of  salvation,  at  the 
first  hearing,  wdth  much  alacrity. f  It  is 
natural  to  admire  here  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  God  in  the  production  of 
so  pure  and  charitable  a  temper ;  to  con- 
trast it  with  the  illiberal  selfishness  too 
prevalent  even  among  the  best  in  our 
days ;  and  to  regret  how  little  is  done  for 
the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  through  the 
world,  by  nations  whose  aids  of  commerce 
and  navigation  are  so  much  superior  to 
those  enjoyed  by  the  ancients. — One  ad- 
vantage those  Christians  possessed  in- 
deed, which  we  have  not :  They  were  all 
one  body,  one  Church,  of  one  name,  and 
cordially  loved  one  another  as  brethren  : 
The  attention  to  fundamentals,  to  real 
Christianity,  was  not  dissipated  by  schis- 
matic peculiarities,  nor  was  the  body  of 
Christ  rent  in  pieces  by  factions  ;  There 
were  indeed  many  heretics  ;  but  real 
Christians  admitted  them  not  into  their 
communities  :  the  line  of  distinction  was 
drawn  with  sufficient  precision ;  and  a  dis- 
like of  the  person  or  offices  of  Christ, 
and  of  the  real  spirit  of  holiness,  discrimi- 


*  The  persecution  of  the  2(]  year  of  Adrian, 
is  commonly  called  the  Fourth  Persecution  of 
the  Christians. 

t  Euseb.  B.  iii.  c.  33. 


Cejtt.  n.] 


ADRIAN  AND  ANTONINUS  PIUS. 


99 


Character 
of  Quad- 
ratus. 


nated  the  heretics :  and  separation  from 
them,  while  it  was  undoubtedly  the  best 
mark  of  charity  to  their  souls,  tended  to 
preserve  their  faith  and  love  of  true  Chris- 
tians in  genuine  purity. 

Among  these  holy  men  Quadratus  was 
much  distinguished.  He  succeeded  Pub- 
lius  in  the  bishopric  of  Athens, 
who  had  suffered  martyrdom 
either  in  this  or  in  the  forego- 
ing reign.  He  found  the  flock 
in  a  dispersed  and  confused  state  :*  Their 
public  assemblies  were  deserted  :  their 
zeal  was  grown  cold  and  languid  :  their 
lives  and  manners  were  corrupted;  and 
they  seemed  likely  to  apostatize  from 
Christianity.  Quadratus  laboured  to  re- 
cover them  with  much  zeal  and  with  equal 
success.!  Order  and  discipline  were  re- 
stored, and  with  them  the  holy  flame  of 
godliness.  One  of  the  strongest  testimo- 
nies of  these  things,  is  the  account  which 
the  famous  Origen,  in  the  second  book  of 
his  treatise  against  Celsus,  gives  of  the 
Athenian  Church.  While  this  great  man 
is  demonstrating  the  admirable  efficacy  of 
Christian  faith  on  the  minds  of  men,  he 
exemplifies  his  positions  by  this  very 
Church  of  Athens,  on  account  of  its  good 
order,  constancy,  meekness,  and  quiet- 
ness : — He  represents  it  as  infinitely  su- 
perior, in  these  respects,  to  the  common 
political  assembly  in  that  city,  which  was 
factious  and  tumultuary.  He  affirms  that 
it  was  evident,  that  the  worst  parts  of  the 
Church  were  better  than  the  best  of  their 
popular  assemblies.  This  is  a  very  pleas- 
ing testimony  to  the  growth  of  Christiani- 
ty, since  the  time  that  a  handful  of  seed 
was  sown  there  by  St.  Paul :  and  let  the 
testimony  of  so  penetrating  and  saga- 
cious an  observer  as  Origen  be  considered, 
as  one  of  the  many  proofs  that  might  be 
given  of  the  happy  effect  which  real  Chris- 
tianity has  on  human  society.  To  a  mind 
not  intoxicated  with  vain  ideas  of  secular 
glory,  the  Christian  part  of  Athens  must 
appear  infinitely  more  happy  and  more 
respectable,  than  that  commonwealth  ever 
had  been  in  the  meridian  of  its  glory. — 
But  we  hope  in  future  pages  to  give  much 
stronger  proofs  of  the  advantages  derived 
to  society  from  the  Gospel. 

In  the  sixth  year  of  his  reign,  Adrian 
came  to  Athens,  and  was  initiated  in  the 
Eleusinian  mysteries.  This  prince  was 
remarkably  fond   of  pagan  institutions  ; 


•  Euseb.  B.  iv.  c.  22. 

+  Cave's  Life  of  Quadratus. 


and  by  this  very  circumstance  demon- 
strated a  spirit  extremely  foreign  to  Chris- 
tianity. The  persecutors  were  proceed- 
ing with  sanguinary  vigour,  when  Quad- 
ratus, at  length,  presented  an  apology  to 
the  emperor,  in  which  he  defended  the 
Gospel  from  the  calumnies  of  its  enemies ; 
and  in  which  he  particularly  took  notice 
of  our  Saviour's  miracles,  his  curing  of 
diseases,  and  raising  of  the  dead, — some 
instances  of  which,  he  says,  namely,  of 
persons  raised  from  the  dead,  were  alive 
in  his  time. 

Aristides,  a  Christian  writer  at  that 
time  in  Athens,  addressed  himself  also  to 
Adrian  in  an  apology  on  the  same  subject. 
The  good  sense  of  the  emperor  at  length 
was  roused  to  do  justice  to  his  innocent 
subjects.  The  apologies  of  the  two  writers 
may  be  reasonably  supposed  to  have  had 
some  effect  on  his  mind.  Yet  a  letter 
from  Serenius  Granianus,  proconsul  of 
Asia,  may  be  conceived  to  have  moved 
him  still  more.  He  wrote  to  the  emperor, 
"  that  it  seemed  to  him  unreasonable,  that 
the  Christians  should  be  put  to  death, 
merely  to  gratify  the  clamours  of  the  peo- 
ple, without  trial,  and  without  any  crime 
proved  against  them."  This  seems  the 
first  instance  of  any  Roman  governor  dar- 
ing publicly  to  suggest  ideas  contradic- 
tory to  Trajan's  iniquitous  maxims,  which 
inflicted  death  on  Christians  as  such,  ab- 
stracted from  any  moral  guilt.  And  it 
seems  to  me  a  sufficient  proof,  that  the 
severe  sufferings  of  Christians  at  this 
period,  which  appear  to  have  been  very 
remarkable  in  Asia,  were  more  owing  to 
the  active  and  sanguinary  spirit  of  perse- 
cution itself, — which,  from  Trajan's  exam- 
ple, was  become  very  fashionable, — than 
to  any  explicit  regard  to  his  edicts.  We 
have  Adrian's  rescript  addressed  to  Minu- 
cius  Fundanus,  the  successor  of  Granian- 
us, whose  government  seems  to  have  been 
near  to  its  conclusion  when  he  wrote  to  th* 
emperor. 

To  Minucius  Fundanus. 

"  I  have  received  a  letter  written  to  me 
by  the  very  illustrious  Serenius  Granian- 
us, whom  you  have  succeeded. — To  me 
then  the  affair  seems  by  no  means  fit  to 
be  slightly  passed  over,  that  men  may 
not  be  disturbed  without  cause,  and  that 
sycophants  may  not  be  encouraged  in  their 
odious  practices.  If  the  people  of  the 
province  will  appear  publicly,  and  make 
open  charges  against  the  Christians,  so 
as  to  give  them  an  opportunity  of  answer- 


100 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


ing  for  themselves,  let  them  proceed  in 
that  manner  only,  and  not  by  rude  demands 
and  mere  clamours.  For  it  is  nmch  more 
proper,  if  any  person  will  accuse  them, 
that  YOU  should  take  cognizance  of  these 
matters.  If  any  then  accuse,  and  show 
that  they  actually  break  the  laws,  do  you 
determine  according  to  the  nature  of  the 
crime.  But,  by  Hercules,*  if  the  charge 
be  a  mere  calumny,  do  you  estimate  the 
enormity  of  such  calumny,  and  punish 
it  as  it  deserves." 

Notwithstanding  the  obscurity,  which 
I  find  Dr.  JorUn  and  Dr.  Lardner  suppose 
to  be  in  this  rescript,  I  cannot  but  think 
it  clearly  shows  that  it  was  the  intention 
of  the  emperor  to  prevent  Christians  from 
being  punished  as  such.    The  only  reason 
for  liesitation,  which  I  can  see,  is  the  in- 
consistency of  it  with  Trajan's  rescript. 
But  it  does  not  appear  that  Adrian  intend- 
ed the  conduct  of  his  predecessor  to  be 
the  model  of  his  own :  and  we  shall  see, 
in  the  next  reign,  still  clearer  proofs  of 
the  equity  of  Adrian's  views.     It  is  but 
justice  due  to  this  emperor,  to  free  his 
character  from  the  charge  of  persecution  ; 
and  Christians  of  that  or  of  any  age  could 
not  object  to  the  propriety  of  being  pun- 
ished equally  with  other  men,  if  they  vio- 
lated the  laws  of  the  state.     But  it  is  the 
glory  of  the  times  we  are  now  reviewing, 
that  no  men  were  more  innocent,  peacea- 
ble, and  well-disposed  citizens  than  the 
Christians.     Yet   the   enmity    of  men's 
minds  against  real  godliness, — so  natural 
in  all  ages, — laid  them  under  extreme  dis- 
advantages unknown  to  others,  in  vindi- 
cating themselves  from  unjust  aspersions  ; 
and  This  forms,  indeed,  one  of  the  most 
painful  crosses  which  good  men  must  en- 
dure in  this  life.     For  example,  many  he- 
retics, who  wore  the  name  of  Christians, 
were  o-uilty  of  the  most  detestable  enormi- 
ties ;  these  were  indiscriminately  charged 
by  the  Pagans  on  Christians  in  general — 
This  circumstance,  in  addition  to  other 
still   more   important  reasons,   rendered 
them  careful  in  preserving  the  line  of  se- 
paration distinct;  and,  by  the  excellency 
of  their  doctrine,  and  the  purity  of  their 
lives,  they   were   enabled   gradually   to 
overcome  all  uncandid  insinuations. 

There  is  extant  also  a  letter  of  Adrian,! 
in  which  he  speaks  of  Christian  bishops 
in  as  respectable  a  manner  as  of  the  priests 

*  This  is  an  oath,  (lemonstfating  only  the 
earnestness  of  the  writer  in  liis  declarations, 
according  to  the  usual  profaneness  of  men. 

•)■  Vopiscus,  b.  ii.  67. 


of  Serapis ;  and  of  Christians  in  general 
as  very  numerous  at  Alexandria.  Since 
St.  Mark's  time,  therefore,  it  is  evident, 
though  we  have  scarcely  any  particular 
accounts,  that  the  Gospel  must  have  flour- 
ished abundantly  in  Egypt. 

But  the  same  equitable  rule  of  govern- 
ment, which  forbad  Adrian  to  punish  the 
innocent  Christians,  led  him  to  be  very 
severe  against  the  guilty  Jews  :   for  now 
appeared  Barchochebas,  who  pretended  to 
be  the  star  prophesied  of  by  Balaam. — 
This  miserable  people,  who  had  rejected 
the   true    Christ,  received  the  impostor 
with  horrid  arms  ;  and  were  by  him  led 
into  open  crimes;  and  amongst  the  rest 
into  a  cruel  treatment  of  the  Christians.* 
The  issue  of  the  rebellion  was  the  entire 
exclusion  of  the  Jews  from_  the  city  and 
territory  of  Jerusalem.  Another  city  was 
erected  in  its  stead,  and  called,  after  the 
emperor's  name,  ^lia.     This  leads  us 
to  consider  how  the  slate  of  the  mother- 
church  of  Jerusalem  was  affected  by  this 
great  revolution.     The  Christian  Jews, 
previous  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
by  Titus,  as  it  has  been  observed,  had 
retired  to  Pella,  a  little  town  beyond  Jor- 
dan, inhabited  by  Gentiles  :     The  unex- 
pected retreat  of  Cestius  had  given  them 
this  opportunity  of  effecting  their  escape. 
How  long  they  continued  here,  is  uncer- 
tain.     Tliey   must,    however,   have   re- 
turned before  Adrian's  tiine, 
who,  comino-  to  Jerusalem  47     Adrian 
years   after  "the   devastation,     fJ^'^^H" 
found  there  a  few  houses  and     iJ"^"/^" 
a  little  Church  of  Christians 
built  on  mount  Sion.     Here     A.  D.  127. 
the  Church  of  Jerusalem  kept 
their  solemn  assemblies,  and  seemed  to 
have  acquired  a  splendid  accession   by 
the  conversion  of  Aquila,   the  eiriperor's 
kinsman,  whom  he  made  governor  and 
overseer  of   the  new  city.      But   as  he 
continued  to  pursue  his  magic  and  astro- 
logical   studies  he   was   excluded   from 
the  Church. — A  strong  proof  that  the  mo- 
ther-church sLill  retained  a  measure  of  its 
pristine  purity  and  discipline  ! — Corrupt 
churches  are   glad  to   retain   persons  of 
eminence  in  their  communion,  however 
void  of  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel.— Aquila, 
incensed,   apostatized   to   Judaism,   and 
translated  the  Old  Testament  into  G  reek.f 


*  Justin  jMailyr,  in  bis  first,  commonly  call- 
ed second  Apology,  observes  that  Barchoche- 
bas cruelly  tortured  such  Christians  as  refused 
to  deny  aiid  blaspheme  Jesus  Christ. 

t  Cave's  Life  of  Simeon. 


Cent.  II.] 


ADRIAN  AND  ANTONINUS  PIUS. 


101 


Eusebius,  b.  iv.  c.  5.  gives  us  a  list  of 
the  bishops  who  successively  presided  in 
Jerusalem.  The  first  was  the  Apostle 
James,  the  second  Simeon  ;  both  whose 
histories  have  been  recorded.  He  men- 
tions thirteen  more  :  but  we  have  no  ac- 
count of  their  characters  or  actions. — 
During  all  this  time  something  judaical 
seems  to  have  continued  in  their  practice  ; 
though  Jewish  ideas  would  naturally  de- 
cay by  degrees.  The  revolution  under 
Adrian,  at  length  put  a  total  end  to  the 
Jewish  Church,  by  the  extirpation  and 
banishment  of  this  people. — To  such  out- 
ward changes  is  the  Church  of  Christ 
subject ;  a  new  Church,  however,  arose 
in^lia,  of  the  Gentiles,  whose  bishop 
was  named  Mark. 

Adrian,   after  a   reign   of    twenty-one 
years,  was  succeeded  by  Antoninus  Pius, 
who  appears  to  have  been,  at  least  in  his 
own   personal  character  and   intentions, 
always  guiltless  of  Christian  blood.     It 
was  now  very  difficult  for  the  enemies  of 
Christ  to  support  their  persecuting  spirit, 
with  any  tolerably  specious  pretensions  : 
The  abominations  of  heretics,  whom  ig- 
norance and  malice  will  ever  confound 
with  real  Christians,  furnished  them  with 
some  :     Probably  these  were  much  ex- 
aggerated :  but,  whatever  they  were,  the 
whole    Christian  name  was  accused  of 
them.     They  were  charged  with  incest, 
and  the  devouring  of  infants  ;  and  thus 
a  handle  was  afforded  for  the  barbarous 
treatment  of  the  best  of  mankind  ;    till 
time  detected  the  slanders,  and  men  be- 
came at  length  ashamed  of  affecting  to 
believe  what  was  in  its  own  nature  im- 
probable, and  was   supported  by  no  evi- 
dence.    It  pleased  God  at  this  time  to 
endow  some  Christians  with  the  power 
of  defending  his  truth  by  the  manly  arms 
of  rational  argumentation. — 
Justin  Martyr  presented  his 
first  Apology  to  the  emperor 
Antoninus    Pius,    about   the 
third  year  of  his  reign,  a.  d. 
140.     He  was  of  that  class 
of  men,  who,  in  those  days,  were   usu- 
ally called  philosophers.     His  conversion 
to  Christianity,  his  views  and  spirit,  his 
labours  and  sufferings,  will  deserve  to  be 
considered  in  a  distinct  chapter.     Suffice 
it  here  to  say,  that   the  information  and 
arguments,  which  his  first  Apology  con- 
tained, were  not  in  vain.     Antoninus  was 
a  man  of  sense  and  humanity.     Open  to 
conviction,   uncorrupted  by  the  vain  and 
chimerical  philosophy   of  the  times,  he 
i2 


was  desirous  of  doing  justice  to  all  man- 
kind. Asia  propria  was  still  the  scene- 
of  vital  Christianity  and  of  cruel  perse- 
cution.— Thence  the  Christians  applied 
to  Antoninus  ;  and  complained  of  the 
many  injuries  which  they  sustained  from 
the  people  of  the  country. — Earthquakes, 
it  seems,  had  lately  happened ;  and  the 
Pagans  were  much  terrified,  and  ascribed 
them  to  the  vengeance  of  Heaven  against 
the  Christians.  We  have,  both  in  Eu- 
sebius* and  at  the  end  of  Justin's  first 
Apology,  the  edict  sent  to  the  common 
council  of  Asia  ;  every  line  of  which  de- 
serves attention. 


Justin's 
Apology. 

A.  D.  139, 
or  140. 


The  Empercrr,  to  the  Common  Council 
of  Asia. 

"  I  am  quite  of  opinion,  that  the  god* 
will  take  care  to  discover  such  persons. 
For  it  much  more  concerns  tliem  to  pun- 
ish those  who  refuse  to  worship  them, 
than  you,  if  they  be  able.     But  you  ha- 
rass and  vex  the  Christians,  and  accuse 
them  of  Atheism  and  other  crimes,  which 
you  can  by  no  means  prove.     To  them  it 
appears  an  advantage  to  die  for  their  re- 
ligion, and  they  gain  their  point,  while 
they  throw  away  their  lives,  rather  than 
comply  with  your  injunctions.     As  to  the 
earthquakes   which    have    happened   ia 
past  tim«s,  or  lately,  is  it  not  proper  to 
remind  you  of  your   own   despondency,, 
when  they  happened  ; — and  to  desire  you 
to  compare  your   spirit   with  theirs,  and- 
to  observe  how  serenely  they  confide  ia 
God  1     In  such  seasons  you  seem  to  be 
ignorant  of  the  gods,  and  to  neglect  their 
worship  :     You  live  in  the  practical  ig- 
norance of   the   supreme  God   himself, 
and  you  harass  and  persecute   to  death 
those  who  do  worship  him.     Concerning 
these  same  men,  sonie  others  of  the  pro- 
vincial  governors   wrote  to  our  divine 
father    Adrian,    to  whom    he    returned 
answer, — '  That  they  should  not  be  mo- 
lested, unless  they  appeared  to  attempt 
something   against  the   Roman   govern- 
ment.'    Many  also  have  signified  to  me 
concerning  these  men,  to  whom  I  have 
returned  an  answer  agreeable  to  the  max- 
ims of  my   father.     But  if   any  person 
will  still  persist  in  accusing  the   Chris- 
tians merely  as  such, — Let  the  accused 
be  acquitted,  though  he  appear  to  be  a 
Christian  ; — and  let  the  accuser  be  pun- 
ished." — Set  up  at  Ephesus  in  the  com- 
mon  assembly  of  Asia. 


B.  iv.  11,  12, 13. 


102 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[CuiP.  n. 


Eusebius  inforins  us,  that  this  was  no 
empty  edict,  but  was  really  put  in  execu- 
tion. Nor  did  this  emperor  content  him- 
self with  one  edict.  He  wrote  to  the 
same  purport  to  the  Larisseans,  the 
Thessalonians,the  Athenians,  and  all  the 
Greeks. 

As  this  prince  reigned  23  years,  such 
vigorous  measures  must,  after  some  time 
at  least,  have  had  their  effect.  And  we 
may  fairly  conclude  that  during  a  great 
part  of  this  reign  the  Christians  were 
permitted  to  worship  God  in  peace.  A 
few  remarks  ontheconduct  of  this  prince, 
and  on  the  facts  which  appear  on  the 
face  of  his  edict,  may  be  judged  not  im- 
proper. 

1.  There  are,  it  seems,  some  instances 
of  princes,  even  in  ancient  history,  not 
unacquainted  with  the  just  principles  of 
religious  liberty,  which  are  now  more 
generally  understood.  The  most  intelli- 
gent legislator,  in  any  age,  never  under- 
stood the  natural  rio-hts  of  conscience  bet- 
ter  than  Antoninus  Pius.  He  saw  that 
Christians,  as  such,  ought  not  to  be  pun- 
ished. His  subjects,  bigoted  and  barbar- 
ous, were  far  from  thinking  so  ;  and  it 
was  not  till  after  repeated  edicts  and 
menaces,  that  he  forced  them  to  cease 
from  persecution. 

2.  In  the  conduct  of  this  emperor,  one 
may  observe  how  far  human  nature  can 
advance  in  moral  virtue  by  its  natural  re- 
sources, while  it  remains  destitute  of  the 
grace  of  God  and  the  superior  principle 
of  holiness.  If  the  advocates  of  natural 
morality,  considered  as  abstracted  from 
Christianity,  were  to  fix  on  a  character 
the  most  able  to  support  the  weight  of 
their  cause,  it  would  be  their  interest  to 
put  it  into  the  hands  of  Antoninus  Pius. 
He  would  defend  it,  not  with  pompous 
systems  and  declamatory  flourishes,  but 
by  an  amiable,  generous,  and  magnani- 
mous conduct.  I  have  been  astonished 
at  the  character  that  is  recorded  of  him. 
Doubtless  a  more  distinct  and  explicit  de- 
tail of  his  life  would  lessen  our  admira- 
tion. We  have  not  the  opportunity  of 
knowing  him  so  thoroughly  as  we  do  So- 
crates and  Cicero.  The  former,  by  the 
writings  of  his  scholars,  the  latter  by  his 
own,  are  known  as  minutely  as  if  they 
were  our  contemporaries.  Could  the 
emperor  be  as  accurately  scrutinized,  pos- 
sibly something  of  the  supercilious  pride 
of  the  Grecian,  or  of  the  ridiculous  vain- 
glory of  the  Roman  patriot,  might  ap- 
pear.    They  are  ')oth  allowed  to  be  very 


eminent  patterns  of  moral  virtue ;  but  yet 
with  all  the  disadvantages  of  such  im- 
perfect historians  as  Victor  and  Julius 
Capitolinus,  they  must  concede  the  palm 
to  Antoninus.  Despotic  power,  in  his 
hands,  seems  to  have  been  only  an  instru- 
ment of  doing  good  to  mankind.  His 
temper  was  mild  and  gentle  in  a  very 
high  degree;  yet  the  vigour  of  his  go- 
vernment was  as  striking,  as  if  he  had 
been  of  the  most  keen  and  irritable  dis- 
position. He  consulted  the  welfare  of  his 
subjects  with  great  diligence  :  He  attend- 
ed to  all  persons  and  things  with  as  mi- 
nute an  exactness,  as  if  his  own  private 
property  had  been  concerned.* — Scarcely 
any  fault  is  ascribed  to  him,  but  that  of  a 
temper  excessively  inquisitive.  His  suc- 
cessor, the  second  Antoninus,  owns,  that 
he  was  religious  without  superstition ; 
and  in  particular,  that  he  was  not  super- 
stitious in  the  worship  of  the  gods.  This" 
we  have  in  his  Stoical  Meditations,  still 
extant.")-  We  cannot  therefore  doubt  but 
that  a  person  of  this  stamp  would  find 
opportunities  of  knowing  what  Chris- 
tianity was.  He  certainly  did  know 
something  of  it,  and  he  approved  of  the 
moral  conduct  of  Christians.  He  gives 
them  the  most  honourable  character,  has 
no  fear  of  them  as  disloyal  or  turbulent, 
and  makes  comparisons  between  them 
and  Pao-ans  to  the  advantage  of  the 
former.  From  an  expression  in  the  edict, 
— "  if  they  be  able," — one  might  be 
tempted  to  suspect,  that  he  had  very  little 
INTERNAL  rcspcct  for  the  gods.  Were 
there  no  God,  no  divine  providence,  and 
no  future  state,  the  virtue  of  this  man 
would  doubtless  be  as  complete,  and  as 
consistent  as  so  absurd  an  hypothesis  will 
permit : — but  his  case  shows,  that  it  is 
possible,  by  the  united  influence  of  good 
sense  and  good  temper,  for  a  man  to  be 
extremely  beneficent  to  his  fellow-crea- 
tures without  due  regard  to  his  Maker. 
Surely — if  the  holiness  of  a  truly-con- 
verted Christian,  and  the  mere  moral  vir- 
tue of  a  "  natural  man,"  were  the  same 
thino-s, — Antoninus  ought  to  be  esteemed 
a  Christian.. — Yet  it  does  not  appear  that 
he  ever  seriously  studied  the  Gospel. — A 
sceptical  carelessness  and  indifference, 
not  unlike  that  temper,  which,  under  the 
names  of  candour  and  moderation,  has 
now  overspread  the  face  of  Europe,  ap- 


*  Juli.   C!ii)hol.  Vit.  Ant.  chap.  vii.     See 
Lariliier's  Colk-ctions,  chap.  xiv. 
tiJook\i.  c.  30. 


Cest.  II.] 


JUSTIN  MARTYR. 


103 


pears  to  have  possessed  the  mind  of  this 
amiable  prince  :  and,  while  he  attended 
to  the  temporal  advantag-es  of  mankind, 
and  felicitated  himself  on  his  good  ac- 
tions, he  seemed  to  forget  that  he  had  a 
soul  accountable  to  the  Supreme  Being-; 
and  scarcely  to  think  it  possible,  that  it 
should  have  any  guilt  to  answer  for  be- 
fore HIM.  The  evil  of  such  a  contempt  of 
God  is  what  mankind  are  of  all  things 
least  inclined  to  discern:  Yet  it  is  the 
evil  of  all  others  the  most  vehemently 
reprobated  in  Scripture  under  the  several 
branches  of  idolatry,  unbelief,  self-righte- 
ousness, and  pride.  No  wonder; — for, 
without  a  knowledge  of  this  evil,  and  an 
humble  sense  of  guilt  in  consequence, 
the  very  nature  of  the  Gospel  itself  can- 
not be  understood.  The  conclusion  re- 
sulting from  this  consideration  is,  that 
godliness  is  perfectly  distinct  from  mere 
morality:  The  latter  indeed  always  flour- 
ishes where  godliness  is;  but  it  is  capa- 
ble of  a  separate  existence. 

3.  The  edict  of  this  good  emperor  is  a 
singularly  valuable  testimony  in  favour  of 
the  Christians  of  that  time.  It  appears 
that  there  were  then  a  race  of  men  de- 
voted to  the  sbrvice  of  .Christ,  ready  to 
die  for  his  name  and  for  his  religion. 
These  men  exemplified  the  superior  worth 
of  their  religion  by  a  superior  probity  and 
innocence  of  manners,  so  as  to  appear 
the  best  of  subjects  in  the  opinion  of  an 
emperor  of  the  highest  candour,  intelli- 
gence, and  acute  observation.  They  were 
not  inferior  to  the  most  excellent  of  the 
heathens  in  morality :  and  they  possessed, 
further, — what  this  emperor  confesses 
their  enemies  were  void  of, — a  sincere 
spirit  of  reverence  for  the  Supreme  Be- 
ing,— an  unaffected  contempt  of  death, — 
and  that  to  which  Stoicism  pretends, — a 
real  serenity  of  mind  under  the  most 
pressing  dangers; — and  all  this  grounded 
on  an  unshaken  confidence  in  God. — We 
cannot  but  hence  conclude — that  the  effu- 
sion of  the  Spirit  of  God,  which  began 
at  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  was  still  con- 
tinued. By  the  testimony  of  a  heathen 
prince,  Christians  were  so  in  power,  and 
NOT  IN  NAME  ONLY :  and  those,  who  would 
substitute  the  virtue  of  the  morality  of 
fallen  man  in  the  place  of  the  religion  of 
Christians,  would  do  well  to  consider, 
that  sound  virtue  and  sound  morality 
themselves  know  no  support  like  that  of 
Christianity. — This  divine  religion  com- 
prehends every  possible  excellence  that 
can  be  found  in  f>ll  others;  and  has,  over 


and  above,  its  own  peculiar  virtues : — 
It  possesses  a  fund  of  consolation,  and 
an  energy  of  support  under  the  prospect 
of  death  itself;  and  it  points  out  the  only 
safe  and  sure  road  to  a  blissful  immorta- 
lity. 


CHAPTER  III. 

JUSTIN    MARTYR. 

This  great  man  was  born  at  Neapolis 
in    Samaria,   anciently    called    Sichem. 
His  father  was  a  Gentile, — probably  one 
of  the   Greeks,  belonging  to  the  colony 
transplanted  thither:  He  gave  his  son  a 
philosophical    education. — Justin  in  his 
youth   travelled  for  the   improvement  of 
his  understanding;  and  Alexandria  afford- 
ed him  all   the  entertainment  which  an 
inquisitive  mind  could  derive  from  the 
fashionable  studies.     The  Stoics  appear- 
ed to  him  at  first  the  masters  of  happi- 
ness.    He  gave  himself  up  to  one  of  this 
sect,  till  he  found  he  could  learn  from 
him  nothing  of  the  nature  of  God.     It  is 
remarkable — as  he  tells  us  himself,* — 
that  his  tutor  informed  him, — this  was 
a   knowledge   by  no   means   necessary; 
which   fact   very   much    illustrates    the 
views   of    Dr.     Warburton,     concerning 
these  ancient  philosophers  :  namely,  that 
they  were  Atheists  in  reality.     He  next 
betook  himself  to  a  Peripatetic,   whose 
anxious  desire  of  settling  the  price  of  his 
instructions  convinced  Justin  that  truth 
did  not  dwell  with  him.     A  Pythagorean 
next  engaged  his  attention,  who,  requir- 
ing of  him  the  previous  knowledge  of 
music,   astronomy,    and   geometry,    dis- 
missed him  for  the  present,  when  he  un- 
derstood that  he  was  unfurnished  with 
those  sciences.    In  much  solicitude  he  ap- 
plied himself  to  a  Platonic  philosopher; 
and  with  a  more  plausible  appearance  of 
success  from  this  teacher  than  from  any 
of  the  foregoing.     He  now  gave  himself 
to   retirement.      "As   I   was   walking," 
says  Justin,  "near  the  sea,  I  was  met  by 
an   aged   person  of  a  venerable   appear- 
ance, whom  I  beheld  with  much  atten- 
tion.    We   soon   entered  into   conversa- 
tion ;  and  upon  my  professing  a  love  for 
private    meditation,   the    venerable    old 
man   hinted    at   the   absurdity   of   mere 
speculation,    abstracted    from   practice : 


*  His   (liiilogiie   witli   Tryplio,  whence   the 
account  of  his  conversion  is  cxtiacted. 


104 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


This,"  continues  Justin,  "  gave  occasion 
to   me  to  express  my  ardent   desire   of 
knowing  God,  and  to  expatiate  on  the 
praises  of  philosophy.     The  stranger  by 
degrees  endeavoured  to  cure  me  of  my 
unmeaning  admiration  of  Plato  and  Py- 
thagoras :  He  pointed  out  the  Avritings  of 
the  Hebrew  prophets  as  much  more  an- 
cient than  any  of  those  called  philoso- 
phers ;  and  he  led  me  to  some  view  of 
the  nature  of  the  evidences  of  Christian- 
ity :  He  added,  '  above  all  things,  pray, 
that  the  gates  of  light  may  be  opened  to 
you  :  for  they  are  not  discernible,  nor  to 
be  imderstood  by  any  one,  except  God  and 
his  Christ  enable  a  man  to  understand.' 
He  said  many  other  things  to  the  same 
effect :  He  then   directed   me  to  follow 
his  advice;  and  he  left  me.     I  saw  him 
no  more;   but — immediately  a  fire  was 
kindled  in  my  soul,  and  I  had  a  strong 
affection  for  the  prophets  and  for  those 
men   who  are  the  friends   of  Christ :  I 
weighed  within  myself  the  arguments  of 
the   aged    stranger;   and,  in  the  end,  I 
found  the  divine  Scriptures  to  be  the  on- 
ly sure  philosophy." — We  have  no  more 
particulars  of  the  exercises  of  his  mind  in 
religion. — His  conversion  took  place,  from 
this  beginning,  some  time  in  the  reign  of 
Adrian.     But  he  has  shown  us  enough 
to  make  it  evident,  that  conversion  was 
then  looked  upon  as  an  inward  spiritual 
work   in  the   soul, — the   same   work  of 
grace  which  the  Spirit  operates  at  this 
day  on  real  Christians.     There  appear, 
in  his  case,  an  earnest  thoughtfulness  at- 
tended with  a  strong  desire  to  know  God, 
and  also  an  experimental  sense  of  his 
own  ignorance  and  of  the  insufficiency  of 
human  resources.    Then  there  appear  far- 
ther,— the   providential  care  of  God  in 
bringing  him  under  the  means  of  Chris- 
tian instruction, — a  direction  to  his  soul 
to   pray  for  spiritual   illumination, — the 
divine  hunger  created  in  his  heart, — and, 
in  due  time,  the  satisfactorj'^  comforts  and 
privileges   of  real    Christianity ;   which 
with  him  was  not  mere  words  and  de- 
clarations ;  for  he  says.  He  found  Chris- 
tianity to  have  a  formidable  majesty  in 
its  nature,  adapted  to  terrify  those  who  are 
in  the  way  of  trangression,  as  well  as  a 
sweetness,  peace,  and  serenity  for  those 
who  are  conversant  in  it.     He  owns  in 
another  of  his  works,*  that  the  example 
of  Christians  suffering  death  so  serenely 


*  Apology    second,    tlmugh   misnamed   the 
first,  in  all  the  copies  of  Justin. 


for  their  faith,  moved  his  mind  not  a  lit^ 
tie :  This  is  an  obvious  consideration, 
and  needs  not  be  insisted  on,  however 
worthy  it  may  be  the  notice  of  those 
called  philosophers  in  any  age. — Justin 
after  his  conversion  still  wore  the  usual 
philosophic  garb,  which  demonstrates 
that  he  retained,  perhaps,  too  great  an 
affection  for  the  studies  of  his  youth  :* 
and  if  I  mistake  not,  he  always  preserved 
a  very  strong  tincture  of  the  spirit  of 
philosophy,  though  not  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  prevent  his  sincere  attachment  to 
the  Gospel. 

Coming  to  Rome  in  the  time  of  Anto- 
ninus Pius,  he  there  wrote  a  confutation 
of  the  heretics  :  particularly  of  Marcion, 
the  son  of  a  bishop  born  in  Pontus;  who 
for  lewdness,!  was  ejected  from  the 
Church,  and  had  fled  to  Rome,  where  he 
broached  errors  of  an  Antinomian  tenden- 
cy. It  makes  no  part  of  my  plan  to  de- 
fine the  systems  of  heretics ;  but  only  to 
speak  of  them  as  they  come  in  my  way, 
with  a  special  reference  to  the  opposition, 
which  they  made  to  the  fundamentals  of 
the  Gospel.  That  holiness,  "without 
which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord,"  and 
which  it  was  the  great  design  of  Christ 
to  promote,  found  in  this  pretended  Chris- 
tian a  bitter  enemy.  Justin,  who  had 
tasted  of  the  holy  nature  of  the  Gospel 
in  his  own  experience,  withstood  him 
both  in  conversation  and  by  his  writings. 
About  the  year  140,  he  pub-  Justin's 
lished  his  excellent  Apology 
for  the  Christians,  addressed 
to  Antoninus  Pius,  which 
may  reasonably  be  supposed  to  have  had 
a  considerable  influence  on  that  emperor's 
political  conduct  towards  the  Christians. 

It  appears  from  this  performance,  that 
it  was  common  to  accuse  Christians 
merely  as  such  ;  and  to  charge  the  faults 
of  any  persons,  who  bore  the  name  of 
the  whole  body. — Thus  there  is  no  new 
thing  under  the  sun. — The  term  Chris- 
tian was  matter  of  obloquy  at  that  time  : 
Various  other  terms  of  scoff  and  contempt 
have  been  invented  since;  and  it  requires 
no  great  degree  of  rational  power  to  show, 
as  Jastin  has  done  completely,  the  ab- 
surdity and  inconelusiveness  of  such 
methods  of  attacking  religion,  whether 
they  be  ancient  or  modern.  He  takes 
notice  also  of  the  happy  effects  which 

*  Cave's  I>ife  of  Justin. 
f  The  truth  of  this  ciiarge  ngainst  liis  mor- 
als has  heen  disputed,  and  possibl)-  with  justice. 


Apology  : 
A.  D.  140. 


Cewt.  II.] 


JUSTIN  MARTYR. 


105 


the  conduct  of  Christians  had  then  on 
mankind.  "  We  have  many  instances," 
says  he,  "to  show  the  powerful  effects  of 
example  among  men  :  Many  persons  have 
been  impressed  in  favour  of  the  Gospel 
by  observing  the  sobriety  and  temperance 
of  their  neighbours. — or  the  unparalleled 
meekness  of  their  fellow-travellers  under 
cruel  treatment;  or  the  uncomnDon  integ- 
rity and  equity  of  those  with  whom  they 
transacted  business."  Tiiese  are  fresh 
proofs  of  the  continuance  of  vital  religion 
in  the  time  of  Justin: — A  man  calling 
himself  a  Christian,  without  any  practi- 
cal power  of  the  religion,  would  scarcely 
have  then  been  classed  among  the  breth- 
ren. I  find  also  fresh  proofs,  in  this 
apology,  of  the  strong  line  of  distinction 
kept  up  in  those  days  between  Christians 
and  heretics.  The  author  observes  that 
the  latter  wee  fond  of  the  name  of  Chris- 
tians, and  yet  were  not  persecuted.  There 
was  nothing  in  their  spirit  and  conduct 
that  provoked  persecution.  He  takes  no- 
tice also  of  the  small  number  of  Jewish 
converts  in  comparison  of  the  main  body 
of  the  nation.  But  this,  he  observes, 
•was  agreeable  to  the  prophecies  of  the 
Old  Testament.  He  describes  likewise 
the  custoiTis  of  the  primitive  Christians 
in  public  worship,  and  in  the  administra- 
tion of  the  sacraments,  in  order  to  show 
the  falsehood  of  the  charges  generally 
urged  against  them. 

Not  long  after  his  first  Apology,  Justin 
left  Rome  and  went  to  Ephesus,  where  he 
had  a  discourse  with  Trypho  the  .lew; — 
the  substance  of  which  he  has  given  us 
in  a  dialogue.  In  this  work  he  notices 
the  common  calumnies  acrainst  Christians, 
— of  their  eating  men, — of  their  extin- 
guishing the  lights, — and  of  their  promis- 
cuous sensuality  ;  but  treats  these  charges 
as  not  credited  by  men  of  sense  and  can- 
dour among  their  enemies ;  and  therefore 
as  not  meriting  a  serious  confutation. 

On  his  return  to  Rome,  he  had  frequent 
contests  with  Crescens  the  philosopher, — 
a  man  equally  remarkable  for  malignity 
to  Christians,  and  for  the  most  horrid 
vices.  Justin  now  presented  his  second 
Apology  to  M.  Antoninus  Philosophus, 
the  successor  of  Pius,  and  a  determined 
eneiny  to  Christians.  He  had  conceived 
hopes  of  softening  his  mind  toward  them, 
as  he  had  done  that  of  his  predecessor, — 
but  in  vain.  Marcus  was  their  enemy 
during  his  whole  reign ;  and  they  scarce- 
ly ever  had  an  enemy  more  implacable. — 
The  immediate  occasion  of  a  second  Apo- 


logy, as  he  himself  informs  the  Emperor, 
was  this : — 

"  A  certain  woman  at  Rome,  had,  to- 
gether with  her  husband,  lived  in  extreme 
profligacy  and  licentiousness.  But  oa 
her  conversion  to  Christianity,  her  own 
conduct  being  changed,  she  endeavoured 
to  persuade  her  husband  also  to  iinitate 
her  example,  by  representing  to  him  the 
punishment  of  eternal  fire,  which  in  a  fu- 
ture state  would  be  inflicted  on  the  diso- 
bedient. But  he  persisting  in  his  wick- 
edness, she  was  induced  to  wish  for  a 
separation.  By  the  advice  of  her  friends, 
she  continued,  however,  to  live  with  him, 
hoping  that  in  process  of  time  he  might 
be  brought  to  repentance.  Upon  his  com- 
ing to  Alexandria,  he  proceeded  to  great- 
er lenofths  of  wickedness,  so  that  finding 
the  connexion  now  no  longer  tolerable, 
she  procured  a  divorce  from  him.  He, 
not  impressed  with  the  happy  change 
which  had  taken  place  in  her  dispositions, 
and  unmoved  with  her  compassionate  at- 
tempts to  rescue  him  from  ruin,  accused 
her  of  being  a  Christian.  Upon  which 
she  presented  a  petition  to  yuu,  O  empe- 
ror, that  she  might  have  time  to  dispose 
and  regulate  her  household  affairs  :  and 
she  promised  that  after  that  was  done,  she 
would  answer  to  the  charge; — which  pe- 
tition you  granted.  The  husband,  finding 
his  wife  to  have  gained  a  respite  from  his 
malice,  diverted  it  to  another  object, — to 
one  Ptolemy,  who  had  instructed  her  in 
Christianity,  and  who  had  been  punished 
by  Urbicius  the  prefect  of  Rome.  He 
persuaded  a  centurion,  his  friend,  to  im- 
prison Ptolemy;  and  to  ask  him  whether 
he  was  a  Christian.  He,  no  flatterer  or 
dissembler,  ingenuously  confessed,  and 
was  a  long  time  punished  with  imprison- 
ment. At  last,  when  he  was  brought  be- 
fore Urbicius,  and  was  asked  only  this 
question — whether  he  was  a  Christian, 
he  confessed  himself  a  teacher  of  the  Di- 
vine Truth.  For  no  true  Christian  can 
act  otherwise. — Urbicius,  nevertheless,  . 
ordered  him  to  be  led  to  execution  :  Upon 
this,  a  Christian,  named  Lucius,  expostu- 
lated with  him  on  the  absurdity  of  these 
proceedings, — on  the  iniquity  of  putting 
men  to  death  merely  for  a  name,  abstract- 
ed from  any  one  specific  charge  of  guilt ; 
— a  conduct  unworthy  of  emperors  such  as 
Pius  the  last,  or  Philosophus  the  present,* 

*  I  ;im  aware  that  the  Greek  in  Justin  would 
make  it  jirohable  tliat  Pius  was  llieii  reigning  ; 
hut  Eusibius's  contrary  testimony  determines 
me  to  think  otiierwise. 


106 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


or  of  the  sacred  Senate.  '  You  too  appear 
to  me  to  be  of  the  same  sect,'  was  all 
that  the  prefect  deigned  to  reply.  Lucius 
confessed  that  he  was  ;  and  was  himself 
led  also  to  execution  ;  which  he  bore  with 
triumphant  serenity;  declaring  that  he 
was  now  going  from  unrighteous  gover- 
nors to  God  his  gracious  Father  and  King. 
A  third  person  was  sentenced  also  to 
death  on  the  same  occasion.  And  I  also," 
continues  Justin,  "  expect  by  persons  of 
this  sort  to  be  murdered,  perhaps  by 
Crescens  the  pretended  philosopher.  For 
he  deserves  not  the  name  of  a  philoso- 
pher, who,  with  the  view  of  pleasing 
many  deceived  persons,  publicly  accuses 
Christians  of  Atheism  and  impiety,  though 
he  himself  be  totally  ignorant  of  their 
real  character.  I,  Justin,  have  interro- 
gated him,  and  proved  that  he  is  quite 
unacquainted  with  the  subject.  I  am 
willing  to  undergo  an  examination  before 
you  in  company  with  him.  And  my  ques- 
tions and  his  answers  will  make  it  evident 
to  yourself,  that  he  knows  nothing  of  our 
affairs  ;  or,  at  least,  conceals  what  he 
does  know." 

But  Marcus  was  not  a  man  disposed 
to  exercise  common  justice  towards  Chris- 
tians. The  philosophic  garb  was  no  shield 
to  Justin,  even  in  the  eyes  of  an  emperor, 
who  piqued  himself  on  the  surname  of 
philosopher.  The  sincerity  of  his  Chris 
tian  attachments  outweighed  every  argu- 
ment and  every  plausible  appearance  in 
his  favour.  Crescens  procured  him  im- 
prisonment for  the  crime  of  being  a  Chris- 
tian,— the  greatest  evil  of  which  a  human 
being  could  be  guilty  in  the  eyes  of  this 
emperor.  The  acts  of  his  martyrdom, 
which  carry  more  marks  of  truth  than 
many  other  martyrologies,  give  the  fol- 
lowing account:*  "He  and  six  of  his 
companions  having  been  apprehended, 
were  brought  before  Rusticus  the  prefect, 
— who,  I  suppose,  had  succeeded  Ur- 
bicius, — a  person  of  considerable  emi- 
nence, and  famous  for  his  attachment  to 
Stoicism.  He  had  been  tutor  to  the  em- 
peror, who  acknowledges,  in  the  first 
Ijook  of  his  Meditations,  his  obligations 
to  him  on  several  accounts,  and  particu- 
larly for  his  teaching  him  to  be  of  a  placa- 
ble and  forgiving  temper.  This  is  one  in- 
stance, among  thousands,  that  it  is  pos- 
sible for  a  man  to  be  strongly  impressed 
with  many  beautiful  ideas  of  morality, 
and  still  to  remain  an  inflexible  enemy  to 


*  Cave's  Life  of  Justin. 


the  Gospel.    Rusticus  undertook  to  per- 
suade Justin  to  obey  the  gods,  and  to 
comply  with  the  emperor's  edicts. — The 
martyr  defended  the  reasonableness  of  his 
religion. — Upon  which  the  governor  in- 
quired in  what  kind  of  learning  and  dis- 
cipline he  had  been  educated.     He  told 
him,  that  he  had  endeavoured  to  under- 
stand all  kinds  of  discipline,  and  had  tried 
all  methods  of  learninsr,  but  finding  satis- 
faction  in  none  of  them,  he  at  last  had 
found  rest  in  the  Christian  doctrine,  how- 
ever fashionable  it  might  be  to  despise 
it !     Wretch  !  replies  the  indignant  ma- 
gistrate, art  thou  captivated  then  by  that 
RELIGION  ]     I  am,  says  Justin  ;  I  follow 
the  Christians,  and  their  doctrine  is  right. 
'  What  is  their  doctrine  V      It  is  this  : 
we  believe  the  one  only  God  to  be  the 
Creator  of  ail  things  visible  and  invisible ; 
and  we  confess  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to 
be  the  Son  of  God ;  foretold  by  the  pro- 
phets of  old  ;  and  that  he  is  now  the  Sa- 
viour, teacher,  and  master  of  all  those 
who  are  duly  submissive  to  his  instruc- 
tions, and  that  he  will  hereafter  be  the 
Judge  of  mankind. — As  for  myself,  I  am 
too  mean  to  be  able  to  say  any  thing  be- 
coming his  infinite  Deity :  This  was  the 
business  of  the  prophets,  who,  many  ages 
ago,  had  foretold  the  coming  of  the  Son 
of  God  into  the  world.      '  Where  do  the 
Christians  usually  assemble  1'    The  God 
of  the  Christians  is  not  confined  to  any 
particular  place.     '  In  what  place  do  you 
instruct  your  scholars  ]'     Justin  mention- 
ed the  place  in  which  he  dwelt,  and  told 
him  that  there  he  explained  Christianity 
to  all  who  resorted  to  him.     The  prefect, 
having   severally  examined   his  compa- 
nions, again  addressed  Justin.  'Hear  thou, 
who  hast  the  character  of  an  orator,  and 
imaginest  thyself  to  be  in  the  possession 
of  the  truth.     If  I  scourge  thee  from  head 
to  foot,  thinkest  thou  that  thou  shalt  go 
to  heaven  ]'      Although  I  suffer  what  you 
threaten,  yet  I  expect  to  enjoy  the  portion 
of  all  true  Christians  ;  as  I  know  that  the 
divine  grace  and  favour  is  laid  up  for  all 
such,  and  shall  be  so,  while  the  world 
endures.      '  Do  you  think  that  you  shall 
go  to  heaven,  and  receive  a  reward  ■?'     I 
not  only  think  so,  but  I  know  it,  and  have 
a    certainty    of   it   which   excludes    all 
doubt. — Rusticus  insisted  that  they  should 
all  go  together,  and  sacrifice  to  the  gods. 
No  man,  whose  understanding  is  sound, 
replies  Justin,  will  desert  true  religion  for 
the  sake  of  error  and  impiety.      '  Unless 
you  comply,  you  shall  be  tormented  with- 


Cewt.  n.] 


JUSTIN  MARTYR. 


107 


out  mercy.'  We  desire  nothing  more 
sincerely  than  to  endure  tortures  for 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  be  saved. 
Hence  our  happiness  is  promoted;  and 
we  shall  have  confidence  before  the  aw- 
ful tribunal  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour, 
before  which,  by  the  divine  appointment, 
the  whole  world  must  appear.  The  rest 
assented,  and  said, — '  Despatch  quickly 
your  purpose;  we  are  Christians,  and 
cannot  sacrifice  to  idols.'  The  governor 
then  pronounced  sentence, — 'As  to  those, 
who  refuse  to  sacrifice  to  the  gods,  and 
to  obey  the  imperial  edicts,  let  them  be 
first  scourged,  and  then  beheaded  accord- 
Martyr-  ^"o  *°  ^^®  laws.'  The  mar- 
dom  of  tyrs  rejoiced  and  blessed  God, 
Justin,  &c.  and  being  led  back  to  prison, 
A.  D.  163.  ^^'sre  whipped  and  afterwards 
beheaded.  Their  dead  bodies 
were  taken  by  Christian  friends,  and  de- 
cently interred." 

Thus  slept  in  Jesus  the  Christian  phi- 
losopher Justin,  about  the  year  1G3,  and 
about  the  third  or  fourth  j^ear  of  the  reign 
of  Marcus.  Like  many  of  the  ancient 
fathers,  he  appears  to  us  under  the  great- 
est disadvantage.  Works  really  his  have 
been  lost;  and  others  have  been  ascribed 
to  him ;  part  of  which  are  not  his ;  and 
the  rest,  at  least,  of  ambiguous  authority. 
He  is  the  first  Christian  since  the  Apos- 
tle's days,  who  added  to  an  unquestionable 
zeal  and  love  for  the  Gospel,  the  charac- 
ter of  a  man  of  learning  and  philosophy. 
His  early  habits  were  retained ;  and  yet 
were  consecrated  to  the  service  of  God. 
This  man,  surely,  should  not  be  suspect- 
ed of  unreasonable  impulses  and  fancies. 
His  religion  was  the  effect  of  serious  and 
long  deliberation  :  and  the  very  best  and 
most  important  use  which  a  gentleman 
and  a  scholar  can  make  of  his  rational 
faculties, — namely, — to  determine  his 
choice  in  religion, — was  made  by  Justin. 
He  examined  the  various  philosophic 
sects,  not  merely  for  the  purpose  of 
amusement  or  ostentation,  but  to  find  out 
God;  and  in  God  true  happiness:  He 
tried  and  found  them  all  wanting :  He 
sought  him  in  the  Gospel :  He  found  him 
there  :  He  confessed  him  :  He  gave  up 
every  thing  for  him :  He  was  satisfied 
with  his  choice ;  and  he  died  in  serenity. 
His  persevering  in  the  profession  of  phi- 
losophy might  probably  have  another 
view  besides  the  gratification  of  his  own 
taste :  He  might  hope  to  conciliate  the 
affections  of  philosophers,  and  allure  them 
to  Christianity.     The  charity  of  his  heart 


appears  indeed  to  have  been  great :  He 
prayed  for  all  men :  He  declined  no  dan- 
gers for  the  good  of  souls;  and  he  in- 
volved himself  in  disputes  with  philoso- 
phers for  their  benefit,  to  his  own  extreme 
hazard.  His  house  was  open  for  the  in- 
struction of  all  who  consulted  him ; 
though  he  seems  to  have  never  assumed 
the  ecclesiastical  character.  To  draw 
gentlemen  and  persons  of  liberal  educa- 
tion to  pay  attention  to  Christianity,  ap- 
pears to  have  been  his  chief  employment. 
But  he  found  it  easier  to  provoke  opposi- 
tion, and  to  throw  away  his  own  life, 
than  to  persuade  a  single  philosopher  to 
become  a  Christian.  The  danger  of 
learned  pride,  the  vanity  of  hoping  to 
disarm  the  enmity  of  the  wise  of  this 
world  by  the  most  charitable  concessions, 
and  the  incurable  prejudice  of  the  great 
against  the  humble  religion  of  Jesus,  are 
much  illustrated  by  his  story.  So  is  the 
victorious  efficacy  of  Divine  Grace,  which 
singled  out  Justin  from  a  race  of  men,  of 
all  others  the  most  opposite  to  Christ. 
We  have  seen  a  philosopher  persecut- 
ed to  death  :  informed  against  by  one  of 
his  brethren ;  condemned  by  another,  and 
suffering  by  the  authority  of  an  emperor 
who  gloried  more  in  the  philosophic  than 
in  the  imperial  name.  A  man  of  his  learn- 
ing and  sagacity  should  not  rashly  be 
supposed  destitute  of  argument  and  sys- 
tem in  his  views.  Men  of  sense  will 
scarcely  think  the  ideas  of  such  a  person 
unworthy  of  their  regard. — Let  us  see 
then  briefly  what  were  Justin's  sentiments 
in  religion.  We  may  possibly  be  led  to 
conclude  that  Christian  principles  may 
be  seriously  maintained  in  consistence 
with  the  love  of  science  and  letters; 
though  perhaps  we  may  observe  some 
degree  of  adulteration,  which  these  prin- 
ciples received,  by  passing  through  a 
channel  of  all  others  the  most  unfavoura- 
ble for  the  conducting  of  their  course, — 
the  channel  of  philosophy.* 

It  is  certain  that  Justin  worshipped 
Christ  as  the  true  God  in  the  full  and 
proper  sense  of  the  words.  We  have 
seen  one  testimony  of  it  already  in  his 
examination  before  Rusticus.    But  let  the 


*  It  scarcely  need  be  repeated,  that  by  this 
term  I  mean  all  along  that  philosophy  of  the 
ancients,  wliicli  was  founded  in  [)ride,  was 
chiefly  speculative  and  metaphysical,  and  at 
bottom  atheistical: — no  one  objects  to  those 
moral  maxims  of  the  ancient  philosophers, 
which  were  in  many  instances  excellent, 
though  defective  in  principle. 


108 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HL 


reader  hear  his  own  words.  Trypho* 
tlie  Jew  finds  fault  with  the  Cliristians 
on  account  of  this  very  sentiment.  "  To 
me  it  appears,"  says  he,  "  a  paradox  in- 
capable of  any  sound  proof,  to  say,  that 
this  Christ  was  God  before  all  time  ;  and 
that  then  he  was  made  man  and  suffered  : 
And  to  assert  that  he  was  any  thing  more 
than  a  man,  and  of  men,  appears  not  only 
paradoxical,  but  foolish."  "  I  know," 
answered  Justin,  "that  it  appears  para- 
doxical ;  and  particularly  to  those  of  your 
nation,  who  are  determined  neither  to 
know  nor  do  the  will  of  God,  but  to  fol- 
low the  inventions  of  your  teachers,  as 
God  declares  of  you.  However,  if  I  could 
not  demonstrate  that  he  existed  before  all 
time,  beino-  God  the  Son  of  the  Maker  of 
the  universe,  and  that  he  was  made  man 
of  the  Virgin  ;  yet,  as  this  personage  was 
shown  by  every  sort  of  proof  to  be  the 
Christ  of  God,  be  the  question  as  it  may 
respecting  his  Divinity  and  Humanity, 
you  have  no  right  to  deny  that  he  is  the 
Christ  of  God,  even  if  he  were  only  mere 
man  :  you  could  only  say,  that  I  was  mis- 
taken in  my  idea  of  his  character.  For 
there  are  some  who  call  themselves  Chris- 
tians, who  confess  him  to  be  the  Christ, 
but  still  maintain  that  he  is  a  mere  man 
only,  with  whom  I  agree  not;  neither  do 
most  of  those  who  bear  that  name  agree 
with  them ;  because  we  are  commanded 
by  Christ  himself  not  to  obey  the  pre- 
cepts of  men,  but  his  own  injunctions,  and 
those  of  the  holy  prophets."  "Those," 
says  Trypho,  "who  say  that  he  was  man 
only,  and  that  he  was  in  a  particular  man- 
ner anointed,  and  made  Christ,  appear  to 
me  to  speak  more  rationally  than  you. 
For  we  all  expect  Christ  a  man,  of  men  ; 
and  that  Elias  will  come  to  anoint  him." 
The  purport  of  this  whole  passage  is 
plain:  The  general  body  of  Christians 
in  the  second  century  held  the  proper 
Deity  of  Jesus  Christ:  They  believed 
that  this  was  a  part  of  Old  Testament 
revelation;  and  they  looked  on  a  small 
number,  who  held  his  mere  humanity,  to 
be  men  who  preferred  human  teachers  to 
divine.  They  considered  the  Jews  also, 
the  most  implacable  enemies  of  Christ- 
ianity, as  choosing  to  be  directed  rather 
by  liuman  teachers  than  by  the  divine 
oracles;  and  as  inexcusable  in  denying 
the  Divine  Mission  of  Christ,  whatever 
opinion  they  might  have  formed  of  his 
person. — Let  the  learned  reader  judge  for 


Dialogue,  p.  63. 


himself,  by  turning  to  the  passage  in 
Justin,  whether  it  will  not  bear  the  weight 
which  I  have  laid  upon  it. — The  testimo- 
ny of  a  man  so  thoughtful,  judicious,  and 
honest  as  Justin,  must  be  decisive,  or 
nearly  so;  and  therefore,  must,  in  a  great 
measure,  determine  the  question  much 
agitated  in  our  times,  relative  to  the  opi- 
nion of  the  Ancients,  concerning  the  per- 
son of  Christ. 

In  another  part  of  the  same  dialogue,* 
he  speaks  of  Christ  as  the  God  of  Israel 
who  was  with  Moses ;  and  explains  his 
meaning  when  he  said  that  true  Chris- 
tians regarded  what  they  were  taught  by 
the  prophets.  In  his  first  Apology,  he 
tells  the  emperor  in  what  sense  Chris- 
tians were  Atheists :  They  did  not  wor- 
ship the  gods  commonly  so  called,  but 
theyf  worshipped  and  adored  the  true 
God,  and  his  Son,  and  the  prophetic  Spi- 
rit, honouring  them  in  word  and  in  truth. 
If  those,  who  call  themselves  Unitarians, 
were  as  candid  and  impartial  as  they  pro- 
fess, the  controversy  concerning  the  Tri- 
nity would  be  soon  at  an  end. — That  the 
primitive  Christians  worshipped  one  God 
alone,  all  who  espouse  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity  will  allow.  Let  the  Unitarians 
with  equal  frankness  acknowledge  that 
they  worshipped  the  one  God  in  the  three 
persons  just  now  mentioned ;  and  then 
we  have  the  Trinity  in  Unity.  Further 
— Justin  uses  two  terms  usually  expres- 
sive of  that  worship  and  adoration,  which 
incommunicably  belongs  to  the  Deity. ij: — 
But,  till  there  be  a  disposition  in  men, 
without  disputation,  to  humble  them- 
selves before  divine  Revelation,  neither 
frankness  in  concession,  nor  unity  of  sen- 
timent, is  to  be  expected. 

The  all-important  doctrine  of  Justifica- 
tion he  states§  in  the  same  manner  as  St. 
Paul  does ;  believing,  that  to  press  the 
necessity  of  Mosaic  rites  on  others  was 
to  fall  from  the  fiuth  of  Christ.  The 
learned  reader  may  see  more  at  large  his 
views  of  Regeneration  and  Forofiveness 
of  all  past  sins  through  Christ  Jesus, || 
and  how  extremely  different  they  were 
from  the  nominal  Christianity  which  con- 
tents so  many  persons. 

He  appears  to  have  had  the  clearest 
views  of  that  special  illumination,  with- 
out which  no  man  will  understand  and 


*  P.  56. 


+  P.  137. 


§  Dialogue  62. 

II  1st  Apology,  159,  160,  and  68  Dialogue, 


CEIfT.  II.] 


JUSTIN  MARTYR. 


109 


relish  real  godliness.  His  first  unknown 
instructor  had  taught  him  this;  and  he 
seems  never  to  have  forgotten  it.  He  in- 
forms Trypho, — that,  for  their  wicked- 
ness, God  had  hidden  from  the  Jews  the 
power  of  knowing-  divine  wisdom,  except 
from  a  remnant,  who  according  to  the 
grace  of  his  compassion  were  reserved, 
that  their  nation  might  not  be  like  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah. — The  eternal  punishment 
of  the  wicked  he  avows  so  plainlj^,  that 
I  shall  spare  quotations  upon  that  subject. 
In  fundamentals  he  was  unquestionably 
sound  :  Yet  there  seems,  however,  some- 
thing in  his  train  of  thinking,  which  was 
the  effect  of  his  philosophic  spirit;  and 
which  produced  notions  not  altogether 
agreeable  to  the  genius  of  the  Gospel. 
Thus,  toward  the  close  of  the  second 
Apology,  he  declares  that  the  doctrines 
of  Plato  were  not  heterogeneous  to  those 
of  Christ;  but  only  not  altogether  si- 
milar. And  he  seems  to  assert,  that 
Plato,  and  the  Stoics,  and  the  Pagan 
writers,  in  prose  and  verse,  saw  some- 
thing of  truth  from  the  portion  of  the  seed 
of  the  Divine  Word,  which  he  makes  to 
be  the  same  as  the  Word,  the  only  begot- 
ten Son  of  God.  The  reader,  who  chooses 
to  consult  the  last  folio  page  of  the  Apolo- 
^g'Y'  ni^)^  judge  for  himself,  whether  he 
does  not  there  confound  together  two 
things  perfectly  distinct, — the  light  of 
natural  conscience  which  God  has  given 
to  all  men ; — and  the  light  of  divine  grace 
peculiar  to  the  children  of  God.  Certain 
it  is  that  St.  Paul,  who  speaks  of  both, 
in  the  epistle  to  the  Romans,  always  care 
fully  distinguishes  them,  as  of  a  kind  en- 
tirely different  one  from  the  other.  He 
never  allows  unconverted  men  to  have 
any  portion  at  all  of  that  light  which  is 
peculiarly  Christian :  But  thus  it  was 
that  this  excellent  man  seems  to  have 
forgotten  the  guard,  which  can  scarcely 
be  too  often  repeated,  against  philosophy. 
We  may  see  hereafter  how  mystics  and 
heretics  and  platonizing  Christians  jum- 
bled these  things  together  entirely,  and 
what  attempts  were  made  by  the  philoso- 
phers to  incorporate  their  doctrine  of  the 
To  iv  with  the  Gospel.*  Justin  seems, 
unwarily,  to  have  given  them  some  han- 


•  An  abstruse  and  mystical  opinion,  which 
prevailed  very  generally  amons*  the  ancient 
philosophers;  but  which  it  is  difficult  to  make 
intelligible  by  an  explanation.  It  differs,  how- 
ever, very  little,  if  at  all,  from  downright 
Atheism. 

Vol.  I.  K 


die  for  this  :  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  he  was 
the  first  sincere  Christian  who  was  se- 
duced by  human  philosophy  to  adulterate 
the  Gospel,  though  in  a  small  degree. 
It  should  ever  be  remembered,  that  Chris- 
tian light  stands  single  and  unmixed  ;  and 
will  not  bear  to  be  kneaded  into  the  same 
mass  with  other  systems,  religious  or 
philosophical. — We  may  here  mark  the 
beginning  of  the  decay  of  the  first  spi- 
ritual EFFUSION  among  the  Gentiles, 
through  false  wisdom  :  as,  long  before, — 
namely, — from  the  first  council  of  Jerusa- 
lem,— we  noticed  a  similar  decay  in  the 
Jewish  Church,  through  self-righteous- 
ness. 

The  same  prejudice  in  favour  of  the 
instructor  of  his  youth  leads  him  to  pay 
to  Socrates  a  very  great  compliment,  as 
if  that  extraordinary  man  had  really  known 
the  true  God,  and  had  lost  his  life  for  at- 
tempting to  draw  men  from  idolatry. — 
Whereas  almost  every  line  of  the  narra- 
tive left  us  b)^  his  disciples  shows,  that 
he  was  as  much  an  idolater  as  the  rest 
of  his  countrymen. — The  last  words  he 
uttered,  it  is  well  known,  were  entirely 
idolatrous. — Justin  had  not  learnt  so  fully 
as  St.  Paul  would  have  taught  him, 
that  "the  world  by  wisdom  knew  not 
God."  In  the  last  page  of  his  Trypho 
there  is  also  a  phraseology  extremely 
suspicious.  He  speaks  of  a  self-deter- 
mining power  in  man,*  and  uses  much 
the  same  kind  of  reasoning  on  the  obscure 
subject  of  free-will  as  has  been  fashiona- 
l)le  with  many  since  the  days  of  Armin- 
ius.  He  seems  to  have  been  the  first  of 
all  sincere  Christians,  who  introduced 
this  foreign  plant  into  Christian  ground. 
I  shall  venture  to  call  it  foreign  till  its 
right  to  exist  in  the  soil  shall  be  proved 
from  scriptural  evidence. — It  is  very  plain 
that  I  do  not  mistake  his  meaning, — be- 
cause he  never  explicitly  owns  the  doc- 
trine of  Election;  though,  with  happy 
inconsistency,  like  many  other  real  Chris- 
tians, he  involved  it  in  his  experience, 
and  implies  it  in  various  parts  of  his 
writings. 

But, — the  novelty,  once  admitted,  was 
not  easily  expelled: — The  language  of 
the  Church  was  silently  and  gradually 
changed,  in  this  respect,  from  that  more 
simple  and  scriptural  mode  of  speaking 
used  by  Clement  and  Ignatius:  Those 
primitive  Christians  knew  the  doctrine 
of  the  Election  of  Grace,  but  not  the  self- 


*  AuTeJurtov, 


110 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  IV. 


determining  power  of  the  human  will : — 
We  shall  see  hereafter  the  progress  of 
the  evil,  and  its  arrival  at  full  maturity 
under  the  fostering  hand  of  Pelagius. 


CHAPTER   IV 


Marcus 
Antoninus 
made  em- 
peror : 

A.  D.  161. 


against 


THE  EMPEROR  MARCUS  ANTONINUS,  AND 
HIS  PERSECUTION  OF  THE  CHRIS- 
TIANS. 

He  succeeded  Pius  in  the  year  161,  and 
appears   very   soon   after   to  have   com- 
menced the  persecution  against  the  Chris- 
tians, in  wich  Justin  and  his 
friends  were  slain.    It  excites 
a  curiosity,  not  foreign  from 
the  design  of  this  History,  to 
discover  what  could   be  the 
cause    of    so    much    enmity 
a  people   confessedly   harmless, 
in  a  prince  so  considerate,  so  humane, 
and,  in  general,   so   well-intentioned   as 
Marcus  is  allowed   to  have  been. — Be- 
sides ;   he  acted  in  this  respect  directly 
contrary  to  the  example  of  his  predeces- 
sor, whose  memory  he  doubtless  much 
revered,  from  whose  intelligent  and  in- 
vestigating spirit  he  must  have  derived 
ample  information  concerning  the  Chris- 
tians, and  whom  in  all  other  matters  of 
government  he  imitated  so  exactly.    The 
fact,  however,  is  certainly  so:    Marcus 
Antoninus   was,   during  all    his    reign, 
which  continued  19  years,  an  implacable 
persecutor  of  Christians;   and   this   not 
from  mere  ignorance  of  their  moral  char 
acter. — He  knew  them, — yet  hated  them, 
and  showed  them  no  mercy  :  He  allowed 
and  encouraged  the  most  barbarous  treat- 
ment of  their  persons ;  and  was  yet  him- 
self a  person  of  great  humanity  of  tem- 
per:  just  and  beneficent  to  the  rest  of 
mankind  :  He  was  free  from  all  reproach 
in  his  general  conduct;   and  in  several 
parts  of  it  was  a  model  worthy  the  imi- 
tation even  of  Christians. 

I  think  it  impossible  to  solve  this  phe- 
nomenon on  any  other  principles  than 
those  by  which  the  enmity  of  many 
philosophers  of  old,  and  of  many  devotees 
and  exact  moralists  of  modern  times 
against  the  Christian  religion,  is  to  be 
explained.  The  Gospel  is  in  its  own  na- 
ture Qot  only  distinct  from  careless  and 
dissolute  vice,  but,  also  from  the  whole 
religion  of  philosophers:  I  mean  of  those 
philosophers  who  form  to  themselves  a 
religion   from  natural  and    self-devised 


sources,  either  in  opposition  to  the  re- 
vealed word  of  God,  or  with  the  neglect 
both  of  that  word  and  of  the  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  who  is  the  great  agent 
in  applying  the  Scriptures  to  the  heart  of 
man. — In  all  ages  it  will  be  found  that 
the  more  strenuously  men  support  such 
RELIGION  the  more  vehemently  do  they  hate 
Christianity.  Their  religion  is  pride  and 
self-importance :  It  denies  the  fallen  state 
of  man,  the  provision  and  efficacy  of 
grace,  and  the  glory  of  God  and  the  Re- 
deemer.— The  enmity  hence  occasioned 
is  obvious. — It  must  be  considered  also, 
that  Marcus  Antoninus  was  of  the  Stoical 
sect, — who  carried  self-sufficiency  to  the 
utmost  pitch. 

He  fancied  that  he  carried  God  within 
him.  Like  most  of  the  philosophers,  he 
held  the  mystical  doctrine  of  the  To  iv ;  but 
he  held  it  in  all  its  detestable  impiety  and 
arrogance.  With  him  to  be  good  and  vir- 
tuous was  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world : 
It  was  only  to  follow  nature,  and  to  obey 
the  dictates  of  the  Deity, — that  is,  of  the 
human  soul,  which  was  divine  and  self- 
sufficient.  W'ith  these  views,  he  could 
neither  be  humble;  nor  pray  earnestly; 
nor  feel  his  own  internal  wickedness  and 


misery ;  nor  endure  the  idea  of  a  Saviour 
and  Mediator. — If,  like  his  predecessor, 
Pius,  he  had  been  contented  to  be  an  or- 
dinary person  in  religion,  the  humanity  of 
his  temper  would  probably  have  led  him, 
as  it  did  the  emperor  Pius,  to  have  re- 
spected the  excellent  character  and  vir- 
tues of  Christians ;  and  he  would  have 
felt  it  his  duty  to  have  protected  such 
peaceable  and  deserving  subjects. — I  say, 
PROBABLY ;  and   I   express  myself  with 
some   reserve,   because   I    much   doubt, 
whether  he  possessed  an  understanding 
equally   sound   with   that  of  Antoninus 
Pius. — But,  be  that  as  it  may,  the  pride 
of   philosophy    appears    to    have    been 
wounded  and  exasperated.   Whoever  has 
attended  to  the  spirit  which  pervades  his 
twelve  Books  of  Meditations,  and  duly 
compared  them  with  the  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel,  must  acknowledge  a  total  oppo- 
sition ;  and  then  he  will  not  wonder  that 
Christians  suffered  from  a  serious  Stoic, 
what  might  have  been  expected  only  from 
a  flagitious  Nero. — Pride  and  licentious- 
ness are  equally  condemned  by  the  Gos- 
pel; and  they  equally  seek  revenge. — If 
this  be  a  true  state  of  the  case,  the  phi- 
losophic spirit  explained  and   stated  as 
above,   however   differently   modified  in 
.  different  ages,  will  always  be  inimical  to 


Cest.  II.] 


UNDER  MARCUS  ANTONINUS. 


Ill 


the  Gospel ;  and  the  most  decorous  mo- 
ralist belonging  to  the  class  of  which  we 
are  now  speaking,  will  be  found  in  union, 
on  this  subject,  with  the  basest  charac- 
ters. "Beware  of  philosophy,"  is  a  pre- 
cept which  as  much  calls  for  our  atten- 
tion now  as  ever. 

Yet  so  fascinating  is  the  power  of  pre- 
judice and  education,  that  many  would 
look  on  it  as  a  grievous  crime  to  attempt 
to  tear  the  laurels  of  virtue  from  the  brow 
of  Marcus  Antoninus.  Certainly,  how- 
ever, if  his  virtue  had  been  genuine;  or 
at  all  of  a  piece  with  that  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, he  could  never  have  treated  Chris- 
tians so  cruelly,  as  we  shall  see  he  did. 

Is  this,  then,  the  man,  whom  Mr.  Pope 
celebrates  in  the  following  lines  1 

Who  noble  ends  by  noble  means  obtains, 
Or  failing,  smiles  in  exile  or  in  chains, 
Like  good*  Aurelius  let  him  reign  or  bleed 
Like  Socrates,  that  man  is  great  indeed. 

— Providence  seems  however  to  have  de- 
termined, that  those  who,  in  contradiction 
to  the  feelings  of  human  nature,  dark  and 
indigent  as  it  is,  and  needing  a  divine 
illumination,  will  yet  proudly  exalt  their 
own  ability  and  sufficiency,  shall  be  frus- 
trated and  put  to  shame.  Socrates,  with 
his  last  breath,  gave  a  sanction  to  the 
most  absurd  idolatry  :  and  Aurelius  was 
guilty  of  such  deeds  as  human  nature 
shudders  to  relate. 

It  is  remarkable  that  Gataker,  the  edi- 
tor of  Antoninus's  Meditations,  repre- 
sents himself  in  the  most  humiliating 
terms,  as  quite  ashamed  to  behold  the  su- 
perior virtues  of  this  prince  as  described 
in  this  book. — To  say  and  to  do,  are, 
however,  not  the  same  things ;  nor  is 
there  much  reason  to  believe,  that  iNIar- 
cus  performed  in  practice,  what  he  de- 
scribes in  theory. — But  exclusively  of 
these  reflections,  suppose  we  were  inclin- 
ed to  draw  a  comparison  between  the  au- 
thor and  his  commentator  with  respect  to 
humility,  such  comparison  would  certain- 
ly be  much  to  the  disadvantage  of  the 
former.  I  pretend  not  to  have  studied 
the  writings  of  Marcus  Aurelius  with  so 
much  anxious  care  as  to  be  assured,  that 
there  appear  in  them  no  traces  of  this 
virtue  in  the  emperor ;  but  the  general 
TURN  of  the  whole  book  leads  me  to  con- 
clude, that  the  writer  felt  no  abasing 
thoughts  of  himself.  I  have  already  de- 
fined in  what  sense  I  use  tlie  term  philo- 
sopher,  as  contrasted  with  the  humble 


follower  of  Jesus  Christ:  and  in  that 
sense  I  affirm  that  no  philosopher  made 
such  a  confession  of  himself  as  Gataker 
does. — Such  is  the  natural  effect  of  some 
knowledge  of  Christianity  on  the  human 
mind  ! 

If  we  attend  to  the  notices  of  history 
on  the  education  and  manners  of  Marcus, 
the  account  which  has  been  given  of  his 
enmity  against  the  Gospel  will  be  amply 
confirmed.  Adrian  had  introduced  him 
among  the  Salian  priests  when  eight 
years  old,  and  he  became  accurately  vers- 
ed in  the  rituals  of  his  priesthood.  At 
twelve  he  began  to  wear  the  philoso- 
pher's cloak :  he  practised  austerities  :  he 
lay  on  the  bare  ground ;  and  was  with 
difficulty  persuaded  by  his  mother  to  use 
a  mattress  and  slight  coverlet.  He 
placed  in  his  private  chapel  gold  statues 
of  his  deceased  masters;  and  visited 
their  sepulchral  monuments ;  and  their 
offered  sacrifices,  and  strewed  flowers. — 
So  devoted  was  he  to  Stoicism,  that  he 
attended  the  schools  after  he  became  em- 
peror ;  and  the  faith  which  he  put  in 
dreams  sufficiently  proves  his  supersti- 
tious credulity.  From  a  man  so  much 
lifted  up  by  self-sufficiency,  bigotry,  and 
superstition,  an  illiberal  censure  of  the 
Christians*  is  not  matter  of  surprise. 
•'This  readiness,"  says  he,  "  of  being 
resigned  to  the  prospect  of  death,  ought 
to  proceed  from  a  propriety  of  deliberate 
judgment,  not  from  mere  unintelligent  ob- 
stinacy, as  is  the  case  with  the  Chris- 
tians ;  it  should  be  founded  on  grounds 
of  solid  reason,  and  be  attended  with 
calm  composure  without  any  tragical 
raptures,  and  in  such  a  way  as  may  in- 
duce others  to  admire  and  imitate."  If 
this  emperor  had  ever  attended,  with  any 
degree  of  candour  and  impartiality,  to 
the  dying  scenes  of  Christians  tortured 
to  death  by  his  orders,  he  might  have 
seen  all  these  circumstances  exemplified. 
Thousands  of  them  chose  to  suffer  with 
deliberate  judgment;  preferred  heavenly 
things  to  earthly ;  counted  the  cost ;  and 
made  a  reasonable  decision ;  not  doubt- 
ful, as  the  emperor  was,  concerning  a  fu- 
ture life;  but  calmly  resigning  this  life 
in  firm  expectation  of  a  better,  and  with- 
out any  circumstances  to  justify  the  sus- 
picion of  pride  or  ostentation ;  on  the 
contrary,  they  were  adorned  with  meek- 
ness, cheerfulness,  and  charity. — Hence 
thousands  and  ten  thousands  have  been 


*  Antoninus  was  called  also  Aurelius. 


*    11th  B.  Sect,  3. 


112 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


induced  to  examine  what  that  hidden  en- 
ergy of  Christian  life  must  be,  which 
produces  such  exalted  sentiments  and 
such  grandeur  of  spirit.  In  fact  the 
power  of  prejudice  was  never  more  strong- 
ly exhibited  than  in  this  malignant  cen- 
sure of  Antoninus;  which  in  truth  is  the 
more  inexcusable,  because  he  laboured 
under  no  involuntary  ignorance  of  Chris- 
tians. For,  besides  the  knowledge  of 
them  which  he  must  have  acquired  under 
his  predecessor,  he  had  an  opportunity  of 
knowing  them  from  various  Apologies 
published  in  his  own  reign.  Justin's 
second  Apology,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
published  during  his  reign ;  one  sen- 
tence of  which  demonstrates,  in  how 
striking  a  manner  our  Saviour's  prophecy 
was  then  fulfilled,  "  A  man's  foes  shall 
be  they  of  his  own  household  !" — Every 
where,  he  observes,  if  a  Gentile  was  re- 
proved by  a  father  or  relation,  he  would 
revenge  himself  by  informing  against  the 
reprover;  in  consequence  of  which  he 
was  liable  to  be  dragged  before  the  go- 
vernor, and  put  to  death.  Tatian  also, 
Athenagoras,  Apollinaris  bishop  of  Hie- 
•  ^.  rapolis,  and  Theophilus  of 
for°Chfis-  Antioch,  and  Melilo  of  Sar- 
tians :  dis,    published    Apologies. — 

A  D  177  This  last  published  his  about 
the  year  177,  of  which  some 
valuable  remains  are  preserved  in  Euse- 
bius.  A  part  of  his  address  to  Marcus 
deserves  our  attention,*  both  on  account 
of  the  justness  of  the  sentiments,  and 
the  politeness  with  which  they  are  deli- 
vered. "  Pious  persons,  aggrieved  by 
new  edicts  published  throughout  Asia, 
and  never  before  practised,  now  suffer 
persecution.  For  audacious  sycophants, 
and  men  who  ccvet  other  persons'  goods, 
take  advantage  of  these  proclamations 
openly  to  rob  and  spoil  the  innocent  by 
night  and  by  day.  If  this  be  done  through 
your  order, — let  it  stand  good  ; — for  a  just 
emperor  cannot  act  unjustly;  and  we 
will  cheerfully  submit  ito  the  honour  of 
such  a  death: — This  only  we  humbly 
crave  of  your  Majesty,  that,  after  an  im- 
partial examination  of  us  and  of  our  ac 
cusers,  you  would  justly  decide  whether 
we  deserve  death  and  punishment,  or  life 
and  protection.  But,  if  these  proceed 
ings  be  not  yours,  and  the  new  edicts  be 
nol  the  effects  of  your  personal  judgment, 
— edicts  which  ought  not  to  be  enacted 
even  against  barbarian  enemies, — in  that 


*  B.  iv.  C.  25. 


case  we  entreat  you  not  to  despise  us, 
who  are  thus  unjustly  oppressed."  He 
afterwards  reminds  him  of  the  justice 
done  to  Christians  by  his  two  immediate 
predecessors.* 

From  this  account  it  is  evident  that 
Marcus,  by  new  edicts,  commenced  the 
persecution,  and  that  it  was  carried  on 
with  merciless  barbarity  in  those  Asiatic 
regions  which  had  been  relieved  by  Pius. 
There  is  nothing  pleasant  that  can  be 
suggested  to  us  by  this  view  of  the  cruel 
treatment  of  Christians,  and  of  the  au- 
thor of  it,  except  one  circumstance — that 
the  effusion  of  the  spirit  of  God  still  con- 
tinued to  produce  its  holy  fruits  in  those 
highly-favoured  regions. 

In  the  two  next  chapters  I  propose  to 
describe  distinctly  two  scenes  of  this  em- 
peror's persecution ;  and  I  shall  now  con- 
clude this  general  account  of     j^ypeiiug 
him,  with  briefly  mentioning     conquers 
the  remarkable   story  of   his     the  Mar- 
danger  and  relief  in  the  war     comanni : 


*  It  can  make  no  material  difference,  wheth- 
er these  edicts  were  absolutely  new,  or  wheth- 
er they  were  only  the  continuation  of  former 
edicts,  with  the  knowledge  and  support,  or 
even  the  connivance  of  Marcus  : 

t.  It  is  with  pain  that  I  read  in  a  celebrated 
author,  "That  the  Meditations  of  Marcus 
Antoninus  have  contributed  more  perhaps  to 
tlie  general  admiration  of  his  character,  than 
all  the  difft-rent  transactions  of  his  just, 
MEHCirrL,  and  bexeficent  reign." — Adam 
Smith's  Moral  Sent.  Vol.  I.  p.  416. 

2.  Let  the  Christian  reader  compare  this 
with  Mosheim,  Cent.  II.  Part  I.  Ch.  II.  sect. 
5  :  "  Most  writers,"  says  he,  "  have  celebrat- 
ed Marcus  beyond  measure,  on  account  of  his 
extraordinary  wisdom  and  virtue.  It  is  not, 
however,  in'his  conduct  towards  the  Chris- 
tians that  we  are  to  look  for  the  reasons  of 
these  pompous  encomiums;  for  here  the  cle- 
mency and  justice  of  that  emperor  suffers  a 
strange  eclipse  ...  So  th:it  if  we  except  Nero, 
there  was  no  reign  under  which  the  Christians 
were  more  injuriously  and  cruelly  treated  .  .  . 
Among  the  victims  of  his  persecution,  were 
the  holy  and  venerable  Polycarp  bishop  of 
Smyrna  ;  and  also  Justin  Martyr,  so  deserved- 
ly renowned  for  his  erudition  and  philosophy." 
'  3.  Consult  also  Lardner'sTestim.  4to.  Vol. 
II.  215  :  "  Marcus  certainly  deserves  to  be 
reckoned  among  the  persecuting  emperors. -- 
The  governor  in  Gaul  applied  to  him  for  di- 
rections, and  he  wrote  back,  that  they  who 
confessed  themselves  Christians  should  be  put 
to  death,  but  that  they  who  denied  it  might  be 
set  at  liberty." 

4.  There  is  no  doubt  of  the  authenticity  ot 
this  last-mentioned  rescript;  and  it  is  an  in- 
delilde  blot  on  the  memory  of  this  celebrated 
emperor. 


Cent.IL] 


MARTYRDOM  OF  POLYCARP. 


113 


of   the   Marcomanni.*      He 
A.  D.  174.     and  his  army  being  hemmed 

in  by  the  enemy,  were  ready 
to  perish  with  thirst ;  when  suddenly  a 
storm  of  thunder  and  lightning  affrighted 
the  enemies,  whilst  the  rain  refreshed  the 
Romans.  It  is  evident  that  the  victory 
was  obtained  by  a  remarkable  providen- 
tial interposition.  The  Christian  sol- 
diers in  his  army,  we  are  sure,  in  their 
distress  would  pray  to  their  God,  even  if 
Eusebius  had  not  told  us  so.  All  Chris- 
tian writers  speak  of  the  relief  as  vouch- 
safed in  answer  to  their  prayers,  and  no 
real  Christian  will  doubt  of  the  sound- 
ness of  their  judgment  in  this  point.  1 
have  only  to  add,  that  Marcus,  in  a  man- 
ner agreeable  to  his  usual  superstition, 
ascribed  his  deliverance  to  his  gods. — 
Each  party  judged  according  to  their  own 
views ;  and  those  moderns  who  ascribe 
the  whole  to  the  ordinary  powers  of  na- 
ture, or  to  accident,  judge  also  according 
to  THEIR  usual  profaneness  or  irreligious 
turn  of  thinking.  Whether  the  Divine 
interposition  deserves  to  be  called  a  mir- 
acle or  not,  is  a  question  rather  concern- 
ing propriety  of  language  than  religion. 
This  seems  to  me  all  that  is  needful  to  be 
said  on  a  fact,  which  on  one  side  has 
been  magnified  beyond  all  bounds ;  and 
on  the  other  has  been  reduced  to  mere 
insignificancy.  It  happened  in  the  year 
174.  The  emperor  lived  five  years  after 
this  event,  and  as  far  as  appears,  conti- 
nued a  persecutor  to  the  last. 


Martyr- 
dom of 
Poljcarp: 

A.  D.  167, 


CHAPTER  V. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    POLYCARP. 

In  or  about  the  year  167,  the  sixth  of 
Marcus,  Smyrna  was  distin- 
guished by  the  martyrdom  of 
her  bishop,  Polycarp. 

We  mentioned  him  before 
in  the  account  of  Ignatius. — 
He  had  succeeded  Bucolus, 
a  vigilant  and  industrious  bishop,  in  the 
charge  of  Smyrna.  The  Apostles, — and 
we  may  suppose  St.  John  particularly, — 
ordained  him  to  this  ofiice.  He  had  been 
familiarly  conversant  with  the  Apostles, 
and  received  the  government  of  the 
Church  from  those  who  had  been  eye- 
witnesses and  ministers  of  our  Lord  ; — 
and  he  continually  taught  that  which  he 


had  been  taught  by  them.*     Usherf  has 
laboured  to  show:^:  that  he  was  the  angel 
of  the  Church  of  Smyrna  addressed  by  our 
Saviour.     If  he  be  right  in  this,  the  cha- 
racter of  Polycarp  is  indeed  delineated  by  a 
hand  divine  ;  and  the  martyrdom  before  us 
was  particularly  predicted      By  this  ac- 
count he  must  have  presided  74  years  over 
that  Church :  certainly,  as  we  shall  hereaf- 
ter see,  his  age  must  have  been  extreme- 
ly great :  he  long  survived  his  friend  Ig- 
natius ;  and  was  reserved  to   suffer  by 
Marcus  Antoninus.     Some   time   before 
that  event  he  came  to  Rome  to  hold  a 
conference  with  Anicetus,  the  bishop  of 
that  see,  concerninn-  the  time  of  observ- 
ing  Easter.     The  matter  was  soon  deci- 
ded between  them,  as  all  matters  should 
be,  which  enter  not  into  the  essence  of 
godliness.      They  each   observed   their 
own  customs  without  any  breach  of  cha- 
rity between  them,  real  or  apparent.  But 
Polycarp  found  more  important  employ- 
ment while  at  Rome.     The  heresy  of 
IVIarcion  was  strong  in  that  city  ;  and  the 
testimony   and   zealous   labours  of   one 
who  had  known  so  much  of  the  Apostles 
were  successfully  employed  against  it ; 
and  many  were  reclaimed.     It  was  not 
in  Marcion's  power  to  undermine  the  au- 
thority of   this  venerable  Asiatic.      To 
procure  a  seeming  coalition  was  the  ut- 
most he  could  expect ;  and  it  was  as  suit- 
able to  his  views  to  attempt  this,  as  it 
was  to  those  of  Polycarp  to  oppose  such 
duplicity  and  artifice.     Meeting  him  one 
day    in   the   street,     he    called   out    to 
him,  "  Polycarp,  own  us."     "  I  do  own 
thee,"  says   the  zealous  bishop,  "to  be 
the  first  born  of  Satan."     I  refer  the  rea- 
der to  what  has  been  said  already  of  St. 
John's   similar  conduct    on    such  occa- 
sions ;  and  shall  add  only  that  Irenssus, 
from  whom   Eusebius  relates  the  story, 
commends  his  conduct,  and  speaks  of  it 
as  commonly  practised  by  the  Apostles 
and   their   followers.      Irenaeus   informs 
us,§  that  he  had  a  particular  delight  in 
recounting    what      had    been    told    by 
those  who  had  seen  Christ  in  the  flesh  ; 
that  he  used  to  relate  also  what  he  had 
heard  concerning  his  doctrine  and  mira- 
cles ;  and  when  he  was  informed  of  any 
heretical  attempts  to  overturn    Christian 
fundamentals,   he  would  cry  out,    "  To 


*  Euseb.  B.  V. 
k2 


C.  5. 


*  Euseb.  iv.  14. 
■f  In  his  Piolegom.  to  Ignatius. 
t  Cave's  Life  of  Polycai-p. 
§  Irenseus's  Epistle  to  Florin. 


114 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


what  times,  O  God,  hast  thou  reserved 
me  !"  and  would  leave  the  place. 

Indeed  when  it  is  considered  what  Mar- 
cion  maintained,  and  what  unquestiona- 
ble evidence  Polycarp  had  against  him 
in  point  of  matter  of  fact,  we  shall  see  he 
had  just  reason  to  testify  his  disapproba- 
tion. This  man  was  one  of  the  Docet^: 
According  to  him,  Christ  had  no  real 
human  nature :  He  rejected  the  whole 
Old  Testament,  and  mutilated  the  New. 
He  held  two  principles,  after  the  manner 
of  the  Manichees,  in  order  to  account  for 
the  origin  of  the  evil.  If  men,  who  as- 
sert things  so  fundamentally  subversive 
of  the  Gospel,  would  openly  disavow  the 
Christian  name,  they  might  be  endured 
with  much  more  composure  by  Chris- 
tians ;  nor  would  there  be  any  call  for  so 
scrupulous  an  absence  from  their  society ; 
for  St.  Paul  has  so  determined  the  case.* 
But  for  such  men,  whether  ancient  or 
modern,  to  call  themselves  Christians,  is 
an  intolerable  insult  on  the  common  sense 
of  mankind. — We  know  nothing  more  of 
the  life  of  this  venerable  bishop  : — Of  the 
circumstances  of  his  death  we  have  an 
account,  and  they  deserve  a  very  particu- 
lar relation. 

The  greatest  part  of  the  ancient  nar- 
rative is  preserved  by  Eusebius.t  The 
beginning  and  the  end,  which  he  has  not 
given  us,  have  been  restored  by  the  care 
of  archbishop  Usher.  It  is  an  epistle 
written  in  the  name  of  Polycarp's  Church 
of  Smyrna  :  I  have  ventured  to  trans- 
late the  whole  myself,  yet  not  without 
examining  what  Valesius,  the  editor  of 
Eusebius,  and  archbishop  Wake,  have 
left  us  on  the  subject.  It  is  doubtless 
one  of  the  most  precious  ornaments  of  an- 
tiquity ;  and  it  seemed  to  deserve  some 
notes  and  illustrations. 

"  The  Church  of  God  which  sojourns 
at  Smyrna,  to  that  which  sojourns  at  Phi- 
lomelium,:j:  and  in  all  places  where  the 
Holy  Catholic  Church  sojourns  through- 
out the  world,  may  the  mercy,  peace,  and 
love  of  God  the  Father,  and  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  be  multiplied  !  W^e  have 
written  to  you,  brethren,  as  well  concern- 
ing the  other  martyrs,  as  particularly  the 
blessed  Polycarp  ;  who,  as  it  were,  seal- 


*  1  Cor.  V.  10. 

t  B.  iv.  Euseb.  Hist.  ch.  15. 

■{  A  city  of  Lycaonia.  I  thought  it  right  to 
give  the  English  reader  the  precise  term — of 
sojourning — used  in  the  original.  It  was  the 
ordinary  language  and  also  the  spirit  of  the 
Church  at  that  time. 


ing  by  his  testimony,  closed  the  persecu- 
tion. For  all  these  things,  which  were 
done,  were  so  conducted,  that  the  Lord 
from  above  might  exhibit  to  us  the  nature 
of  a  martyrdom  perfectly  evangelical. 
Polycarp  did  not  precipitately  give  him- 
self up  to  death,  but  waited  till  he  was 
apprehended,  as  our  Lord  himself  did, 
that  we  might  imitate  him ;  not  caring 
only  for  ourselves,  but  also  for  our  neigh- 
bours. It  is  the  office  of  solid  and  genu- 
ine charity  not  to  desire  our  own  salvation 
only,  but  also  that  of  all  the  brethren.* 
Blessed  and  noble  indeed  are  all  martyr- 
doms which  are  regulated  according  to 
the  will  of  God  :  for  it  behoves  us,  who 
assume  to  ourselves  the  character  of  Chris- 
tians,— a  name  professing  distinguished 
sanctity, — to  submit  to  God  alone  the 
disposal  of  all  events. f  Doubtless  their 
magnanimity,  their  patience,  their  love 
of  the  Lord,  deserve  the  admiration  of 
every  one  ;  who,  though  torn  with  whips 
till  the  frame  and  structure  of  their  bodies 
were  laid  open  even  to  their  veins  and  ar- 
teries, yet  meekly  endured ;  so  that  those 
who  stood  around  pitied  them  and  lament- 
ed. But  such  was  their  fortitude,  that 
no  one  of  them  uttered  a  sigh  or  groan  : 
Thus  they  evinced  to  us  all,  that  at  that 
hour  the  martyrs  of  Christ,  though  tor- 
mented, were  absent,  as  it  were,  from  the 
body;  or  rather  that  the  Lord,  being  pre- 
sent, conversed  familiarly  with  them:  thus 
they  were  supported  by  the  grace  of 
Christ ;  thus  they  despised  the  torments 
of  this  world,  and  by  one  hour  redeemed 
themselves  from  eternal  punishment.  The 
fire  of  savage  tormentors  was  cold  to  them : 
for  they  had  steadily  in  view  a  desire  to 
avoid  that  fire  which  is  eternal  and  never 
to  be  quenched.  And  with  the  eyes  of 
their  heart  they  had  respect  to  the  good 
things  reserved  for  those  who  endure, — 


*  I  translate  according  to  the  Greek.  But, 
though  common  candour  may  put  a  favourable 
construction  on  the  expressions,  the  honour 
then  put  on  martyrdom  seems  excessive. 

f  They  doubtless  mean  to  censure  the  self- 
will  of  those  who  threw  themselves  on  their 
persecutors  before  they  were  providentially 
called  to  suffer.  The  calm  patience  of  Polycarp, 
in  this  respect,  was  more  commendable  than 
the  impeiuosily  of  Ignatius.  But  Polycarp 
now  was  much  older  tlian  he  was  when  Ignatius 
suftered,  and  very  probably  had  cnowN  in 
grace.  The  Asiatic  churches  seem  to  have 
corrected  the  errors  of  excessive  zeal,  which 
even  in  the  best  Christians  had  formerly  pre- 
vailed. The  case  of  Quintus  will  soon  throw 
light  on  this  subject. 


CEIfT.  II.] 


MARTYRDOM  OF  POLYCARP. 


115 


THINGS WHICH  EYE  HATH  NOT  SEEN,  NOR 

EAR    HEARD,  NOR    HATH    IT    ENTERED    INTO 
THE    HEART    OF    MAN    TO    CONCEIVE.       But 

these  good  things  were  then  exhibited  to 
them  by  the  Lord :  They  were  indeed 
then  no  longer  men,  but  angels.  In  like 
manner  those,  who  were  condemned  to 
the  wild  beasts,  underwent  for  a  time 
cruel  torments,  being  placed  under  shells 
of  sea  fish,  and  exposed  to  various  other 
tortures,  that,  if  possible,  the  infernal 
tjTant,  by  an  uninterrupted  series  of  suf- 
fering, might  tempt  them  to  deny  their 
Master.  Much  did  Satan  contrive  against 
them:*  but,  thanks  to  God,  without  ef- 
fect against  them  all.  The  magnani- 
mous Germanicus,  by  his  patience  and 
courage,  strengthened  the  weak  :  He 
fought  with  wild  beasts  in  an  illustrious 
manner;  for  when  the  proconsul  besought 
him  to  pity  his  own  old  age,  he  irritated 
the  wild  beasts  by  provocation,  and  was 
desirous  of  departing  more  quickly  from 
a  world  of  wickedness. — And  now  the 
whole  multitude,  astonished  at  the  forti- 
tude of  Christians,  that  is,  of  the  true 
friends  and  worshippers  of  God,  cried 
out,  '  Take  away  the  atheists,f  let  Poly- 
carp  be  sought  for.'  One  Christian,  by 
name  Quintus,  lately  came  from  Phrygia, 
his  native  country,  on  sight  of  the  beasts, 
trembled.  He  had  persuaded  some  per- 
sons to  present  themselves  before  the  tri- 
bunal of  their  own  accord.  Him  the  pro- 
consul, by  soothing  speeches,  induced  to 
swear  and  to  sacrifice.  On  this  account, 
brethren,  we  do  not  approve  of  those  who 
offer  themselves  to  martyrdom  ; — '  for 
we  have  not  so  learned  Christ.' 

"•  The  admirable  Polycarp,  when  he 
heard  what  passed,  was  quite  unmoved. 
and  resolved  to  remain  in  the  city. 
But,  induced  by  the  intreaties  of  his 
people,  he  retired  to  a  village  at  no  great 
distance  ;  and  there,  with  a  few  friends, 
he  spent  his  time  entirely,  day  and 
night,  in  praying,  according  to  his  usual 
custom,  for  all  the  churches  in  the 
world. — Three  days  before  he  was  seized, 
he  had  a  vision  while  he  Avas  praying : 
He  saw  his  pillow  consumed  by  fire  :  and 
turning  to  the  company,  he  said  propheti- 
cally,  '  I   must   be  burnt   alive.' — Upon 


*  The  lansfuasre  of  these  ancient  Christians 
deserves  to  be  noticed  ;  they  have  their  eye 
more  steadily  on  a  divine  influence  on  the  one 
hand,  and  on  a  diabolical  one  on  the  other, 
than  is  fashionable  in  our  limes. 

f  The  term  of  reproach  then  commonly  af- 
fixed to  Cliristiaus. 


hearing  that  the  persons  in  search  of  him, 
were  just  at  hand,  he  retired  to  another 
village :  Immediately  the  officers  came 
to  his  house ;  and  not  finding  him,  they 
seized  two  servants,  one  of  whom  was 
induced,  by  torture,  to  confess  the  place  of 
his  retreat.  Certainly  it  was  impossible 
to  conceal  him,  since  even  those  of  his 
own  household  discovered  him.  And  the 
tetrarch,  called  Cleronomus  Herod,  has- 
tened to  introduce  him  into  the  Stadium ; 
that  so  he  might  obtain  his  lot  as  a  follow- 
er of  Christ ;  and  that  those,  who  betrayed 
him,  might  share  with  Judas.  Taking 
then  the  servant  as  their  guide,  they  went 
out  about  supper-time,  with  their  usual 
arms,  as  against  a  robber ;  and  arriving 
late,  they  found  him  lying  in  an  upper 
room  at  the  end  of  the  house,  whence  he 
might  have  made  his  escape,*  but  he 
would  not,  saying, — 'The  will  of  the 
Lord  be  done.'  Hearing  that  they  were 
arrived,  he  came  down  and  conversed 
with  them ;  and  all,  who  were  present, 
admired  his  age  and  constancy  :  Some 
said,  "  Is  it  worth  while  to  take  pains  to 
apprehend  so  aged  a  person"?"  He  im- 
mediately ordered  meat  and  drink  to  be 
set  before  them,  as  much  as  they  pleased, 
and  begged  them  to  allow  him  one  hour 
to  pray  without  molestation ;  which  being 
granted,  he  prayed  standing ;  and  was 
so  full  of  the  grace  of  God,  that  he  could 
not  cease  from  speaking  for  two  hours : 
The  hearers  were  astonished  ;  and  many 
of  them  repented  that  they  were  come  to 
seize  so  divine  a  character. 

"  When  he  had  finished  his  prayers, 
having  made  mention  of  all  whom  he  had 
ever  known,  small  and  great,  noble  and 
vulgar,  and  of  the  whole  Catholic  church 
throughout  the  world,  the  hour  of  depart- 
ing being  come,  they  set  him  on  an  ass 
and  led  him  to  the  city.f  The  irenarch 
Herod,  and  his  father  Nicetes,  met  him, 
who  taking  him  up  into  their  chariot,  be- 
gan to  advise  him,  asking,  '  What  harm 
is  it  to  say,  Lord  Caesar! — and  to  sacri- 
fice, and  be  safe  V  At  first  he  was  si- 
lent, but  being  pressed,  he  said,  '  I  will 
not  follow  your  advice.'  When  they 
could  not  persuade  him,  they  treated  him 
abusively,  and  thrust  him  out  of  the  cha- 

*  Those  who  know  the  eastern  custom  of 
flat-roofed  houses,  will  not  be  surprised  at 
this. 

f  I  have  not  thought  it  worth  while  to  trans- 
late what  relates  to  the  time  when  Polycarp 
suffered,  on  which  point  the  learned  disagree 
in  the  mode  of  inteiprelatioa. 


116 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


riot,  so  that  in  falling  he  bruised  his  thigh. 
But  he,  still  unmoved  as  if  he  had  sulfer- 
ed  nothing,  went  on  cheerfully  under  the 
conduct  of  his  guards  to  the  Stadium. 
There  the  tumult  being  so  great  that  few 
could  hear  any  thing,  a  voice  from  hea- 
ven said  to  Polycarp,  as  he  entered  on 
the  Stadium,  '  *Be  strong,  Polycarp,  and 
behave  yourself  like  a  man.' — None  saw 
the  speaker,  but  many  of  us  heard  the 
voice." 

"  When  he  was   brought  to  the  tribu- 
nal, there  was  a  great  tumult,  as  soon  as 

it  was  generally  understood 
Martyr-  that  Polycarp  was  apprehend- 
dom  of  g(j^  The  proconsul  asked  him, 
Polycarp.      j£  -^^  ^^g  Polycarp ;  to  which 

he  assented.  The  former  then 
began  to  exhort  him  : — '  Have  pity  on 
thy  own  great  age — and  the  like.  Swear 
by  the  fortune  of  Caesar — repent — say — 
Take  away  the  atheists.'  Polycarp, 
with  a  grave  aspect,  beholding  all  the 
multitude,  waiving  his  hand  to  them,  and 
looking  up  to  heaven,  said,  'Take  away 
the  atheists.'  The  proconsul  urging 
him,  and  saying,  '  Swear,  and  I  will 
release  thee, — reproach  Christ ;'  Poly- 
carp said,  '  Eighty-and-six  years  have  I 
served  him,  and  he  hath  never  wronged 
me,  and  how  can  I  blaspheme  my  King 
who  hath  saved  me  V  The  proconsul 
still  urging,  '  Swear  by  the  fortune  of  Ca;- 
sar ;'  Polycarp  said,  '  If  you  still  vainly 
contend  to  make  me  swear  by  the  fortune 
of  Csesar,  as  you  speak,  affecting  an  ig- 
norance of  my  real  character,  hear  me 
frankly  declaring  what  I  am  :  I  am  a 
Christian  ;  and  if  you  desire  to  learn  the 
Christian  doctrine,  assign  me  a  day,  and 
hear.'  The  proconsul  said,  '  Persuade 
the  people.'  Polycarp  said,  '  I  have 
thought  proper  to  address  you  ;  for  we 
are  taught  to  pay  to  magistracies  and 
powers  appointed  by  God,  all  honour, 
which  is  consistent  with  a  ofood  con- 
science.  But  I  do  not  hold  them  worthy 
that  I  should  apologize  for  them.'j-  'I 
have  wild  beasts,'  says  the  proconsul : 
'I  will  expose  you  to  them,  unless  you 
repent.'  '  Call  them,'  replies  the  mar- 
tyr. 'Our  minds  are  to  be  changed 
from  the  better  to  the  worse  :  but  it  is  a 


good  thing  to  be  changed   from  evil  to 
good.'    'I  will  tame  youi  spirit  by  fire;' 
says  the  other,    '  since  you  despise  the 
wild  beasts,  unless  you  repent.'     '  You 
threaten    me  with  fire,'   answers  Poly- 
carp, '  which  burns  for  a  moment,  and 
will  be  soon  extinct :  but  you  are  igno- 
rant of  the   future   judgment,  and  of  the 
fire  of   eternal  punishment  reserved  for 
the  ungodly.     But  why  do  you  delay  ] — 
Do  what  you  please.'      vSaying  this  and 
more,  he  w'as  filled  with  confidence  and 
joy  ;  and  grace  shone  in  his  countenance  : 
so  that  he  was  far  from  being  confounded 
iiy  these  menaces  :     On  the  contrary  the 
proconsul  was  visibly  embarrassed  :  he 
sent,   however,   the  herald   to   proclaim 
thrice,   in   the  midst  of  the    assembly, 
'  Polycarp    hath    professed    himself   a 
Christian.'     Upon  this  all  the  multitude, 
both  of  Gentiles  and  of  Jews,  who  dwelt 
at  Smyrna,  with  insatiate  rage  shouted 
aloud,     "This   is    the   doctor   of  Asia, 
the    father    of   Christians,    the    subver- 
ter  of  our  gods,  who  hath  taught  many 
not   to   sacrifice   nor   to   adore.'      They 
now   begged  Philip,  the  Asiarch,  to  let 
out  a  lion  against  Polycarp.     But  he  re- 
fused, observing  that  the   amphitheatri- 
cal   spectacles  of  the   wild  beasts  were 
finished.     They  then  unanimously  shou- 
ted, that  he  should  be  burnt  alive  ; — for 
bis  vision  was  of  necessity  to  be  accom- 
plished.— Whilst  he  was  praying,  he  ob- 
served the  fire  kindling;  and  turning  to 
the  faithful  that  were  with  him,  he  said 
prophetically, — '  I  must  be  burnt  alive.' 
The  business  was  executed  with  all  pos- 
sible speed  ;  for  the  people  immediately 
gathered   fuel  from  the  workshops  and 
baths,  in  which  employment  the  Jews* 
distinguished  themselves  with  their  usual 
malice.     As  soon  as  the  fire  was  prepar- 
ed, stripping  off  his  clothes,  and  loosing 
his  girdle,  he  attempted  to  take  off  his 
shoes, — a  thinn-  unusual  for  him  to  do 
formerly, — because   each  of  the  fiiithful 
were  wont  to  strive  who  should  be  most 
assiduous   in  serving  him.     For,  before 
his  martyrdom,  his  integrity  and  blame- 
less conduct   had  always   procured  him 
the  most  unfeigned  respect.  Immediately 


*  The  reader  should  remember  that  miracu- 
lous interpositions  of  various  kinds  were  still 
frequent  in  the  ciiurch. 

fl  cannot  tliink  that  this  was  said  in  con- 
tempt of  the  vulgar,  but  on  account  of  the 
prejudices  and  enmity  which  their  conduct 
exhibited  at  that  time. 


*  I  scai'cely  know  a  more  striking  view  of 
the  judicial  curse  inflicted  on  the  Jews  than 
this.  Indeed  this  people  all  along  exerted 
themselves  in  persecution  ;  and  Justin  Martyr 
tells  us  of  a  charge  wliich  had  been  sent  from 
Jerusalem  by  the  chief  priests  against  Chris- 
tians, directed  to  their  brethren  through  the 
world. 


Cejtt.  it.] 


MARTYRDOM  OF  POLYCARP. 


117 


the  usual  appendages  of  burning  were  pla- 
ced about  him.  And  when  they  were  going 
to  fasten  him  to  the  stake,  he  said,  '  Let 
me  remain  as  I  am  :  for  He  who  giveth 
me  strength  to  sustain  the  fire,  will  enable 
me  also,  without  your  securing  me  with 
nails,  to  remain  unmoved  in  the  fire.' — 
Upon  which  they  bound  him  without 
nailing  him.  And  he,  putting  his  hands 
behind  him,  and  being  bound  as  a  distin- 
guished ram,  selected  from  a  great  flock, 
aburnt-offering  acceptable  to  God  Almigh- 
ty, said,  '  O  Father  of  thy  beloved  and 
blessed  Son  Jesus  Christ,  through  whom 
we  have  attained  the  knowledge  of  thee,  0 
God  of  angels  and  principalities,  and  of  all 
creation,  and  of  all  the  just  who  live  in  thy 
sight,  I  bless  thee,  that  thou  hast  counted 
me  worthy  of  this  day,  and  this  hour,  to  re- 
ceive my  portion  in  the  number  of  mar- 
tyrs, in  the  cup  of  Christ,  for  the  resurrec- 
tion to  eternal  life  both  of  soul  and  body,  in 
the  incorruption  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  among 
whom  may  I  be  received  before  thee  this 
day  as  a  sacrifice  well-savoured  and  ac- 
ceptable, which  thou,  the  faithful  and 
true  God,  hast  prepared,  promised  before- 
hand, and  fulfilled  accordingly.  Where- 
fore I  praise  thee  for  all  those  things,  I 
bless  thee,  I  glorify  thee,  by  the  eternal 
High  Priest,  Jesus  Christ,  thy  well-be- 
loved Son  :  through  whom,  with  him  in 
the  Holy  Spirit,  be  glory  to  thee  both 
now  and  for  ever.     Amen." 

"  And  when  he  had  pronounced  Amen 
aloud,  and  finished  his  prayer,  the  officers 
lighted  the  fire ;  and  a  great  flame  burst- 
ing out, — We,  to  whom  it  was  given  to 
see,  and  who  also  were  reserved  to  relate 
to  others  that  which  happened, — saw  a 
wonder — For  the  flame,  forming  the  ap- 
pearance of  an  arch,  as  the  sail  of  a  ves- 
sel filled  with  wind,  was  as  a  wall  round 
about  the  body  of  the  martyr ;  which  was 
in  the  midst,  not  as  burning  flesh,  but  as 
gold  and  silver  refined  in  the  furnace. 
We  received  also  in  our  nostrils  such  a 
fragrance,  as  arises  from  frankincense,  or 
some  other  precious  perfume.  At  length 
the  impious,  observing  that  his  body 
could  not  be  consumed  by  the  fire,  order- 
ed the  confector*  to  approach,  and  to 
plunge  his  sword  into  his  body.  Upon 
this  a  quantity  of  blood  gushed  out,  so 
that  the  fire  was  extinguished ;  and  all 
the  multitude  were  astonished  to  see  the 
difference  thus  providentially  made  be- 


*  An  officer,  whose  business  it  was  in  ifie 
Roman  games  to  dispatch  any  beast  that  was 
unruly  or  dangerous. 


tween  the  unbelievers  and  the  elect ;  of 
whom  the  admirable  personage  before 
us  was,  doubtless,  one,  in  our  age  an 
apostolical  and  prophetical  teacher,  the 
bishop  of  the  Catholic  church  of  Smyrna. 
For,  whatever  he  declared,  was  fulfilled 
and  will  be  fulfilled.  But  the  envious, 
malignant,  and  spiteful  enemy  of  the  just, 
observed  the  honour  put  on  his  martyr- 
dom, and  his  blameless  life ;  and  know- 
ing that  he  was  now  crowned  with  im- 
mortality and  the  prize  of  unquestionable 
victory,  studied  to  prevent  us  from  ob- 
taining his  body,  though  many  of  us 
longed  to  have  communion*  with  his 
sacred  flesh.  For  some  persons  suggest- 
ed to  Nicetes,  the  father  of  Herod,  and 
the  brother  of  Alce,f  to  go  to  the  procon- 
sul, and  entreat  him  not  to  deliver  the 
body  to  the  Christians, 'lest,  said  they, 
leaving  the  Crucified  One,  they  should 
begin  to  worship  him.'  And  they  said 
these  things  upon  the  suggestions  and 
arguments  of  the  Jews,  who  also  watch- 
ed us,  when  we  were  going  to  take  liis 
body  from  the  pile ;  unacquainted  indeed 
with  our  views,  namely,  that  it  is  not 
possible  for  us  to  forsake  Christ,  who 
suffered  for  the  salvation  of  all  who  are 
saved  of  the  human  race,  nor  ever  to  wor- 
ship any  other.:):  For  we  adore  him  as 
being  the  Son  of  God ;  but  we  justly  love 
the  martyrs  as  disciples  of  the  Lord,  and 
followers  of  him,  on  account  of  that  dis- 
tinguished affection  which  they  bore  to- 
wards their  King  and  their  Teacher; — 
and  may  we  be  ranked  at  last  in  their 
number  !  The  Centurion,  perceiving  the 
malevolence  of  the  Jews,  placed  the  body 
in  the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  burnt  it. 
Then  we  gathered  up  his  bones, — more 
precious  than  gold  and  jewels, — and  de- 
posited them  in  a  proper  place  ;  where,  if 
it  be  possible,  we  shall  meet,  and  the 
Lord  will  grant  us,  in  gladness  and  joy,  to 
celebrate  the  birthday  of  his  martyrdom, 
both  in  commemoration  of  those  who 
have  wrestled  before  us,  and  for  the  in- 


*  I  see  no  ground  for  the  well-known  Pa- 
pistical inference  hence  usually  drawn  respect- 
ing the  virtues  ascribed  to  relics.  To  express 
an  affectionate  regard  to  the  deceased  by  a 
decent  attention  to  the  funeral  rights,  is  all 
that  is  necessarily  meant  by  the  expression. 

t  Alee  is  spoken  of  with  honour  in  Ignatius's 
Epistle  to  the  Smyrneans.  She,  it  seems,  had 
found,  in  her  nearest  relations,  inveterate  foes 
to  whatever  she  held  dear. 

i^  The  faith  of  Christ,  and  a  just  honour 
paid  to  true  Christians,  abstracted  from  su- 
perstiliou  and  idolatry,  appear  in  this  passage. 


118 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


struction  and  confirmation  of  those  who 
come  after.*      Thus  far  concerning  the 
blessed  Polycarp. — Eleven  brethren  from 
Philadelphia  suffered  with  him, — but  he 
alone  is  particularly  celebrated  by  all : — 
Even   by  Gentiles   he  is  spoken  of  in 
every  place.     He  was  in  truth,  not  only 
an  illustrious  teacher,  but  also  an  eminent 
martyr,  whose  martyrdom  all  desire  to 
imitate,  because  it  was  regulated  exactly 
by  evangelical   principles.     For  by  pa- 
tience  he  conquered  the  unjust  magis- 
trate; and  thus  receiving  the   crown   of 
inmiortality,   and   exulting   with    Apos- 
tles  and   all   the  righteous,  he  glorifies 
God,  even  the  Father,  and  blesses   our 
Lord,  even  the  Ruler  of  our  bodies,  and 
the   Shepherd   of  his   Church  dispersed 
through  the  world. — You  desired  a  full 
account;  and  we,  for  the  present,  have 
sent  you,  what  will,  perhaps,  be  thought 
a  compendious  one,  by  our  brother  Mark. 
"When  you  have  read  it,  send  it  to  the 
brethren  beyond  you,  that  they  also  may 
glorify  the  Lord,  who  makes  selections 
from  his  own  servants  of  holy  men,  who 
shall  thus  honour  him  by  their  deaths. 
To  him  who  is  able  to  conduct  us  all  by 
his  grace  and  free  mercy  into  his  heaven- 
ly kingdom,  by  his  only-begotten   Son 
Jesus  Christ,  to  him  be  glory,  honour, 
power,  majesty,  for  ever.  Amen.     Salute 
all  the  saints:  those  with  us  salute  you, 
particularly  Evaristus  the  writer,  with  all 
his   house.      Polycarp   suffered   martyr- 
dom  on  the  second  day  of  the   month 
Xanthicus,  on  the  seventh  day  before  the 
calends  of  March,  on  the  great  sabbath, 
at  the  eighth  hour.     He  was  apprehend- 
ed by  Herod,  under  Philip  the  Trallian 
Pontifex,  Statins  Quadratus  being  pro- 
consul, but  Jesus  Christ  reigning  for  ever, 
to  whom  be  glory,  honour,  majesty,  an 
eternal  throne  from  age  to  age !  We  pray 
that  you  may  be  strong,  brethren,  walk- 
ing in  the  word  Jesus  Christ,  according 
to  the  Gospel,  with  whom  be  glory   to 
God,  even  the  Father,  and  to  the  Holy 
Spirit,  for  the  salvation   of  his  elected 
saints,  among  whom  the  blessed  Polycarp 
hath  suffered  martyrdom,  with  whom  may 
we  be  found   in  the  kingdom   of  Jesus 
Christ,  having  followed  his  steps ! 

"These  things  Caius  hath  transcribed 


*  If  we  were  in  our  times  subject  to  such 
sufferings,  I  suspect  these  anniversary  mar- 
tyrdoms of  antiquity  might  be  thought  useful 
to  us  also.  The  superstition  of  after-times 
appears  uot,  I  think,  in  this  epistle. 


from  the  copy  of  Irenaeus,  the  disciple  of 
Polycarp,  who  also  lived  with  Irenaeus. 
And  I  Socrates  of  Corinth  have  transcrib- 
ed from  the  copy  of  Caius.  Grace  be 
with  you  all.  And  I  Pionius  have  tran- 
scribed from  the  fore-mentioned,  having 
made  search  for  it,  and  received  the  know- 
ledge of  it  by  a  vision  of  Polycarp,  as 
I  shall  show  in  what  follows,  collect- 
ing it  when  now  almost  obsolete.  So 
may  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  gather  me 
with  his  elect,  to  whom  be  glory  with 
the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the 
ages  of  ages.     Amen."!! 

I  thought  it  not  amiss  for  the  English 
reader  to  see  the  manner  in  which  books 
were  then  successively  preserved  in  the 
church.  Of  Irenaeus  we  shall  hear  more 
hereafter.  Nor  ought  Pionius's  account 
of  his  vision  to  be  hastily  slighted,  by 
those  who  consider  the  scarcity  of  useful 
writings  in  those  days.  Whether  the 
case  was  worthy  of  such  a  divine  inter- 
position, we,  who  indolently  enjoy  books 
without  end,  can  scarcely  be  judges. 
However,  if  any  choose  to  add  this  to 
the  number  of  pious  frauds,  which  cer- 
tainly did  once  much  abound,  the  authen- 
ticity of  the  account  will  still,  in  sub- 
stance, remain  rmimpeached,  as  very  near 
the  whole  of  it  is  in  Eusebius.  This 
historian  mentions  Metrodorus,  a  presby- 
ter of  the  sect  of  Marcion,  who  perished 
in  the  flames  among  others  who  suflfered 
at  Smyrna.  It  cannot  be  denied  that 
heretics  also  have  had  their  martyrs. 
Pride  and  obstinacy  will  in  some  minds 
persist  even  to  death.  But  as  all,  who 
have  been  classed  among  heretics,  have 
not  been  so  in  reality,  Metrodorus  might 
be  a  very  different  sort  of  a  man  from 
Marcion. 

A  comparative  view  of  a  sound  Chris- 
tian hero  suffering  as  we  have  seen  Poly- 
carp did,  with  a  Roman  Stoic  or  untutor- 
ed Indian  undergoing  afflictions,  where 
we  could  have  an  opportunity  of  survey- 
ing all  circumstances,  mi^ht  show,  in  a 
practical  light,  the  peculiar  genius  and 
spirit  of  Christianity,  and  its  divine  su- 
periority. At  the  same  time,  those  who 
content  themselves  with  a  cold,  specula- 
tive, and  as  they  term  it,  rational  religion, 
may  ask  themselves  how  it  would  have 
suited  their  principles  to  endure  what 
Polycarp  did  ; — and  whether  something 
of  what  is  falsely  called  enthusiasin,  and 
which  the  foregoing  epistle  breathes  so 
abundantly,  be  not  really  divine  and  tru- 
ly rational  in  the  best  sense. 


CSXT.  II.] 


MARTYRS  OF  LYONS  AND  VIENNE. 


119 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  MARTYRS  OF  LYONS    AND    VIENNE. 

*The  flame  of  the  persecution  by  An- 
toninus reached  a  country,  which  hither- 
to has  aiforded  us  no  ecclesiastical  mate- 
rials; I  mean  that  of  France,  in  those 
times  called  Gallia.  Two  neighbouring 
cities,  Vienne  and  Lyons,  appear  to  have 
been  much  favoured  with  evangelical 
light  and  love.  Vienne  was  an  ancient 
Roman  colony ;  Lyons  was  more  modern, 
and  her  present  bishop  was  Pothinus. 
His  very  name  points  him  out  to  be  a 
Grecian.  Irenaeus  was  a  presbyter  of 
Lyons,  and  seems  to  have  been  the  author 
of  the  epistle  which  Eusebius  has  pre 
served,  and  wiiich  the  reader  shall  see 
presently.  Other  names  concerned  in 
these  events  are  evidently  of  Greek  ex- 
traction, and  it  is  hence  most  probable 
that  some  Asiatic  Greeks  had  been  the 
founders  of  these  Churches.  Whoever 
casts  his  ej'e  on  the  map  of  France,  and 
sees  the  situation  of  Lyons,  at  present 
the  largest  and  most  populous  city  in  that 
kingdom,  next  to  Paris,  may  observe  how 
favourable  the  confluence  of  the  Rhine 
and  the  Soane — anciently  called  the  Arar 
— on  which  it  stands,  is  for  the  purposes 
of  commerce.!  The  navigation  of  the 
Mediterranean,  in  all  probability,  was 
conducted  by  merchants  of  Lyons  and  of 
Smyrna;  and,  hence,  the  easy  introduc- 
tion of  the  Gospel  from  the  latter  place 
and  from  the  other  Asiatic  churches  is 
apparent.  How  much  God  hath  blessed 
the  work  in  France,  the  accounts  of  their 
sufierings  will  evince.  Lyons  and  Vienne 
appear  to  be  daughters,  of  whom  their 
Asiatic  mothers  needed  not  to  be  ashamed. 

THE  EPISTLE  OF  THE  CHURCHES  OF  VIENNE 
AND  LYONS,  TO  THE  BRETHREN  IN  ASIA 
AND  PHRVGIA.:|: 

The  servants  of  Christ,  sojourning  in 
Vienne  and  Lyons  in  France,  to  the 
brethren  in  Asia  propria  and  Phrygia, 
who  have  the  same  faith  and  hope  of  re- 
demption with  us,  peace,  and  grace,  and 


•  Euseb.  iv.  c.  1. 

f  When  will  the  moderns,  notwithstanding 
all  their  enliglitened  views  and  improvements, 
learn  to  connect  navigation  and  commerce  with 
the  propagation  of  tlie  Gospel? 

I  Eusebius  does  not  give  the  whole  of  the 
epistle  at  length,  but  omits  some  parts, and  in- 
terrujjts  the  thread  of  the  narrative.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  uolice  the  particular  instances. 


glory  from  God  the  Father  and  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord. 

We  are  not  competent  to  describe  with 
accuracy,  nor  is  it  in  our  power  to  express 
the  greatness  of  the  aflliction  sustained 
here  by  the  saints,  the  intense  aniinosity 
of  the  heathen  against  them,  and  the  com- 
plicated sufferings  of  the  blessed  martyrs. 
The  grand  enemy  assaulted  us  with  all 
his  might;  and  by  his  first  essays,  ex- 
hibited intentions  of  exercising  malice 
without  limits  and  without  control.  He 
left  no  method  untried  to  habituate  his 
slaves  to  his  bloody  work,  and  to  prepare 
them  by  previous  exercises  against  the 
servants  of  God.  Christians  were  abso- 
lutely prohibited  from  appearing,  in  any 
houses  except  their  own,  in  baths,  in  the 
market,  or  in  any  public  place  whatever. 
The  grace  of  God  however,  fought  for 
us,  preserving  the  weak  and  exposing  the 
strong;  who,  like  pillars,  were  able  to 
withstand  him  in  patience,  and  to  draw 
the  whole  fury  of  the  wicked  against 
themselves.  These  entered  into  the  con- 
test, and  sustained  every  species  of  pain 
and  reproach.  What  was  heavy  to  others, 
to  them  was  light,  while  they  were  hast- 
ening to   Christ,  evincing  indeed,  that 

THE  SUFFERINGS  OF  THIS  PRESENT  TIME 
ARE  NOT  WORTHY  TO  BE  COMPARED  WITH 
THE  GLORY  THAT    SHALL   BE    REVEALED    IN 

US.  The  first  trial  was  from  the  people 
at  large ;  shouts,  blows,  the  dragging  of 
their  bodies,  the  plundering  of  their 
goods,  casting  of  stones,  and  the  confin- 
ing of  them  within  their  own  houses,  and 
all  the  indignities  which  may  be  expected 
from  a  fierce  and  outrageous  multitude, 
these  were  magnanimously  sustained. 
And  now,  being  led  into  the  Forum  by 
the  tribune  and  the  magistrates,  they  were 
examined  before  all  the  people,  whether 
they  were  Christians;  and,  on  pleading 
guilty,  were  shut  up  in  prison  till  the  ar- 
rival of  the  governor.*  Before  him  they 
were  at  length  brought;  and  he  treated 
us  with  great  savageness  of  manners. 
The  spirit  of  Vettius  Epagathus,  one  of  the 
brethren,  was  roused,  a  man  full  of  chari- 
ty both  to  God  and  man,  v/hose  conduct 
was  so  exemplary,  though  but  a  youth, 
that  he  might  justly  be  compared  to  old 
Zacharias :  for  he  walked  in  all  the  com- 
mandments and  ordinances  of  the  Lord 


*  It  is  probable,  but  not  quite  certain,  that 
this  gnveriior  was  Severus,  afterwards  empe- 
ror. 'l"he  conduct  of  this  governor  was  worthy 
of  so  inimniaa  a  prince. 


120 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VI. 


blameless,  a  man  ever  unwearied  in  acts 
of  beneficence  to  his  neio^hbours,  full  of 
zeal  towards  God,  and  fervent  in  spirit. 
He  could  not  bear  to  see  so  manifest  a 
perversion  of  justice;  but,  being  moved 
with   indig-nation,   he    demanded   to    be 
heard   in   behalf    of   the   brethren,    and 
pledged  himself  to  prove  that  there  was 
nothing  atheistic  or  impious  among  them. 
Those  about  the  tribunal  shouted  against 
him:  He  was  a  man  of  quality:  and  the 
governor,  being  vexed  and  irritated  by  so 
equitable  a  demand  from  such  a  person, 
only  asked  him  if  he  were  a  Christian ; 
and  this  he  confessed  in  the  most  open 
manner: — the  consequence  was,  that  he 
was  ranked  among  the  martyrs.     He  was 
called,  indeed,  the  Advocate  of  the  Chris- 
tians ;  but  he  had  an  advocate*  within, 
the   Holy  Spirit   more  abundantly  than 
Zacharias,  which  he  demonstrated  by  the 
fulness  of  his  charity,  cheerfully  laying 
down  his  life  in  defence  of  his  brethren; 
for  he  was,  and  is  still,  a  genuine  disci 
pie  of  Christ,  following  the  Lamb  whi 
thersoever   he  goeth.j"     The  rest  began 
now  to  be   distinguished.     The   capital 
martyrs  appeared  indeed  ready  for  the 
contest,  and  discharged  their  part  with 
all  alacrity  of  mind.     Others  seemed  not 
so  ready ;  but  rather,  unexercised,  and  as 
yet  weak,  and  unable  to  sustain  the  shock 
of  such  a  contest:   Of  these,  ten  in  num- 
ber  lapsed,  whose  case   filled  us   with 
great  and  unmeasurable  sorrow,  and  de- 
jected the  spirits  of  those  who  had  not 
yet  been  apprehended,  who,  though  they 
sustained  all  indignities,  yet  deserted  not 
the  martjj^rs  in  their  distress.     Then  we 
were  all  much  alarmed,  because  of  the 
uncertain  event  of  confession ;   not  that 
we  dreaded  the  torments  with  which  we 
were  threatened,  but  because  we  looked 
forward  unto  the  end,  and  feared  the  dan- 
ger of  apostacy.     Persons  were  now  ap- 
prehended daily  of  such  as  were  counted 
worthy  to  fill  up  the  number  of  the  lapsed, 
so  that  the  most  excellent  were  selected 


*  It  is  not  easy  to  translate  this,  liecause  of 
the  ambiguous  use  of  the  term  Ux^xxki^tov^ 
■which  signifies  both  a  comforter  and  an  advo- 
cate. Besides  their  only  advocate  in  heaven, 
Jesus  Ciu'ist,  Christians  have  the  comfort  and 
power  of  his  Spirit  within. 

t  Every  man  who  reads  this  must  see  the 
iniquity  and  absurdity  of  the  governor!  A 
term  of  reproach  stands  in  the  room  of  argu- 
ment. The  term  Christian  has  long  ceased  to 
be  infamous.  But  tjie  words,  Lollard,  Puri- 
tan, Pietist,  and  Methodist,  have  supplied  its 
place. 


from  the  two  churches,  even  those  by 
whose  labour  they  had  been  founded  and 
established.*     There  were  seized  at  the 
same  time  some  of  our  heathen  servants, 
— for  the  governor  had  openly  ordered  us 
all  to  be  sought  for, — ^who,  by  the  im- 
pulse of  Satan,  fearing  the  torments  which 
they  saw  inflicted  on  the  saints,  at  the 
suggestion  of  the  soldiers,  accused  us  of 
eating  human  flesh,  and  of  various  unnatu- 
ral crimes,  and  of  things  not  fit  even  to  be 
mentioned  or  imagined,  and  such  as  ought 
not  to  be  believed  of  mankind. |     These 
things  being  divulged,  all  were  incensed 
even  to  madness  against  us;  so  that  if 
some  were  formerly  more  moderate  on 
account  of  any  connexions  of  blood,  afiini- 
ty,  or  friendship,  they  were  then  trans- 
ported beyond  all  bounds  with  indigna- 
tion.    Now  it  was  that  our  Lord's  word 
was  fulfilled, '  The  time  will  come  when, 
whosoever  killeth  you,  will  think  that  he 
doeth  God  service.'     The:}^  holy  martyrs 
now  sustained  tortures  which  exceed  the 
powers  of  description;  Satan  labouring, 
by   means   of  these   tortures,   to   extort 
something  slanderous  against  Christiani- 
ty.    The  whole  fury  of  the  multitude,  the 
governor,  and  the  soldiers,  was  spent  in 
a  particular  manner  on  Sanctus  of  Vienne, 
the  deacon ;  and  on  Maturus,  a  late  con- 
vert indeed,  but  a  magnanimous  wrestler 
in  spiritual  things;   and  on   Attains   of 
Pergamus,  a  man  who  had  ever  been  the 
pillar  and  support  of  our  church  ;  §  and, 
lastly,  on  Blandina,  through  whom  Christ 
showed,  that  those  things,  that  appear 
unsightly  and  contemptible  among  men, 
are  most  honourable  in  the  presence  of 
God,  on  account  of  love  to  his  name,  ex- 
hibited in  real  energy,  and  not  in  boasting 
and  pompous  pretences.     For  while  we 
all  feared  ;  and  among  the  rest  while  her 
mistress  according  to  the  flesh,  who  her- 
self was  one  of  the  noble  army  of  martyrs, 
dreaded  that  she   would  not  be  able  to 
witness  a  good  confession,  because  of  the 


*  Hence  I  judge  that  their  churches  were  of 
no  great  antiquity. 

f  Hence  we  see  again  the  usual  charge  of 
unnatural  crimes  objected  to  the  Christians, 
believed  in  the  paroxysm  of  the  persecution, 
but  afterwards  generally  disclaimed  by  sober 
persons. 

:);  Surely  they  needed  much  the  aid  of  the 
heavenly  Comforter,  promised  in  those  dis- 
courses, to  enable  them  to  sustain  the  load  of 
calumny  so  injurious  and  distressing. 

§  A  farther  confirmation  of  the  idea,  that 
the  Gospel  had  been  brought  into  France  by 
I  the  charitable  zeal  of  the  Asiatic  Christians. 


Cent.  II.] 


MARTYRS  OF  LYONS  AND  VIENNE. 


121 


weakness  of  her  body,  Blandina  was  en- 
dued with  so  much  fortitude,  lliat  those, 
who  successively  tortured  her  from  morn- 
ing' to  night,  were  quite  worn  out  with 
faticrue,  and  owned  themselves  conquered 
and  exhausted  of  their  whole  apparatus 
of  tortures,  and  were  amazed  to  see  her 
still  breathing-  whilst  her  body  was  torn 
and  laid  open:  they  confessed  that  any 
single  species  of  the  torture  would  have 
been  sufficient  to  despatch  her,  much 
more  so  great  a  variety  as  had  been  ap- 
plied. But  the  blessed  woman,  as  a 
generous  wrestler,  recovered  fresh  vigour 
in  the  act  of  confession ;  and  it  was  an 
evident  refreshment,  support,  and  an  an- 
nihilation of  all  her  pains  to  say,  "  I  am 
a  Cliristian,  and  no  evil  is  committed 
among  us." 

In  the  mean  time  Sanctus,  having  sus- 
tained in  a  manner  more  than  human  the 
most  barbarous  indignities,  while  the  im- 
pious hoped  to  extort  from  him  something 
injurious  to  the  Gospel,  through  the  du- 
ration and  intenseness  of  his  sufferings, 
resisted  with  so  much  firmness,  that  he 
would  neither  tell  his  own  name,  nor  that 
of  his  nation  or  state,  nor  whether  he 
was  a  freeman  or  slave  ;  but  to  every  in- 
terrogatory he  answered  in  Latin,  "  1  am 
a  Christian."  This,  he  repeatedly  owned, 
was  to  him  both  name,  and  state,  and 
race,  and  every  thing;  and  nothing  else 
could  the  heathen  draw  from  him.  Hence 
the  indignation  of  the  governor  and  of  the 
tortures  was  fiercely  levelled  against  this 
holy  person,  so  that  having  exhausted  all 
the  usual  methods  of  torture,  they  at  last 
fixed  brazen  plates  to  the  most  tender 
parts  of  his  body.  These  were  made  red 
hot  for  the  purpose  of  scorching  him,  and 
yet  he  remained  upright  and  inflexible, 
and  firm  in  his  confession ;  being,  no 
doubt,  bedewed  and  refreshed  by  the  hea- 
venly fountain  of  the  water  of  life  which 
flows  from  Christ.*  His  body  witnessed 
indeed  the  ghastly  tortures  which  he  had 
sustained,  being  one  continued  wound 
and  bruise,  altogether  contracted,  and  no 
longfer  retaining  the  form  of  a  human 
creature  :  In  this  man  the  view  ot  Christ 
sutfering  wrought   great    marvels,   con- 


*  An  illustrious  testimony  to  the  doctrine  of 
the  Spirit's  influences,  now  so  raucii  depreci- 
ated, but  which  was  then  the  support  of  suf- 
fering Christians.  The  allusion  is  to  St.  John, 
7th  cliapter,  "  He  that  believeth  in  me,  out  of 
his  belly  shall  flow  r'vers  of  living  water 
And  this  spake  he  of  the  Spirit." 
Vol.  I.  L 


founded  the  adversary,  and  showed,  for 
the  encouragement  of  the  rest,  that  no- 
thing is  to  be  feared  where  the  love  of  the 
Father  is;  and  that  nothing  is  painful 
where  the  glory  of  Christ  is  exhibited. 
For,  when  after  some  days,  the  impious 
had  renewed  his  tortures,  and  imagined 
that  a  fresh  application  of  the  same  me- 
thods of  punishment  to  his  wounds,  now 
swollen  and  inflamed,  must  either  over- 
come his  constancy,  or,  by  despatching 
him  on  the  spot,  strike  a  terror  into  the 
rest,  as  he  could  not  even  bear  to  be 
touched  by  the  hand,  this  was  so  far  from 
being  the  case,  that  contrary  to  all  expec- 
tation, his  body  recovered  its  natural  po- 
sition in  the  second  course  of  torture;  he 
was  restored  to  his  former  shape  and  to 
the  use  of  his  limbs ;  so  that,  by  the 
grace  of  Christ,  this  cruelty  proved  not  a 
punishment,  but  a  cure. 

One  of  those  who  had  denied  Christ 
was  Biblias,  a  female.  Satan,  imagining 
that  he  had  now  devoured  her,  and  desir- 
ous to  augment  her  condemnation,  by  in- 
ducing her  to  accuse  the  Christians  falsely, 
caused  her  to  be  led  to  the  torture ;  and 
supposing  her  to-  be  a  weak  and  timorous 
creature,  tempted  her  to  charge  us  with 
horrid  impieties.  But  in  her  torture  she 
recovered  herself,  and  awoke  as  out  of  a 
deep  sleep,  being  admonished,  by  a  tem- 
porary punishment,  of  the  danger  of  eter- 
nal fire  in  hell ;  and,  in  opposition  to  the 
impious,  she  said,  "  How  can  we  eat  in- 
fants,— we,  to  whom  it  is  not  lawful  to 
eat  the  blood  of  beasts."*  And  now  she 
professed  herself  a  Christian,  and  was 
added  to  the  army  of  martyrs. '  The  pow- 
er of  Christ,  manifested  in  the  patience 
of  his  people,  had  now  exhausted  the 
usual  artifices  of  torment;  and  the  devil 
was  driven  to  new  resources.  Christians 
were  thrust  into  the  darkest  and  most 
noisome  parts  of  the  prison :  their  feet 
were  distended  in  a  wooden  trunk,  even 
to  the  fifth  hole;  and  in  this  situation 
they  suflfered  all  the  indignities  which 
diabolical  malice  could  inflict.  Hence 
many  of  them  were  suffocated  in  prison, 
whom  the  Lord,  showing  forth  his  own 
glory,  was  pleased  thus  to  take  to  him- 
self.    The  rest,  though  afllicted  to  such  a 


*  Hence  it  appears  that  the  eating  of  blood 
was  not  practised  among  the  Christians  of  Ly- 
ons; and,  that  they  understood  not  Christian 
liberty  in  this  point,  will  not  be  wondered  at 
by  those  who  consider  the  circumstances  of  the 
first  Christians. 


123 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  VI. 


degree  as  to  seem  scarcely  capable  of  re- 
covery under  the  kindest  treatment,  desti- 
tute as  they  were  of  all  help  and  support, 
yet  remained  alive,  strengthened  by  the 
Lord,  and  confirmed  both  in  body  and 
mind  :  and  these  encouraged  and  comfort- 
ed the  rest. 

Some  young  persons  who  had  been  late- 
ly seized,  and  whose  bodies  had  been  un- 
exercised with  sufferings,  unequal  to  the 
severity  of  the  confinement,  expired.  The 
blessed  Pothinus,  bishop  of  Lyons,  up- 
wards of  ninety  years  of  age,  and  very  in- 
firm and  asthmatic,  yet  strong  in  spirit,  and 
panting  after  martyrdom,  was  dragged  be- 
fore the  tribunal ;  his  body  was  worn  cut 
indeed  with  age  and  disease,  yet  he  re- 
tained a  soul  through  which  Christ  might 
triumph.  Borne  by  the  soldiers  to  the 
tribunal,  and  attended  by  the  magistrates 
and  all  the  multitude,  shouting  against 
him  as  if  he  were  Christ  himself,  he 
made  a  good  confession.  Being  asked 
by  the  governor,  who  was  the  God  of  the 
Christians,  he  answered,  If  ye  be  worthy, 
ye  shall  know.  He  was  then  unmercifully 
dragged  about,  and  suffered  variety  of  ill 
treatment:  those,  who  were  near,  insult- 
ed him  with  their  hands  and  feet,  with- 
out the  least  respect  to  his  age;  and 
those  at  a  distance  threw  at  him  what- 
ever came  to  hand :  every  one  looked 
upon  himself  as  deficient  in  zeal,  if  he 
did  not  insult  him  in  some  way  or  an- 
other. For  thus  they  imagined  they  re- 
venged the  cause  of  their  gods:  He  was 
thrown  into  prison  almost  breathless ; 
and  after  two  days  expired. 

And  here  appeared  a  remarkable  dis- 
pensation of  Providence,  and  the  immense 
compassion  of  Jesus,  rarely  exhibited  in- 
deed among  the  brethren,  but  not  foreign 
to  the  character  of  Christ.     Many,  who, 
when  first  apprehended,  had  denied  their 
Saviour,  were  notwithstanding  shut  up  in 
prison  and  suffered  dreadful   severities, 
as  this  denial  of  Christ  had  availed  them 
not.    But  those,  who  confessed  him,  were 
imprisoned  as  Christians,  abstracted  from 
any  other  charge.     Now  the  former,  as 
murderers  and  incestuous  wretches,  were 
punished  much  more  than  the  rest:  Be- 
sides, the  joy  of  martyrdom   supported 
the  latter,  and  the  hope  of  the  promises, 
and  the  love  of  Christ,  and  the  Spirit  of 
the  Father.     The  former  were  oppressed 
with  the  pangs  of  guilt;  so  that,  while 
they  were  dragged  along,  their  very  coun- 
tenances distinguished  them  from  the  rest: 
but  the  faithful  proceeded  with  cheerful 


steps:  Their  countenances  shone  with 
much  grace  and  glory :  Their  bonds  were 
as  the  most  beautiful  ornaments,  and  they 
themselves  looked  as  lirides  adorned  with 
their  richest  array,  breathing  the  fra- 
grance of  Christ  so  much,  that  some 
thought  they  had  been  literally  perfumed. 
The  others  went  on  dejected,  spiritless, 
and  forlorn,  and  in  every  way  disgraced, 
even  insulted  by  the  heathen  as  cowards 
and  poltroons,  and  treated  as  murderers : 
they  had  lost  the  precious,  the  glorious, 
the  soul-reviving  appellation.  The  rest, 
observing  these  things,  were  confirmed 
in  the  faith,  confessed  without  hesitation 
on  their  being  apprehended,  nor  admitted 
the  diabolical  suggestion  for  a  moment. 

The  martyrs  were  put  to  death  in  va- 
rious ways:  Or,  in  other  words,  they 
wove  a  chaplet  of  various  odours  and 
flowers,  and  presented  it  to  the  Father. 
In  truth,  it  became  the  wisdom  and  good- 
ness of  God  to  appoint  that  his  servants, 
after  enduring  a  great  and  variegated 
contest,  should,  as  victors,  receive  the 
great  crown  of  immortality. — Maturus, 
Sanctus,  Blandina,  and  Attalus,  were  led 
to  the  wild  beasts  into  the  amphitheatre, 
to  the  common  spectacle  of  Gentile  inhu- 
manity. 

One  day  extraordinary  of  the  shows 
being  afforded  to  the  people  on  our  ac- 
count, Maturus  and  Sanctus  again  under- 
went various  tortures  in  the  amphithea- 
tre, as  if  they  had  suflfered  nothing  be- 
fore. Thus  were  they  treated  like  those 
wrestlers,  who,  having  conquered  several 
times  already,  were  obliged  afresh  to 
contend  with  other  conquerors  by  fresh 
lots,  till  some  one  was  conqueror  of  the 
whole  number,  and  as  such  was  crowned. 
*Here  they  sustained  again,  as  they  were 
led  to  the  amphitheatre,  the  blows  usual- 
ly inflicted  on  those  who  were  condemn- 
ed to  wild  beasts  ;  they  were  exposed  to 
be  dragged  and  torn  by  the  beasts,  and 
to  all  the  barbarities  which  the  mad  pop- 
ulace with  shouts  exacted,  and  above  all 
to  the  hot  iron  chair,  in  which  their  bodies 
were  roasted,  and  emitted  a  disgusting 
smell.  Nor  was  this  all:  the  persecu- 
tors raged  still  more,  if  possible,  to  over- 
come their  patience.  But  not  a  word 
could  be  extorted  from  Sanctus,  besides 


*  Tlie  allus'ons  to  the  savage  shows,  so  fre- 
quently made  in  this  narrative,  point  out  their 
frequency  in  these  ferocious  times;  and  give 
us  occasion  to  reflect  on  the  mild  appearances 
which  society  has  assumed,  since  even  the 
form  of  Christianity  has  prevailed  in  the  world. 


Cext.  II.] 


MARTYRS  OF  LYONS  AND  VIENNE. 


123 


what  he  first  had  uttered — the  word  of 
confession.  These  then  after  remaininof 
alive  a  long  time,  expired  at  length,  and 
became  a  spectacle  to  the  world,  equiva- 
lent to  all  tlie  variety  usual  in  the  tights 
of  gladiators. 

Blandina,  suspended  from  a  stake,  was 
exposed  as  food  to  the  wild  beasts  ;  she 
was   seen   suspended   in  the  form  of  a 
cross,  and  employed  in  vehement  suppli- 
cation.    The  sight  inspired  the  combat- 
ants with  much  alacrity,  while  they  be- 
held with  their  bodily  eyes,  in  the  per- 
son of  their  sister,  the  figure  of  Him  who 
was   crucified   for   them,  that  he  might 
persuade  those  who  believe  in  him,  that 
every  one  who  suffers  for  the  glory  of 
Christ,  always  has  communion  with  the 
living  God.     None  of  the  beasts  at  that 
time  touched  her:  she  was  taken  down 
from  the  stake,  thrown  again  into  prison, 
and  reserved  for  a  future  contest ;  that  hav- 
ing  overcome  in  various  exercises,  she 
might   fully   condemn   the   old   serpent, 
and  fire  the  brethren  with  a  noble  spirit 
of  Christian  emulation.     Weak  and  con- 
temptible as  she  might  be  deemed,  yet 
when  clothed  with  Christ,  the  mighty  and 
invincible  champion,  she  became  victori- 
ous over  the  enemy  in  a  variety  of  encoun- 
ters, and  was  crowned  with  immortality. 
Attalus  also  was  vehemently  demand- 
ed by  the  multitude  ;  for  he  was  a  person 
of  great  reputation  among  us.    He  advanc- 
ed in  all  the  cheerfulness  and  serenity  of  a 
good  conscience; — an  experienced  Chris- 
tian, and  ever  ready  and  active  in  bearing 
testimony  to  the  truth.    He  was  led  round 
the  amphitheatre,  and  a  tablet  was  car- 
ried before  him,  inscribed  in  Latin,  "This 
is  Attalus  the  Christian."     The  rage  of 
the  people  would  have  had  him  despatch- 
ed immediately;  but  the  governor  under- 
standing that  he  was  a  Roman,  ordered 
him  back  to  prison :  and  concerning  him 
and  others,  who  could  plead  the  same 
privilege  of  Roman  citizenship,  he  wrote 
to  the  emperor,  and  Avaited  for  his  in- 
structions. 

The  interval  which  this  circumstance 
occasioned  was  not  unfruitful  to  the 
Church. — ^The  unbounded  compassion  of 
Christ  appeared  in  the  patience  of  many : 
*Dead  members  were  restored  to  life  by 
the  means  of  the  living;  and  the  martyrs 
became  singularly  serviceable  to  the  laps- 
ed; and  thus  the  Church  rejoiced  to  re- 
ceive her  sons  returning  to  her  bosom : 

*  Dead  in  their  spiritual  affections. 


for  by  THESE  means  most  of  those  who 
iiad  denied  Christ  were  recovered,  and 
dared  to  profess  their  Saviour :  they 
felt  again  the  divine  life  in  their  souls: 
they  approached  to  the  tribunal ;  and 
their  God,  who  willeth  not  the  death 
of  a  sinner,  being  again  precious  to  their 
souls,  they  desired  a  fresh  opportunity 
of  being  interrogated  by  the  governor. 

Cassar*  sent  orders  that  the  confessors 
of  Christ  should  be  put  to  death;  and 
that  the  apostates  from  their  divine  ]Mas- 
ter  should  be  dismissed. — It  was  now  the 
general  assembly,  held  annually  at  Ly- 
ons, and  frequented  from  all  parts ;  and 
this  was  the  time  when   the   Christian 
prisoners  were  again  exposed  to  the  po- 
pulace.   The  governor  again  interrogated. 
Roman  citizens  had  the  privilege  of  dying 
by  decollation;  the  rest  were  exposed  to 
wild  beasts ;  and  now  it  was  that  our  Re- 
deemer was  magnified  in  those  who  had 
apostatized.     They  were  interrogated  se- 
parate from  the  rest,  as  persons  soon  to 
be  dismissed,  and  made  a  confession  to 
THE    surprise    OF    THE    Gentiles,   and 
were  added  to  the  list  of  martyrs.     A 
small  number  still  remained  in  apostasy ; 
but  they  were  those  who  possessed  not 
the  least  spark  of  divine  faith,  had  not 
the  least  acquaintance  with  the  riches  of 
Christ  in  their  souls,  and  had  no  fear  of 
God   before  their  eyes ;  whose  life  had 
brought   reproach   on   Christianity,    and 
had  evidenced  them  to  be  the  children  of 
perdition  ;f  but  all  the  rest  were  added  to 
the  Church. 

During  their  examination,  a  man  who 
had  lived  many  years  in  France,  and  was 
generally  known  for  his  love  of  God  and 
zealous  regard  for  divine  truth,  a  person 
of  apostolical  endowments,  a  physician 
by  profession,  a  Phrygian  by  nation,  and 
named  Alexander,  stood  near  the  tribunal, 
and  by  his  gestures  encouraged  them  to 


*It  must  be  confessed,  that  the  power  of 
Stoicism  in  tiai-deniiig  the  heart  was  never 
more  strongiy  illustrated  than  in  the  case  of 
Marcus  Antoninus  ;  thus  breaking  all  the 
rights  of  Roman  citizenship,  and  all  the  feel- 
ings of  humanity.  It  puts  me  in  mind  of  Mr. 
Pope's  lines, 

In  lazy  apathy  let  Stoics  boast 

Their' virtue  fix'd — 'tis  fix'd  as  in  a  frost. 

+  The  difference  between  true  and  merely 
professing  Christians  is  well  stated,  and  de- 
serves to  be  noticed.  A  season  of  persecution 
separates  real  believers  and  real  exjjerienced 
Clu-istians  from  others,  much  more  visibly 
llian  ministers  can  now  do  by  the  most  judi- 
cious distinctions. 


124 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VI. 


profess  the  faith.  He  appeared  to  all 
who  surrounded  the  tribunal  as  one  who 
travailed  in  much  pain  on  their  account. 
And  now  the  multitude,  incensed  at  the 
Christian  integrity  exhibited  at  the  con- 
clusion by  the  lapsed,  made  a  clamour 
against  Alexander  as  the  cause  of  this 
change.  Upon  which  the  governor  or- 
dered him  into  his  presence,  and  asked 
him  who  he  was :  He  declared  that  he 
was  a  Christian :  The  former,  in  great 
wrath,  condemned  him  instantly  to  the 
wild  beasts ; — and  the  next  day  he  was 
introduced  with  Attains.  For  the  gover- 
nor, willing  to  gratify  the  people,  deliv- 
ered Attains  attain  to  the  wild  beasts; 
and  these  two  underwent  all  the  usual 
methods  of  torture  in  the  amphitheatre : 
indeed  they  sustained  a  very  grievous 
conflict,  and  at  length  expired.  Alexan- 
der neither  groaned  nor  spake  a  word, 
but  in  his  heart  conversed  with  God.  At- 
tains, sitting  on  the  iron  chair  and  being 
scorched;  when  the  smell  issued  from 
him,  said  to  ihe  multitude  in  Latin, 
"This  indeed  which  ye  do  is  to  devour 
men;  but  we  devour  not  our  fellow-crea- 
tures, nor  practise  any  other  wickedness." 
Being  asked  what  is  the  name  of  God, 
he  answered,  "  God  has  not  a  name  as  men 
have." 

On  the  last  day  of  the  spectacles, 
Blandina  was  again  introduced  with  Pon- 
ticus,  a  youth  of  fifteen :  they  had  been 
daily  brought  in  to  see  the  punishment  of 
the  rest.  They  were  ordered  to  swear 
by  the  idols;  and  the  mob  perceiving 
them  to  persevere  immoveably,  and  to 
treat  their  menaces  with  superior  con- 
tempt, were  incensed ;  and  no  pity  was 
shown  either  to  the  sex  of  the  one  or  to 
the  tender  age  of  the  other.  Their  tor- 
tures were  now  aggravated  by  all  sorts 
of  methods ;  and  the  whole  round  of  bar- 
barities was  inflicted ;  but  menaces  and 
punishments  were  equally  ineffectual. 
Ponticus,  animated  by  his  sister,  who 
was  observed  by  the  heathen  to  strength- 
en and  confirm  him,  after  a  magnanimous 
exertion  of  patience,  yielded  up  the  ghost. 

And  now  the  blessed  Blandina,  last  of 
all,  as  a  generous  mother  havintj  exhor- 
ted  her  children,  and  sent  them  before 
her  victorious  to  the  King, 
Martyr-  reviewing  the  whole  series  of 
(lom  of  their  sufferings,  hastened  to 
lilandina.  u„dero-o  the  same  herself,  re- 
joicing  and  triumphing  in  her 
exit,  as  if  invited  to  a  marriage  supper, 
not  going  to  be  exposed  to  wild  beasts. 


After  she  had  endured  stripes,  the  tearing 
of  the  beasts,  and  the  iron  chair,  she 
was  enclosed  in  a  net,  and  thrown  to  a 
bull :  and  having  been  tossed  some  time 
by  the  animal,  and  proving  quite  superior 
to  her  pains,  through  the  influence  of 
hope,  and  the  realizing  view  of  the  ob- 
jects of  her  faith  and  her  fellowship  with 
Christ,  she  at  length  breathed  out  her  soul. 
E  ven  her  enemies  confessed  that  no  wo- 
man among  them  had  ever  suffered  such 
and  so  great  things.  But  their  madness 
against  the  saints  was  not  yet  satiated.  For 
the  fierce  and  savage  tribes  of  men,  beino- 
instigated  by  the  ferocious  enemy  of  man- 
kind, were  not  easily  softened  ;  and  they 
now  began  another  peculiar  war  against 
the  bodies  of  the  saints.  That  they  had 
been  conquered  by  their  patience  produced 
no  stings  of  remorse  :  Indeed  the  feelinors 
ot  common  sense  and  humanity  appear  to 
have  been  extinguished  among  them  :  dis- 
appointment increased  their  fury:  the  devil, 
the  governor,  and  the  mob  equally  show- 
ed their  malice  ;  that  the  Scripture  might 
be  fulfilled,  "  He  that  is  unjust,  let  him 
be  unjust  still,"  as  well  as,  ""  He  that  is 
holy,  let  him  be  holy  still."*  They  now 
exposed  to  dogs  the  bodies  of  those  who 
had  been  sufibcated  in  prison,  and  care- 
fully watched  night  and  day,  lest  any  of 
our  people  should  by  stealth  perform  the 
funeral  rites.  And  then  exposing  what 
had  been  left  by  the  wild  beasts  or  by  the 
fire,  relics  partly  torn,  and  partly  scorch- 
ed, and  the  heads  with  the  trunks,  they 
preserved  them  by  military  guards  unbu- 
ried  for  several  days.  Some  gnashed  on 
them  with  their  teeth,  desirous,  if  possi- 
ble, to  make  them  feel  still  more  of  their 
malice.  Others  laughed  and  insulted 
them,  praising  their  own  gods,  and  as- 
cribing tJie  vengeance  inflicted  on  the 
martyrs  to  them.  All,  however,  were  not 
of  this  ferocious  mould.  Yet  even  those 
who  were  of  a  gentler  spirit,  and  who 
sympathized  with  us,  in  some  degree, 
upbraided  us,  often  saying,  "  Where  is 
your  God, — and  what  profit  do  ye  derive 
from  their  religion,  which  ye  valued 
above  life  itself  r'f 

As  for  ourselves,  our  sorrow  was  great- 
ly increased  because  we  were  deprived  of 


*  Rev.  xxii.  11.  A  striking-  proof  of  the 
sacred  rep;ard  paid  to  thai  divine  work — the 
book  of  the  Revelation, — in  the  second  century. 

t  A  diversity  of  temper  or  eihication  pro- 
(hiced  a  diversity  of  conduct  among  these  men, 
wiiile  yet  all  seem  to  have  been  equally  void  of 
the  fear  and  love  of  God. 


Cent.  II.] 


MARTYRS  OF  LYONS  AND  VIENNE. 


125 


the  melancholy  satisfaction  of  interring 
our  friends.  Neither  the  darkness  of  the 
night  could  befriend  us,  nor  could  we  pre- 
vail by  prayers  or  by  price.  They  watch- 
ed the  bodies  with  unremitting  vigilance, 
as  if  to  deprive  them  of  sepulchre  was 
to  them  an  object  of  great  importance. — 
The  bodies  of  the  martyrs  having  been 
contumeliously  treated  and  exposed  for 
six  days,  were  burnt  and  reduced  to 
ashes,  and  scattered  by  the  wicked  into 
the  Rhone,  that  not  the  least  particle  of 
them  might  appear  on  the  earth  any 
more.  And  they  did  these  things  as  if 
they  could  prevail  against  God,  and  pre- 
vent their  resurrection — and  that  they 
might  deter  others,  as  they  said,  from 
the  hope  of  a  future  life, — "  On  which  re- 
lying they  introduce  a  strange  and  new 
religion,  and  despise  the  most  excruciating 
tortures,  and  die  with  joy.  Now  let  us 
see  if  they  will  rise  again,  and  if  their 
God  can  help  them  and  deliver  them  out 
of  our  hands."* 

Eusebius  observes  here,  that  the  reader 
may  judge,  by  analogy,  of  the  fierceness 
of  this  persecution  in  other  parts  of  the 
empire,  from  this  detail  of  the  affairs  at 
Lyons :  and  then  adds  something  from 
the  epistle  concerning  the  humility,  meek- 
ness, and  charity  of  the  martyrs  ;  and 
this  he  contrasts  with  the  unrelenting 
spirit  of  the  Novatians,  which  afterwards 
appeared  in  the  Church.  "They  were 
such  sincere   followers  of  Christ,  who, 

THOUGH  HE  WAS  IN  THE  FORM  OF  A  MAN, 
THOUGHT    IT    NOT    ROBBERY    TO    BE     EQUAL 

WITH  GOD,"  that  though  elevated  to  such 
height  of  glory,  and  though  they  had 
borne  witness  for  Christ  not  once  or  thrice 
only,  but  often,  in  a  variety  of  sufferings, 
yet  thej''  assumed  not  the  venerable  name 
of  martj-rs,  nor  permitted  us  to  address 
them  as  such.  But  if  any  of  us  by~let- 
ler  or  word  gave  them  the  title,  they  re- 
proved us  vehemently.  For  it  was  with 
much  pleasure  that  they  gave  the  appel- 
lation in  a  peculiar  sense  to  Him  who  is 

the     FAITHFUL     AND     TRUE     WITNESS,    the 

first-begotten  from  the  dead,  and  the 
Prince  of  divine  life.  And  they  remem- 
bered with  respect  the  deceased  martyrs, 


*  The  natural  enmity  of  the  human  mind 
against  the  tilings  of  God  was  never  more 
strongly  exemplified  than  in  this  persecution. 
The  tolly  of  thinking  to  defeat  the  councils 
of  Go<l  appears  very  conspicuous  :  and  so  does 
the  faith  and  hope  of  a  blessed  resurrection; 
the  peculiarly  animating  theme  of  true  Chris- 
tians. 

l2 


and  said ;  They  indeed  were  martyrs 
whom  Christ  hath  deigned  to  receive  to 
himself  in  their  confession,  sealing  their 
testimony  by  their  exit ;  but  we  are  low 
and  mean  professors.  With  tears  they 
entreated  the  brethren  to  pray  fervently 
for  them,  that  they  might  be  perfected. 

They  exhibited,  however,  in  real  facts, 
the  energy  of  the  character  of  martyrs, 
and  answered  with  much  boldness  to  the 
Gentiles  :  Their  magnanimity,  undaun- 
ted, calm,  and  intrepid,  was  visible  to  all 
the  world,  though  the  fear  of  God  in- 
duced them  to  refuse  the  title  of  martyrs. 
They  humbled  themselves  under  the 
mighty  hand  by  which  they  are  now  ex- 
alted.* They  were  ready  to  give  a  mo- 
dest reason  of  the  hope  that  was  in  them 
before  all :  They  accused  none  :  They 
took  pleasure  in  commending,  none  in 
censuring ;  and  they  prayed  for  their 
murderers,  as  Stephen,  the  accomplished 
martyr  did,  "  Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to 
their  charge."  And  if  he  prayed  thus 
for  those  who  stoned  him,  how  much 
more  ought  Christians  to  pray  for  the 
brethren  ] — They  never  gloried  in  an  un- 
becoming way  over  the  lapsed ;  but,  on 
the  contrary,  they  supplied  their  weak- 
nesses with  maternal  tenderness,  and  shed 
many  tears  over  them  to  the  Father : 
they  asked  life  for  them,  and  he  gave  them 
it,  which  they  were  glad  to  communicate 
to  their  neighbours.  Thus  in  all  things 
they  came  off  victorious  before  God, — 
ever  cultivating  peace, — ever  commend- 
ing peace  ; — In  peace  they  went  to  God, 
leaving  neither  trouble  to  their  mother 
the  church,  nor  faction  and  sedition  to  the 
brethren  ;  but  joy,  peace,  unanimity,  and 
charity. 

Eusebius  has  given  us  another  passage 
also  which  deserves  attention.  Alcibi- 
ades,  one  of  the  martyrs,  had  led,  before 
the  persecution,  the  life  of  an  ascetic  : — 
he  used  to  subsist  only  on  bread  and  wa- 
ter. As  he  continued  the  same  regimen 
while  in  confinement,  it  was  revealed  in 
a  vision  to  Attains,  after  his  first  contest 
in  the  amphitheatre,  that  Alcibiades  did  ill 
not  to  use  the  creatures  of  God, and  that  he 
gave  an  occasion  of  scandal  to  others.  Al- 
cibiades was  hence  induced  to  change  his 
diet,  and  to  partake  of  the  bounty  of  God 
with  thanksgiving. — Eusebius  tells  us 
also  of  an  epistle  directed  by  these  mar- 
tyrs to  Eleutherus,  the  bishop  of  Rome, 
in  which  they  give  a  very  honourable  en- 


•  1  Pet.  V. 


126 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  VH. 


cotnium  of  Irenseus  the  presbyter.  Of 
him  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak 
more  hereafter.  He  was  appointed  succes- 
sor to  Pothinus ;  he  outlived  the  storm, 
and  governed  the  Church  afterwards  with 
much  ability  and  success.  The  letter  to 
the  Churches  of  Asia  and  Phrygia,  of 
which  Eusebius  has  given  such  large  and 
valuable  extracts,  furnishes  strong  proofs 
of  his  piety  and  judgment. 

The   superstitions,   which    afterwards 
arose  in  so  great  abundance,  and  with  so 
much  strength ;  and  which,  like  a  dense 
cloud,  so  long  obscured  the  light  of  the 
Church,  seem  scarcely  to  have   shaded 
the  glory  of  those  Gallic  martyrs  in  any 
degree.      The   case   of  Alcibiades,  and 
the  wholesome  check  which  the  divine 
goodness  put  to  his  well-meant  austeri- 
ties, demonstrate   that   excesses  of  this 
nature  had  not  yet  gained  any  remarka- 
ble ascendency  in  the  Church.     And  the 
description  of  the  humility  and  charity 
of  the  martyrs  shows  a  spirit  much  su- 
perior to  that  which  we  shall  have  occa- 
sion, with  regret,  to  notice  in  some  suc- 
ceeding annals  of  martyrdom.    In  a  word, 
the  pov/er  of  Divine  Grace  appears  little 
less  than   apostolical   in  the   Church  at 
Lyons.     The  only  disagreeable  circum- 
stance in  the  whole   narrative  is  the  too 
florid  and   tumid   style,  peculiar  to  the 
Asiatic  Greeks  ;  and  which  Cicero,  in  his 
rhetorical  works,  so  finely  contrasts  with 
tlie  attic  neatness  and  purity.     In  a  trans- 
lation it  is  scarcely  possible  to  do  jus- 
tice    to    thoughts    extremely    evangel- 
ical and  spiritual,  clothed  originally  in 
so  tawdry  a  garb.     Yet  under  this  great 
disadvantage  a  discerning  eye  will  see 
much  of  the  "unction"  of  real  godli- 
ness.— At  first  sight  we  must  be  struck 
with   the   difference    between   primitive 
scriptural  Christianity,  and  that  affectation 
of  rational  divinity,  which  has  so  remark 
ably  gained  the  ascendant  in  Christendom 
in  our  times.     In  the  account  we  have 
read,  the  good  influence  of  the  Holy  Spi- 
rit on  the  one  hand,  and  the  evil  influ- 
ence of  Satan  on  the  other,  are  brought 
forward  every  where   to  our   view.     In 
our  times  both   are  concealed,  or  almost 
annihilated  ;  and  little  appears  but  what 
is  merely  human.     Whether  of  the  two 
methods  is  most  agreeable  to  the  plan  of 
the  sacred  writings,  must  be  obvious  to 
every    serious    and     honest    inquirer. — 
Christ's  kingdom,  in  the  narrative  before 
us,  appears  truly  scriptural  and  divine 
Christian  faith,  hope,   and  charity,  do 


their  work  under  the  direction  of  his  Spi- 
rit:  Christians  are  humble,  meek,  heav- 
enly-minded, patient,  sustained  continu- 
ally with  aid  invisible ;  and  we  see  Sa- 
tan actively,  but  unsuccessfully,  engaged 
against  them.  In  the  degenerate  repre- 
sentations of  the  Christian  religion  by 
many  moderns,  what  a  different  taste  and 
spirit ! — Every  thing  is  of  this  world  Im- 
policy and  ambition  leave  no  room  for 
the  exhibition  of  the  work  of  God  and 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost :  The  be- 
lief of  Satanic  influence  is  ridiculed  as 
weak  superstition  ;  and  natural,  unassist- 
ed reason,  and  the  self-sufficiency  of  the 
human  heart,  triumph  without  measure  ! 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE  STATE  OF  CHRISTIANS  UNDER  THE 
REIGNS     OF      COMMODUS,     PERTINAX, 

AND  JULIAN. THE  STORY  OF    PERE- 

GRINUS. 

The  reigns  of  the  two  last-mentioned 
emperors,  which  close  the  century,  are 
short,  and  contain  no  Christian  memoirs. 
That  of  Commodus  is  remarkable  for  the 
peace  granted  to  the  Church  of  Christ 
through  the  world.*  The  method  which 
Divine  Providence  used  for  this  purpose 
is  still  more  so.  Marcia,  a  woman  of 
low  rank,  was  the  favourite  concubine  of 
this  emperor.  She  had,  on  some  account 
not  now  understood,  a  prediliction  for  the 
Christians,  and  employed  her  interest  with 
Commodus  in  their  favour.|  He  was 
himself  the  most  vicious  and  profligate 
of  all  mortals,  though  the  son  of  the  grave 
Marcus  Antoninus.  Those,  who  looked 
at  secular  objects  and  moral  decorum 
alone,  might  regret  the  change  of  empe- 
rors. In  one  particular  point  only,  name- 
ly, in  his  conduct  towards  the  Christians, 
Commodus  was  more  just  and  equita- 
ble than  his  father.  And  the  power  and 
goodness  of  God  in  making  even  such 
wretched  characters  as  Commodus  and 
Marcia,  to  stem  the  torrent  of  persecution, 
and  to  afford  a  breathing-time  of  twelve 
years  under  the  son,  after  eighteen  years 
of  the  most  cruel  sufferings  under  the 
father,  deserve  to  be  remarked.  For  cer- 
tainly the  Church  of  Christ  has  no  com- 
muninn  with  debauchees;  and  though  it 
he  abhorrent,  also,  in  its  plan  and  spirit 
from  the  systems  of  proud  philosophers, 
yet  it  is  always  friendly  to  every  thing 


*  Euseb.  B.  V.  c,  19.         t  Dion.  Cassius. 


Cent.  II.] 


UNDER  COMMODUS,  ETC. 


127 


virtuous  and  laudable  in  society. — The 
fact  is,  it  has  a  taste  peculiarly  its  own  : 
God's  ways  are  not  like  ours. — The  Gos- 
pel now  flourished  abundantly ;  and  many 
of  the  nobility  of  Rome,  with  their  whole 
families,  embraced  it.  Such  a  circum- 
stance would  naturally  excite  the  envy 
of  the  great.  The  Roman  senate  felt  its 
dignity  defiled  by  innovations,  which  to 
them  appeared  to  the  last  degree  contemp- 
tible ;  and  to  this  malignant  source,  I 
think,  is  to  be  ascribed  the  only  instance 
of  persecution  in  this  reign. 

ApoUonius,  at  that  time  a  person  re- 
nowned for  learning  and  philosophy  in 
Rome,  was  a  sincere  Christian ;  and  as 
such  was  accused  by  an  informer  before 
Perennis,  a  magistrate  of  considerable  in- 
fluence in  the  reign  of  Commodus.     The 
law  of  Antoninus  Pius  had  enacted  griev- 
ous punishments  against  the  accusers  of 
Christians.    One  cannot  suppose  his  edict 
had  any  force  during  the  reign  of  his  suc- 
cessor Marcus  ;  but  under  Commodus  it 
was  revived ;  or  rather,  a  new  one,  still 
more  severe,  was  enacted,  that  the  accus- 
ers should  be  put  to  death.*     Perennis 
sentenced  the  accuser  accordingly,  and 
his  legs  were  broken.     Thus  far  he  seems 
to  have  complied   with   the  injunctions 
of  the  law :  in  what  follows  he  obeyed 
the  dictates  of  his  own  malice,  or  rather 
that  of  the  senate.     He  begged  of  the 
prisoner  wdth  much  earnestness,  that  he 
would  give  an  account  of  his  faith  before 
the  senate   and   the  court.      ApoUonius 
complied,  and  delivered  an  apology  for 
Christianity ;  in  consequence  of  which, 
by  a  decree  of  the  senate,  he  was  behead- 
ed.    It  is  not  quite  easy  to  account  for 
this  procedure.     It  is  perhaps  the  only 
trial  recorded  in  history  where  both  the 
accuser  and  the  accused  suffered  judicial- 
ly.     Eusebius   observes,  that  the  laws 
were  still  in  force,  commanding  Chris- 
tians to  be  put  to  death,  who  had  been 
presented  before  the  tribunal.     But  Adri- 
an, or  certainly  Antoninus  Pius,  had  ab- 
rogated this  iniquitous  edict  of  Trajan. 
Under  Marcus  it  might  be  revived, — as 
what  severity  against  Christians  was  not 
to  be  expected  from  that  cruel  persecutor  1 
Now  Commodus,  by  menacing  accusers 
with  death,  probably  supposed  he  had 
sufficiently  secured  the  Christians.     Yet, 
if  a  formal  abrogation  of  the  law  against 
Christians  did  not  actually  take  place, 
one  may  see  how  ApoUonius  came   to 


Peregrin- 
US. 


*  Euseb.  B.  V.  c.  19. 


suffer  as  well  as  his  adversary.  In  truth, 
if  he  had  been  silent,  it  is  very  likely  he 
would  have  saved  his  own  life.  Insidi- 
ous artifices,  under  the  pretence  of  much 
respect  and  desire  of  information,  seem 
to  have  drawn  him  into  a  measure  which 
cost  him  so  dear : — He  died,  however,  in 
the  best  of  causes ! 

There  is,  in  the  work  of  Lucian,  a  re- 
markable story  of  a  person  named  Pere- 
grinus,  which,  as  it  falls  in  with  this  cen- 
tury, and  throws  light  on  the 
character   of   the   Christians 
who  then  lived,  deserves  to 
be   here   introduced.      "In   his   youth," 
says  this  author,  "  he  fell  into  shameful 
crimes,  for  which  he  was  near  losing  his 
life  in  Armenia  and  Asia.     I  will  not 
dwell  on  those  crimes  ;  but  I  am  persuad- 
ed that  what  I  am  about  to  say  is  worthy 
of  attention.     There  is  none  of  you  but 
knows,  that  being:  chagrined  because  his 
father  was  still  alive,  after  being  upwards 
of  sixty  years  of  age,  he  strangled  him. 
The  rumour  of  so  black  a  crime  being 
spread  abroad,  he  betrayed  his  guilt  by 
flight.      He   wandered   about   in   divers 
countries  to  conceal  the  place  of  his  re- 
treat, till,  upon  coming  into  Judea,  he 
learnt  the  admirable  doctrine  of  the  Chris- 
tians, by  conversing  with  their  priests 
and  teachers.     In  a  little  time  he  show^ed 
them  that  they  were  but  children  com- 
pared to  himself:  for  he  became  not  only 
a  prophet,  but  the  head  of  their  congrega- 
tion :  in  a  word,  he  was  every  thing  to 
them  :  he  explained  their  books,  and  com- 
posed several  tracts  himself;  insomuch 
that  they  spoke  of  him  sometimes  as  a 
god,  and  certaianly  considered  him  as  a 
lawgiver  and  a  ruler. — However,  these 
people,  in  fact,  adore  that  great  person 
who  had  been  crucified  in  Palestine,  as 
beino-  the  first  who  tauo-ht  men  that  re- 
ligion. — While  these  things  were  going 
on,  Peregrinus  was  apprehended  and  put 
in  prison  on  account  of  his  being  a  Chris- 
tian.    This  disgrace  loaded  him  with  ho- 
nour :  it  was  the  very  thing  he  ardently 
desired  :    it  made   him   more   reputable 
among  those  of  that  persuasion,  and  fur- 
nished him  with  a  power  of  performing 
wonders.     The  Christians,  grievously  af- 
flicted at  his  confinement,  used  their  ut- 
most efforts  to  procure  him  his  liberty ; 
and  as   they  saw  they  could   not  com- 
pass it,  they  provided  abundantly  for  all 
his  wants,  and  rendered  him  all  imagina- 
ble  services.     There  was  seen,  by  the 
break  of  day,  at  the  prison-gate,  a  com- 


128 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VH. 


pany  of  old  women,  widows,  and  orphans, 
some  of  whom,  after  having  corrupted  the 
guard  with  money,  passed  the  night  with 
him.  There  they  partook  together  of  ele- 
gant repasts,  and  entertained  one  another 
with  religious  discourses.  They  called 
that  excellent  man  the  New  Socrates. 
There  came  even  Christians,  deputed 
from  many  cities  of  Asia,  to  converse 
with  him,  to  comfort  him,  and  to  bring 
him  supplies  of  money ;  for  the  care  and 
diligence  which  the  Christians  exert  in 
these  junctures  is  incredible :  they  spare 
nothing  in  such  cases.  They  sent,  there- 
fore, large  sums  to  Peregrinus ;  and  his 
confinement  was  to  him  an  occasion  of 
amassing  great  riches ;  for  these  poor 
creatures  are  firmly  persuaded  they  shall 
one  day  enjoy  immortal  life  :  therefore 
they  despise  death  with  wonderful  cou- 
rage, and  offer  themselves  voluntarily  to 
punishment.  Their  first  lawgiver  has  put 
it  into  their  heads  that  they  are  all  breth- 
ren. Since  they  separated  from  us,  they 
persevere  in  rejecting  the  gods  of  the 
Grecians,  and  in  worshipping  that  deceiv- 
er who  was  crucified  ;  they  regulate  their 
manners  and  conduct  by  his  laws  ;  they 
despise,  therefore,  all  earthly  possessions, 
and  use  them  in  common.  Therefore  if 
any  magician,  or  juggler,  any  cunning 
fellow,  who  knows  how  to  make  his  ad- 
vantage of  opportunity,  happens  to  get 
into  their  society,  he  immediately  grows 
rich  ;  because  it  is  easy  for  a  man  of  this 
sort  to  abuse  the  simplicity  of  these  silly 
people.  Peregrinus  however  was  set  at  li- 
berty by  the  president  of  Syria,  who  was 
a  lover  of  philosophy  and  of  its  professors ; 
and  who,  having  perceived  that  this  man 
courted  death  out  of  vanity  and  a  fond- 
ness of  renown,  released  him,  despising 
him  too  much  to  have  a  desire  of  inflict- 
ing capital  punishment  on  him.  Pere- 
grinus returned  into  his  own  country,  and 
as  some  were  inclined  to  prosecute  him 
on  account  of  his  parracide,  he  gave  all 
his  wealth  to  his  fellow-citizens,  who, 
being  gained  by  this  liberality,  imposed 
silence  on  his  accusers.  He  left  his  coun- 
try a  second  time  in  order  to  travel,  reck- 
oning he  should  find  every  thing  he  want- 
ed in  the  purses  of  the  Christians,  who 
were  punctual  in  accompanying  him 
wherever  he  went,  and  in  supplying  bin) 
with  all  things  in  abundance.  He  sub- 
sisted in  this  manner  for  a  considerable 
time  ;  but  having  done  something  which 
the  Christians  abhor, — they  sav/  him,  I 
think,  make  use  of  some  meats  forbidden 


amongst  them, — he  was  abandoned  by 
them  ;  insomuch  that  having  not  any 
longer  the  means  of  support,  he  would 
fain  have  revoked  the  donation  he  had 
made  to  his  country."* 

The  native  place  of  this  extraordinary 
man  was  Parium  in  Mysia.  After  his 
renunciation  of  Christianity,  he  assumed 
the  character  of  a  philosopher.  In  that 
light  he  is  mentioned  by  several  heathen 
authors ;  and  this  part  he  acted  till  the 
time  of  his  death;  when,  in  his  old  age, 
he  threw  himself  into  the  flames,  proba- 
bly because  suicide  was  honourable  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Gentiles,  and  because 
Empedocles,  a  brother  philosopher,  had 
thrown  himself  into  the  volcano  at  mount 
j?*]tna. — A  remark  may  here  be  made  on 
the  writer,  on  the  hero,  and  on  the  Chris- 
tians of  those  times. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  give  an  anx- 
ious answer  to  the  railleries,  cavils  and 
insinuations  of  Lucian  in  this  narrative. 
Whoever  knows  any  thing  of  real  Chris- 
tianity, and  the  usual  obloquy  thrown 
upon  it,  will  easily  make  just  deductions, 
and  separate  what  is  true  from  what  is- 
false.  Lucian  was  one  of  the  most  face- 
tious authors  of  antiquity.  He  doubtless 
possessed  the  talents  of  wit  and  satire  in 
a  supreme  degree.  But  truth  and  can- 
dour are  not  usually  to  be  expected  from 
writers  of  this  sort :  Lucian,  like  others 
of  the  same  vein,  had  his  eyes  turned  ma- 
lignantly towards  all  objects  but  himself: 
He  was  intolerably  self-conceited,  and 
may  be  ranked  with  Voltaire,  Rousseau, 
Hume,  and  other  modern  writers  of  that 
stamp:  He  was  sarcastic,  unfeeling;  and 
suspicions  of  evil  every  where,  except  in 
his  own  heart.  The  common  consequence 
of  such  a  temper,  indulged  without  re- 
straint, is  a  sceptical  indifference  to  all 
sorts  of  religion,  a  contempt  of  every  mode 
of  it  without  distinction,  and  supercilious 
self-applause  on  account  of  superior  dis- 
cernment. Such  men,  of  all  others,  seem 
most  to  fall  under  the  censure  of  the  wise 
man.  He  that  trusteth  his  own  heart 
IS  A  fool.  They  take  for  granted  the 
sincerity,  humanity,  and  benevolence  of 
their  own  hearts,  with  as  much  positive- 
ness  as  they  do  the  obliquity  and  hypo- 
crisy of  other  men's.  Antiquity  had  one 
Lucian  ;  and,  it  must  be  confessed  the  ab- 
surdities of  paganism  afforded  him  a  large 
field  of  satire,  which,  eventually,  was  not 


*  Lanlner's Collect.  Vol.ii.c.  19.— Bullet's 
Establishment  of  Christianit}'. 


Cekt.  II.] 


CHRISTIAN  AUTHORS. 


129 


unserviceable  to  the  progress  of  Chris- 
tianity :  Our  times  have  abounded  with 
writers  of  this  stamp  ;  and  it  is  one  of  the 
most  striking  characteristics  of  the  de- 
pravity of  modern  taste,  that  they  are  so 
much  read  and  esteemed. 

Peregrinus  is  no  very  uncommon  cha- 
racter. On  a  less  extended  scale,  men 
of  extreme  wickedness  in  a  similar  way 
may  frequently  be  noticed,  viz.  men, 
whose  early  life  has  been  devoted  to  no- 
thing but  vices  :  Then,  afterwards,  sorne- 
thing  of  the  garb  and  mode  of  real  Chris- 
tians is  assumed  by  these  deceivers.  But 
it  is  not  every  one  who  has  the  abilities 
of  Peregrinus  to  wear  the  hypocritical 
garb  so  assumed  with  consummate  ad- 
dress, and  to  impose  on  genuine  Chris- 
tians of  undoubted  discernment.  The 
unfeeling  heart  of  Lucian  appears  to  re- 
joice in  the  impositions  of  Peregrinus ; 
and  particularly,  that  he  was  able  to  im- 
pose on  Christians  so  long  and  so  com- 
pletely. A  philanthropic  mind  would 
rather  have  been  tempted  to  mourn  over 
the  depravity  of  human  nature,  that  it 
should  be  capable  of  such  wickedness. 
Providence,  however,  often  sets  a  dismal 
mark  upon  such  men  in  this  life.  Pere- 
grinus lived  long  enough  to  be  proved  a 
complete  impostor,  and  to  be  rendered  in- 
tolerable to  Christians ;  he  acted  the  phi- 
losopher afterwards,  it  seems,  a  long  time : 
for  what  is  often  called  philosophy  is  con- 
sistent enough  with  much  hypocrisy  ;  and 
HIS  dreadful  end  is  awfully  instructive  to 
mankind. 

Yet,  what  is  there  in  all  this  account 
of  the  Christians,  discoloured  as  it  is  by 
the  malignant  author,  which  does  not  tend 
to  their  honour  ?  While  Peregrinus  made 
a  creditable  profession,  they  received  and 
rejoiced  in  him:  They  did  not  pretend  to 
infallibility.  His  superior  parts  and  ar- 
tifice enabled  him  a  long  time  to  deceive. 
It  is  probable  that  he  avoided  as  much  as 
possible  the  society  of  the  most  sagacious 
and  penetrating  among  the  Christians. 
The  followers  of  Jesus  had  learnt  to  spare 
the  mote  in  their  brother's  eye,  and  to 
feel  the  beam  in  their  own.  They  were 
most  solicitously  guarded  against  that 
species  of  deception  which  is  the  most 
fatal,  namely,  the  delusion  of  a  man's 
OWN  heart.  If  many  of  them  were  hence 
too  much  exposed  to  the  snares  of  design- 
ing men,  the  thing  tells  surely  to  their 
honour,  rather  than  to  their  disgrace.  As 
for  the  rest ;  their  liberality,  their  zeal, 
their   compassion,  their  brotherly   love, 


their  fortitude,  their  heavenly-minded- 
ness,  are  confessed  in  all  this  narrative 
to  have  been  exceedingly  great.  I  re- 
joice to  hear  from  the  mouth  of  an  enemy 
such  a  testimony  to  the  character  of  Chris- 
tians :  it  is  one  of  the  best  which  I  can 
meet  with  in  the  second  century :  Amidst 
such  a  dearth  of  materials  it  was  not  to 
be  omitted.  In  morals.  Christians  must 
then  have  been,  at  least,  much  superior 
to  the  rest  of  mankind ;  and  it  is  only  to 
be  lamented,  that  he  who  could  relate 
this  story,  had  not  the  wisdom  to  make 
a  profitable  use  of  it  for  himself. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

SOME  ACCOUNT  OF  CHRISTIAN  AUTHORS 
WHO  FLOURISHED  IN  THIS  CENTURY. 

It  may  throw  additional  light  on  the 
history  of  Christian  doctrine  and  manners 
in  this  century,  to  give  a  brief  view  of 
Christian  authors.  Some  of  the  most  re- 
nowned have  been  already  spoken  to,  and 
a  few  more  of  great  respectability  must 
be  deferred  to  the  next  century,  because 
they  outlived  this. 

Dionysius,   bishop    of   Corinth,   lived 
under  the  reign  of  Marcus  Antoninus  and 
his   son    Commodus.     He    wrote   many 
epistles  to  various  churches,     Dionysius. 
which  demonstrate  his   care 
and  vigilance  in  support  of  Christianity; 
— a  pleasing  proof  that  Corinth  was  sin- 
gularly favoured  by  being  possessed  of  a 
zealous  and  charitable  pastor;  though  of 
his  labours  there,  and  of  the  state  of  the 
numerous  society  of  Christians  under  his 
ministry,  we  have  no  account.     He  wrote 
to  the  Lacedemonians  an  instruction  con- 
cerning the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  and 
an  exhortation  to  peace  and  unity.     He 
wrote  to  the  Athenians  also ;  and,  by  his 
testimony,  he  confirms  the  account  before 
o-iven  of  their  declension  after  the  mar- 
tyrdom of  Publius;  and  of  their  revival 
under  the  care  of  Quadratus ;  and  he  here 
informs  us  that  Dionysius  the  Areopagite 
was  the  first  bishop  of  Athens.     In  his 
letter  to  the  Christians  in  Crete,  he  high- 
ly  commends    Philip    the   bishop,    and 
guards   them   against   heresies.     In   his 
epistle  to  the  churches  of  Pontus,  he  di- 
rects   that   all    penitents  should   be   re- 
ceived who  return  to  the  Church,  what- 
ever their  past  crimes  have  been,  even  if 
guilty  of  heresy  itself.     One  may  hence 
fnfer,  that  discipline  was  as  yet  adminis- 


130 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VHI. 


tered  with  much  strictness  in  the  church- 
es; and  that  purity  of  doctrine,  as  well  as 
of  life  and  manners,  were  looked  on  as 
of  high  importance,  insomuch  that  some 
were  inclined  to  a  degree  of  rigour  in- 
compatible with  the  Gospel,  which  pro- 
mises full  and  free  forgiveness  through 
Christ  to  every  returning  sinner,  without 
limitations  or  exceptions.  Such  infer- 
ences concerning  the  manners  and  spirit 
of  the  Christians  at  that  time  seem  obvi- 
ous and  natural :  The  present  state  of 
church-discipline  among  all  denomina- 
tions of  Christians  in  England,  would 
undoubtedly  suggest  very  different  reflec- 
tions.— He  writes  also  to  Pinytus,  bishop 
of  the  Gnossians  in  Crete,  advising  him 
not  to  impose  on  the  Christians  the  heavy 
burden  of  the  obligation  to  preserve  their 
virginity,  but  to  have  respect  to  the  weak- 
ness incident  to  most  of  them.  It  seemed 
worth  while  to  mention  this  also  as  a 
proof  that  monastic  austerities  were  be- 
ginning to  appear  in  the  Church ;  and 
that  the  best  men,  after  the  example  of 
the  Apostles,  laboured  to  control  them. 
Pinytus,  in  his  reply,  extols  Dionysius, 
and  exhorts  him  to  afford  his  people  more 
solid  nourishment ;  lest,  being  always  fed 
with  milk,  they  should  remain  in  a  state 
of  infancy.  This  answer  speaks  some- 
thing of  the  depth  of  thought  and  know- 
ledge m  godliness,  with  which  Pinytus 
was  endowed. 

In  his  letter  to  the  Romans,  directed  to 
Soter  their  bishop,  he  recommends  to 
them  to  continue  a  charitable  custom, 
which,  from  their  first  plantation,  they 
had  always  practised ;  namely, — to  send 
relief  to  divers  Churches  throughout  the 
world,  and  to  assist  particularly  those 
who  were  condemned  to  the  mines ; — a 
strong  proof  both  that  the  Roman  church 
continued  opulent  and  numerous,  and 
also  that  they  still  partook  much  of  the 
spirit  of  Christ.* 

Theophilus  of  Antioch  is  a  person  of 
whom  it  were  to  be  wished  that  we  had 
a  larger  account.  He  was  brought  up  a 
Gentile ;  was  educated  in  all 
Theophi-  the  knowledge  then  reputa- 
Jus.  ble   in  the    world,   and  was 

doubtless  a  man  of  consider- 
able parts  and  learning.  His  conversion 
to  Christianity  seems  to  have  been  the 
most  reasonable  thino-  imag-inable.  The 
Holy  Spirit  in  his  operations  ever  appears 
to  adapt  himself  much  to  different  tem- 


*  Euseb.  B.  iv.  c.  23. 


pers.  Theophilus  was  a  reasoner;  and 
the  grace  of  God,  while  it  convinced  him 
of  his  own  inability  to  clear  up  his 
doubts,  effectually  enlightened  his  under- 
standing. The  belief  of  a  resurrection  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a  mighty  impediment 
to  his  reception  of  the  Gospel :  It  contra- 
dicted his  philosophy. — The  notions  of 
proud  philosophers  vary  in  different  ages; 
but  they  seldom  fail  in  some  form  or 
other  to  withstand  the  religion  of  Jesus. 

Of  his  labours  in  his  bishopric  of  Anti- 
och we  have  no  account.  He  carried  on 
a  correspondence  with  a  learned  man 
named  Autolycus  ;  but  with  what  success 
we  are  not  told.  He  appears  to  have 
been  very  vigilant  against  fashionable 
heresies.  He  lived  thirteen  years  in  his 
bishopric;  and  died  in  peace  about  the 
second  or  third  year  of  Commodus.* 

Melito,  bishop  of  Sardis,  from  the  very 
little  of  his  remains  that  are  extant,  may 
be  conceived  to  be  one  whom  God  might 
make  use  of  for  the  revival  of 
godliness  in  that  drooping  Melito. 
church.  The  very  titles  of 
some  of  his  works  excite  our  regret  for 
the  loss  of  them.  One  of  them  is  on  the 
submission  of  the  senses  to  faith :  an- 
other on  the  soul,  the  body,  and  the  spi- 
rit; another  on  God  incarnate.  A  frag- 
ment of  his,  preserved  by  the  author  of 
the  Chronicle,  called  the  Alexandrian, 
says,  "  that  the  Christians  do  not  adore 
insensible  stones,  but  that  they  worship 
one  Gbd  alone,  who  is  before  all  things 
and  in  all  things,  and  Jesus  Christ  who  is 
God  before  all  ages."  He  lived  under  the 
reign  of  Marcus  Antoninus.  His  unsuc- 
cessful but  masterly  apology  presented 
to  that  emperor  has  already  been  noticed. 
He  travelled  into  the  east  on  purpose  to  col- 
lect authentic  ecclesiastic  information ; 
and  he  gives  us  a  catalogue  of  the  sacred 
books  of  the  Old  Testament.  He  died  and 
was  buried  at  Sardis;  a  man  whom  Poly- 
crates,  bishop  of  Epliesus,  his  contempo- 
rary, calls  an  eunuch,  that  is,  one  who 
made  himself  an  eunuch  for  the  kingdom 
of  heaven's  sake.f  Several  such,  I  appre- 
hend, were  in  the  primitive  times.  But 
the  depravity  of  human  nature  is  ever 
pushing  men  into  extremes.  There  soon 
arose  some,  who  made  a  self-righteous 
use  of  these  instances  of  self-denial ;  and 
clogfo-ed   them   with    unwarrantable   ex- 

*  Euseb.  B.  iv.  c.  23.  and  Cave's  Life  of  The- 
ophilus. 

f  Matthew,  xix.  Euseb.  B.  iv.  c.  25.  Du 
Pin  and  Cave. 


Ceut.  II.] 


CHRISTIAN  AUTHORS. 


131 


Bardasa- 
nes. 


cesses.  The  contrary  extreme  is  now  so 
prevalent,  that, — if  a  person  were  to  fol- 
low the  example  of  Melito  on  the  same 
generous  principles  which  our  Saviour 
expresses, — it  would  be  thought  very  ex- 
traordinary, and  even  ridiculous.  Bat, 
whatever  has  the  sanction  of  Holy  Writ, 
should  be  noticed  to  the  honour  of  those 
who  practise  it,  whether  agreeable  to  the 
taste  of  the  age  we  live  in  or  not,  unless 
we  mean  to  set  up  the  eighteenth  century 
as  a  sort  of  Pope,  to  judge  the  foregoing 
seventeen. — The  same  Polycrates  ob- 
serves of  him,  that  his  actions  were  regu- 
lated by  the  motions  of  the  Holy  Ghost; 
and  that  he  lies  interred  at  Sardis,  where 
he  expects  the  judgment  and  resurrec- 
tion. 

Bardasanes  of  Mesopotamia,  a  man  re- 
nowned for  learning  and  eloquence,  es- 
caped not  the  pollution  of  the  fantastic 
heresy  of  Valentinian.  His 
talents  and  his  love  of  refine- 
ment were  probably  his  snare ; 
but,  as  he  afterwards  condemned  the  fa- 
bulous dreams  by  which  he  had  been  in- 
fatuated, and  as  he  is  allowed  to  be  sound 
in  the  main,  some  relics  of  his  former  he- 
resy might  be  left  without  materially  in- 
juring either  his  faith  or  his  practice.  I 
know  no  particular  reason  for  mentioning 
him  at  all,  but  for  the  sake  of  introducing 
a  remarkable  passage  of  his  writings,  pre- 
served by  Eusebius,*  which  shows  at 
once  the  great  progress  and  the  powerful 
energy  of  Christianity. 

"  In  Parthia,"  says  he,  "  polygamy  is 
allowed  and  practised,  but  the  Christians 
of  Parthia  practise  it  not.  In  Persia  the 
same  may  be  said  with  respect  to  incest. 
In  Bactria  and  in  Gaul  the  rights  of  ma- 
trimony are  defiled  with  impunity.  The 
Christians  there  act  not  thus.  In  truth, 
wherever  they  reside,  they  triumph  in 
their  practice  over  the  worst  of  laws  and 
the  worst  of  customs."  This  eulogium 
is  not  more  strong  than  just. — In  what 
age  did  human  inventions,  whether  phi- 
losophical or  religious,  produce  such 
fruits  as  these  1 

Miliiades  was  usefully  engaged  in  dis- 
criminating the  genuine  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  from  the  fictitious, — of  which 
,,.,..  ,  ,  unhappy  instances  had  then 
■  appeared.  False  prophets 
evinced  at  first  the  most  stupid  ignorance, 
and  afterwards  a  distempered  imagination 
and  furious  frenzy.      Miltiades  showed 


that  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  de- 
scribed in  Scripture,  was  sober,  consis- 
tent, reasonable.  There  is  no  new  thing 
under  the  sun  :  impostures  and  delusions 
exist  at  this  day; — and  why  should  it 
not  be  thought  as  reasonable  now,  as  it 
was  then,  to  discriminate  genuine  from 
fictitious  or  diabolical  influencss,  by  lay- 
ing down  the  true  marks  and  evidences 
of  each,  instead  of  scornfully  treating  all 
alike  as  enthusiastic  ?    The  extraordinary 


Athena- 
goras. 


*  Euseb. 
marks,  ir. 


Prsecep.  Evang.       Jortin's   Re- 


and  miraculous  influences  chiefly  come 
under  Miltiades's  inspection;  for  these 
were  at  that  time  very  common  in  the 
Christian  church;  so  were  delusive  pre- 
tences also ;  particularly  those  of  Mon- 
tanus  and  of  his  followers. — Let  the  dis- 
cerning reader  apply  the  observations  to 
be  made  on  these  and  similar  facts  to  our 
own  times. 

Apollinaris  of  Hierapolis  wrote  several 
books  under  the  reign  of  Marcus  Anto- 
ninus.    We  have  at  present  only  their 
titles.     One  of  them  was  a         nllina- 
Defence  of  Christianity,  dedi-     ^-^^ 
cated  to  the  emperor.      The 
work  of  which  we  know  the  most,  from 
a  fragment  preserved  in  Eusebius,  is  that 
against  the  Montanists,  which  will  fall 
under  our  observation  in  the  next  chapter. 
Athenagoras,  towards  the  latter  end  of 
this  century,  wrote  an  Apology  for  the 
Christian  Religion.     His  tes- 
timony to  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity,    contained     in    that 
work,  expresses  something  beyond  a  mere 
speculative  belief.     This  article  of  the 
Christian  faith  appeared  to  him  of  es- 
sential consequence  in  practical  godliness. 
He  is  a  writer  not  mentioned  by  Eusebi- 
us.    Du  Pin  does  him  injustice  by  ob- 
servino-  that  he  recommends  the  worship 
of  angels.    I  have  not  access  to  ms  Apo- 
logy, but  shall  give  a  remarkable  quota- 
tion from  Dr.  Waterland,  to  whom  1  am 
obliged  for  the  only  valuable  information 
I   have   of  this   author.*     Speaking  of 
Christians,  he  describes  them  as  "  men 
that  made  small   account  of  the  present 
life,  but  were  intent  only  upon  contem- 
plating God  and  knowing  his  Word,  who 
is  from  him, — what  union  the  Son  has 
with  the  Father,  what  communion  the 
Father  has  with  the  Son,  what  the  Spirit 
is,  and  what  the  union  and  distinction 
are  of  such  so  united,  the  Spirit,  the  Son, 
and  the  Father." 

*  Eijiphar.ius  Heres.  5k  1.  See  Di-.  Wa- 
terlaiid's  Importance  of  the  Doctrine  of  the 
Trinity. 


132 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHUKCH; 


[Chap.  IX. 


If  this  be  true, — and  Athenagoras  may 
well  be  credited  for  the  fact, — it  is  not  to 
be  wondered  at,  that  the  primitive  Chris- 
tians were  so  anxiously  tenacious  of  this 
doctrine.  It  was  the  climate  in  which 
alone  Christian  fruit  could  grow.  Their 
speculations  were  not  merely  abstracted. 
They  found  in  the  view  of  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  something  of  that 
energy  which  could  raise  them  from  earth 
to  heaven :  That  is,  they  found  the  pecu- 
liar truths  of  the  Gospel,  which  are  so 
closely  interwoven  with  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity.  The  right  use  of  the  doc- 
trine is  briefly,  but  strongly  intimated  in 
this  passage ; — and  the  connexion  between 
Christian  principles  and  practice  appears. 
In  truth,  a  Trinitarian  speculatist  may 
be  as  worldly-minded  as  any  other  per- 
son. His  doctrine,  however,  contains 
that  which  only  can  make  a  man  fix  "his 
affections  on  things  above." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  HERESIES  AND  CONTROVERSIES  OF 
THIS  CENTURY  REVIEWED,  AND  AN 
IDEA  OF  THE  STATE  AND  PROGRESS  OF 
CHRISTIANITY  DURING  THE  COURSE 
OF  IT. 

My  plan  calls  me  not  to  notice  minutely 
all  the  heresies  which  appeared  in  this 
century ;   but  I  would   not   omit  them, 
whenever  they  may  throw  light  on  the 
work  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  and  the  pro- 
gress of  godliness. — On  their  own  account, 
they  deserved  not  much  attention  ;  yet  it 
was   necessary  to  examine  and  confute 
some  of  them  ;  and  Irenajus  acted  charita- 
bly in  so  doing.     It  is,  however,  to  be 
regretted,  that   in   his   celebrated   work 
against  heresies,  he  should  be  obliged  to 
employ  so  much  time  on  scenes  of  non- 
sense.— Let  it  be  remarked  in  general, 
that  the  same  opposition  to  the  Deity  of 
Christ,  or  his  manhood,  and  the  same  in- 
sidious methods  of  depreciating  or  abusing 
the  doctrines  of  grace,  continued  in  the 
second  century,  which  had  begun  in  the 
first,  with  this  difference,  that  they  were 
now  multiplied,  varied,  complicated,  and 
refined  by  endless  subtleties  and  fancies, 
in  which  the  poverty  of  taste  and  genius, 
so  common  in  a  period  when  letters  are 
declining,  discovers  itself  no  less  than 
the  Christian  doctrine.      Like  spots  in 
the  sun,  however,  they  vanished  and  dis- 
appeared from  time  to  time ;  though  re- 


vived again  in  different  forms  and  circum- 
stances. Not  one  of  the  heresiarchs  of  this 
century  was  able  to  create  a  strong  and 
permanent  interest;  and  it  is  no  little 
proof  of  the  continued  goodness  and  grace 
of  God  to  his  Church,  that  the  sound 
Christians  still  kept  themselves  separate 
and  distinct,  and  preserved  the  purity  of 
discipline. 

It  has  often  been  said,  that  many  have 
been  enlisted  among  heretics,  who  were 
real  Christians.  When  I  see  a  proof  of 
this,  I  shall  take  notice  of  it.  But  of  the 
heretics  of  the  second  century,  I  fear,  in 
general,  no  such  favourable  judgment 
ought  to  be  passed.  The  state  of  Chris- 
tian affairs,  in  truth,  was  such  as  to  af- 
ford no  probable  reason  for  any  real  good 
man  to  dissent.  Where  was  there  more 
of  piety  and  virtue  to  be  found  than 
among  the  general  society  of  Christians  1 
And  how  could  any  persons  be  more  ex- 
posed to  the  cross  of  Christ  than  they 
were  1 

1.  The  first  set  of  heretics  of  this  cen- 
tury, were  those  who  opposed 
or  corrupted  the  doctrines  of 
the  person  of  Christ.  A  single 
quotation  from  Eusebius  may 
be  sufiicient  as  a  specimen. 

Speaking  of  the  books,  which  were 
published  in  these  times,  he  observes,* 
"  Among  them  there  is  found  a  volume 
written  against  the  heresy  of  Artemon, 
which  Paulas  of  Samosata  in  our  days 
endeavoured  to  revive.  When  this  book 
had  confuted  the  said  presumptuous  he- 
resy, which  maintained  Christ  to  be  a 
mere  man,  and  that  this  was  an  ancient 
opinion ;  after  many  leaves  tending  to  the 
confutation  of  this  blasphemous  falsehood, 
the  author  writes  thus  :  '  They  affirm  that 
all  our  ancestors,  even  the  Apostles  them- 
selves, were  of  that  opinion,  and  taught 
the  same  with  them,  and  that  this  their 
true  doctrine  was  preached  and  embraced 
to  the  time  of  Victor,  the  thirteenth  bishop 
of  Rome  after  Peter,  and  was  corrupted 
by  his  successor  Zephyrinus.  This  might 
carry  a  plausible  appearance  of  truth, 
were  it  not,  in  the  first  place,  contradicted 
by  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  in  the  next, 
by  the  books  of  several  persons,  which 
they  published  long  before  the  time  of 
Victor,  against  the  Gentiles,  in  the  de- 
fence of  the  truth,  and  in  confutation  of  the 
heresies  of  their  times.  I  mean  Justin, 
Miltiades,    Tatian,   and    Clement,   with 


Heresy  re- 
specting 
the  person 
of  Christ. 


*  B.  V.  c.  25. 


Ce5T.  II.] 


PROGRESS  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


133 


many  others ;  in  all  which  works  Christ 
is  preached  and  published  to  be  God. 
Who  knoweth  not  that  the  works  of  Ire- 
naeus,  Melito,  and  all  other  Christians, 
do  confess  Christ  to  be  both  God  and 
Man?  In  fine,  how  manj'  psalms,  and 
hymns,  and  canticles  were  written  from 
the  beginning  by  faithful  Christians, 
which  celebrate  Christ,  the  Word  of  God, 
as  no  other  than  God  indeed  ]  How  then 
is  it  possible,  according  to  their  report, 
that  our  ancestors,  to  the  days  of  Victor, 
should  have  preached  in  that  way,  when 
the  creed  of  the  Church  for  so  many 
years  is  pronounced  as  certain,  and  known 
to  all  the  world  1  And  oucrht  they  not  to 
be  ashamed  to  report  such  falsehoods  of 
Victor,  when  they  know  it  to  be  a  fact, 
that  this  very  Victor  excommunicated 
Theodotus,  a  tanner,  the  father  of  this 
apostasy,  who  denied  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  because  he  first  affirmed  Christ 
to  be  only  man.  If  Victor,  as  they  report, 
had  been  of  their  blasphemous  sentiments, 
how  could  he  have  excommunicated  The- 
odotus the  author  of  the  heresy  ]" 

Victor's  government  was  about  the 
close  of  the  second  century.  The  anony 
mous  author  before  us  writes  most  pro- 
bably in  the  former  part  of  the  third. 
Nor  is  his  testimony  much  invalidated 
by  his  being  anonymous.  The  facts  to 
which  he  speaks  were  notorious  and  nn- 
deniable.  We  see  hence,  that  all  parties, 
notwithstanding  the  contempt,  which 
some  affect,  of  the  testimony  of  antiquity 
and  tradition,  are  glad  to  avail  them- 
selves of  it  where  they  can;  which  is 
itself  a  proof  of  the  tacit  consent  of  all 
mankind,  that  this  testimony,  though  by 
no  means  decisive,  nor  such  as  ought 
ever  to  be  put  in  competition  with  Scrip- 
ture, yet  weighs  something,  and  ought 
not  to  be  treated  with  unreserved  disdain. 
In  our  own  days  the  same  attempt  has 
been  made  in  the  same  cause ;  with  what 
probability  of  success,  in  the  way  of 
sound  argument,  let  the  reader,  who  has 
considered  the  passage  I  have  quoted 
from  Eusebius,  judge  for  himself.  In 
fact,  it  appears  that  a  denial  of  the  Deity 
of  Christ  could  not  find  any  patron  with- 
in the  pale  of  the  Church  for  the  first 
two  hundred  years.  The  prevalence  of 
sentiments  derogatory  to  the  person  and 
ofiices  of  Christ  was  reserved  for  a  later 
period.  Every  person  of  any  eminence 
in  the  Church  for  judgment  and  piety, 
holds  unequivocally  an  opposite  language. 
In  some  of  the  most  renowned  we  have 
Vol.  I.  M 


seen  it  all  along  in  the  course  of  this 
century. 

This  Theodotus  was  a  citizen  of  By- 
zantium, a  tanner,  but  a  man  of  parts 
and  learning.  Heretical  perversions  of 
Scripture  have  often  been  invented  by 
such  persons.  Pride  and  self-conceit 
seem  to  have  a  peculiar  ascendency  over 
men  who  have  acquired  knowledge  in 
private  by  their  own  industry :  And  doubt- 
less one  of  the  best  advantages  of  public 
seminaries  is  this, — that  modesty  and 
reasonable  submission  are  inculcated  in 
them ;  and  men,  by  seeing  and  feeling 
their  own  inferiority,  are  taught  to  think 
more  lowly  of  their  own  attainments. 
This  self-taught  tanner  speculated ;  felt 
himself  important  enough  to  be  singular; 
and  revived  the  heresy  of  Ebion.  He  was 
brought  with  some  other  Christians  before 
persecuting  magistrates:  His  companions 
honestly  confessed  Christ,  and  suffered: 
He  was  the  only  man  of  the  company  who 
denied  him.  In  truth,  he  had  no  principles 
stroncr  enough  to  induce  him  to  bear  the 
cross  of  Christ.  Theodotus  lived  still  a 
denier  of  Christ,  and  being  afterwards 
upbraidt'd  for  denying  his  God;  "No," 
says  he,  "  I  have  not  denied  God,  but 
man ;  for  Christ  is  no  more."*  His 
heresy  hence  obtained  a  new  name,  that 
of  the  God-denying  apostasy. j"  Perse- 
cution frequently  does  in  this  life,  in  part, 
what  the  last  day  will  do  completely, — 
separate  wheat  from  tares  ! 

2.  The' controversy  respecting  the  pro- 
per time  of  the  observation  of  Easter, 
which  had  been  amicably  adjusted  be- 
tween Polycarp  of  Smyrna 
and  Anicetus  of  Rome,  who  Controver- 
had  agreed  to  diff-er,  was  un-  -.^Ej^teJ; 
happily  revived  towards  the 
close  of  this  century :  Synods  were  held' 
concerning  it :  and  an  uniformity  was  at- 
tempted in  vain  throughout  the  Church. 
Victor  of  Rome,  with  much  arrogance  and 
temerity,  as  if  he  had  felt  the  very  soul 
of  the  future  papacy  formed  in  himself, 
inveighed  against  the  Asiatic  churches, 
and  pronounced  them  excommunicated 
persons.  The  firmness,  moderation,  and 
charity  of  one  man  was  of  great  service  in 
quashing  this  dangerous  contention.  Ire- 
nKus,  bishop  of  Lyons,  rebuked  the  un- 
charitable spirit  of  Victor,  reminded  him 
of  the  union  between  Polycarp  and  his 
predecessor    Anicetus,    notwithstanding 

*  Damascen.  Heres.  54. 


134 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IX. 


their  diiference  of  sentiment  and  practice 
in  this  point,  and  pressed  the  strong  ob- 
ligation of  Christians  to  love  and  unity, 
though  they  might  differ  in  smaller  mat- 
ters ;  and  surely  a  smaller  matter  of  di- 
versity was  scarcely  ever  known  to  occa- 
sion contention. 

The  particulars  of  the  debate  are  not 
worthy  of  recital.  Certain  fundamentals 
being  stated  in  the  first  place,  in  which 
all  real  Christians  are  united,  they  may 
safely  be  left,  each  society  to  follow  its 
private  judgment  in  other  things  ;  and,— 
surely, — yet  hold  the  unity  of  the  Spirit 
in  the  bond  of  peace.  But  that  this  was 
effected  with  so  much  difficulty,  and  that 
so  slight  a  subject  should  appear  of  so 
great  "moment  at  this  time,  seems  no 
small  proof  that  the  power  of  true  godli- 
ness had  suffered  some  declension;  and 
was  an  omen,  towards  the  close  of  this 
century,  of  the  decay  of  the  happy  effects 
of  the  first  great  Effusion  of  the  Spirit. 
When  faith  and  love  are  simple,  strong, 
and  eminently  active,  such  subjects  of 
debate  are  ever  known  to  vanish  like 
mists  before  the  sun. 

3.  The  Church  was  internally  shaken 
and  much  disfigured  by  the  heresy  of 
Montanus.     This   is   the   account   of  it 
given  by  Apollinaris  of  Hierapolis,  who 
took    pains    to    confute    it.* 
Heresy  of      n  Being  lately  at  Ancyra  in 
Montanus.     Q^iatia,  I  found  the  Church 
throughout  filled, — not  with  prophets,  as 
they  call  them,  but  with  false  prophets; 
where,  with  the  help  of  the  Lord,  I  dis- 
puted  publicly   for   many   days  against 
them,  so   that  the  Church  rejoiced  and 
was  confirmed  in  the  truth ;  and  the  ad- 
versaries were  vexed  and  murmured.     It 
originated  in  the  following  manner :  There 
is  a  village  in  Mysia,  a  region  of  Phrygia, 
called   Ardaba,  where  we  are  told  that 
Montanus,  a  late  convert  in  the  time  of 
Gratus,  proconsul  of  Asia,  gave  advan- 
tage to  Satan  by  being  elated  with  ambi- 
tion.   The  man  behaved  in  a  frantic  man- 
ner, and  pretended  to  prophesy.     Some 
who  heard  hiin,  checked  him  as  a  luna- 
tic  and   forbad   his   public    exhibitions, 
mindful  of  our  Saviour's  predictions  and 
warnings    against    false   prophets :    but 
others  boast'ed  of  him  as  endued   with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  forgetting  the  di- 
vine  admonitions,  were  so  ensnared  by 
his  arts  as  to  encourage  the  imposture. 
Two  women  were  by  Satan  possessed  of 

*  Euseb.  B.  C.  14. 


the  same  spirit,  and  spake  foolish  and 
fanatical  things.  They  gloried  in  their 
own  supposed  superior  sanctity  and  hap- 
piness ;  and  were  deluded  with  the  most 
flattering  expectations. — Few  of  the  Phry- 
gians were  seduced,  though  they  took 
upon  them  to  revile  every  Church  under 
heaven  which  did  not  pay  homage  to 
their  pretended  inspirations.  The  faith- 
ful throughout  Asia  in  frequent  synods 
examined  and  condemned  the  heresy." 

It  has  ever  been  one  of  the  greatest  trials 
to  men  really  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God, — 
besides  the  open  opposition  of  the  pro- 
fane,— to   be   obliged   to   encounter    the 
subtile  devices  of  Satan,  who  often  raises 
up  pretended  illuminations,  and  so  con- 
nects them  with  delusion,  folly,  wicked- 
ness, and  self-conceit,  that  they  expose 
true  godliness  to  the  imputation  of  en- 
thusiasm, and  to  contempt  and  disgrace. 
The   marks  of  distinction   are   plain  to 
minds  which  are  serious  and  of  tolerable 
judgment  and  discretion;  but,  men,  void 
of  The  fear  of  God,  will  not  distinguish. 
We  see  here  an  instance  of  what  has 
often  been  repeated  from  that  day  to  the 
present   in   the   Church  of  Christ;  and 
Christians  should  never  fail  to  do  now, 
what  they  then  did,  namely,  they  should 
examine,  expose,  condemn,  and  separate 
themselves   from   such   delusions :    The 
enthusiasts  of  every  age  follow  the  patr 
tern  of  Montanus  in  folly,  pride,  and  un- 
chariiableness :    Nothing   happens   here 
but  what  is  foretold  in  Scripture :  and  in 
truth,  delusions  of  this  sort  so  generally 
accompany  the  real  work  of  God,  that 
wherever  that  appears,  these  very  seldom 
fail  to  appear  also. 

4.  But  the  eruptions  of  fanaticism  are 
too  wild  and  unnatural  to  remain  long  in 
any  degree  of  strength.     Whatever  high 
pretensions  they  make  to  the  influences 
of  the  Divine  Spirit,  they  are  ever  unfa- 
vourable to  them  in  reality  ;  not  only  by 
their   unholy   tendency   during  the  par- 
oxysm of  zeal,  but  much  more  so  by  the 
effects  of  contemptuous  profaneness  and 
incredulous  scepticism  which  they  leave 
behind  them.     It  is  for  the  sake  of  these 
chiefly   that  Satan  seems  to  invent  and 
support  such  delusions. — But  his  grand 
resource   against   the   Gospel   is   drawn 
from  contrivances  more   congenial   with 
the  nature  of  man.     Human  philosophy 
after  the  rudiments  of  the  world  and  not 
after  Christ,  formed  the  last  corruption 
of  this  century ;  which  I  shall  lay  open, 
to  the  best  of  my  judgment,  from  the 


CE:fT.  II.] 


PROGRESS  OF  CHRISTIANITY, 


135 


lights  of  history.  It  was  toward  the 
close  of  the  century  that  it  made  its  ap- 
pearance, nor  were  the  effects  of  it  very 
great  at  present :  in  the  next  century  they 
appeared  very  distinctly. 

Alexandria  was  at  this  time  the  most 
renowned  seminary  of  learning.     A  sort 
of  philosophers  there  appeared  who  call- 
ed themselves  Eclectics,  because  with- 
out tying  themselves  down  to  any  one 
set  of  rules,  they  chose  what  they  thought 
most   agreeable  to   truth   from   different 
masters   and   sects.      Their   pretensions 
were  specious  ;  and  while  they  preserved 
the  appearance  of  candour,  moderation, 
and  dispassionate  inquiry,  they  adminis- 
tered much  fuel  to  the  pride  of  men  lean- 
ing to  their  own  understandings.     Am- 
monius   Saccas,  a    famous   Alexandrian 
teacher,  seems  to  have  reduced  the  opin- 
ions of  this  sect  to  a  system.     Plato  was 
his  principal  guide ;  but  he  invented  many 
things   of  which  Plato  never   dreamed. 
What  his  religious  profession  was  is  dis- 
puted among  the  learned.     Undoubtedly 
he  was  educated  a  Christian;  and  though 
Porphyry,  in  his  enmity   against  Chris- 
tianity, observes  that  he  forsook  the  Gos- 
pel and  returned  to   Gentilism,  yet  the 
testimony  of  Eusebius,*  who  must  have 
known,  seems  decisive  to  the  contrary ; — 
it  proves,  that  he  continued  a  Christian 
all  his  days :  his  tracts  on  the  agreement 
of  Moses  and  Jesus,  and  his  harmony  of 
the   four   Gospels,  demonstrate   that  he 
desired  to  be  considered  as  a  Christian. 
This  man  fancied  that  all  religions,  vul- 
gar and  philosophical,  Grecian  and  bar- 
barous, Jewish  and  Gentile,  meant  the 
same  thing  at  bottom.     He  undertook  by 
allegorizing  and  subtilizing  various  fables 
and  systems,  to  make  up  a  coalition  of 
all  sects  and  religions ;  and,  from  his  la- 
bours, continued  by  his  disciples — some 
of  whose  works  still  remain, — his  follow- 
ers were  taucrht  to  look  on  Jew,  Philoso- 
pher, vulgar  Pagan,  and  Christian,  as  all 
of  the  same  creed. 

Dr.  Lardner,  in  opposition  to  Mosheim, 
who  seems  to  have  very  successfully  il- 
lustrated this  matter,  contends  that  there 
were  no  such  motley-mixed  characters, 
and  that  the  scheme  is  chimerical.  I 
have  attended  closely  to  Dr.  Lardner's 
own  account  of  this  teacher;  and  also  to 
his  review  of  philosophers  in  the  third 
and  following  centuries ;  and  it  appears 
to  me,  that  persons  of  the  class  described 


am- 
among  the 


*  B.  6.  C.  18.  £c.  Hist. 


did  actually  exist.     Ammonius  himself 
seems  to  have  been,  if  I  may  be  allowed 
the  expression,  a  Pagan-Christian.   That 
Eusebius  and  Porphyry  should  each  claim 
him  for  their  own,  is  no  little  proof  of  his 
ambiguous  character:  and  I  wish  we  may 
not  have  too  melancholy  proofs  of  the 
same  thing,  when  we  come  to  consider 
the   characters   of  many  of  the  fathers 
who   followed.     Longinus,  who  was  of 
the  same  school,  though  more  a  philolo- 
gist than  a  philosopher,  in  his  well-known 
respectful  quotation  from  Moses,  evinces 
that  he   was    tinctured   with   a   similar 
spirit.     Plotinus  is  largely  and  fully  in 
the  same  scheme.     Who  knows  whether 
to    call    Ammianus   the    historian,   and 
Chalcidius,  Christian  or  Pagan  1    They 
affected  to  be  both ;  or  rather  pretended 
that  both  meant  the  same  thing ;  and  in 
the  fourth  and  fifth  century,  though  some 
with  Porphyry,  through  the  virulence  of 
their  opposition,  were  decided  enemies 
of  Christ,  it  is  certain   that  many 
biguous  characters  abounded 
Christians. 

In  truth,  we  see  in  every  age  similar 
scenes.  The  Gospel  in  its  infancy  has 
to  struggle  with  the  open  and  avowed 
enmity  of  all  mankind.  He,  whose  de- 
cisive power  alone  can  do  it,  after  floods 
of  persecution  and  a  thousand  discour- 
agements, gives  his  religion  a  settlement 
in  the  world  too  strongly  to  be  over- 
turned, as  its  enemies  hoped  at  first 
would  be  the  case.  The  light  of  divine 
truth  fails  not  to  make  some  impressions 
on  minds  by  no  means  converted  through 
it  to  God.  Christianity,  though  it  enfor- 
ces its  truths  with  much  greater  clearness 
than  natural  religion  does;  and  though  it 
proves  its  superiority,  by  exhibiting  men 
who  practise  accordingly,  still  has  many 
truths  in  common  with  natural  religion  : 
Thence  ingenious  persons  are  ready  to 
persuade  themselves,  that  their  philoso- 
phy and  the  Gospel  mean  the  same  in 
substance:  They  compliment  Christi- 
anity with  some  respectful  attention,  and 
yet  studiously  avoid  the  cross  of  Christ, 
and  the  precise  peculiarities  of  the  Gos- 
pel, in  order  to  preserve  their  credit  in 
the  world.  We  may  all  have  so  much 
noticed  this  disposition  in  men,  and  the 
number  of  doubtful  characters  in  conse- 
quence, that  Mosheim's  account  cannot, 
I  think,  appear  difficult  of  admission. 

Undoubtedly  the  appearance  of  persons 
of  this  sort  is  a  sure  symptom  that  the 
Gospel  is  raised  to  some  degree  of  emi- 


136 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  IX. 


nence  and  stability  in  the  world.  In  the 
first  century  such  an  ambiguous  charac- 
ter would  have  been  a  rare  phenomenon. 
Philosophers  found  no  desire  to  coalesce 
with  a  religion  contemptible  in  their  eyes 
in  all  respects.  It  was  not  till  numbers 
gave  it  some  respectability,  that  a  coali- 
tion of  that  kind  took  place.  Seneca 
would  have  thought  himself  sufficiently 
liberal  in  not  persecuting,  but  only  des- 
pising the  same  religion,  which  Ammon- 
ius,  a  century  afterwards,  deigned  to  in- 
corporate, in  pretence  at  least,  with  his 
philosophy.— It  has  been  observed,  that 
the  attempt  of  the'  court  of  Charles 
the  First  to  draw  over  some  of  the  par- 
liamentary leaders  to  their  interest,  was 
a  sure  sign  of  the  diminution  of  regal 
despotism.  Satan  beheld  the  decay  of 
his  empire  of  idolatry  and  philosophy  in 
tlie  same  light ;  and  it  behooved  him  to 
try  the  same  arts  to  preserve  what  re- 
mained. Melancholy  and  disastrous  as 
was  the  evil  we  are  contemplating,  and 
even  more  decisively  destructive  to  the 
progress  of  vital  godliness  than  any  other 
whrch  had  yet  appeared,  it  was,  however, 
an  evidence  of  the  victorious  strength  of 
the  Gospel,  and  a  confession  of  weakness 
on  the  part  of  paganism. 

In  carrying  on  these  arts  of  seduction, 
the  insidiousness  of  such  middle  charac- 
ters consisted  much  in  expatiating  on  the 
truths  which  lie  in  common,  as  of  the 
greatest  importance ;  and  in  reducing,  as 
far  as  in  them  lay,  the  peculiar  truths  of 
the  Gospel  into  oblivion.  It  was  just  in 
this  manner,  I  remember,  that  a  clergy- 
man* speaks  in  a  celebrated  sermon 
preached  on  the  accession  of  James  the 
Second.  While  he  deals  out  strains  of 
fulsome  adulation  on  the  sovereign,  he 
answers  the  objection  against  him  drawn 
from  his  religion,  by  observing  of  what 
little  importance  opinions  were ;  and  that 
moral  and  practical  matters  were  alone 
worthy  of  consideration.  The  conduct 
of  James,  in  a  little  time  after,  showed 
the  weakness  of  his  reasoning :  and  the 
effects  of  this  philosophical  evil,  which, 
like  leaven,  soon  spread  in  some  faint 
degree  over  the  whole  Church,  manifest- 
ed too  plainly  that  pure  and  undefiled 
sentiments  of  religion  are  of  high  impor- 
tance. 

We  have  hitherto  found  it  no  hard 
matter  to  discover,  in  the  teachers  and 
writers  of  Christianity,   the  vital  doc- 

*  The  Vicar  of  Newcastle. 


trines  of  Christ.     We  shall  now  per- 
ceive that  the  most  precious  truths  of  the 
Gospel  begin  to  be  less  attended  to,  and 
less   brought  into   view.      Even   Justin 
Martyr,  before  the  period  of  eclectic  cor- 
ruption, by  his  fondness  for  Plato  adul- 
terated the  Gospel  in  some  degree,  as  we 
have  observed  particularly  in  the  article 
of  free-will.     Tatian,  his  scholar,  went 
bolder  lengths,  and  deserved  the  name  of 
heretic.     He  dealt  largely  in  the  merits 
of  continence   and   chastity;   and   these 
virtues,  pushed  into  extravagant  exces- 
ses, under  the  notion  of  superior  purity, 
became  great  engines  of  self-righteous- 
ness and    superstition;    obscured   men's 
views  of  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  darken- 
ed the  whole  face  of  Christianity.     Un- 
der the  fostering  hand  of  Ammonius  and 
his  followers,  this  fictitious  holiness,  dis- 
guised under  the  appearance  of  eminent 
sanctity,  was  formed  into  a  system ;  and 
it  soon  began  to  generate  the  worst  of 
evils.    That  man  is  altogether  fallen, — 
that  he  ie  to  be  justified  wholly  by  the 
faith  of  Christ, — that  his  atonement  and 
mediation  alone  procure  us  access  to  God 
and  eternal  life,— ^that  holiness  is  the  pro- 
per work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  heart 
of  man,  and   that  for  its  production  Di- 
vine  Grace   is  absolutely   necessary ; — 
these, — and  if  there  be  any  other  similar 
evangelical  truths, — as  it  was  not  possi- 
ble to  mix  them  with  Platonism,  faded 
gradually  in  the   Church,  and  were  at 
length  partly  denied  and  partly  forgot- 
ten.* 

St.  Paul's  caution  against  philoso- 
phy and  vain  deceit,  it  appears,  was 
now  fatally  neglected  by  the  Christians. 
False  humility,  "will-worship,"  curious 
and  proud  refinements,  bodily  austerities 
mixed  with  high  self-righteous  preten- 
sions, ignorance  of  Christ  and  of  the  true 
life  of  iaith  in  him,  miserably  supersed- 
ed by  ceremonies  and  superstitions, — all 
these  things  are  divinely  delineated  in 
the  second  chapter  to  Colossians;  and, 
so  far  as  words  can  do  it,  the  true  de- 
fence against  them  is  powerfully  describ- 
ed and  enforced. 

Even  the  cultivation  of  the  human  mind, 
when  carried  on  in  the  best  manner,  is 


*  N.  B.  The  tenth  article  of  our  Church  is 
remaikahly  precise  and  accurate  on  this  sub- 
ject. "We  have  no  power  to  do  good  works, 
pleasant  and  acceptable  to  God,  without  the 
grace  of  Clu'ist  preventing  us  that  we  may 
iiave  a  good  will,  and  working  with  us  when 
we  have  that  good  will. 


Cekt.  II.] 


PROGRESS  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


137 


apt  to  be  abused  by  fallen  man,  to  the 
perversion  of  the  Gospel.     Yet  I  would 
not  place  the  mathematics  and  natural 
philosophy  on  the  same  footing  as  the 
Platonic  or  Stoical  doctrines.     In  truth, 
philosophy  is  too  respectable  a  name  for 
these  last :     As  they  were  managed  in 
the  school  of  Ammonius  or  of  Antoninus, 
they  displayed  little  that  deserved  the 
attention  of  a  wise   man :    They  were 
either  romantic,  or  absolutety  false.    The 
philosophy  of  the  moderns,  when  applied 
to  abstract  quantity,  or  to  the  works  of 
nature,  is,  doubtless,  possessed  of  truth 
and  solidity,  yet  great  care  is  requisite  to 
keep  even  modern  philosophy  within  its 
due  bounds  ;  and  to  prevent  its  encroach- 
ments on  Christianity  ;  and  the  danger  of 
being  elated  by  pride,  and  of  being  made 
too  wise  for  the  teaching  of  God's  Holy 
Spirit,  is  common  to  this  with  all  other 
sorts  of  secular  knowledge.     In  regard  to 
what  is  called  moral  philosophy  and  meta- 
physics, these  seem  much  more  nearly  al- 
lied to  the  ancient  philosophical  evils,  and 
have  ever  been  dano-erous  to  relio-ion :  fatal 
mistakes  have  been  made  through  their 
means ;  and  in  general,  if  we  except  a  very 
small  portion  of  natural  truths  which  are 
agreeable  to  the  moral  senseand  conscience 
of  mankind,  they  appear — at  least,  when 
conducted,  as  they  have  usually  been,  by 
un-evangelical  persons, — to  be  the  very 
same  sort  of  mischievous  speculation  and 
refinement  against  which  the  Apostle  to 
the  Colossians   speaks.      Certainly   his 
cautions  against  philosophy  are  equally 
applicable  to  them  ; — for  they  have  been 


found  to  militate  against  the  vital  truths 
of  Christianity,  and  to  corrupt  the  Gos- 
pel in  our  times  as  much  as  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  more  ancient  philosophy  cor- 
rupted it  in  early  ages. — I  would  here  be 
understood,  in  both  cases,  to  refer  to  matter 
of  fact,  and  not  to  imaginary  suppositions. 
— In  fact,  the  systems  of  the  moral  and 
metaphysical  writers  have  rarely  been 
founded  on  Christian  principles,  and  yet 
they  have  pretended  to  incorporate  them- 
selves with  the  Gospel.  The  effect  of  such 
combination  must  ever  prove  mischievous, 
particularly  when  addressed  to  the  reason 
of  man,  prejudiced  by  self-conceit  and  the 
love  of  sin. 

And  here  we  close  the  view  of  the  se- 
cond century  ;  which,  for  the  most  part, 
exhibited  proofs  of  divine  grace  as  strong, 
or  nearly  so,  as  the  first.  We  have  seen 
the  same  unshaken  and  simple  faith  of 
Jesus,  the  same  love  of  God  and  of  the 
brethren ;  and, — that  in  which  they  sin- 
gularly excelled  modern  Christians, — the 
same  heavenly  spirit  and  victory  over  the 
world.  But  a  dark  shade  is  enveloping 
these  divine  glories.  The  spirit  of  God 
is  grieved  already  by  the  ambitious  in- 
trusions of  self-righteousness,  argumen- 
tative refinements,  and  Pharisaic  pride  ; 
and  though  it  be  more  common  to  repre- 
sent the  sensible  decay  of  godliness  as 
commencing  a  century  later,  to  me  it  seems 
already  begun.  The  surviving  effects, 
however,  of  the  first  Effusion  of  the  Spirit, 
and  also  the  effects  of  some  rich  additional 
communications  of  the  same  Spirit,  will 
appear  in  the  third  century. 


M  2 


138 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


CENTURY  III. 


CHAPTER  I, 


IREN^US. 


Before  we  proceed  with  the  orderly 
coxirse  of  events  in  this  century,  it  may 
be  convenient  to  continue  the  account  of 
authors  who  properly  belonged  to  the  last, 
though  they  survived  the  conclusion  of  it. 
We  meet  with  four  celebrated  cliaracters 
of  this  description  ;  Irenaeus,  TertuUian, 
Pantaenus,  and  Clement  of  Alexandria. 

Of  Irenffius  it  were  to  be  wished  that  we 
had  a  more  copious  account :  The  place 
of  his  birth  is  quite  uncertain.  His  name, 
however,  points  him  out  to  be  a  Grecian. 
His  instructors  in  Christianity  were  Pa- 
pias,  bishop  of  Hierapolis,  and  the  re- 
nowned Polycarp.  The  former  is  gen- 
erally allowed  to  have  been  a  man  of  real 
sanctity,  but  of  slender  capacity.  He,  as 
well  as  Polycarp,  had  been  a  disciple  of 
St.  John ;  and  with  all  the  imbecility  of 
judgment  which  is  ascribed  to  him, 
might,  under  God,  have  been  of  signal 
service  to  Irenceus.  The  instructions  of 
Polycarp,  however,  seem  to  have  made 
the  deepest  impressions  on  his  mind  from 
early  liie. 

The  church  of  Lyons,  we  have  seen, 
was  a  daughter  of  the  church  of  Smyrna, 
or  of  the  other  neighbouring  churches. 
Pothinus,  the  bishop,  must  have  been  a 
Greek  as  well  as  Irenasus  ;  who,  as  pres- 
byter, assisted  the  venerable  prelate  in 

A  D  169  ^^^  °^^  ^S^'  After  the  death 
'of  Pothinus,  about  the  j^ear 
169,  Irenaeus  succeeded  him.  Never  was 
any  pastor  more  severely  tried  by  a  tem- 
pestuous scene.  Violent  persecution  with- 
out, and  subtile  heresies  within,  called 
for  the  exertion,  at  once,  of  consummate 
dexterity  and  of  magnanimous  resolution. 
Irenseus  was  favoured  with  a  large  mea- 
sure of  both ;  and  he  weathered  out  the 
storm.  But  heresy  proved  a  more  con- 
stant enemy  than  persecution.  The  mul- 
tiplication of  it,  in  endless  refinements, 
induced  him  to  write  his  book  against 
heresies,  which  must  have  been  at  that 
time  a  very  seasonable  work.  His  vigour 
and  charity  also  in  settling  the  insignifi- 
cant disputes  about  Easter,  as  well  as 
his  share  in  writing  the  account  of  the 


martyrdoms  of  Lyons,  have  already  been 
mentioned. 

The  beginning  of  the  third  century  was 
marked  with  the  persecution  under  Septi- 
mus Severus,  the  successor  of  Julian. 
Severus  himself  had,  most  probably,  di- 
rected the  persecution  at  Lyons,  in  which 
Pothinus  suffered ;  and  when  he  began 
to  perscute  as  emperor,  he  would  naturally 
recall  the  idea  of  Lyons,  and  of  the  per- 
secution in  which  he  had  had  so  large  a 
share.  Gregory  of  Tours,  and  the  ancient 
martyrologists  inform  us,  "  that  after  se- 
veral torments  Irenaeus  was  put  to  death, 
and  together  with  hini  almost  all  the 
Christians  of  that  populous  city,  whose 
numbers  could  not  be  reckoned,  so  that 
the  streets  of  Lyons  flowed  with  the  blood 
of  Christians."  We  may  easily  allow 
that  this  is  a  rhetorical  exaggeration.  Yet 
I  see  no  reason  with  some  to  deny  alto- 
gether the  truth  of  this  second  persecu- 
tion at  Lyons,  or  of  Irenaeus  suffering 
martyrdom  under  it.  Gregory  of  Tours 
is  not  the  best  authority,  l)ut  there  is  no 
circumstance  of  improbability  here.  The 
silence  of  Eusebius  affords  no  argument 
to  the  contrary,  because  he  is  far  from 
relating  the  deaths  of  all  celebrated  Chris- 
tians. Of  those  in  the  West  particularly, 
he  is  by  no  means  copious  in  his  narra- 
tive ;  and  the  natural  cruelty  of  Severus, 
added  to  his  former  connexion  with  Lyons, 
gives  to  the  fact  a  strong  degree  of  credi- 
bility. 

The  labours  of  Irenaeus  in  Gaul  were 
doubtless  of  the  most  solid  utility.  Nor 
is  it  a  small  instance  of  the  humility  and 
charity  of  this  great  man, — accurately 
versed  as  he  was  in  Grecian  literature, — 
that  he  took  pains  to  learn  the  barbarous 
dialect  of  Gaul,  conformed  himself  to  the 
rustic  manners  of  an  illiterate  people,  and 
renounced  the  politeness  and  elegant  traits 
of  his  own  country,  for  the  love  of  souls ! 
Rare  fruit  of  Christian  charity  !  and  high- 
ly worthy  the  attention  of  pastors  in  an 
age  like  this,  in  which  so  many  imder- 
take  to  preach  Christianity  ;  and  yet  seem 
little  desirous  of  distinguishing  them- 
selves in  what  peculiarly  belongs  to  their 
office ! 

His  book  of  heresies  is  nearly  the 
whole  of  his  writings  that  have  escaped 


Cest.  III.] 


IREX-EUS. 


139 


the  injuries  of  time.  His  assiduity  and 
penetration  are  equally  remarkable  in  an- 
alyzing and  dissecting-  all  the  fanciful 
schemes  with  which  heretics  had  dis- 
graced the  Christian  name.  It  is  easy 
to  notice  that  his  views  of  the  Gospel  are 
of  the  same  cast  as  those  of  Justin,*  whom 
he  quotes,  and  with  whose  works  he  ap- 
pears to  have  been  acquainted.  Like  him 
he  is  silent,  or  nearly  so,  on  the  election 
of  grace ;  which  from  the  instructors  of 
his  early  age  he  must  often  have  heard  : 
And,  like  him,  he  defends  the  Arminian 
notion  of  free-will ;  and  by  similar  argu- 
ments.f  His  philosophy  seems  to  have 
had  its  usual  influence  on  the  mind, — in 
darkening  some  truths  of  Scripture,  and 
in  mixing  the  doctrine  of  Christ  with  hu- 
man inventions. 

There  is  not  much  of  pathetic,  practi- 
cal, or  experimental  religion  in  the  work. 
The  plan  of  the  author,  which  led  him  to 
keep  up  a  constant  attention  to  specula- 
tive errors,  afforded  it  no  opportunities  or 
incitements.  Yet,  there  is  every  where 
so  serious  and  grave  a  spirit,  and  now  and 
then  such  displays  of  godliness,  as  show 
him  very  capable  of  writing  what  might 
have  been  singularly  useful  to  the  Church 
in  all  ages. 

He  makes  a  strong  use  of  the  aro-u- 
ment  ot  tradition  in  support  of  the  apos- 
tolical doctrine  against  the  novel  heresies. 
His  acquaintance  with  primitive  Chris- 
tians justified  him  in  pressing  this  argu- 
ment. The  force  of  it,  in  a  certain  de- 
gree, is  obvious,  though  the  papists  have 
perverted  his  declarations  in  favour  of 
their  own  church.  But  what  may  not 
men  pervert  and  abuse  ?  The  reasonable 
use  of  tradition,  as  a  collateral  proof  of 
Christian  doctrines,  is  not  hence  invali- 
dated. What  he  observes  here  concern- 
ino-  the  barbarous  nations  is  remarkable.! 
— "  If  there  were  any  doubt  concerning 
the  least  article, — ought  we  not  to  have 
recourse  to  the  most  ancient  churches 
where  the  Apostles  lived  ?  What — if  the 
Apostles  had  left  us  no  writings  what- 
ever] Ought  we  not  to  follow  the  tra- 
dition which  they  left  with  those  to  whom 
they  committed  the  care  of  the  churches  ? 
It  is  what  several  barbarous  nations  do, 
who  believe  in  Jesus  without  paper  or 


*  B.  4.  C.  14. 

f  B.  4.  C.  72. — Quia  in  nobis  sit,  seems 
equivalent  to  Justin's  uunl^Ttx. 

4:  B.  3.  C.  4.— See  Fleury's  Church  History 
on  the  subject  of  the  Works  of  the  Fatliers, 
Vol.  l.B.4. 


ink,  having  the  doctrine  of  salvation 
written  on  their  hearts  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  faithfully  keeping  up  to  an- 
cient tradition  concerning  one  God  the 
Creator  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  Those, 
who  have  received  this  faith  without 
Scripture,  are  barbarians  as  to  their  man- 
ner of  speaking,  compared  with  us  ;  but 
as  to  their  sentiments  and  behaviour,  they 
are  very  wise  and  very  acceptable  to  God; 
and  they  persevere  in  the  practice  of  jus- 
tice and  charity.  And  if  any  one  should 
preach  to  them  in  their  language,  what 
the  heretics  have  invented,  they  would 
immediately  stop  their  ears  and  flee  afar 
otT,  and  would  not  even  hear  those  blas- 
phemies." 

Thus  it  appears,  that  to  the  illiterate 
barbarians,  tradition,  though  a  poor  sub- 
stitute, supplied  the  place  of  the  written 
word.  We  may  not,  however,  suppose 
tliat  their  faith  was  blind  and  implicit. 
Our  author  gives  a  strong  testimony  to 
their  godliness  ;  and  those  of  them  who 
were  taught  indeed  of  God  would  have 
in  themselves  the  strongest  and  most  rea- 
sonable of  all  proofs  of  the  divinity  of 
their  religion. — ^This  is  a  valuable  evi- 
dence of  the  Holy  Spirit's  influences,  and 
of  the  native  energy  of  divine  truth  on 
the  hearts  and  lives  of  very  illiterate  men. 

There  is  no  new  thing  under  the  sun : 
— The  artifices  of  the  Valentinians  in  al- 
luring men  to  their  communion  are  speci- 
mens of  the  wiles  of  heretics  in  all  ages. 
— "  In  public,"  says  Irenasus,*  "  they 
use  alluring  discourses,  because  of  the 
common  Christians,  as  they  call  those 
who  wear  the  Christian  name  in  general; 
and  to  entice  them  to  come  often,  they 
pretend  to  preach  like  us  :  and  they  com- 
plain that,  though  their  doctrine  be  the 
same  as  ours,  we  abstain  from  their  com- 
munion, and  call  them  heretics.  When 
they  have  seduced  any  persons  from  the 
faith  by  their  disputes,  and  made  them 
willing  to  comply,  th^y  then  begin  to 
open  their  heretical  mysteries." 

He  doubtless  agrees  with  all  the  primi- 
tive Christians  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Tri- 
nity :  He  makes  use  of  the  forty-fifth 
Psalm  particularly  to  prove  the  Deity  of 
Jesus  Christ.  He  is  no  less  clear  and 
sound  in  his  views  of  the  incarnation  :  j- 
and,  in  general,  notwithstanding  some 
philosophical  adulterations,  he  certainly 
maintained  all  the  essentials  of  the  Gos- 
pel. 


*  B.  3.  C.  15. 


t  C.  6.  B.  v.  15. 


140 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chaf.  I. 


The  use  of  the  mystic  union  between 
the  Godhead  and  manhood  of  Christ  in 
the  work  of  redemption;  and,  in  general, 
the  doctrine  of  the  fall  and  of  the  reco- 
very, are  scarcely  held  out  more  instruc- 
tively by  any  writer  of  antiquity.  The 
learned  reader,  who  has  a  taste  for  what 
is  peculiarly  Christian,  will  not  be  dis- 
pleased to  see  a  few  quotations.* 

"  He  united  man  to  God  :  For  if  man 
had  not  overcome  the  adversary  of  man, 
the  enemy  could  not,  according  to  the 
plan  of  God's  justice,  have  been  eifectu- 
ally  overcome. — And  again,  if  God  had 
not  granted  salvation,  we  should  not  have 
been  put  into  firm  possession  of  it ;  and 
if  man  had  not  been  united  to  God,  he 
could  not  have  been  a  partaker  of  immor- 
tality. It  behooved  then  the  mediator  be- 
tween God  and  man,  by  his  affinity  with 
both,  to  bring  both  into  agreement  with 
each  other." 

"Thef  Word  of  God,  all  powerful  and 
perfect  in  righteousness,  justly  set  him- 
self against  the  apostasy,  redeeming  his 
own  property  from  Satan,  who  had  borne 
rule  over  us  from  the  beginning,  and  had 
insatiably  made  rapine  of  what  was  not 
his  own ; — and  this  redemption  was  ef- 
fected not  by  violence ;  but  the  Lord  re- 
deemed us  with  his  own  blood,  and  gave 
his  life  for  our  life,  and  his  flesh  for  our 
flesh,  and  so  effected  our  salvation." 

He  beautifully  expresses  our  recovery 
in  Christ.+  "  Our  Lord  would  not  have 
gathered  together  these  things  to  him- 
self, and  have  saved  through  himself  in 
the  end  what  had  perished  in  the  begin- 
ning through  Adam,  if  he  had  not  actu- 
ally been  made  flesh  and  blood.  He, 
therefore,  had  flesh  and  blood,  not  of  a 
kind  different  from  what  men  have  ;  but 
he  gathered  into  himself  the  very  origi- 
nal creation  of  the  Father,  and  sought 
that  which  was  lost."§ 

Undoubtedly  the  intelligent  scriptural 
reader  will  recollect  the  divine  reasoning 
of  the  author  to  the  Hebrews  to  be  very 
similar  to  all  this.  And  those,  who  see 
how  well  the  views  of  Irena3us  are  sup- 
ported by  him,  will  know  how  to  judge 
of  the  opinions  of  those  who  call  this 
scholastic  theology,  will  see  also  how  ac- 
curately the  primitive  fathers  understood 
and  maintained  the  doctrines  now  deemed 


fanatical ;  and  lastly,  will  observe  the 
propriety  of  being  zealous  for  Christian 
peculiarities. — Another  short  extract  shall 
conclude  this  account  of  the  book  of  he- 
resies. 

"The  Word  of  God,  Jesus  Christ,  on 
account  of  his  immense  love,  became  what 
we  are,  that  he  might  make  us  what  he 


IS 


"* 


•B.  3.  20.  j-L.  5.  C.  1. 

^  Avaztfaxcjittirif,  Eph.  i.  10. — See  Dr.  Ow- 
en's Preface  to  his  "  XfisoMyia." 
§  B.  5.  C.14. 


Of  the  few  fragments  of  this  author, 
there  is  nothing  that  seems  to  deserve  any 
peculiar  attention,  except  that  of  an  epis- 
tle to  Florinus,  whom  he  had  known  in 
early  life,  and  of  whom  he  had  hoped 
better  things  than  those  into  which  he 
was  afterwards  seduced.  "  These  doc- 
trines," says  he,  "  those  who  were  pres- 
byters before  us, — those  who  had  walked, 
with  the  Apostles,  did  not  deliver  to  you. 
For  I  saw  you,  when  I  was  a  boy,  in  the 
lower  Asia,  with  Poly  carp ;  and  you  were 
then,  though  a  person  of  rank  in  the  em- 
peror's service,  very  desirous  of  being 
approved  by  him.  I  choose  rather  to 
mention  things  that  happened  at  that  time 
than  facts  of  a  later  date.  The  instructions 
of  our  childhood  grow  with  our  growth, 
and  adhere  to  us  most  closely,  so  that  I 
can  describe  the  very  spot  in  which  Poly- 
carp  sat  and  expounded,  and  his  coming 
in  and  going  out,  and  the  very  manner  of 
his  life,  and  the  figure  of  his  body,  and 
the  sermons  which  he  preached  to  the 
multitude,  and  how  he  related  to  us  his 
converse  with  John,  and  with  the  rest  of 
those  who  had  seen  the  Lord,  how  he  men- 
tioned their  particular  expressions,  and 
what  things  he  had  heard  from  them  of  the 
Lord,  and  of  his  miracles  and  of  his  doc- 
trine. As  Polycarp  had  received  from 
the  eye-witnesses  of  the  Word  of  Life, 
he  told  us  as  all  things  agreeable  to  the 
Scriptures.  These  things,  then,  through 
the  mercy  of  God  visiting  me,  I  heard 
with  seriousness ;  I  wrote  them  not  on 
paper,  but  on  my  heart ;  and  ever  since, 
through  the  grace  of  God,  I  retain  a  genu- 
ine remembrance  of  them,  and  I  can  wit- 
ness before  God,  that  if  that  blessed  apos- 
tolical Presbyter  had  heard  some  of  the 
doctrines  which  are  now  maintained,  he 
would  have  cried  out,  and  stopped  his  ears, 
and  in  his  usual  manner  have  said,  '  O 
good  God,  to  what  times  hast  thou  reserved 
me,  that  I  should  endure  these  things !' 
And  he  would  immediately  have  fled  from 
the  place  in  which  he  had  heard  such 
doctrines." 

*  Book  5.    Preface. 


Cist.  III.] 


TERTULLIAN. 


141 


How  superficially,  in  this  age,  which] 
calls  itself  enlightened,  numbers  are  con-j 
tent  to  think  on  religious  matters,  appears 
from  the  satisfaction  with  which  two  con- 
fused lines  of  a  certain  author,  great  in-^ 
deed  as  a  poet,  but  very  ill-informed  in 
religion,  are  constantly  quoted  : 

For  modes  of  faith  let  graceless  zealots  fight ; 
His  can't  be  wrong,  whose  life  is  in  the  right. 

Proud  and  self-sufficient  men,  to  whom 
these  lines  appear  full  of  oracular  wis- 
dom, may,  if  they  please,  pronounce  Ire- 
naeus  a  "  graceless  zealot."  But  those 
in  every  age,  to  whom  evangelical  truth 
appears  of  real  importance,  will  regret 
that  so  little  of  this  zeal,  "  in  earnestly 

CONTENDING  FOR  THE  FAITH  WHICH  WAS 
ONCE  DELIVERED  TO  THE  SAINTS,"  disCOVerS 

itself  in  our  times  : — They  will  regret,  I 
say,  this  want  of  zeal,  because  they  think 
it  absolutely  necessary  to  preserve  prac- 
tical as  well  as  theoretical  Christianity 
in  the  world. 

CHAPTER  II. 

TERTULLIAN. 

We  have  not  yet  had  any  occasion  to 
take  notice  of  the  state  of  Christianity  in 
the  Roman  province  of  Africa.  This 
whole  reo-ion,  once  the  scene  of  Carthage- 
nian  greatness,  abounded  with  Christians 
in  the  second  century,  though  of  the  man- 
ner of  the  introduction  of  the  Gospel,  and 
of  the  proceedings  of  its  first  planters  we 
have  no  account.  In  the  latter  part  of 
the  second,  and  in  the  former  part  of  the 
third  century,  there  flourished  at  Carthage 
the  famous  TertuUian,  the  first  Latin  wri- 
ter of  the  Church,  whose  works  are  come 
down  to  us.  Yet,  were  it  not  for  some 
light  which  he  throws  on  the  state  of 
Christianity  in  his  own  times,  he  would 
scarcely  deserve  to  be  distinctly  noticed. 
I  have  seldom  seen  so  large  a  collection 
of  tracts,  all  professedly  on  Christian  sub- 
jects, containing  so  little  matter  of  useful! 
instruction.  The  very  first  tract  in  thei 
volume,  namely,  that  de  Pallio,  shows; 
the  littleness  of  his  views.  The  dress  of 
the  Roman  Toga  oflfended  him :  He  ex- 
horted Christians  to  wear  the  Pallium, 
a  more  vulgar  and  rustic  kind  of  garment, 
and  therefore  more  becoming  their  re- 
ligion. All  his  writings  betray  the  same 
sour,  monastic,  harsh,  and  severe  turn  of 
mind. — "  *Touch  not,  taste  not,  handle 


*  Coloss.  xi. 


not,"  might  seem  to  have  heen  the  maxims 
of  his  religious  conduct.  The  Apostle 
Paul,  in  the  chapter  alluded  to,  warns 
Christians  against  "will-worship  and  vo- 
luntary humility,"  and  shows  that  while 
the  flesh  outwardly  appears  to  be  hum- 
bled, it  is  inwardly  puflTed  up  by  these 
things,  and  induced  to  forsake  the  Head, 
Christ  Jesus.  This  subtile  spirit  of  self- 
righteousness  may,  in  all  likelihood,  in 
Tertullian's  time,  have  very  much  over- 
spread the  African  church  ; — otherwise, 
his  writings  would  scarcely  have  rendered 
him  so  celebrated  amongst  them. 

All  his  religious  ideas  seem  tinged 
deeply  with  the  same  train  of  thinking : 
his  treatise  of  Repentance  is  meagre  and 
dismal  throughout ;  and  while  it  enlarges 
on  outward  things,  and  recommends  pros- 
tration of  our  bodies  before  the  priests,  is 
very  slight  on  the  essential  spirit  of  re- 
pentance itself. 

A  Christian  soldier,  who  had  refused 
to  wear  a  crown  of  laurel  which  his  com- 
mander had  given  him  with  the  rest  of 
his  regiment,  was  punished  for  the  diso- 
bedience, and  was  also  blamed  by  the 
Christians  of  those  times,  because  his 
conduct  had  a  tendency  to  irritate  need- 
lessly the  reigning  powers.  I  am  apt  to 
think  that  he  might  have  worn  it  as  in- 
nocently as  St.  Paul  committed  himself 
to  a  ship  whose  sign  was  Castor  and  Pol- 
lux. It  was  a  military  ornament  merely, 
and  could  no  more  be  said  to  have  any 
connexion  with  idolatry  than  almost  every 
custom  of  civil  life  must  have  had  at  that 
time.  The  Apostle,  I  think,  would  have 
concurred  in  disapproving  the  soldier's 
want  of  obedience  to  his  lawful  superiors ; 
and  he  might  have  referred  Christians  to 
his  own  determination  in  the  case  of  eat- 
ing things  sacrificed  to  idols. — "Eat  of 
such  things  as  they  set  before  you,  asking 
no  questions,  for  conscience'  sake."  But 
TertuUian  decides  on  the  other  side  of 
the  question,  and  applauds  the  disobedi- 
ence of  the  soldier.  His  reasons  are  dis- 
honourable to  his  understanding.  He 
owns  that  there  is  no  scripture  to  be 
found  against  compliance  in  this  case. 
Tradition,  he. thinks,  a  sufficient  reason 
for  contumacy  ;  and  then  he  proceeds  to 
relate  some  traditional  customs  main- 
tained in  the  African  churches,  among 
which  the  very  frequent  signing  of  them- 
selves with  the  sign  of  the  cross  is  one. 

Superstition,  it  seems,  had  made  deep 
inroads  into  Africa.  It  was  rather  an 
unpolished  region; — certainly  much  in- 


142 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  II. 


ferior  to  Italy  in  point  of  civilization. 
Satan's  temptations  are  suited  to  tem- 
pers and  situations.  But  surely  it  was 
not  by  superstitious  practices  that  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation  had  been  first 
introduced  into  Africa. — There  must  have 
been  a  deep  decline. — One  of  the  strongest 
proofs  that  the  comparative  value  of  the 
Christian  religion  in  different  countries  is 
not  to  be  estimated  by  their  distance  from 
the  apostolic  age,  is  deducible  from  the 
times  of  Tertullian. — If  my  life  be  spared, 
that  I  may  proceed  with  this  History,  we 
shall  see  Africa  exhibit  a  much  more 
pleasing  spectacle. 

All  this  man's  casuistical  determina- 
tions savour  of  the  same  asperity.  He 
approved  not  of  flight  in  persecution, — 
in  direct  contradiction  to  our  Saviour's 
determination.*  He  takes  notice  of  a 
martyr  named  Rutilius  ;  who,  having  fled 
several  times  from  place  to  place  to  avoid 
persecution  and  save  himself  by  money, 
was  suddenly  seized,  and  carried  before 
tlie  Governor,  when  he  thought  himself 
secure.  He  adds,  that  having  undergone 
several  previous  torments,  he  finished 
his  martyrdom  by  fire. 

I  would  much  rather  quote  Tertullian 
as  an  historian  than  a  reasoner. — We 
may  make  useful  reflections  on  this  fact, 
without  concerning  ourselves  with  the 
inferences  of  the  writer. 

He  disapproved  also, — at  least  after 
his  separation  from  the  Church, — of  se- 
cond marriages,  and  called  them  adul- 
tery. For  as  he  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  much  acquainted  with  the  depravi- 
ty, misery,  and  imbecility  of  human  na- 
ture, most  of  his  precepts  carry  rather  a 
stoical  than  a  Christian  appearance.  He 
was,  in  his  own  disposition,  doubtless  a 
man  of  great  natural  fortitude;  and  most 
probably  of  great  strength  of  body :  He 
lived  to  an  advanced  age. — He  seems  not 
to  have  had  any  thing  of  that  sympathy 
with  the  weak  and  timid,  which  forms  so 
beautiful  a  part  of  the  Christian  charac- 
ter. The  Church  in  general  was  not  se 
vere  enough,  according  to  his  ideas  of 
discipline;  yet,  it  must  be  confessed,  they 
were  by  no  means  wanting  in  that  re 
spect.  In  our  licentious  times,  when 
sloth  and  dissipation, — the  very  opposite 
extremes  to  those  which  pleased  the  ge- 
nius of  Tertullian, — abound,  all,  who 
love  the  ways  of  Christ,  regret  that  dis- 
cipline is  at  so  low  an  ebb. 

*  Matthew  x.  23. 


The  Montanists,  whose  austerities  were 
extreme,  and  whose  enthusiasm  was  real, 
seduced  at  length  our  severe  African; 
and  he  not  only  joined  them,  but  wrote 
in  their  defence,  and  treated  the  body  of 
Christians,  from  whom  he  separated,  with 
much  contempt. — I  have  the  satisfaction 
however,  as  yet,  to  find  that  the  largest 
body  of  Christians,  so  called,  was  the 
soundest. 

Tertullian,  we  are  told,  resented  cer- 
tain treatment  which  he  met  with  from 
some  Roman  Christians.  But  of  this  I 
know  no  particulars  ;  only,  that  an  acci- 
dent of  this  sort  is  said  to  have  influenc- 
ed his  secession  from  the  Church.  Er- 
ror, however,  is  very  inconstant:  He 
afterwards  left  the  Montanists  either  en- 
tirely, or  nearly  so ;  and  formed  a  sect  of 
his  own,  called  Tertullianists,  who  con- 
tinued in  Africa  till  Augustine's  time,  by 
whose  labours  their  existence,  as  a  dis- 
tinct body,  was  brought  to  a  close.  The 
character  of  Tertullian  is  very  strongly 
delineated  by  himself  in  his  own  writings; 
if  there  had  been  any  thing  peculiarly 
Christian,  which  he  had  learnt  from  the 
Montanists,  his  works  must  have  shown 
it ;  but  they  are  all  of  the  same  uniformly 
sable  complexion :  nor  does  he  seem  to 
have  increased  in  any  thing  but  in  seve- 
rity. 

It  is  but  an  unpleasing  picture  which 
truth  has  obliofed  me  to  draw  of  this  au- 
thor.  One  agreeable  circumstance,  how- 
ever, attending  his  history,  is  this: — It 
was  not  on  account  of  any  fundamental 
error  in  principle,  that  he  left  the  Church. 
The  faith  of  Christ,  and  the  practice  of  real 
godliness,  existed  there,  beyond  doubt,  to 
a  much  greater  degree  than  amongst  the 
heretics  of  those  times,  though  it  be  al- 
lowed and  hoped,  as  it  ought  to  be,  that 
some  good  persons  might  belong  to  them. 
The  abilities  of  Tertullian,  as  an  orator 
and  a  scholar,  are  far  from  being  con- 
temptible ;  and  have,  doubtless,  given 
him  a  reputation  to  which  he  is  by  no 
means  entitled  on  account  of  his  theolo- 
gical knowledge.  Yet  the  man  appears 
always  serious  and  earnest;  and  there- 
fore, much  more  estimable  than  thou- 
sands who  would  take  a  pleasure  in  de- 
spising him,  while  they  themselves  are 
covered  with  profaneness.  Nor  is  it  for 
us,  after  all,  to  condemn  a  person,  who 
certainly  honoured  Christ,  defended  seve- 
ral fundamental  Christian  doctrines,  took 
large  pains  in  supporting  what  he  took 
to  be  true  religion,  and  ever  meant  to 


Cbjtt.  III.] 


TERTULLIAN. 


143 


TertuUian 

asjainst 

Praxeas. 


serve  God.  He  might  even  in  his  latter 
days,  if  not  before,  be  favoured  with  ihat 
humbling  and  transforming  knowledge  of 
Christ  which  would  fit  him  for  the  en- 
joyment of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. — Su- 
perstition and  enthusiasm  are  compatible 
with  real  godliness:  profaneness  is  not 
so. — It  were  to  be  wished,  that  those, 
who  are  most  concerned  in  this  remark, 
were  more  disposed  to  attend  to  it  than 
they  generally  are. 

In  his  treatise  against  Praxeas,  he  ap- 
pears to  have  had  very  clear  and  sound 
views  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  He 
speaks  of  the  Trinity  in  Uni- 
ty, "Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost,  yet  one  God."  He 
speaks  of  the  Lord  Jesus  as 
both  God  and  man,  son  of  man  and  son 
of  God,  and  called  Jesus  Christ.  He 
speaks  also  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  com- 
forter, the  sanctifier  of  the  faith  of  those 
who  believe  in  the  Father,  Son,  and  Ho- 
ly Spirit.  He  observes,  "that  this  rule 
of  faith  had  obtained  from  the  beginning 
of  the  Gospel,  antecedent  to  any  former 
heretics,  much  more  to  Praxeas,  who 
was  of  yesterday."  To  those  who  know 
the  primitive  times  I  need  not  say,  that 
TertuUian's  own  heresy  lessens  not  the 
credibility  of  his  testimony  to  these  things. 
His  Montanism  altered  not  in  the  least 
his  views  of  the  Trinity. 

The  heresy  of  Praxeas  consisted  in 
making  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit, 
all  one  and  the  same :  and  this  notion  is 
no  other  than  what  has  since  been  better 
known  by  the  name  of  Sabellianism.  In 
this  way  the  distinction  of  persons  in  the 
Godhead  is  denied  ;  and  no  doubt  the 
mystery  of  the  Trinity  removed  ;  but  then 
what  becomes  of  the  divine  Revelation 
itself? — All  attempts  to  subvert  the  faith 
of  Scripture  on  this  subject,  labour  under 
the  same  error,  namely,  a  desire  to  ac- 
commodate divine  truths  to  our  narrow 
reasoning  faculties  : — let  men  learn  to 
submit;  and  on  no  account  attempt  to 
strip  the  almighty  of  his  attribute  of  In- 
comprehensibility :  TertuUian  informs  us 
that  Praxeas  first  brought  this  evil  from 
Asia  into  the  Roman  world ;  and  that  he 
seduced  many;  but  at  last  was  confuted 
and  silenced  by  "  an  instrument*  whom 
God  pleased  to  make  use  of: — and  the 
evil  appeared  to  be  eradicated."  Even 
Praxeas  himself  had  the  ingfenuousness 


Tertul- 
lian's 

Apology. 


*  A  modest  periphrasis,  I  apprehend,   de- 
notinsr  TertuUiaa  himself. 


to  retract  his  mistake,  and  his  hand-writ- 
ing still  remains  among  the  natural  men 
— so  TertuUian  calls  the  Christians  ia 
general  from  whom  he  had  separated  ;— 
and  he  no  more  revived  his  heresy. 
(3thers  revived  it  afterward,  which  occa- 
sioned the  treatise  from  which  I  have  ex- 
tracted this  brief  account. 

In  his  Apology,  the  eloquence  and  ar- 
gumentative powers  of  our  author  appear 
most  conspicuous.     He  refutes,  in  the 
usual  manner,  the  stale  heath- 
en calumnies  of  Christians 
feeding  on  infants.     Their  re- 
markable power  over  demons 
he  states  in  the  same  manner  as  various 
of  the  fathers  have  done. — As  a  proof  of 
the  unity  of  the  Godhead,  he  appeals  to 
the  consciences   of  mankind,  and  to  a 
common  practice,  even  among  idolaters, 
founded  on  the  supposition  of  one  God. 
His  description  is  remarkably  striking— 
"  What  God  hath  given,"  "  God  sees  it," 
and  "I  recommend  to  God,"  and  "God 
will  restore  to  me ;"  "These,"  says  he, 
"are  universal  modes  of  speaking  and  of 
appealing  to  the  one  supreme.     O  testi- 
mony of  the  soul,  naturally  in  favour  of 
Christianity! — When  men  seriously  pro- 
nounce these  words,  they  look  not  to  the 
Capitol  at  Rome,  but  to  heaven  above. 
For  the  soul  knows  the  seat  of  the  living 
God,  whence  it  had  its  own  origin." — -I 
scarcely  remember  a  finer    observation 
made  by  any  author  in  favour  both  of  the 
natural   voice  of  conscience   and  of  the 
patriarchal  tradition  of  true  religion ;  for 
both  may  fairly  be  supposed  concerned 
in  the  support  of  this  practice.    It  shows 
how  difficult  it  was  for  Satan  to  eradicate 
entirely  every  vestige  of  truth  ;  and  every 
classical  reader  may  observe  how  com- 
mon it  is  for  the  Pagan  writers  to  speak 
of  God  as  one,  when  they  are  most  seri- 
ous ;   and  instantly  to  slide  into  the  vul- 
gar polj'theism,  when  they  begin  to  trifle. 
This  Apology  exhibits  a  beautiful  view 
of  the  manners  and  spirit  of  the  Chris- 
tians of  his  time;  and  shows  what  real 
Christianity  does  for  men. — ^The  follow- 
ing passages  merit  particular  attention.— 
"  We  pray,"  says  he,  "  for  the  safety  of 
the  em])erors  to  the  eternal  God,  the  true, 
the  living  God,  whom  emperors   them- 
selves would  desire  to  he  propitious  to 
them  above   all    others   who   are  called 
gods.     We,  looking  up  to  heaven,  with 
outstretched    hands    because    they    are 
harmless,  with  naked  heads  because  we 
are  not  ashamed,  without  a  prompter  be- 


144 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


cause  we  pray  from  the  heart,  constantly 
pray  for  all  emperors,  that  they  may  have 
a  long  life,  a  secure  empire,  a  safe  pa- 
lace, strong  armies,  a  faithful  senate,  a 
well-moralized  people,  a  quiet  state  of  the 
world, — whatever  Caesar  would  wish  for 
himself  in  his  public  and  private  capacity. 
I  cannot  solicit  these  things  from  any 
Whet  than  from  Him  from  whom,  I  know , 
I  shall  obtain  them,  because  he  alone  can 
do  these  things,  and  I  am  he  who  may 
expect  them  of  him,  being  his  servant 
who  worship  him  alone,  and  am  ready  to 
lose  my  life  for  his  service.  Thus  then 
let  the  claws  of  wild  beasts  pierce  us,  or 
their  feet  trample  on  us,  while  our  hands 
are  stretched  out  to  God :  let  crosses  sus- 
pend us,  let  fires  consume  us,  let  swords 
pierce  our  breasts, — a  praying  Christian 
is  in  a  frame  for  enduring  anything.  How 
jg  this — ye  generous  rulers  ? — Will  ye 
kill  the  good  subject  who  supplicates  God 
for  the  emperor  1  We^e  we  disposed  to 
return  evil  for  evil,  it  were  easy  for  us  to 
revenge  the  injuries  which  we  sustain. 
But  God  forbid  that  his  people  should 
vindicate  themselves  by  human  fire;  or 
be  reluctant  to  endure  that  by  which  their 
sincerity  is  evinced.  Were  we  disposed 
to  act  the  part,  I  will  not  say  of  secret  as- 
sassins, but  of  open  enemies,  should  we 
want  forces  and  numbers  1  Are  there  not 
multitudes  of  us  in  every  part  of  the 
world  ?  It  is  true  we  are  but  of  yesterday, 
anc;!  yet  we  have  filled  all  your  towns, 
cities,  islands,  castles,  boroughs,  coun- 
sels, camps,  courts,  palaces,  senate,  fo- 
rum:— We  leave  you  only  your  tem- 
ples.— For  what  war  should  we  not  be 
ready  and  well  prepared,  even  though 
unequal  in  numbers ;  we, — who  die  with 
so  much  pleasure,  were  it  not  that  our  re- 
ligion requires  us  rather  to  suffer  death 
tkin  to  inflict  it? — If  we  were  to  make  a 
general  secession  from  your  dominions, 
you  would  be  astonished  at  your  soli- 
tude.— We  are  dead  to  all  ideas  of  world- 
ly honour  and  dignity :  nothing  is  more 
foreign  to  us  than  political  concerns  :  The 
whole  world  is  our  republic. — We  are  a 
body  united  in  one  bond  of  religion,  dis- 
cipline, and  hope.  We  meet  in  our  as- 
semblies for  prayer.  We  are  compelled 
to  have  recourse  to  the  divine  oracles  for 
caution  and  recollection  on  all  occasions. 
We  nourish  our  faith  by  the  word  of  God, 
we  erect  our  hope,  we  fix  our  confidence, 
we  strengthen  our  discipline,  by  repeat- 
edly inculcating  precepts,  exhortations, 
corrections,    and    by    excommunication. 


when  it  is  needful.  This  last,  as  being 
in  the  sight  of  God,  is  of  great  weight; 
and  is  a  serious  warning  of  the  future 
judgment,  if  any  one  behave  in  so  scanda- 
lous a  manner  as  to  be  debarred  from  holy 
communion.  Those  who  preside  among 
us,  are  elderly  persons,  not  distinguished 
for  opulence,  but  worthiness  of  character. 
Every  one  pays  something  into  the  pub- 
lic chest  once  a  month,  or  when  he 
pleases,  and  according  to  his  ability  and 
inclination;  for  theYe  is  no  compulsion* 
These  gifts  are,  as  it  were,  the  deposites 
of  piety.  Hence  we  relieve  and  bury  the 
needy,  support  orphans  and  decrepit  per- 
sons, those  who  have  suffered  shipwreck, 
and  those  who,  for  the  word  of  God,  are 
condemned  to  the  mines,  or  imprison- 
ment. This  very  charity  of  ours  has 
caused  us  to  be  noticed  by  some ; — see, 
say  they,  how  these  Christians  love  one 
another !" 

He  afterwards  takes  notice  of  the  ex- 
treme readiness  with  which  Christians 
paid  the  taxes  to  the  existing  government, 
in  opposition  to  the  spirit  of  fraud  and 
deceit,  with  which  so  many  acted  in  these 
matters.  But  I  must  not  enlarge ; — the 
reader  may  form  an  idea  of  the  purity, 
integrity,  heavenly-mindedness,  and  pas- 
siveness  under  injuries,  for  which  the 
first  Christians  were  so  justly  renowned. 
The  effect  of  that  glorious  effusion  of  the 
divine  Spirit  was  the  production  of  this 
meek  and  charitable  conduct  in  external 
things :  Every  evidence  that  can  be  de- 
sired is  given  to  evince  the  truth  of  this 
narrative  : — The  *confession  of  enemies 
unites  here  with  the  relations  of  friends. 

I  shall  close  the  account  of  TertuUian 
with  a  few  facts  taken  from  his  Address 
to  Scapula,  the  persecuting  governor, 
without  any  remarks. 

Claudius  Herminianus,  in  Cappadocia, 
was  vexed  because  his  wife  was  become 
a  servant  of  Christ,  and  for  that  reason 
he  treated  the  Christians  cruelly. — Being 
eaten  with  worms,  "  Let  no  one,"  says 
he,  "know  it,  lest  the  Christians  rejoice." 
Afterward,  convinced  of  his  error  in  hav- 
ing, by  force  of  torments,  caused  persons 
to  abjure  Christianity,  he  died  almost  a 
Christian  himself. 

At  Thistrum,  Cincius  Severus  himself 
taught  Christians  how  to  answer  so  as  to 
obtain  their  dismission. 

Asper,  having  moderately  tortured  a 


*  See  the  foregoing  account  of  Peregrinus, 
page  127. 


Ceht.  hi.] 


PANTiENUS. 


145 


person  and  brought  him  to  submit,  would 
not  compel  him  to  sacrifice ;  and  he  made 
a  public  declaration  among  the  advocates, 
"  that  he  was  grieved  that  he  had  any 
thing  to  do  with  such  a  cause." 

The  emperor  Severus  himself  was,  in 
one  part  of  his  life,  kind  to  the  Chris- 
tians. Proculus,  a  Christian,  had  cured 
him  of  a  disorder  by  the  use  of  a  certain 
oil ;  and  he  kept  him  in  his  palace  to  his 
death.  This  man  was  well  known  to 
Caracalla,  the  successor  of  Severus, 
whose  nurse  was  a  Christian.  Even 
some  persons  of  the  highest  qualit)'-,  of 
both  sexes,  were  openly  commended  and 
protected  by  Severus  against  the  raging 
populace. 

Arrius  Antoninus,  in  Asia,  persecuted 
so  vehemently,  that  all  the  Christians  of 
the  state  presented  themselves  in  a  body : 
He  ordered  a  few  of  them  to  be  put  to 
death,  and  dismissed  the  rest,  saying, 
"  If  you  wish  to  die,  wretched  men,  ye 
may  find  precipices  and  halters." 


CHAPTER    III. 

PANT^NUS. 

One   of  the  most    respectable    cities 
within  the  precincts  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire was  Alexandria,  the  metropolis  of 
Eg\'pt.     Here  the  Gospel  had  been  plant- 
ed by  St.  Mark ;  and,  from  the  consider- 
able success  which  had   attended  it   in 
most  capital  towns,  it  is  probable  that 
many  persons  were  converted.     But  of 
the  first  pastors  of  this  Church,  and  of 
the  work  of  God  among  them,  we  have 
no  account.     Our  more  distinct  informa- 
tion begins  with  what  is  evil.     The  Pla- 
tonic philosophers  ruled  the  taste  of  this 
city,  which  piqued  itself  on  its  superior 
erudition.     Ammonius  Saccas  had,  as  we 
have  seen,  reduced  there  the  notions  of 
the  learned    into  a  system,  which  pre- 
tended to  embrace  all  sorts  of  sentiments ; 
and  his  successors,  for  several  ages,  fol- 
lowed his  plan.     We  are  told,  that  from 
St.  Mark's  time,  a  Christian  catechetical 
school    was    supported    in    Alexandria. 
Whether  it  be  so  or  not,  Pantaenus  is  the 
first  master  of  it  of  whom  we  have  any 
account.     It  should  seem,  from  a  passage 
of  Eusebius,*  that  he  was  a  Hebrew  by 
desceftt.     By  tradition  he  had  received 
the  true  doctrine  from  Peter,  James,  John, 


Vol.  I. 


B. 


5.  C. 

N 


10, 


and  Paul ;  and,  no  doubt,  he  deserved  this 
testimony  of  Eusebius,  notwithstanding 
the  unhappy  mixture  of  philosophy  which 
he  imbibed  in  this  region.  For  Pantae- 
nus was  much  addicted  to  the  sect  of  the 
Stoics,  a  sort  of  romantic  pretenders  to 
perfection,  which  doctrine  flattered  human 
pride,  but  was,  surely,  ill  adapted  to  our 
natural  imbecility,  and  to  scriptural  views 
of  innate  depravity.  The  combination  of 
Stoicism  with  Christianity  in  the  system 
of  Pantcenus  must  have  very  much  de- 
based the  sacred  truths;  and  we  may  be 
assured  that  those  who  were  disposed  to 
follow  implicitly  the  dictates  of  such  an 
instructor,  must  have  been  furnished  by 
him  with  a  clouded  light  of  the  Gospel ; — 
still,  it  is  not  improbable  but  that  many 
of  the  simple  and  illiterate  Christians 
might  happily  escape  the  infection,  and 
preserve,  unadulterated,  the  genuine  sim- 
plicity of  the  faith  of  Christ : — The  bait 
of  reasoning  pride  lies  more  in  the  way 
of  the  learned  ;  and,  in  all  ages,  they  are 
more  prone  to  be  caught  by  it. 

Panta?nns  always  retained  the  title  of 
The  Stoic  Philosopher,  after  he  had  been 
admitted  to  eminent  employments  in  the 
Christian  church.*  For  ten  years  he  la- 
boriously discharged  the  office  of  Cate- 
chist,  and  freely  taught  all  that  desired 
him:  whereas  the  school  of  his  predeces- 
sors had  been  more  private. 

Certain  Indian  ambassadors, — it  is  not 
easy  to  determine  from  what  part  of  India 
they  came, — intreated    Demetrius,   then 
bishop  of  Alexandria,  to  send  them  some 
worthy  person  to  preach  the  faith  of  Je- 
sus   in    their    country.     Pantaenus    was 
chosen ;   and  the  hardships  he  must  have 
endured,   were,  doubtless,   great.      But 
there  were  at  that  timef  many  Evangel- 
ists, who  had  the  apostolical  spirit  to  pro- 
pagate the  faith;at  the  hazard  of  their  lives. 
And,  as  Pantaenus  very  freely  complied 
with  this  call,  we  have  here  one  of  the 
best  proofs  of  his  being  possessed  of  the 
spirit  of  the  Gospel.     His  labours  among 
ignorant  Indians,  where  neither  fame,  nor 
ease,  nor  profit,  were  attainable,  appear 
to  me  much  more  substantial  proofs  of  his 
godliness,  than  any  which  can  be  drawn 
from    his   catechetical    employments   at 
Alexandria.     The  former  would   oblio-e 
him  to  attend  chiefly  to  Christian  funda- 
mentals, and  could  afford  little  opportu- 
nity of  indulging  the  philosophic  spirit. 


*  Cave's  Life  of  Pantaenus. 
t  Euseb.  B.  5.  C.  9. 


146 


HISTORY  OF  THE   CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


We  are  told  he  found  in  India  the  Gospel 
of  St.  Matthew,  which  had  been  carried 
thither  by  the  Apostle  Bartholomew,  who 
had  first  preached  amongst  them. — I  men- 
tion this,'but  much  doubt  the  truth  of  it. — 
Of  the  particular  success  of  his  labours 
we  have  no  account :  He  lived  to  return 
to  Alexandria,  and  resumed  his  catecheti- 
cal office.     He  died  not  long  after  the 
commencement  of  the  third  century.     He 
wrote  but  little :  Some  commentaries  on 
the  Scriptures  are  all  that  are  mentioned 
as  his,  and  of  them  not  a  fragment  re- 
mains. 
» Candour,  I  think,  requires  us  to  look 
on  him  as  a  sincere  Christian, — whose 
fruitfulness  was  yet  much  checked  by 
that  very  philosophy  for  which  Eusebius 
so  highly  commends  him. — A  blasting 
wind  it  surely  was ;  but  it  did  not  entirely 
destroy  Christian  vegetation  in  all  whom  it 
infected. — Let  us  now  turn  our  eyes  to  his 
disciple  from  whom  we  may  collect  more 
clearly  what  the  master  was,  because  we 
have  more  evidence  concerning  him. — 
But  the  Christian  reader  must  be  prepared 
to  expect  a  declension  in  divine  things, 
in  the  state  of  the  Church  before  us. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

CLEMENS  ALEXANDRINUS. 

He  was,  by  his  own  confession,  a  scho- 
lar of  PantiEUUS,  and  of  the  same  philo- 
sophical cast  of  mind.     He  was  of  the 
eclectic  sect.    It  is  sincerely  to  be  regret- 
ted that  Clemens  had  any  acquaintance 
with  them  ;  for  so  far  as  he  mixed  their 
notions  with  Christianity,  so  far  he  tar- 
nished it:  and  though  we  may  admit, 
that  by  his  zeal,  activity,  learning,  and 
reputation,  he  did  good  to  many  in  in- 
structing and  inducing  them  to  receive 
the  fundamentals  of  the  divine  religion, 
it  is  nevertheless  not  to  be  denied  that  he 
clouded  the  pure  light  of  the  Gospel : — 
Let  us  hear  himself:    "  *I  espouse  neither 
this  nor  that  philosophy,  neither  the  Stoic 
nor  the  Platonic,  nor  the  Epicurean,  nor 
that  of  Aristotle;  but  whatever  any  of 
these  sects  hath  said,  that  is  fit  and  just ; 
whatever  teaches  righteousness  with  a 
divine  and  religious  knowledge,  all  this 
I  select;  and  call  it  philosophy." 

Is  it  not  hence  very  evident,  that  from 
tlie  time  that  this  philosophizing  spirit  had 
entered  into  the  Church  through  Justin,  it 

♦  Strom.  L.  i.    See  Cave's  Life  of  Clemens, 


had  procured  to  itself  a  respect  to  which 
its  merits  no  way  entitled  it  1  For  what 
is  there  even  of  good  ethics  in  all  the 
philosophers,  which  'Clemens  might  not 
have  learnt  in  the  New  Testament ;  and 
much  more  perfectly,  and  without  the  dan- 
ger of  pernicious  adulterations  1  Doubt- 
less many  valuable  purposes  are  an- 
swered by  an  acquaintance  with  these 
writers  ; — but  to  dictate  to  us  in  religion, 
Clemens  should  have  known,  was  no  part 
of  THEIR  business. — "  The  Avorld  by  wis- 
dom knew  not  God ;" — "  Beware  of  phi- 
losophy." The  Christian  world  was  now 
gradually  learning  to  neglect  these  Scrip- 
tural cautions,  and  divine  knowledge  is 
certainly  much  too  high  a  term  for  any 
human  doctrine  whatever. 

He  succeeded  his  master  Panta;nus  in 
the  catechetical  school,  and  under  him 
were  bred  the  famous  Origen,  Alexander 
bishop  of  Jerusalem,  and  other  eminent 
men.  I  read  the  following  passage  of 
Clemens  with  no  pleasure, — "As  the  hus- 
bandman first  waters  the  soil,  and  then 
casts  in  his  seed,  so  the  notions  which  I 
derive  out  of  the  writings  of  the  Gentiles 
serve  first  to  water  and  soften  the  earthy 
parts  of  the  soul,  that  the  spiritual  seed 
may  be  the  better  cast  in,  and  take  vital 
root  in  the  minds  of  men." 

This,  certainly,  is  not  a  Christian  dia- 
lect:    The  Apostles  neither  placed  Gen- 
tile philosophy  in  the  foundation,  nor  be- 
lieved that  it  would  at  all  assist  in  raising 
the  superstructure  of  C  hristianity .   O  n  the 
contrary,  they  looked  on  the  philosophi- 
cal religion  of  their  own  times,  as  so  much 
rubbish ;  but,  in  all  ages,  the  blandish- 
ments of  mere  reason  on  such  subjects 
deceive  us ; — "  vain  man  would  be  wise." 
Besides  his  employments  in  the  office 
of  Catechist,  he  was  made  Presbyter  in  the 
Church  of  Alexandria.     During  the  per- 
secution under  Severus,  most  probably 
he  visited  the  East,  and  had  a  peculiar 
intimacy  with  Alexander  bishop  of  Jeru- 
salem, who  seems  to  have  been  a  holy 
man.     This  last  suffered  imprisonment 
for  the  faith ;  and  in  that  situation  he  wrote 
a  letter  to  the  Church  of  Antioch,  which 
was  conveyed  by  Clemens.     Something 
of  the  spirit  of  Christianity  appears  in 
the  fragment  of  this  letter.     "  Alexander, 
a  servant  of  God,  and  a  prisoner  of  Jesus 
Christ,  to  the  blessed  Church  at  Antioch, 
in  the  Lord,  greeting.  Our  Lord  has  made 
my  bonds,  in  this  time  of  my  imprison- 
ment, light  and  easy  to  me;  while  I  un- 
Iderstood  that  Asclepiades,  a  person  ad- 


Cest.  III.] 


CLEMENS  ALEXANDRINUS. 


147 


mirably  qualified  by  his  eminency  in  the 
faith,  was,  by  divine  providence,  become 
bishop  of  your  holy  Church  of  Antioch. 


were  permitted,"  says  he,  "  to  purchase 
eternal  salvation,  what  would  you  not 
give  for  if?     And  now  you  may  obtain  it 


These  letters,  brethren,  I  have  sent  to  youj  byj^ith  and  love  5— there^j^s  nothing;  raji 
by  Clemens  the  blessed  Presbyter,  a  man  ^'   ^"""  "        ""      """""■""•  '   •     "^it 


of  approved  integrity,  whom  ye  both  do 
know  already  and  shall  still  farther  know  : 
He  hath  been  here  with  us  according  to  the 
good  will  of  God,  and  hath  much  establish- 
ed and  augmented  the  Church  of  Christ." 
From  Jerusalem  Clemens  went  to  An- 
tioch, and  afterwards  returned  to  his 
charge  at  Alexandria. — The  time  of  his 
death  is  uncertain. 

The  mystic  philosophy,  to  which  he 
■was  so  much  addicted,  would  naturally 
darken  his  views  of  some  of  the  most  pre- 
cious truths  of  the  Gospel.  In  particular, 
the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  in  Je- 
sus Christ  will  always  suflTer  from  a  con- 
nexion of  this  kind :  Human  philosophical 
doctrines  admit  no  righteousness  but  what 
is  a  man's  own. — There  is,  notwitstand- 
ing,  good  proof  of  the  solid  piety  of  this 
learned  man.  Little  is  known  of  his  life ; 
but  his  religious  taste  and  spirit  may  be 
collected  from  his  writings. 

His  Exhortations*  to  the  Gentiles  is  a 
discourse  written  to  convert  the  Pagans 
from  their  religion  and  persuade  them  to 
embrace  that  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  the  be- 
ginning of  it  he  shows  what  a  difference 
there  is  between  the  design  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  that  of  Orpheus,  and  of  those  ancient 
musicians  who  were  lUe  authors  of  idola^ 
try.  "  These  captivated  men  by  the  sweet 
ness  of  their  music  with  a  view  of  rendering 
them  miserable  slaves  to  idols;  and  of 
making  them  like  the  very  beasts,  the 
stocks,  the  stones,  which  they  adored  ;— 
whereas  Jesus  Christ,  who,  from  all  eter 
nity,  was  the  Word  of  God,  always  had  a 
compassionate  tenderness  for  men,  and  at 
last  took  their  nature  upon  him,  to  free  them 
from  the  slavery  of  Demons,  to  open  the 
eyes  of  the  blind  and  the  ears  of  the  deaf, 
to  guide  their  paths  in  the  way  of  righte- 
ousness, to  deliver  them  from  death  and 
hell,  and  to  bestow  on  them  everlasting 
life,  and  to  put  them  into  a  capacity  of 
living  a  heavenly  life  here  upon  earth  ; 
and,  lastly,  God  made  himself  man  to 
teach  man  to  be  like  unto  God."  He 
shows  them,  that  eternal  salvation  cannot 
otherwise  be  expected,  and  that  eternal 
torments  cannot  otherwise  be  avoided, 
than  by  believing  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  by 
living  conformably  to  his  laws.     "  If  you 

*  Du  Pia  Clement. 


hinder  you  from  acquiring  it; — neither 
poverty,  nor  misery,  nor  old  age,  nor  any 


state  of  life.  Believe,  therefore,  in  one 
God,  who  is  God  and  man,  and  receive 
eternal  salvation  for  a  recompense. — Seek 
God,  and  ye  shall  live  for  ever." 

The  candid   Christian   sees  that  the 
fundamentals  of  the  Gospel  are  actually 
here,  though  not  laid  down  in  the  clearest 
and  happiest  manner.    *ln  his  Pedagogue 
he  describes  the  word  incarnate  as  the 
instructor  of  men  ;  and  says  "  that  he  per- 
forms his  functions  by  forgiving  our  sins 
as  he  is  God,  and  by  instructing  us  as  he 
is  man,  with  great  sweetness  and  love  : — 
He  equally  instructs  all  sorts,  because, 
in  one  sense,  all  are  children:  yet  we 
must  not  look  on  Christian  doctrines  as 
childish  and  contemptible  :  on  the  con- 
trary, the  quality  of  children,  which  we 
receive  in  baptismf — or  regeneration, — 
renders  us  perfect  in  the  knowledge  of 
divine  things,  by  delivering  us  from  sins 
through   grace,  and  by  enlightening  us 
with  the  illumination  of  faith ;  so  that  we 
are  at  the  same  time  both  children  and 
men ;  and  the  milk  with  which  we  are 
nourished,  being  both  the  word  and  will 
of  God,  is  very  solid  and  substantial  nour- 
ishment."    These  appear  to  be  some  of 
his  best  ideas  of  Christianity. 

In  his  Stromata  he  speaks  with  his 
usual  partiality  in  favour  of  philosophy, 
and  shows  the  effect  which 
his  regard   for  it  had  on  his     Stromata 
•    J     u  •         iU  t     01  Clem- 

own   mind,   by   saying    that     g^g_ 

faith  is  God's  gift,  but  so  as 
to  depend  on  our  own  free-will.  His  ac- 
count of  the  perfect  Christian,  whom  he 
calls  Gnosticus,  is  sullied  by  stoical 
rhapsodies. :|: — "  He  is  never  angry,  and 
nothing  affects  him ;  because  he  always 
loves  God :  He  looks  upon  that  time  as 
lost  which  he  is  obliged  to  spend  in  re- 
ceiving nourishment:  He  is  employed  in 
continual  and  mental  prayer.  He  is  mild, 
affable,  patient,  but  at  the  same  time  so 

*  Du  Pin. 

f  The  outward  sign  and  the  inward  spiritual 
grace,  on  account  of  their  usual  connexion  in 
the  primitive  church,  are  used  as  synonymous 
by  a  number  of  primitive  writers,  which  has, 
unhappily,  given  occasion  to  one  of  the  worst 
abuses,  by  those  who  place  all  grace  in  form 
and  ceremony  only. 

t  Fleury,  B.  4. 


148 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  V. 


rigid  as  not  to  be  tempted :    He  gives 
way  neither  to  pleasure  nor  to  pain." 

But  enough  of  these  views:  Pseudo- 
religionists  have  since  his  time  dealt 
largely  in  such  reveries,  so  inconsistent 
with  that  humbling  sense  of  imbecility, 
and  that  sincere  conflict  against  the  sin 
of  our  nature,  which  is  peculiarly  Chris- 
tian. In  truth — if  his  knowledge  of  Chris- 
tian doctrine  was  really  defective,  the 
dei'ect  lay  in  his  view  of  original  sin. 
Of  this  HIS  philosophical  sect  knew  noth- 
ing aright;  and  it  must  be  owned  he 
speaks  of  it  in  a  very  confused,  if  not  in 
a  contradictory  manner.  On  the  whole, — 
such  is  the  baneful  effect  of  mixing  things 
which  will  not  incorporate, — human  in- 
ventions with  Christian  truths, — that  this 
writer,  learned,  laborious,  and  ingenious 
as  he  was,  may  seem  to  be  far  exceeded 
by  many  obscure  and  illiterate  persons 
at  this  day,  in  true  Scriptural  knowledge 
and  in  the  experience  of  divine  things. — 
That  he  was,  in  the  main,  a  truly  pious 
person,  neither  makes  this  account  less 
credible,  nor  the  danger  less  of  admitting 
the  pestilent  spirit  of  human  self-suffi- 
ciency to  dictate  in  the  Christian  religion. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  STATE  OF  THE  CHTIRCH  DURING 
THE  REIGNS  OF  SEVJiRUS  AND  PARA- 
CALLA. 

It  seemed  proper  to  prefix  to  the  gene- 
ral history  of  the  third  century,  the  lives 
of  the  four  persons,  which  we  have  re- 
viewed ;  partly  because  they  were  studious 
men  not  very  much  connected  with  the 
public  state  of  Christianity;  and  partly 
because  the  knowledge  of  their  views 
and  taste  in  religion  may  prepare  the 
reader  to  expect  that  unhappy  mixture  of 
philosophical  self-righteousness  and  su- 
perstition, which  much  clouded  and  de- 
praved the  pure  light  of  the  Gospel  in  this 
century. 

Severus,  though  in  his  younger  days 
a  bitter  persecutor  of  Christians  at  Ly- 
ons, was  yet,  through  the  influence  of  the 
kindness  which  he  had  re- 
The  5ih  ceived  from  Proculus,  favour- 
Persecu-  ^^^j  disposed  toward  the 
tion  01  the     /-,,■'.•      ^  ,.  ■  i       ,  ^ 

Christians.  Christians  for  a  considerable 
Bv  Seve-  time.  It  was  not  till  about 
pug  the  tenth  year  of  his   reign, 

A.  D.  202.     which  falls  in  with  the  year 
two   hundred   and  two,  that 


his  native  ferocity  of  temper  brake  out 
afresh,  and  kindled  a  very  severe  perse- 
cution against  the  Christians.  He  was 
just  returned  from  the  East  victorious; 
and  the  pride  of  prosperity  induced  him 
to  forbid  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel. 
Christians  still  thought  it  right  to  obey 
God  rather  than  man.  Severus  persisted ; 
and  exercised  the  usual  cruelties.  The 
persecution  raged  every  where ;  but  par- 
ticularly at  Alexandria.  From  various 
parts  of  Egypt  the  Christians  were 
brought  thither  to  suffer;  and  they  ex- 
pired in  torments.  Leonidas,  father  of 
the  famous  Origen,  was  beheaded ;  so 
easy  a  death  however  was  esteemed  a 
favour.  His  son  was  then  very  young ; 
but  the  account,  which  is  given  of  him 
by  Eusebius,*  deserves  our  notice. 

Lastus  was  at  that  time  governor  of 
Alexandria  and  of  the  rest  of  Egypt;  and 
Demetrius  had  been  recently  elected  bish- 
op of  the  Christians  in  that  Account  of 
city.  Great  numbers  now  Oi-i°-en. 
suffering  martyrdom,  young 
Origen  panted  for  the  honour  and  need- 
lessly exposed  himself  to  danger.  His 
mother  checked  the  imprudent  zeal  at 
first  by  earnest  entreaties ;  but  perceiv- 
ing that  he  still  wes  bent  on  suffering 
with  his  father,  who  at  that  time  was 
closely  confined,  she  very  properly  exer- 
cised her  motherly  authority  by  confining 
him  to  the  house,  and  by  hiding  from 
him  all  his  apparel.  Tho  vehement  spirit 
of  Origen  prompted  him,  when  he  could 
do  nothing  else,  to  write  a  letter  to  his 
father,  in  which  he  thus  exhorted  him, 
"Father,  faint  not,  and  don't  be  concern- 
ed on  our  account."  He  had  been  care- 
fully trained  in  the  study  of  the  Scrip- 
tures under  the  inspection  of  his  pious 
father,  who,  together  with  the  study  of 
the  liberal  arts,  had  particularly  superin- 
tended this  most  important  part  of  edu- 
cation. Before  he  introduced  his  son  to 
any  material  exercises  in  profane  learn- 
ing, he  instructed  him  in  the  Scriptures, 
and  gave  him  daily  a  certain  task  out  of 
them  to  repeat.  The  penetrating  genius 
of  Origen  led  him,  in  the  course  of  his 
employment,  to  investigate  the  sense  of 
Scripture,  and  to  ask  his  father  questions 
beyond  his  ability  to  solve.  The  father 
checked  his  curiosity,  reminded  him  of 
his  imbecility,  and  admonished  him  to 
be  content  with  the  plain  grammatical 
sense  of  Scripture,  which  obviously  offered 


*  Euseb.  B.  vi.  C.  1. 


Cent.  III.] 


UNDER  SEVERUS,  ETC. 


149 


itself; — but  inwardly  rejoiced,  it  seems, 
that  God  had  given  him  such  a  son.  And 
it  would  not  have  been  amiss,  if  he  had 
rejoiced  with  trembling; — perhaps  he 
did  so ;  and  Origen's  early  loss  of  such 
a  father,  who  probably,  was  more  simple 
in  Christian  faith  and  piety  than  he  him- 
self ever  was,  might  be  an  extreme  dis- 
advantage to  him.  Youths  of  great  and 
uncommon  parts,  accompanied,  as  is  gene- 
rally the  case,  with  much  ambition  and 
boundless  curiosity,  have  often  been 
the  instruments  of  Satan  in  perverting 
divine  truth :  and  it  is  not  so  much  at- 
tended to  as  it  ought  to  be  by  many  truly 
pious  and  humble  souls,  that  the  superior 
eminence,  in  parts  and  good  sense,  of 
young  persons  whom  they  love  and  re- 
spect, is  by  no  means  a  prognostic  of  the 
like  superiority  in  real  spiritual  know- 
ledge and  the  discernment  of  divine  things. 
Men  of  genius,  if  they  meet  with  encour- 
agement, will  be  sure  to  distinguish 
themselves  in  whatever  line  of  life  they 
move.  But  men  of  genius  and  even  of 
very  remarkable  endowments,  though 
sincere  in  Christianity,  may,  not  only  in 
the  practice,  but  even  in  the  perception 
of  Gospel-truths,  be  far  outstripped  by 
others  who  are  naturally  much  their  in- 
feriors; because  the  latter  are  by  no 
means  so  exposed  to  the  crafts  of  Satan, 
are  not  so  liable  in  their  judgments  to  be 
warped  from  Christian  simplicity,  are 
more  apt  to  look  for  understanding  from 
above,  and  are  less  disposed  to  lean  to 
an  arm  of  flesh. 

We  seem  to  discover,  in  the  very  be- 
ginning of  Origen,  the  foundation  of  that 
presumptuous  spirit  which  led  him  after- 
wards to  philosophize  so  dangerously  in 
the  Christian  religion,  and  never  to  con- 
tent himself  with  plain  truth,  but  to  hunt 
after  something  singular  and  extraordina- 
ry ; — though  it  must  be  acknowledged 
his  sincere  desire  of  serving  God  appear- 
ed from  early  life ;  nor  does  it  ever  seem 
to  have  forsaken  him,  so  that  he  may  be 
considered  as  having  been  a  child  of  God 
from  early  years. 

His  father  dying  a  martyr,  he  was  left, 
with  his  mother  and  other  six  children, 
an  orphan  aged  seventeen  years.  His 
father's  substance  was  confiscated  by  the 
emperor,  and  the  family  reduced  to  great 
distress.  But  Providence  gave  him  a 
friend  in  a  rich  and  godly  matron,  who 
yet  supported  in  her  house  a  certain  per- 
son of  Antioch,  that  was  noted  for  here- 
sy. We  cannot  at  this  distance  of  time 
n2 


assign  her  motives ;  but  Origen,  though 
obliged  to  be  in  the  company  of  the  here- 
tic, could  not  be  prevailed  on  to  join  in 
prayer  with  him.  He  now  vigorously 
applied  himself  to  the  improvement  of 
his  understanding;  and  having  no  more 
work  at  school, — it  seems,  because  he 
soon  acquired  all  the  learning  his  master 
could  give  him, — and  finding  that  the 
business  of  catechising  was  deserted  at 
Alexandria  because  of  the  persecution, 
he  undertook  the  work  himself;  and  se- 
veral Gentiles  came  to  hear  him  and  be- 
came his  disciples.  He  was  now  in  the 
eighteenth  year  of  his  age;  and  in  the 
heat  of  the  persecution  he  distinguished 
himself  by  his  attachment  to  the  martyrs, 
not  only  to  those  of  his  acquaintance,  but 
in  general  to  all  who  suffered  for  Chris- 
tianity. He  visited  such  of  them  as  were 
fettered  in  deep  dungeons  and  close  im- 
prisonment ;  and  was  present  with  them 
even  after  their  condemnation,  and  bold- 
ly attended  them  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion :  he  openly  embraced  and  saluted 
them ;  and  was  once  in  imminent  danger 
of  being  stoned  to  death  on  this  account. 
Indeed  he  was  repeatedly  in  peril  of  his 
life ;  for  the  persecution  daily  prevailed  ; 
and  he  could  no  longer  pass  safely  through 
the  streets  of  Alexandria.  He  often 
changed  his  lodgings,  but  was  every 
where  pursued ;  and,  humanly  speaking, 
it  seemed  impossible  for  him  to  escape. 
His  instructions,  however,  and  his  zeal, 
produced  great  effects ;  multitudes  crowd- 
ed to  hear  him ;  and  were  by  his  labours 
incited  to  attend  to  Christianity. 

The  charge  of  the  school  was  now,  by 
Demetrius  the  bishop,  committed  to  him 
alone  ;  and  he  converted  it  wholly  into  a 
school  of  religious  information  :  He  main- 
tained himself  by  the  sale  of  the  profane 
books  which  he  had  been  wont  to  study. 
Thus  he  lived  many  years,  an  amazing 
monument,  at  once  both  of  industry  and 
of  self-denial.  Not  only  the  day,  but 
the  greater  part  of  the  night,  was  by  him 
devoted  to  religious  study;  and  he  prac- 
tised, with  literal  conscientiousness,  our 
Lord's  rules,  of  not  having  two  coats,  nor 
two  pairs  of  shoes,  and  of  not  providing 
for  futurity.  He  was  inured  to  cold, 
nakedness,  and  poverty :  He  offended 
many  by  his  unwillingness  to  receive 
their  gratuities :  He  abstained  from  wine ; 
and,  in  general,  lived  so  abstemiously  as 
to  endanger  his  life.  Many  persons  imi- 
tated his  excessive  austerities  :  and  were, 
at  that  time,  honoured  with  the  name  of 


150 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  V. 


philosophers ;  and  some  of  them  patient- 
ly suffered  martyrdom. 

I  state  facts  as  I  find  them. — A  strong 
spirit  of  self-righteousness,  meeting  with 
a  secret  ambition,  too  subtile  to  be  per- 
ceived by  him  who  is  the  dupe  of  it,  and 
supported  by  a  natural  fortitude  of  mind, 
and  by  the  active  exertion  of  great  ta- 
lents, hath  enabled  many  in  external 
things  to  seem  superior  in  piety  to  men 
of  real  humanity  and  self-diffidence,  who 
penetrating  more  happily  into  the  genius 
of  the  Gospel,  by  the  exercise  of  faith  in 
the  Son  of  God,  and  that  genuine  charity 
which  is  its  fruit,  are  led  into  a  course  of 
conduct  less  dazzling  indeed,  but  much 
more  agrreeable  to  the  Gosnel.  One  can- 
not  form  a  high  idea  of  the  solid  judg- 
ment of  these  Alexandrian  converts. — 
Were  there  none  of  the  elder  and  more 
experienced  Christians  in  that  city,  who 
were  capable,  with  meekness  of  wisdom, 
of  correcting  the  exuberances  of  this  zeal- 
ous youth,  and  of  showing  him  that,  by 
such  a  refusal  of  the  comforts  of  life,  he 
affected  a  superiority  to  Paul  himself, 
who  gratefully  received  the  alms  of  the 
Philippians  1  Excesses  of  this  sort  must 
have  been  attended  with  great  defects  in 
inward  vital  godliness :  The  reader  is 
again  referred  to  the  second  chapter  of 
the  epistle  to  the  Colossians,  for  a  com- 
ment on  the  conduct  of  Origen.  How 
much  better  had  it  been  for  him  to  have 
continued  a  scholar  for  some  time  longer ; 
and  not  to  have  feasted  the  pride  of  the 
human  heart  by  appointing  him  a  teach- 
er ~ 
to 
in  Christian  knowledge  and  piety 

One  of  his  scholars,  called  Plutarch, 
was  led  to  martyrdom.  Origen  accom- 
panied him  to  the  place  of 
execution.  The  odium  of  the 
scholar's  sufferinsfs  reflected 
on  the  master ;  and  it  was  not  without  a 
peculiar  providence  that  he  escaped  the 
vengeance  of  the  citizens.  After  him 
Serenus  sufiered  by  fire  :  the  third  mar- 
tyr was  Heraclides;  the  fourth  Heron. 
The  former  had  not  yet  been  baptized, 
being  only  what  was  called  a  Catechu- 
men :  the  latter  had  been  lately  baptized ; 
but  both  were  beheaded.  A  second  Se- 
renus of  the  same  school,  having  sustain- 
ed great  torments  and  much  pain,  was 
beheaded.  A  woman  also,  called  Rais, 
as  yet  a  Catechumen,  suffered  death. 
Potamiaena,  a  young  woman  remarkable 
for  beauty,  purity  of  mind,  and  firmness 


! — But  the  lively  flow  of  genius  seems 
have  been  mistaken  for  great  growth 


Martyr- 
dom. 


in  the  faith  of  Christ,  suffered  very  dread- 
ful  torments :    She   was   scourged   very 
severely  by  the  order  of  Aquila  the  judge, 
who  threatened  to  deliver  her  to  be  abus- 
ed by  the  basest  characters.      But  she 
remained  firm  in  the  faith :  was  led  to 
the  fire,  and   burned   together  with  her 
mother  Marcella.  The  heart  of  Basilides, 
a  soldier,  who  presided  at  her  execution, 
was    softened.      He   pitied   her,  treated 
her   courteously,  and   protected   her,  so 
far  as  he  durst,  from  the  insolence  of  the 
mob.     She  acknowledged  his  kindness, 
thanked  him,  and  promised  that  after  her 
departure  she  would  entreat  the  Lord  for 
him.     Scalding  pitch  was  poured  on  her 
whole  body,  which  she  sustained  in  much 
patience.     Sometime  after,  Basilides,  be- 
ing required   by   his   fellow-soldiers   to 
swear  profanely  on  a  certain  occasion,  he 
refused,  and  confessed  himself  a  Chris- 
tian.    They  disbelieved  him  at  first;  but 
finding  him  serious,  they  carried  him  be- 
fore the  judge,  who  remanded  him  to  pri- 
son.    The  Christians  visited   him;   and 
upon  being  questioned  as  to  the  cause  of 
his  sudden  change,  he  declared  that  Po- 
tamieena,  three  days  after  her  martyrdom, 
had  appeared  to  him  by  night,  and  in- 
formed him  that  she  had  performed  her 
promise;  and  that  he  should  shortly  die. 
After  this  he  suffered  martyrdom. 

The  reader  will  think  this  an  extraor- 
dinary story  :  It  is  tinged  with  supersti- 
tion, no  doubt;  but  who  can  venture, 
without  meriting  the  imputation  of  temer- 
ity, to  reject  it  altogether  as  a  fiction  1 
Eusebius  lived  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  time  of  Origen :  He  had  made  accu- 
rate inquiries  after  him  and  his  followers 
in  Alexandria;  and  he  observes  that  the 
fame  of  Potamiasna  was  in  his  own  time 
very  great  in  that  province.  Her  martyr- 
dom and  that  of  the  soldier  seem  suffi- 
ciently authentic.  Her  promise  to  pray 
for  him  after  her  departure  only  shows 
the  gradual  prevalence  of  fanatical  phi- 
losophy, will-worship,  and  the  like;  and 
if  the  reader  be  not  prepared  by  a  sufli- 
cient  degree  of  candour  to  admit  the  truth 
of  authentic  narratives  and  the  reality  of 
converting  grace,  because  pitiably  stain- 
ed, in  many  instances,  with  such  super- 
stition, he  will  find  little  satisfaction  in 
the  evidences  of  Christian  piety  for  many 
ages.  But  we  are  slaves  to  habit.  In 
our  own  time  we  make  great  allowances 
in  Christians  for  the  love  of  the  world : 
we  are  not  so  easily  disposed  to  make  al- 
lowances for  superstitions.    Yet  many 


Cent,  hi.] 


UNDER  SEVERUS,  ETC. 


151 


wrong  sentiments  and  views  may  be 
found  where  the  heart  is  devoted,  in  faith 
and  love,  to  God  and  his  Christ.  It  will 
still  be  objected,  that  God  would  not 
sanctify  superstitions  of  this  sort,  by 
causincr  supernaturally  the  deceased  spi- 
rit of  a  martyr  to  appear  to  Basilides. — 
I  answer, — the  supposition  of  a  dream 
removes  all  the  difficulty;  and  the  more 
easily,  Avhen  we  recollect  that  the  man's 
mind  could  not  fail  to  have  been  previ- 
ously under  a  strong  impression  of  the 
person  of  the  sufferer,  of  her  late  martyr- 
dom, and  of  the  circumstances  which  at- 
tended it. 

A  peculiar  resolution  made  and  put  in- 
to execution  about  this  time  by  Origen, 
illustrates  his  character  in  the  strongest 
manner.  Though  disposed  beyond  most 
men  to  allegorize  the  Scriptures,  in  one 
passage  he  followed  their  literal  sense 
too  closely.  "There  are  some  who  have 
made"  themselves  eunuchs  for  the  king- 
dom of  heaven's  sake."* — We  need  not 
be  at  a  loss  for  his  motives.  He  was 
much  conversant  among  women  as  a 
catechiser  and  an  expounder  of  the  Scrip- 
tures;— and,  no  doubt,  he  was  desirous 
of  removing  occasions  for  the  slanders  of 
infidels,  as  well  as  temptations  from  him- 
self.— However  he  took  all  possible  pains 
to  conceal  the  fact. 

One  cannot  but  be  astonished  in  notic- 
ing how  strong  the  self-righteous  maxims 
and  views  were  grown  in  the  Church; — 
yet  still, — piety  of  principle,  combined 
with  fervour  of  zeal,  must  be  revered  by 
every  one,  who  is  not  lost  to  all  sense  of 
goodness. — The  extraordinary  step  taken 
by  Origen,  above  alluded  to,  could  not 
remain  a  secret.  Demetrius,  his  bishop, 
at  first  encouraged  and  commended  him  : 
afterward, f  through  the  power  of  env}'^, 
on  account  of  his  growing  popularity,  he 
published  the  fact  abroad  with  a  view  to 
asperse  him.  However,  the  bishops  of 
Caesarea  and  Jerusalem  protected  and 
supported  him,  and  ordained  him  a  pres- 
byter in  the  church.  Day  and  night  he 
continued  still  to  labour  at  Alexandria. 
But  it  is  time  to  turn  from  Alexandria  to 
other  parts  of  the  Roman  empire ;  and  to 
see  what  effects  were  produced  by  this 
same  persecution  of  Severus. 

Alexander,  a  bishop  in  Cappadocia, 
confessed  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  sustain- 
ed a  variety  of  sufferings ;  and  yet  by 
the  providence  of  God  was  at  length  de- 


•  Matthew  xix.  12. 


t  Euseb.  B.  vi.  C.  7. 


livered  : — and  he  travelled  afterwards  to 
Jerusalem.  There  he  was  joyfully  re- 
ceived by  Narcissus  the  very  aged  bish- 
op of  that  see,  a  man  of  extraordinary 
piety,  who  associated  Alexander  with 
him  in  the  labours  of  Christian  instruc- 
tion. Some  epistles  of  the  latter  were 
extant  in  Eusebius's  time,  who  gives  us 
a  short  fragment  of  one  of  them,  suffi- 
ciently authenticating  the  fact, — that  those 
two  holy  men  were  joint  pastors  of  Jeru- 
salem. 

Narcissus  greets  j'^ou,  who  governed 
this  bishopric  before  me ;  and  now  being 
an  hundred  and  sixteen  years  old,  pray- 
eth  with  me,  and  that  very  seriously,  for 
the  state  of  the  church,  and  beseeches 
you  to  be  of  one  mind  with  me." 

If  the  ancient  martyrologies  had  been 
preserved  uncorrupted,  they  would,  doubt- 
less, afford  us  useful  materials,  and  illus- 
trate much  the  spirit  and  genius  of  real 
Christianity  in  its  primitive  professors. 
Butfrauds,  interpolations,  and  impostures, 
are  endless :  The  papal  and  monastic  su- 
perstitions, in  after-ages,  induced  their 
supporters  to  corrupt  these  martyrologies, 
and  indeed  the  writings  of  the  fathers  in 
general.  The  difficulty  of  procuring  ma- 
terials for  a  well-connected  credible  his- 
tory of  real  Christians,  is  hence  increased 
exceedingly.  What  I  cannot  believe,  I 
shall  not  take  the  trouble  to  transcribe ; 
what  I  can,  where  the  matter  appears 
worthy  of  memory,  shall  be  exhibited. 
This  is  the  case  of  the  martyrs  of  Scil- 
lita,  a  city  of  Africa,  in  the  province  of 
Carthage.  The  narration  is  simple,  credi- 
ble throughout,  and  worthy  of  the  purest 
ages  of  the  Gospel. — The  facts  belong  to 
the  times  of  Severus. 

"  Twelve  persons  were  brought  before 
Saturninus  the  proconsul  at  Carthage,  the 
chief  of  whom  were  Speratus,  Narzal, 
and  Cittin;  and  three  women,  Donata, 
Secunda,  and  Vestina.  When  they  came 
before  him,  he  said  to  them  all,  '  You 
may  expect  the  emperor  our  master's  par- 
don, if  you  return  to  your  senses,  and  ob- 
serve the  ceremonies  of  our  gods.'  To 
which  Speratus  replied,  '  We  have  never 
been  guilty  of  any  thing  that  is  evil,  nor 
been  partakers  of  injustice:  We  have 
even  prayed  for  those  who  persecute  us 
unjustly;  in  which  we  obey  our  emperor, 
who  prescribed  to  us  this  rule  of  beha- 
viour.' Saturninus  answered, '  We  have 
also  a  religion  that  is  simple  :  We  swear 
by  the  genius  of  the  emperors,  and  we 
offer  up  vows  for  their  health,  which  you 


152 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  V. 


ought  also  to  do.'  Speratus  answered,  'If 
you  will  hear  me  patiently,  I  will  declare 
unto  you  the  mystery  of  Christian  sim- 
plicity.' The  proconsul  said,  '  Shall  I 
hear  you  speak  ill  of  our  ceremonies  1 
Rather  swear,  all  of  you,  by  the  genius  of 
the  emperors  our  masters,  that  you  may 
enjoy  the  pleasures  of  life.'  Speratus 
answered,  '  I  know  not  the  genius  of  the 
emperors.  I  serve  God,  who  is  in  hea- 
ven, whom  no  man  hath  seen,  nor  can  see. 
I  have  never  been  guilty  of  any  crime 
punishable  by  the  public  laws  :  if  I  buy 
any  thing,  I  pay  the  duties  to  the  collec- 
tors :  I  acknowledge  my  God  and  Saviour 
to  be  the  Supreme  Governor  of  all  nations  : 
I  have  made  no  complaints  against  any 
person  ;  and  therefore  they  ought  to  make 
none  against  me.'  The  proconsul,  turn- 
ing to  the  rest,  said,  '  Do  not  ye  imitate 
the  folly  of  this  mad  wretch;  but  rather 
fear  our  prince  and  obey  his  commands.' 
Cittin  answered,  'We  fear  only  the  Lord 
our  God,  who  is  in  heaven.'  The  pro- 
consul then  said, — '  Let  them  be  carried 
to  prison,  and  put  in  fetters  till  to-mor- 
row.' 

"  The  next  day  the  proconsul,  seated  on 
his  tribunal,  caused  them  to  be  brought 
before  them,  and  said  to  the  women, — 
'  Honour  our  prince,  and  do  sacrifice  to 
the  gods.'  Donata  replied,  '  We  honour 
Caesar  as  Csesar,  but  to  God  we  offer 
prayer  and  worship.'  Vestina  said,  'I 
also  am  a  Christian.'  Secunda  said,  '  I 
also  believe  in  my  God,  and  will  continue 
steadfast  to  him ;  and,  in  regard  to  your 
gods,  we  will  not  serve  and  adore  them.' 
The  proconsul  ordered  them  to  be  sepa- 
rated ;  then,  having  called  for  the  men, 
he  said  to  Speratus,  '  Perseverest  thou  in 
being  a  Christian  V  Speratus  answered, 
'  Yes,  I  do  persevere  : — Let  all  give  ear, 
I  am  a  Christian ;'  which  being  heard  by 
the  rest,  they  said,  '  We  also  are  Chris- 
tians.' The  proconsul  said,  '  You  will 
neither  consider  your  danger,  nor  receive 
mercy.'  They  replied,  '  Do  what  you 
please,  we  shall  die  joyfully  for  the  sake 
of  Jesus  Christ.'  The  proconsul  asked, 
'  What  books  are  those  which  you  read 
and  revere  ]'  Speratus  replied,  '  The 
four  Gospels  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  .Te- 
sus  Christ;  the  Epistles  of  the  Apostle 
St.  Paul,  and  all  the  Scripture  that  is  in- 
spired of  God.'  The  proconsul  said,  'I 
will  give  you  three  days  to  reflect  and  to 
come  to  yourselves.'  Upon  which  Spera- 
tus answered, '  I  am  a  Christian,  and  such 
are  all  those  who  are  with  me :  and  we 


will  never  quit  the  faith  of  our  Lord  Je- 
sus.    Do,  therefore,  what  you  think  fit.' 

"  The  proconsul,  seeing  their  resolution, 
pronounced  sentence  against  them, — that 
they  should  die  by  the  hands  of  the  exe- 
cutioner, in  these  terms  : — '  Speratus  and 
the  rest,  having  acknowledged  themselves 
to  be  Christians,  and  having  refused  to 
pay  due  honour  to  the  emperor,  I  com- 
mand their  heads  to  be  cut  off.'  This 
sentence  having  been  read,  Speratus  and 
his  fellow-sufferers  said, '  We  give  thanks 
to  God,  who  honoureth  us  this  day  with 
being  received  as  martyrs  in  heaven,  for 
confessing  his  name.'  They  were  carried 
to  the  place  of  punishment,  where  they 
fell  on  their  knees  all  together,  and  hav- 
ing again  given  thanks  to  Jesus  Christ, 
they  were  beheaded."* 

f  At  Carthage  itself  four  young  Cate- 
chumens were  seized,  Revocatus  and  Fe- 
licitas, — slaves  to  the  same  master, — with 
Saturninus  and  Secundulus;  and  also 
Vivia  Perpetua,  a  lady  of  quality.  She 
had  a  father,  a  mother,  and  two  brothers, 
of  whom  one  was  a  catechumen  ;  she  was 
about  twenty-two  years  of  age ;  was  mar- 
ried, and  was  then  pregnant ;  and  more- 
over, she  had  a  young  child  at  her  breast. 
To  these  five,  by  an  excess  of  zeal  too 
common  at  that  time,  Satur,  voluntarily, 
joined  himself.  While  they  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  persecutors,  the  father  of 
Perpetua,  himself  a  Pagan,  but  full  of 
affection  to  his  favourite  offspring,  impor- 
tuned her  to  fall  from  the  faith.  His  in- 
treaties  were  vain.  Her  pious  constancy 
appeared  to  him  an  absurd  obstinacy,  and 
enraged  him  so  much  as  to  induce  him  to 
give  her  very  rough  treatment.  For  a 
few  days  while  these  catechumens  were 
under  guard,  but  not  confined  in  the  pri- 
son, they  found  means  to  be  baptised  ;  and 
Perpetua's  prayers  were  directed  particu- 
larly for  patience  under  bodily  pains. 
They  were  then  put  into  a  dark  prison. 
To  the  rest,  who  had  been  more  accus- 
tomed to  hardships,  this  change  of  scene 
had  not  any  thing  in  it  very  terrible.  To 
her,  who  had  experienced  nothing  but  the 
delicacies  of  genteel  life,  it  was  peculiar- 
ly formidable  and  distressing :  Her  con- 
cern for  her  infant  was  extreme. — Ter- 
tius  and  Pomponius,  two  deacons  of  the 
Church,  obtained  by  money,  that  the  pri- 
soners might  go  out  of  the  dark  dungeon, 
and  for  some  hours  refresh  themselves  in 
a  more  commodious  place,  where  Perpe- 


*  Henry,  B.  5,  p,  77.    f  Acta  sincera,  p.  86. 


Cent,  ni.] 


UNDER  SEVERUS,  ETC. 


153 


tua  gave  the  breast  to  her  infant,  and  then 
recommended  him  carefully  to  her  mother. 
For  some  time  her  mind  was  oppressed 
with  concern  for  the  misery  she  had 
brought  on  her  family ;  though  it  was  for 
the  sake  of  a  good  conscience;  but  she 
grew  more  composed,  and  her  prison  be- 
came a  palace. 

Her  father,  sometime  after,  came  to  the 
prison  overwhelmed  with  grief;  which, 
in  all  probability,  was  augmented  by  the 
reflections  he  had  made  on  his  own  rough 
and  angry  behaviour  to  her  at  their  last 
interview.  "  Have  pity,  my  daughter," 
says  he,  "  on  my  gray  hairs ;  have  pity 
on  your  father,  if  I  was  ever  worthy  of 
that  name  :  if  I  myself  have  brought  you 
up  to  this  age  ;  if  I  have  preferred  you  to 
all  your  brethren,  make  me  not  a  reproach 
to  mankind  :  respect  your  father  and  your 
aunt" — these,  it  seems,  were  joined  in 
the  interests  of  paganism,  while  the  mo- 
ther appears  to  have  been  a  Christian, 
otherwise  his  silence  concerning  her  seems 
scarcely  to  be  accounted  for  ; — "  have 
compassion  on  your  son,  who  cannot  sur- 
vive you:  lay  aside  your  obstinacy,  lest  you 
destroy  us  all :  for  if  you  perish  we  must 
all  of  us  shut  our  mouths  in  disgrace." 
The  old  gentleman,  with  much  tenderness, 
kissed  her  hands,  threw  himself  at  her 
feet,  weeping  and  calling  her  no  longer 
his  daughter,  but  his  mistress — the  mis- 
tress of  his  fate !  He  was  the  only  per- 
son of  the  family  who  did  not  rejoice  at 
her  martyrdom.  Perpetua,  though  in- 
wardly torn  with  filial  affection,  could 
offer  him  no  other  comfort  than  to  desire 
him  to  acquiesce  in  the  Divine  disposal. 

The  next  day  they  were  all  brought 
into  the  court,  and  examined  in  the  pre- 
sence of  vast  crowds.  There  the  unhappy 
old  man  appeared  with  his  little  grandson, 
and  taking  Perpetua  aside,  conjured  her 
to  have  some  pity  on  her  child.  The 
procurator,  Hilarian,  joined  in  the  suit, 
but  in  vain.  The  old  man  then  attempted 
to  draw  his  daughter  from  the  scaffold. 
Hilarian  ordered  him  to  be  beaten ;  and 
a  blow,  which  he  received  with  a  staff, 
was  felt  by  Perpetua  very  severely. 

Hilarian  condemned  them  to  be  ex- 
posed to  the  wild  beasts.  They  then  re- 
turned cheerfully  to  their  prison.  Per- 
petua sent  the  deacon,  Pomponius,  to  de- 
mand her  child  of  her  father,  which  he 
refused  to  return.  The  health  of  the 
child,  we  are  told,  suffered  not ;  nor  did 
Perpetua  feel  any  bodily  inconvenience. 

Secondulus  died  in  prison.     Felicitas 


was  eight  months  gone  with  child  ;  and 
seeing  the  day  of  the  public  shows  to  be 
near,  she  was  much  afflicted  lest  her  exe- 
cution should  take  j)lace  before  her  deli- 
very. Her  companions  joined  in  prayer 
for  her  three  days  before  the  spectacles; 
and  she  was,  with  great  difficulty,delivered 
of  a  child.  One  of  the  doorkeepers,  who, 
perhaps,  expected  to  have  found  in  her  a 
stoical  insensibility,  and  heard  her  cries, 
said,  "  Do  you  complain  of  this  1  what 
will  you  do  when  you  are  exposed  to  the 
beasts'?"  Felicitas  answered,  with  a  sa- 
gacity truly  Christian,  "  It  is  I  that  suffer 
now,  but  then  there  will  be  another  with 
me,  that  will  suffer  for  me,  because  I 
shall  suffer  for  his  sake." — Her  new-born 
dauo-hter  was  delivered  to  a  Christian 
woman,  who  nursed  it  as  her  own. 

The  tribune  appears  to  have  credited  a 
report,  that  the  prisoners  would  free  them- 
selves by  magical  practices  ;  and  in  con- 
sequence, to  have  treated  them  roughly. 
"  Why  don't  you,"  says  Perpetua,  "give 
us  some  relief?"  Will  it  not  be  for  your 
honour  that  w^e  should  appear  well  fed  at 
the  spectacles'!" 

This  address  of  hers  had  the  desired 
effect:  It  procured  a  very  agreeable  alte- 
ration in  their  treatment.  On  the  day  be- 
fore the  shows,  they  were  supplied  with 
their  last  meal ;  and  the  martyrs  did  their 
utmost  to  convert  it  into  an  *£t^*T« :  they 
ate  in  public :  their  brethren  and  others 
were  allowed  »to  visit  them :  and  the 
keeper  of  the  prison  himself,  by  this 
time,  was  converted  to  the  faith:  they 
talked  to  the  people,  and  warned  them  to 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come :  they  pointed 
out  to  them  their  own  happy  lot,  and 
smiled  at  the  curiosity  of  those  who  ran 
to  see  them.  "  Observe  well  our  faces," 
cries  Satur,  with  much  animation,  "  that 
ye  may  know  them  at  the  day  of  judg- 
ment." 

The  Spirit  of  God  was  much  with  them 
on  the  day  of  trial:  joy,  rather  than  fear, 
was  painted  on  their  looks.  Perpetua, 
cherished  by  Jesus  Christ,  went  on  with 
a  composed  countenance  and  an  easy 
pace,  holding  down  her  eyes,  lest  the 
spectators  might  draw  wrong  conclusions 
from  their  vivacity.  Some  idolatrous  gar- 
ments were  offered  them  by  the  Pagans : 
"  We  sacrifice  our  lives,"  said  they,  "  to 


avoid 


thinor  of  this  kind." — The 


every  ^ 

tribune  desisted  from  his  demand. 

Perpetua  sang,  as  already  victorious: 


*  A  love-feast. 


154 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  V. 


and  Revocatus,  Saturninus,  and  Satur, 
endeavoured  to  affect  the  people  with  the 
fear  of  the  wrath  to  come.  Being  come 
into  Hilarian's  presence,  "Thou  judgest 
us,"  said  they,"  "and  God  shall  judge 
thee."  The  mob  was  enraged,  and  in- 
sisted on  their  being  scourged  before  they 
were  exposed  to  the  beasts.  It  was 
done,  and  the  martyrs  rejoiced  in  being 
conformed  to  their  Saviour's  suffer- 
ings. 

Perpetua  and  Felicitas  were  stripped, 
and  put  into  the  nets,  and  exposed  to  a 
wild  cow.  The  spectators  were  shocked 
at  the  sight :  for  the  one  was  an  accom- 
plished beauty,  and  the  other  had  been 
recently  delivered  of  a  child. — The  as- 
sisting executioner  drew  them  back  and 
covered  them  with  loose  garments.  Per- 
petua was  first  attacked  ;  and  falling 
backwards  she  put  h&rself  into  a  reclining 
posture ;  and  seeing  her  habit  torn  by  her 
side,  she  retired  to  cover  herself:  she 
then  gathered  up  her  hair,  that  she  might 
seem  less  disordered  :  she  raised  herself 
up,  and  seeing  Felicitas  bruised,  she  gave 
her  her  hand  and  lifted  her  up  :  then  they 
went  toward  the  gate,  where  Perpetua 
was  received  by  a  catechumen,  called 
Rusticus,  who  attended  her  :  "  I  wonder," 
said  she,  "  when  they  will  expose  us  to 
the  cow ;" — She  had  been,  it  seems,  in- 
sensible of  what  had  passed,  nor  could 
believe  it  till  she  saw  on  her  body  and 
clothes  the  marks  of  her  sufferings.  She 
caused  her  brother  to  be  called,  and  ad- 
dressing herself  to  him  and  Rusticus,  she 
said,  "Continue  firm  in  the  faith;  love 
one  another ;  and  be  neither  frightened 
nor  offended  at  our  sufferings." 

The  people  insisted  on  having  the  mar- 
tyrs brought  into  the  midst  of  the  am- 
phitheatre, that  they  might  have  the  plea- 
sure of  seeing  them  die  :  some  of  them 
rose  up  and  went  forward  of  their  own 
accord,  after  having  given  one  another 
the  kiss  of  charity :  others  received  the 
last  blow  without  speaking  or  stirring. 
Perpetua  fell  into  the  hands  of  an  unskil- 
ful gladiator,  who  pierced  her  between 
the  ribs  so  as  to  give  her  much  unneces- 
sary pain.  She  cried  out ;  and  then  she 
herself  guided  his  trembling  hand  to  her 
throat : — and  thus  with  the  rest  she  slept 
in  Jesus. 

Augustine,  in  his  exposition  of  the 
forty-seventh  Psalm,  takes  notice  of  the 
victorious  strength  of  divine  love  pre- 
vailing over  all  natural  affections,  and 
produces  this  same  Perpetua  as  an  exam- 


ple :* — "  We  know  and  read  thus  in  the 
sufferings  of  the   blessed  Perpetua." — 
He  mentions  the  isame  story  also  in  three 
other  places  in  his  treatise  of  the  Soul.f 
But  it  is  evident  that  he  doubts  whether 
Perpetua  herself  wrote  what  is  ascribed 
to  her.     If  so,  we  may  well  doubt ;  and 
more  than  doubt  the  truth  of  the  visions 
with  which  this  excellent  narrative  has 
been  intermixed ;  and  with  which  I  have 
not  thought  it  worth  while  to  trouble  the 
reader.    Yet  the  general  history  has  every 
mark  of  authenticity. — Augustine  him- 
self published  three  sermons  on  the  an- 
niversary of  the  martyrs.     It  is  much  to 
be  regretted  that  the  finest  monuments  of 
ecclesiastical   antiquity  have   been  thus 
tarnished  by  mixtures  of  fraud  or  super- 
stition.— ^The  authority  of  Augustine  has 
enabled  me  to  distinguish  with  some  de- 
gree of  precision  the  truth  from  the  false- 
hood.    My  business  does  not  call  me  to 
recite  the  frauds;  and  it  will  be  needless 
to  add  further  remarks:  The  pious  reader 
sees,  with  pleasure,  that  God  was  yet 
present  with  his  people. — Indeed  the  pow- 
er of  God  appeared  evidently  displayed 
during  the  course  of  this  dreadful  perse- 
cution, by  the  sudden  and  amazing  con- 
versions of  several  persons  who  volunta- 
rily suffered  death  for  that  doctrine  which 
they  before  detested.     Of  this  we  have 
the  very  respectable  testimony  of  Origen, 
who,  whatever  other  defects  he  be  justly 
charged  with,  is  certainly  allowed  to  be 
of  unquestionable  veracity. :J: 

Severus  would  naturally  extend    this 
persecution   to   Gaul,   the   scene  of  his 
former  cruelties.     In  fact,  it  was  now  that 
Irenceus  suffered  :  and  many  more  suffered 
with  him ;  and   Lyons  was   once   more 
dyed  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of 
Jesus.     Vivarius  and  Andro- 
lus,  who  had  been  sent  by  Po-     Y'vanus, 
lycarp   there   to    preach    the     Xoticus"^' 
Gospel,   were  put  to   death.     Hiartyred. 
At   Comana,   in  Pamphylia, 
Zoticus  the  bishop,  who  had  distinguished 
himself  by  writing  against  the  Monta- 
nists,  obtained  the  crown  of  martyrdom. 

At  this  trying  season  it  was  that  some 
churches  purchased  their  peace  and  quiet 
by  paying  money,  not  only  to  the  magis- 
trates, but  also  to  the  informers  and  sol- 
diers who  were  appointed  to  search  them 
out.     The  pastors  of  the  churches  ap- 


*  Tom.  V.  iii. 

+  L.  1.  c.  10.  L.  3.  c.  9.  L.  4.  c.  18.  Tom.  vii. 

i  Contra  Celsum.  L.  1 . 


cekt.  m.] 


UNDER  SEVERUS,  ETC. 


155 


proved  of  this  proceeding,  because  it  was 
only  suffering  the  loss  of  their  goods,  and 

f (referring  that  to  the  endangering  of  their 
ives.  However  casuists  may  decide  this 
question,  it  is  easily  conceivable  that  the 
practice  might  take  place  with  many  in 
real  uprightness  of  heart. 

It  is  usual  with  God  to  moderate  the 
sufferings  of  his  people,  and  not  to  suffer 
them  to  be  tried  by  persecution  at  once  very 
long  and  very  violent. — In  the 
Severus  year  two  hundred  and  eleven, 
A^D  211  after  a  reign  of  eighteen  years, 
the  tyrant  Severus  died  :  and 
the  Church  found  repose  and  tranquillity 
under  his  son  and  successor  Caracalla, 
though  a  monster  of  wickedness. 

Divine  Providence  had  long  before  pre- 
pared for  the  Christians  this  mitigation 
of  trial,  in  the  circumstances  of  Caracal- 
la's  education.    He  had  known  Proculus 
the  Christian,  who   had   recovered    the 
health  of  his  father,  and  was  maintained 
in  his  palace  to  his  death ;  and  he  had 
himself  been  nursed,  when  an  infant,  by 
a  Christian  woman.     Though  this  could 
not  win  his  heart  to  Jesus  Christ,  it  gave 
him  an  early  predilection   in  favour   of 
Christians,  insomuch  that  when  he  was 
seven  years  old,   observing   one   of  his 
playfellows  to  be  beaten  because  he  fol- 
lowed the  Christian  religion,*  he  could 
not  for  some  time  after  behold  with  pa- 
tience either  his  own  father  or  the  father 
of  the  boy.     Certainly  few  men  have  ever 
exceeded  him  in  the  ferocious  vices ;  yet. 
during   the   six   years   and  two  months 
which  he  reigned,  the  Christians  found 
in  him  friendship  and  protection.     In- 
deed, for  the  space  of  thirty  and  eight 
years, — from  the  death  of  Severus  to  the 
reign  of  Decius, — if  we  except  the  short 
turbulent    interval    of   Maximinus,    the 
Church  enjoyed  a  continued   calm.| — 
About  the  year  two  hundred 
and  ten,  Origen  came  to  Rome, 
where  Zephyrinus  was  bish- 
op, desirous  of  visiting  that 
ancient  Church,  but  soon  re- 
turned to  Alexandria,  and  to  his  office  of 
catechising.     He  entrusted  to  Heraclas, 
his  associate  in  that  employment,  the  in- 
struction of  the  more  ignorant,  while  he 
himself  took  care  of  those  who  had  made 
a  greater  proficiency.     His  active  spirit 


Origen 
comes  to 
Rome, 
A.  D.  210. 


*  Spartian's  Caracalla.  The  Pagan  author 
says, "  because  he  followed  the  Jewish  reli- 
gion ;"  but,  most  probably,  he  means  the 
Christian. 

f  Sulpitius  Severus,  B.2.  C.  42. 


induced  him  to  study  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage ;  and  the  first  fruit  of  his  labour 
was  the  publication  of  the  Hexapla.  In 
this  great  work  he  gave  the  Hebrew  text 
and  the  translations  of  the  Septuagint,  of 
Aquila,  Symmachus,  Theodotion, — and 
two  others,  which  had  long  been  obsolete, 
and  whose  authors  were  unknown.  Of 
these  interpreters,  Symmachus  was  an 
Ebionite ;  that  is,  he  held  that  Christ  was 
but  a  mere  man;*  and  he  inveighed 
against  the  genuine  gospel  of  St.  Mat- 
thew, for  no  other  reason  that  I  can  see, 
but  on  account  of  the  clear  testimony 
which  the  beginning  of  it  affords  against 
his  heresy. — These  works  of  Origen,  in 
addition  to  his  constant  diligence,  bcth  in 
writing  and  in  preaching,  are  monuments 
at  least  of  the  most  laudable  industry. 
The  evangelical  reader  would  wish,  no 
doubt,  to  see  stronger  signs  of  real  Chris- 
tian proficiency  in  experimental  and  prac- 
tical religion ;  but  we  must  be  content 
with  such  matter  as  the  ecclesiastical  re- 
cords afford  us. 

One  Ambrose,  addicted  to  the  Valenti- 
nian  heresy,  an  extremely  fanciful  and 
romantic  scheme,  not  worthy  of  the  read- 
er's attention,  found  himself  confuted  by 
Orio-en,  and   was    brouofht   over   to  the 
Church.     Many  learned  men  also  felt  the 
force  of  his  argumentations.     Heretics 
and  philosophers  attended  his  lectures; 
and  he  took,  no  doubt,  a  very  excellent 
method  to  procure  regard  to  himself  at 
least;  he  instructed  them  in  profane  and 
secular  learning.     He  confuted  the  opin- 
ions of  the  different  sects  by  opposing 
them  to  each  other ;  and  he  exposed  the 
various  fallacies  with  so  much  acutencss 
and  sagacity,  that  he  obtained  among  the 
Gentiles  the  reputation  of  a  great  Philo- 
sopher.    He  encouraged    many  persons 
to  study  the  liberal  arts,  assuring  them, 
that  they  would,  by  that  means,  be  much 
better  furnished  for  the  contemplation  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures : — He  was  entirely 
of  opinion,  that  secular  and  philosophical 
institutes  were  very  necessary  and  profit- 
able to  his  own  mind. — Does  it  escape 
the  reader,  how  much  in  the  course  of  the 
Christian  annals,  we  are  already  depart- 
ed, though  by  insensible  degrees,  from 
Christian  simplicity?     Here  is  a  man 
looked  up  to  with  reverence,  at  least  by 
the  Eastern  Church,  as  a  great  lumina- 
ry ; — a  man,  who,  in  his  younger  days, 
was  himself  a  scholar  of  the  amphibious 


*  Euseb.  B,  6.  C.  16. 


156 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chip.V. 


Ammonius ;  who  mixed  together  Chris- 
tianity and  pag-an  philosophy;  and  who, 
by  reading  his  motley  lectures  drew  over, 
in  form  at  least,  many  of  the  heathen  phi- 
losophers to  embrace  the  religion  of  Je- 
sus. These  mention  him  often  in  their 
books  :  some  dedicate  their  works  to  him ; 
and  others  respectfully  deliver  them  to 
him  as  their  master.  All  this  Eusebius 
tells  us  with  much  apparent  satisfaction. 
To  him  the  Gospel  seems  to  have  tri- 
umphed overgentilism  by  these  means. — 
There  is  no  doubt,  but,  in  a  certain  sense, 
Origen's  success  was  great;  but  I  much 
fear  that,  in  return,  the  pure  Gospel  suf- 
fered greatly  by  an  admixture  of  gentil- 
ism.  What  can  this  extraordinary  teacher 
and  author  mean,  by  asserting  the  utility 
and  even  the  *necessity  of  philosophy  for 
himself  as  a  Christian  T  Are  not  the 
Scriptures  able    to  make  a  man   wise 

UNTO    SALVATION    THROUGH    FAITH    WHICH 

IS  IN  Christ  Jesus,  that  the  man  of 
God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  fur- 
nished TO  every  GOOD  WORK?  Suppose  z 
man  of  common  sense,  perfectly  unac- 
quainted with  all  the  learned  lore  of  Am- 
monius, to  study  ONLY  the  sacred  books, 
with  prayer,  dependence  on  divine  gui- 
dance and  illumination,  and  with  self- 
examination.  Is  it  not  conceivable  that  he 
may  acquire  a  competent, — nay,  even  an 
eminent  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  1 
Certainly  an  acquaintance  with  classical 
and  philosophical  learning  may  furnish 
him  with  strong  arguments  to  prove  the 
necessity  and  the  excellency  of  divine 
revelation  ;  and  therefore  they  deserve  se- 
riously to  be  encouraged  in  the  minds  of 
all  who  are  to  instruct  others, — for  their 
improvement  in  taste,  language,  elo- 
quence, and  history;  but  if  they  are  to 
DICTATE  in  religion, — or  are  thought  ca- 
pable even  of  adding  to  the  stock  of  the- 
ological knowledge, — the  Scriptures, — 
with  reverence  be  it  spoken, — may  seem 
to  have  been  defectively  written.  In 
truth,  we  hear,  among  these  learned  con- 
verts of  Origen,  nothing — of  conviction 
of  sin — of  conversion — of  the  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit — of  the  love  of  Christ. 
They  are  pleased  with  their  master : — 
Superior  parts  and  learning  always  com- 
mand the  esteem  of  mankind : — but,  what 
are  all  his  labours  which  we  have  now 
before  us,  but  vain  attempts  to  mix  things 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  has  declared  will 
not    incorporate?     The  mischief  which 

•  Euseb.  B.  6—17. 


actually  followed  was  to  be  expected  : 
Characters  were  confounded:  and  hence- 
forward, among  the  learned,  the  distinc- 
tion between  Christian  godliness  and  hu- 
man philosophy  is  but  faintly  marked. — 
If  Origen  had  simply  and  plainly  ex- 
pounded to  his  learned  auditors  the  pecu- 
liar and  vital  truths  of  the  Gospel,  I  can- 
not but  suspect  that  many  of  them  would 
have  ceased  to  attend  his  instructions. 

The  famous  Porphyry, — than  whom 
Christianity  had  never  a  more  acrimoni- 
ous enemy, — takes  notice  of  Origen's 
allegorical  mode  of  interpreting  Scripture, 
observes  that  he  was  acquainted  with  him 
when  young,  and  bears  testimony  to  his 
rapid  improvements  under  Ammonius. 
He  asserts, — what  indeed  Eusebius,  who 
must  have  known,  contradicts, — that  Am- 
monius, though  brought  up  a  Christian, 
turned  afterwards  a  Gentile.  He  ac- 
knowledges "that  Origen  continually  pe- 
rused Plato,  Numenius,  and  the  rest  of 
the  Pythagoreans;  that  he  was  well 
versed  in  Cheeremon  the  Stoic,  and  in 
Cornutus;  and,  that  from  all  these  mas- 
ters he  borrowed  the  Grecian  manner  of 
allegorical  interpretation,  and  applied  it 
to  the  Jewish  Scriptures." 

We  have  seen,  before,  the  wanton  spi- 
rit of  allegory  introduced  by  Ammonius : 
and  it  is  very  probable  that  Origen  then 
first  learnt  to  treat  the  Scriptures  in  the 
same  manner.  He  had  the  candour  to 
confess  that  he  had  been  mistaken  in  his 
literal  interpretation  of  our  Saviour's 
words  concerning  eunuchs.  He  after- 
wards fell  into  the  contrary  extreme,  and 
allegorized  all  the  three  clauses  in  the 
Gospel  of  St.  Matthew;* — and  intro- 
duced such  a  complicated  scheme  of  fan- 
ciful interpretation,  as  for  many  ages 
after, — through  the  excessive  respect  paid 
to  this  man, — much  obscured  the  light  of 
Scripture. 

There  wanted  not,  however,  some  per- 
sons who  found  fault  with  Origen  for  all 
this  attachment  to  pagan  philosophy.  Pro- 
bably, simple,  docile,  ingenuous  minds, 
which  desired  to  be  fed  with  the  "  sin- 
cere milk  of  the  Word,  that  they 
might  grow  thereby,"  found  themselves 
starved  amidst  all  this  heterogeneous,  in- 
consistent doctrine.  He  felt  himself 
called  upon  to  vindicate  his  practice  ; — 
which  he  does,  only  by  observing  the  use 
of  philosophy  in  confuting  heretics ;  and 
by  the  example  of  Pantaenus,  and  of  He- 


*  Chap.  xix.  12. 


CZ.^T.  III.] 


STATE  OF  CHKISTIANITY. 


157 


raclas,  an  Alexandrian  pastor, — his  coad- 
jutor, who  formerly  had  worn  the  com- 
mon dress,  and  afterwards  took  up  the 
philosopher's  garb,  and  still  studied  ear- 
nestly the  writings  of  the  heathen  philo- 
sophers. What  does  all  this  prove  but  the 
destructive  progress  of  this  epidemical 
disease? 

The  governor  of  Arabia  sent  to  Deme- 
trius, desiring  the  instruction  of  Origen ; 
who  did  not  hesitate  to  undertake  the  ne- 
cessary journey  for  that  purpose;  and  he 
then  returned  back  to  Alexandria. 

The  elegant  publication  of  3Iinucius 
Felix, — a  work  deserving  even  to  be 
ranked  among  the  Latin  classics  for  neat- 
ness and  purity  of  style,  was  an  ornament 
to  the  Latin  Church.  The  arguments 
contained  in  it  against  Paganism  are  well 
pointed  and  well  adapted  to  the  state  of 
the  world  at  that  time :  It  is  only  to  be 
regretted  that  we  see  not  more  of  the  real 
nature  of  Christianity  in  that  celebrated 
performance. 

In  the  year  two  hundred 
and  seventeen,  Macrinus  suc- 
ceeded Caracalla,  who  had 
reigned  a  little  more  than  six 
years. 


Macrinus 
succeeds 
Caracalla, 
A.  D.  217. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

STATE  OF  CHRISTIANITY  DURING  THE 
REIGNS  OF  MACRINUS,  HELIOGABA- 
LUS,  ALEXANDER,  MAXIMINUS,  PUPI- 
ENUS,  GORDIAN,  AND  PHILIP. 

Macrinus  reigned  one  year  and  two 
months ;  and  was  succeeded  by  Helioga- 

balus ;  whose  follies  and  vices 
Macrinus  ^^e  infamous  ;  but  it  does  not 
reigns  one  appear  that  the  Church  of 
t^o'inHhs.     ^0^  suffered  on  that  account. 

He  seems  not  to  have  con- 
ceived any  particular  prejudices  against 
Christians  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  expressed 
a  desire  of  removing  their  rites  of  wor- 
ship to  Rome. — It  is  not  worth  while  to 

attempt  an  explanation  of  the 
Helioga-  views  of  so  senseless  a  prince, 
balus  sue-      — jjg  ^y^g  gp^jjj  a^  ^^Q  agg  of 

h  slam'l"  eighteen,  in  the  year  two  hun- 
A.  D.  222.  dred  and  twenty-two,  after  he 
had  swayed  the  sceptre  three 
years  and  nine  months.  His  cousin 
Alexander  succeeded  him ;  who  was  then 
only  in  the  sixteenth  year  of  his  age,  but 
was  esteemed  one  of  the  best  moral  clia- 
racters  in  profane  history.  His  mother 
Vol.  I.  O 


Mammaea,  is  called  by  Eusebius,*  a  most 
rrodly  and  religious  woman. — I  am  at 
a  loss  to  vindicate  the  expression. — It 
does  not  appear  that  she  received  the  faith 
of  Christ: — however, — neither  she  nor 
her  son  persecuted,  they  rather  approved 
and  countenanced,  the  Christians.  They 
were  persons  of  candour  and  probity  them- 
selves ;  and  they  saw  that,  in  morals  at 
least,  the  people  of  God  concurred  with 
their  own  views.  Their  conduct  was 
laudable;  but — mark  the  mischief  of 
blending  philosophy  with  Christianity ! 
How  cheap  is  the  term  godly  grown  in 
the  eyes  of  Eusebius! 

The  providence  of  God  not  only  se- 
cured his  Church  from  suffering,  but  pro- 
cured it  a  favourable  patron  in  this  prin- 
cess and  her  son.  The  emperor  had  a 
domestic  chapel,  where,  every  morning, 
he  worshipped  those  deceased  princes, 
whose  characters  were  most  esteemed : 
their  statues  were  placed  among  those  of 
the  gods :  and  into  this  company  he  in- 
troduced Apollonius  of  Tyana,  Jesus 
Christ,  Abraham,  and  Orpheus.|  He 
had  a  desire  to  erect  even  a  temple  to 
Christ,  and  to  receive  him  regularly  into 
the  number  of  the  gods. 

There  are  on  record  other  instances  of 
his  candour  towards  the  Christians. — 
The  right  of  possessing  a  certain  piece 
of  ground  was  claimed  by  a  tavern- 
keeper  :  It  had  been  co.aimon  for  a  long 
time,:J:  and  the  Christians  had  occupied  it 
for  a  place  of  worship. — "  It  is  fitter," 
said  Alexander,  "that  God  should  be 
served  there,  in  any  manner  whatever, 
rather  than  that  it  should  be  used  for  a 
tavern."  He  frequently  used  this  Chris- 
tian sentence,  "Do  as  you  would  be 
DONE  BY."  He  obliged  a  crier  to  repeat 
it  when  he  punished  any  person;  and 
was  so  fond  of  it,  that  he  caused  it  to  be 
written  in  his  palace  and  in  the  public 
buildings.  When  he  was  going  to  ap- 
point governors  of  provinces  or  other 
officers,  he  proposed  their  names  in  pub- 
lic, giving  the  people  notice,  that  if  they 
had  any  crime  to  accuse  them  of,  they 
should  come  forward  and  make  it  known. 
"  It  would  be  a  shame,"  says  he,  "  not 
to  do  that  with  respect  to  governors, 
who  are  entrusted  with  men's  properties 
and  lives,  which  is  done  by  Jews  and 
Christians  when  they  publish  the  names 


*  Enseb.  L.  6.    Fleury,  B.  v.  iv. 

f  Lamprid. 

I  That  is,  without  owner  or  possessor. 


158 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VI. 


of  those  whom  they  mean  to  ordain 
Priests."  And,  indeed,  by  Origen's  ac- 
count,* the  Christians  were  so  very  care- 
ful in  the  choice  of  tlieir  pastors,  that  the 
civil  magistrates  were  by  no  means  to  be 
compared  with  them  in  probity  and  sound 
morality.  This  prince  had,  it  seems,  too 
much  gravity  and  virtue  for  the  times  in 
which  he  lived : — for  some  persons,  in 
derision,  called  him  Archysynagogus.j 

It  seems  to  have  been  his  plan  to  en- 
courage every  thing  that  carried  the  ap- 
pearance of  religion  and  virtue;  and  to 
discountenance  whatever  was  openly  im- 
moral and  profane. — His  historian:^:  tells 
us  "  that  he  favoured  astrologers,  and 
permitted  them  to  teach  publicly;  that 
he  himself  was  well  skilled  in  the  vain 
science  of  the  Aruspices,  and  was  master 
of  that  of  the  Augurs  in  a  high  degree." 
In  the  year  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine  Alexander  was  obliged  to  go  to  the 
East,  and  to  reside  at  Anti- 
och.  His  mother  Mammaea 
went  with  him,  and  having 
heard  of  the  fame  of  Origen, 
and  being  very  curious  to  hear 
new  things ;  she  sent  him  a  guard,  and 
caused  him  to  come  to  her.  AH  the  ac- 
count we  have  of  this  interview  is,  that 
he  continued  there  awhile,  and  published 
many  things  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  con- 
cerning the  power  of  the  heavenly  doc- 


Alexander 
resides  at 
Antioch, 
A.  D.  229. 


trine ;  and,  that  he  then  returned  to  his 
school  at  Alexandria. 

What  Origen  taught  this  princess  we 
are  not  told:  What  he  ought  to  have 
taught  her,  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
would  have  amply  informed  him — A  plain 
and  artless  declaration  of  the  vanity  and 
wickedness  of  all  the  reiofnino-  idolatries 
and  philosophical  sects :  and  what  is  still 
more — of  the  corruption,  helplessness, 
and  misery  of  man,  and  a  faithful  infor- 
mation concerning  the  only  way  of  salva- 
tion by  Jesus  Christ,  the  great  duty  of 
believing  on  him,  of  confessing  him,  and 
of  admitting  the  sanctifying  operations 
of  his  Spirit, — these  things  a  perfectly 
sound  preacher  would  have  shown  to 
her;  and  his  exhortations  would  have 
been  entirely  founded  on  these  doctrines ; 
nor  would  he  have  felt  the  necessity  of 
aiding  his  message  by  the  authority  of 
Plato  or  of  any  other  philosopher. — His- 
tory informs  us  of  no  remarkable  effect 


which  attended  the  ministry  of  Origen 
on  this  occasion.  That  he  spake  what 
he  believed,  and  what  he  thought  most 
wise  and  expedient,  is  not  to  be  doubted  ; 
but  we  may  be  allowed  to  lament,  that 
his  own  state  and  views  were  too  similar 
to  those  of  Mammasa  and  of  her  son,  to 
permit  him  to  represent  Christianity  to 
them  in  the  clearest  and  most  striking 
manner.  In  truth,  it  is  to  be  feared  that 
a  number  of  Christians  so  called,  at  this 
time,  were  much  of  the  same  religion 
with  Alexander  himself. — He  seems  to 
have  learnt,  in  some  measure,  the  doc- 
trine of  the  unity  of  the  Godhead;  and  by 
the  help  of  the  eclectic  philosophy  to 
have  consolidated  all  religions  into  one 
mass. — But  the  Scriptural  method  of 
teaching  things  that  accompany  salvation 
will  not  incorporate  with  this  system  of 
doctrines. 

The  liberality  of  his  friend  Ambrose 
enabled  Origen  to  prosecute  his  Scriptu- 
ral studies  with  vast  rapidity.  Ambrose 
himself  was  a  deacon  of  the  Church  ; 
and,  by  his  faithfulness  under  persecution, 
he  obtained  the  name  of  Confessor. 

At  this  time  Noctus  of  Smyrna  propa- 
gated the  same  heresy  in  the  East,  which 
Praxeas  had  done  in  the  West, — namely, 
that  there  was  no  distinction  among  the 
Divine  Persons.  The  pastors  of  the 
Church  of  Ephesus  summoned  him  be- 
fore them ;  and  demanded  whether  he 
really  maintained  this  opinion.  At  first 
he  denied  it  ;  but  afterwards,  having 
formed  a  party,  he  became  more  bold,  and 
publicly  taught  his  heresy.     Being  again 


Celsus,  B.  iii.  and  viii. 


*  A 
+  T 
jf  Lampridius 


le  chief  ruler  of  the  svnaa;os;ue. 


interrogated  by  the  pastors,  he  said, 
"  What  harm  have  I  done  1  1  glorify  none 
but  one  God  ;  I  know  none  besides  him 
who  hath  been  begotten,  who  suffered  and 
died,"  He  evidently,  in  this  way,  con- 
founded the  persons  of  the  Father  and  the 
vSon  together  ;  and  being  obstinate  in  his 
views,  he  was  ejected  out  of  the  Church 
with  all  his  disciples. — We  have  here  an 
additional  proof  of  the  jealousy  of  the 
primitive  Christians  in  support  of  the 
fundamental  articles  of  Christianity : 
The  connexion  also  indissolubly  pre- 
served between  heretical  depravity  and 
pride  of  heart  appeared  in  this  teacher. 
— He  called  himself  Moses,  and  his  bro- 
ther Aaron.* 

Origen  was  now  sent  for  to  Athens  to 
assist  the  Churches,  which  were  there 
disturbed  with  several  heresies.     Thence 

*  Fleury,  B.  v.  Epiphanius  and  Theodoret. 


Cest.  III.] 


STATE  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


159 


Origen 
ordained 


he   went  to   Palestine.      At 
Caesarea,  Tlieoctistus  the  bi- 
shop, and  Alexander  bishop 
A*D  '"30      '^^  Jerusalem,  ordained  him  a 
priest  at  the  age  of  forty-five, 
about  the  year  two  hundred  and  thirty. 
Demetrius,  his  own  bishop,  was  offended ; 
and,  at  length,  divulged  what  had  hitherto 
been   kept   very   secret, — the   indiscreet 
self-mutilation  before  mentioned,  which 
took  place  in  the  youth  of  Origen.     Alex- 
ander defended  himself  in  what  he  had 
done,   by  the   encomium   which   Deme- 
trius had  given  of  Origen  in  his  letter. 
The  latter,  on  his  return  to  Alexandria, 
found  his  bishop  quite  incensed  against 
him ;  for  he  procured  even  his  ejectment 
from  the  Church  by  a  council  of  pastors, 
on  account  of  some  errors  that  appeared 
in  his  works.     What  judgment  is  to  be 
formed  of  these  errors  1  shall  have  a  fu- 
ture occasion' to  consider.    Banished  from 
Egypt,  this  great  man  lived  now  in  Pa- 
lestine, with  his  friends  Theoctistus  and 
Alexander,  still  followed  by  many  disci- 
ples, and  particularly  respected  by  Fir- 
milian  of  Cappadocia,  who  looked  upon 
it  as  a  happiness  to  enjoy  his  instructions. 
Here  also  the  famous  Gregory  Thauma- 
turgus  attended  his  theological  lectures, 
which,  even  in  his  exile,  were  delivered 
in  Ori gen's  usual  manner. 

Demetrius,  bishop  of  Alexandria,  died, 
after  having  held  that  oihce  forty-three 
years.  A  long  period  ! — ^but  our  inform- 
ation is  too  indistinct  and  scanty  to  enable 
us  to  pronounce  his  real  character.  If 
we  were  sure  that  he  preserved  a  very 
upright  conscience  toward  God  in  things 
of  essential  moment,  something  might  be 
advanced  to  justify  his  severe  treatment 
of  Origen :  but,  as  we  are  left  on  that 
head  to  conjectures,  it  is,  perhaps,  better 
to  be  silent. — Origen's  assistant  Hera- 
clas  succeeded  him. 

In  the  year  two  hundred  and  thirty-five, 

Alexander  was  murdered,  to- 

The  Era-      gether  with  his  mother ;  and 

peror  Maxiniin   the    murderer    ob- 

Alexander     twined  the  empire.     His  ma- 

ir  eie  ,     jjgg  ^Qrainst  the  house  of  Alex- 


murde 

A  D.  '235.       a 

'    .'".  *      ander  disposed  him  to  perse- 

be^i'n^tlie  ^^^^  ^^^  Christians;  and  he 
6th  Perse-  gave  orders  to  put  to  death 
cation.  the  pastors  of  the  Churches. 

The  persecution  was  not  con- 
fined to  them  :  Others  suffered  at  the 
same  time  ;  and,  it  seems  by  Firmilian's 
letter  to  Cyprian  of  Carthage,  that  the 
flame  extended  to  Cappadocia.    Ambrose, 


the  friend  of  Origen,  and  Protoctetus, 
minister  of  Caesarea,  sutfered  much  in 
the  coarse  of  it ;  and  to  them  Origen  de- 
dicated his  Book  of  Martyrs.  He  him- 
self was  obliged  to  retire.  But  the  ty- 
rant's reign  lasted  only  three  years,  in 
which  time  it  must  be  confessed  that  the 
rest  of  the  world  had  tasted  of  his  fero- 
city as  much  as  the  Christians  had. — 
His  persecution  of  them  was  local ;  but 
his  cruelty  to  mankind  in  general  seemed 
to  have  no  limits. 

Pupienus  and  Balbinus,  the  . 

successors  of  Maximin,  were    ""V'i!"r^K- 

1    •     •     .1  ^        I       A  ^A      andBalbi- 

slam  m  the  year  two  hundred,     ^^^^^  killed 

and     thirty-eight;     Gordian     a.  U.  238.' 
reigned  for  six  years,  and  was 
then  supplanted   by  the   usual  military 
turbulence,  which  made  way  for  his  mur- 
derer, Philip  the  Arabian. 

Origen,  in  a  letter  to  his  scholar  Gre- 
gory Thaumaturgus,  exhorts  him  to  ap- 
ply himself  chiefly  to  the  Holy  Scrip- 
ture ;  to  read  it  very  attentively ;  not  to 
speak  or  judge  of  it  lightly,  but  with  un- 
shaken faith  and  prayer,  which,  says  he, 
is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  under- 
standing of  it. — This  exhortation  will  be 
noticed  by  the  pious  reader,  doubtless, 
with  much  satisfaction.  It  proves  that 
his  philosophy  had  not  obliterated  his 
Christianity. 

A  fresh  attempt  was  now  made  to  per- 
vert the  doctrine  of  the  person  of  Christ.. 
— Beryllus,  bishop  of  Bostra  in  Arabia, 
affirmed  that  our  Saviour,  before  his  in- 
carnation, had  no  proper  divinity,  but  only 
his  Father's  divinity  dwelling  in  himself. 
Thus  Eusebius  states  the  matter.  It  is 
not  easy  to  form  clear  ideas  of  these  sen- 
timents :  they  seem,  however,  to  annihi- 
late the  divine  personality  of  the  eternal 
Word.  The  man,  it  seems,  was  not  ob- 
stinate ;  he  listened  to  sound  scriptural 
argument,  and  was  therefore  reclaimed 
by^means  of  Origen.  He  even  loved  his 
instructor  ever  after,  and  was  sincerely 
thankful  to  him ;— a  circumstance,  which 
reflects  an  amiable  light  on  the  character 
of  Berylus.* 

Philip  began  to  reign  in  the  year  two 
hundred  and  forty-four.     Eu-     pj^jj- 
sebius  tells  us  that  he  was  a    ^.^^.^Jg^ 
Christian;    and   indeed   tlrat     a.U.  244. 
he   was   so,   by   profession, 
seems  well  attested  oy  the  concurrent 
voice  of  antiquity.     He  is  said  to  have 


*  Hieronym.  Eccle.  Scrip.  L.  xx.— See  Dr. 
I  Waterland  on  the  Importance  of  the  Trinity., 


160 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VH, 


He  allows 
idolatrous 
games, 
A.D.247. 


submitted  to  certain  ecclesiastical  cen- 
sures from  a  bishop ;  but  the  report  is 
void  of  proper  authenticity; — and  most 
probably,  he  ranked  at  his  death  only 
as  a  Catechumen.  There  is, 
however,  no  doubt,  but  in  the 
fourth  year  of  his  reign,  and 
in  the  year  of  Christ  two  hun- 
dred and  forty-seven,  he  al- 
lowed and  conducted  the  secular  games, 
which  were  full  of  idolatry :  and  this  is 
a  fact,  which  clearly  proves  that  he  was 
not  disposed  to  give  up  any  thing  for  the 
sake  of  Christ:  And,  in  general,  there  is 
not  the  least  ground  to  conclude  from  his- 
tory that  he  was  a  cordial  friend  to  the 
Gospel. — Nevertheless  the  progress  of 
Christianity  in  the  world  at  this  time 
must  have  been  very  great,  which  could 
induce  so  worldly-minded  a  person  as 
Philip  to  countenance  it  without  reserve 
or  ambiguity. — To  this  emperor  and  to 
his  wife  Severa,  Origen  wrote  an  epistle, 
which  was  extant  in  Eusebius's  time. 

It  appears  from  one  of  the  homilies  of 
Origen,  that  the  long  peace  which  the 
Church, — with  only  the  short  interrup- 
tion of  Maximin's  persecution, — had  en- 
joyed, was  followed  by  a  great  degree  of 
lukewarmness  and  even  of  much  religious 
indecorum.  Let  the  reader  only  notice 
the  difference  between  the  scenes  which 
he  here  describes,  and  the  conduct  of  the 
Christians  both  in  the  first  and  second 
century,  and  he  will  be  affected  with  the 
greatness  of  the  declension. 

"Several,"*  says  he,  "  come  to  Church 
only  on  solemn  festivals  ;  and  then,  not 
so  much  for  instruction  as  diversion : 
Some  go  out  again  as  soon  as  they  have 
heard  the  lecture,  without  conferring  or 
asking  the  pastors  any  questions  :  Others 
stay  not  till  the  lecture  is  ended  ;  and 
others  hear  not  so  much  as  a  single  word, 
but  entertain  themselves  in  a  corner  of 
the  church." 

By  the  blessing  of  Almighty  God,  no- 
thing was  so  likely  to  conquer  this  care- 
less spirit,  as  the  faithful  dispensation  of 
the  peculiar  truths  of  the  Gospel  in  a 
practical  manner,  so  as  to  search  the 
heart. — But  the  ability  as  well  as  the 
taste  for  doing  this  had  much  declined, 
in  the  Eastern  part  of  the  Church  espe- 
cially.— Origen  complains  elsewhere  of 
the  ambitious  and  haughty  manners  of 
pastors,  and  of  the  improper  steps  which 
some  took  to  obtain  preferments. 

*  Fleui-y. 


Cyprian 
made 
bishop  of 
Carthage, 

A.  D.  248. 


This  great  man  was  now  once  more 
employed  in  Arabia  in  confuting  another 
error,  namely, — of  those  who  denied  the 
intermediate  state  of  souls ;  and  this  he 
managed  with  his  usual  good  success.* 

Philip  enjoyed  the  fruits  of  his  crimes 
five  years,  and  was  then  slain  and  suc- 
ceeded by  Decius. — A  little  before  his 
death,  in  the  year  two  hundred  and  forty- 
eight,  CvPRiAN  was  chosen 
bishop  of  Carthage. — A  star 
of  the  first  magnitude, — when 
we  consider  the  times  in 
which  he  lived.  Let  us  re- 
create ourselves  with  the  con- 
templation of  it:  We  are  fatigued  with 
hunting  for  Christian  goodness;  and  we 
have  discovered  but  little:  and  that  little 
with  much  difficulty. — We  shall  find  Cy- 
prian to  be  a  character,  who  partook  in- 
deed of  the  declensions  which  we  have 
noticed  and  lamented ;  but  who  was  still 
far  superior,  I  apprehend,  in  real  simpli- 
city and  piety,  to  the  Christians  of  the 
East. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE  CONVERSION  OF  CYPRIAN. 

The  life  of  this  prelate  was  written  by 
Pontius  his  deacon.  It  is  to  be  regretted, 
that  one  who  must  have  known  him  so 
well,  should  have  written  in  so  incompe- 
tent a  manner.  Very  little  distinct  infor- 
mation is  to  be  gathered  from  him ;  but 
Cyprian's  own  letters  are  extant,  and 
from  them  I  shall  endeavour  to  exhibit 
whatever  is  of  the  greatest  moment.  They 
are,  in  truth,  a  valuable  treasure  of  eccle- 
siastical history :  The  spirit,  taste,  disci- 
pline, and  habits  of  the  times,  among 
Christians,  are  strongly  delineated,  nor 
have  we  in  all  the  third  century  any  ac- 
count to  be  compared  with  them.  He 
was  a  professor  of  oratory  in  the  city  of 
Carthage,  and  a  man  of  wealth,  quality, 
and  dignity.  Cascilius,  a  Carthaginian 
presbyter,  had  the  felicity,  under  God,  to 
conduct  him  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ; 
and  in  his  gratitude,  Cyprian  afterwards 
assumed  the  praenomon  of  Caecilius.  His 
conversion  was  about  the  year  Qo„yep. 
two  hundred  and  forty-six ;  gjo,,  ^f 
and  two  years  before  his  ele-  Cyprian, 
vation  to  the  see  of  Carthage,  j^  d  245. 
About  thirteen  years  compre- 


*  Euseb.  B.  vi.  36. 


Cent.  IH.] 


CONVERSION  OF  CYPRIAN. 


161 


hend  the  whole  scene  of  his  Christian  life. 
— But  God  can  do  great  things  in  a  little 
time ;  or  to  speak  more  nervously  with 
the  sacred  writer,  "  one  day  is  with  the 

LORD    AS    A    THOUSAND    YEARS."       He    did 

not  proceed  by  slow  painful  steps  of  ar- 
gumentation, but  seems  to  have  been  led 
on  with  vast  rapidity  by  the  effectual 
operation  of  the  Divine  Spirit : — and  he 
happily  escaped,  in  a  great  measure  at 
least,  the  shoals  and  quicksands  of  talse 
learning  and  self-conceit,  which  so  much 
tarnished  the  character  of  his  eastern 
brethren.  Faith  and  love  in  native  sim- 
plicity appear  to  have  been  possessed  by 
him  when  an  early  convert.  He  saw 
with  pity  the  poor  of  the  flock ;  and  he 
knew  no  method  so  proper  of  employing 
"  the  unrighteous  mammon  as  in  reliev- 
ing their  distress."* — He  sold  whole  es- 
tates for  their  benefit. 

It  was  an  excellent  rule  of  the  Apostle 
concerning  ordination,  "  Not  a  novice, 
lest,  being  lifted  up  with  pride,  he  fall 
into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil." 
There  appeared,  however,  in  Cyprian  a 
spirit  at  once  so  simple,  so  zealous,  and 
so  intelligent,  that  in  about  two  years 
after  his  conversion  he  was  chosen  pres- 
byter, and  then  bishop  of  Carthage. 

It  was  no  feigned  virtue  that  thus  ad- 
vanced him  in  the  eyes  of  the  people. 
With  Cyprian  the  love  of  Christ  evident- 
ly preponderated  above  all  secular  con- 
siderations. In  vain  his  wife  opposed 
his  Christian  spirit  of  liberality.  The 
widow,  the  orphan,  and  the  poor,  found 
in  him  a  sympathizing  benefactor  con- 
tinually. The  presbyter  Ccecilius  must 
have  beheld  with  much  delight  the  grow- 
ing virtues  of  his  pupil : — When  dying 
he  recommended  to  his  care  his  own  wife 
and  children.  It  was  with  no  satisfaction 
that  Cyprian  observed  the  designs  of  the 
people  to  choose  him  for  their  bishop. 
He  retired ,  to  avoid  solicitation:  His  house 
was  besieged  :  His  retreat  was  rendered 
impossible.  He  yielded  at  length,  and 
with  much  reluctance  accepted  the  pain- 
ful PRE-EMINENCE :  fof  SO  he  soou  found 
it. — Five  presbyters,  however,  were  ene- 
mies to  his  exaltation.  His  lenity,  pa- 
tience, and  benevolence  towards  them 
were  remarked  by  every  one. 

The  active  spirit  of  Cyprian  was,  no 
doubt,  much  employed  before  he  was 
made  a  bishop :  Indeed  Pontius  tells  us, 
that  this  was  actually  the  case ;  but  he 


communicates  no  particulars.     St.  Austin 
says,  that  his  letter  to  Donatus  was  his 
first  work;  and,  therefore,  the  time  of 
writing  it  may  safely  be  placed  before 
his  arrival  at  episcopal  dignity.     Part  of 
this  letter,  as  it  will  illustrate  his  con- 
version, and  show  the  spirit  of  a  man 
penetrated  with  divine   love,  and  lately 
recovered  from  the  idolatry  of  the  world, 
well  deserves  to  be  translated. — "  I  find 
your  whole  care  and  concern  at  present 
is  for  conversion :  you  look  at  me ;  and  in 
your  affection,  expect  much  from  me  :— 
I  fear  I  cannot  answer  your  expectations. 
Small  fruits  must  be  looked  for  from  my 
unworthiness ; — Yet,  I  will  make  the  at- 
tept,  for  the  subject-matter  is  all  on 
my  side. — Let  plausible  arts  of  ambition 
be  used  in  courts ;  but  when  we  speak  of 
the  Lord  God,  plainness  and  sincerity, 
not  the  powers  of  eloquence,  should  be 
used.     Hear,  then,  things  not  eloquent, 
but  important;  not  courtly,  but  rude  and 
simple  ; — so,  should  the  divine  goodness 
be  celebrated  always  with  artless  truth. — 
Hear,   then,   an    account   of   something 
which  is  felt  before  it  is  learnt ;   and  is 
not  collected  by  a  long  course  of  specu- 
lation, but  is  imbibed  by  the  soul  through 
the  compendium  of  grace  ripening  her,  as 
it  were,  all  at  once. 

"  While  I  lay  in  darkness  and  the  night 
of  paganism,  and  when  I  fluctuated  un- 
certain and  dubious  with  wandering  steps 
in  the  sea  of  a  tempestuous  age,  igno- 
rant of  my  own  life,  and  alienated  from 
light  and  truth,  it  appeared  to  me  a  harsh 
and  difficult  thing,  as  my  manners  then 
were,  to  obtain  what  divine  grace  had 
promised, — namely,  that  a  man  should 
be  born  again ;  and  that,  being  animated 
to  a  new  life  by  the  salutary  washing  of 
regeneration,*  he  should  strip  himself  of 
what  he  was  before,  and  though  the  body 
emained  the  same,  he  should,  in  his 
mind,  become  altogether  a  new  creature. 
How  can  so  great  a  change  be  possible, 
said  I, — that  a  man  should  suddenly  and 
at  once  put  off  what  nature  and  habit 
have  confirmed  in  him.  These  evils  are 
deeply  and  closely  fixed  in  us.  How 
shall  he  learn  parsimony,  who  has  been 
accustomed  to  expensive  and  magnificent 
feasts  1  And  how  shall  he,  who  has  been 
accustomed  to  purple,  gold,  and  costly 
attire,  condescend  to  the  simplicity  of  a 
plebeian  habit?  Can  he  who  was  delight- 


*  Pontius,  Vit.  Cyp. 
02 


*  An  instance  we  have  here  of  the  power- 
ful eflects  of  regeneration  attending  baptism 
in  tliose  days. 


162 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VII. 


ed  with  the  honours  of  ambition,  live  pri- 
vate and  obscure  1  Further, — the  man  has 
been  accustomed  to  crowds  of  clients, 
and  will  think  solitude  the  most  dreadful 
punishment. — He  must  still,  thought  I, 
be  infested  by  tenacious  allurements : 
Drunkenness,  pride,  anger,  rapacity,  cru- 
elty, ambition,  and  lust,  must  still  domi- 
neer over  him. 

"These  reflections  engaged  my  mind 
very  often ;  for  they  were  peculiarly  appli- 
cable to  my  own  case. — I  was  myself  en- 
tangled in  many  errors  of  my  former  life, 
from  which  I  did  not  think  it  possible  to 
be  cleared :  hence,  I  favoured  my  vices, 
and,  through  despair  of  what  was  better,  I 
stuck  close  to  them  as  part  of  my  very 
frame  and  constitution.  But  after  the 
filth  of  my  former  sins  was  washed  away 
in  the  laver  of  regeneration,  and  divine 
light,  from  above,  had  infused  itself  into 
my  heart,  now  purified  and  cleansed ;  after, 
through  the  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
from  heaven,  the  new  birth  had  made  me 
a  new  creature  indeed, — immediately,  and 
in  an  amazing  manner,  dubious  things 
began  to  be  cleared  up;  things  once  shut 
were  opened ;  dark  things  shone  forth ; 
and  what  before  seemed  difficult  and  even 
impossible,  now  appeared  easy  and  prac- 
ticable. I  saw  that,  that  which  was 
born  after  the  flesh  and  had  lived  enslav- 
ed by  wickedness,  was  of  the  'earth, 
earthy ;'  but  that  the  new  life  now  ani- 
mated by  the  Holy  Ghost,  began  to  be 
of  God.  You  know  and  recollect,  as 
perfectly  as  I  do,  my  conversion  from  a 
deadly  criminal  state  to  a  state  of  lively 
virtue:  You  know  what  these  opposite 
states  have  done  for  me : — what  they  have 
taken  away ;  and  what  they  have  confer- 
red :  and  therefore,  I  need  not  proclaim 
it:  To  boast  of  one's  own  merits  is  odi- 
ous ;  though  that  cannot  be  called  an  ex- 
pression of  boasting,  but  of  gratitude, 
which  ascribes  nothing  to  the  virtue  of 
man,  but  professes  all  to  proceed  from 
the  gift  of  God :  Thus  deliverance  from 
sin  is  the  consequence  of  sound  faith : — 
The  preceding  sinful  state  was  owing 
to  human  blindness. — Of  God  it  is, — of 
God,  I  say,  even  all  that  we  can  do :  thence 
we  live; — thence  we  have  strength; — 
thence  we  conceive  and  assume  vigour ; 
even  though,  as  yet,  placed  here  below, 
we  have  some  clear  foretaste  of  our  fu- 
ture felicity.  Only, — let  fear  be  the  guar- 
dian of  innocence;  that  the  Lord,  who 
kindly  shone  into  our  minds  with  an  ef- 
fusion of  heavenly  grace,  may  be  detained 


as  our  guest  by  the  steady  obedience  of  the 
soul  which  delights  in  him, — lest  pardon 
received  should  beget  a  careless  presump- 
tion, and  the  old  enemy  break  in  afresh. 

"  But  if  you  keep  the  road  of  innocence 
and  of  righteousness,  if  you  walk  with 
footsteps  that  do  not  slide ; — if,  depend- 
ing upon  God  with  all  your  heart  and 
with  all  your  might,  you  be  only  what 
you  have  begun  to  be,  you  will  then 
find,  that  according  to  the  proportion 
of  faith,  so  will  your  attainments  and 
enjoyments  be.  For  no  bound  or  mea- 
sure can  be  assigned  in  the  reception 
of  divine  grace,  as  is  the  case  of  earthly 
benefits.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  poured  forth 
copiously ;  is  confined  by  no  limits ;  is 
restrained  by  no  barriers ;  he  flows  per- 
petually ;  he  bestows  in  rich  abundance  : 
Let  our  heart  only  thirst  and  be  open 
to  receive  him :  As  much  of  capacious 
faith  as  we  bring,  so  much  abounding 
grace  do  we  draw  from  him.  Hence  an 
ability  is  given,  with  sober  chastity,  up- 
rightness of  mind,  and  purity  of  language, 
to  heal  the  sick,  to  extinguish  the  force 
of  poison,  to  cleanse  the  filth  of  distemper- 
ed minds,  to  speak  peace  to  the  hostile  ;  to 
give  tranquillity  to  the  violent,  and  gentle- 
ness to  the  fierce  ;  to  compel,  by  menaces, 
unclean  and  wandering  spirits  to  quit  their 
hold  of  men ;  to  scourge  and  control  the 
foe,  and  by  torments  to  bring  him  to  con- 
fess what  he  is. — Thus,  in  what  we  have 
already  begun  to  be,  our  new  spiritual 
nature,  which  is  entirely  the  gift  of  God, 
triumphs  in  its  freedom  from  the  bondage 
of  sin  and  Satan  ;  though,  till  our  corrup- 
tible body  and  members  be  changed,  the 
prospect,  as  yet  carnal,  is  obscured  by 
the  clouds  of  worldly  objects.  What  a 
faculty,  what  an  energy  is  this  ! — that  the 
soul  should  not  only  be  emancipated  from 
slavery,  and  be  made  free  and  pure ;  but 
also  stronger  and  more  efficient,  so  as 
to  become  victorious  and  triumphant  over 
the  powers  of  the  enemy!" 

The  testimony  here  given  to  the  ejec- 
tion of  evil  spirits,  as  a  common  thing 
among  the  Christians, even  in  the  third  cen- 
tury, deserves  to  be  noticed,  as  a  proof 
that  miraculous  influences  had  not  ceased 
in  the  Church.  Minutius  Felix  speaks 
to  the  same  purpose,  and  I  think  with 
more  precision.  "  Being  adjured  by  the 
living  God,  they  tremble  and  remain 
wretched  and  reluctant  in  the  bodies  of 
men :  they  either  leap  out  immediately, 
or  vanish  by  degrees,  as  the  faith  of  the 
patient  or  the  grace  of  the  person  admi- 


Ceitt.  nr.] 


CONVERSION  OF  CYPRIAN. 


163 


nistering  relief  may  be  strong  or  weak." 
— Indeed  the  testimony  of  the  Fathers  in 
these  times  is  so  general  and  concurrent, 
that  the  fact  itself  cannot  be  denied  with- 
out universally  impeaching  their  veracity. 
It  is  not  my  province  to  dwell  on  this 
point :  The  sanctifying  graces  of  the 
Spirit  call  for  my  particular  attention ; 
and  these  are  described  by  Cyprian  as  by 
one  who  had  seen  and  tasted  them.  No 
doubt,  after  his  conversion,  he  experienced 
in  himself  vital,  energetic,  and  divine  prin- 
ciples, far  beyond  the  reach  of  ordinary  ra- 
tional processes  ; — and  he  appeals  to  his 
friend  Donatus  if  he  had  not  also  felt  the 
same. 

We  may  safely,  therefore,  infer  that 
such  things  were  not  then  infrequent 
among  Christians,  though,  certainly,  the 
EFFUSIONS  of  the  Holy  Ghost  did  not 
so  much  abound  as  in  the  two  former  cen- 
turies.— Indeed,  what  but  the  power  of 
God  on  the  heart  can  account  for  a  change 
so  sudden,  so  rapid,  and  yet  so  firm  and 
solid,  as  that  of  Cyprian  1  What  can 
be  conceived  more  opposite  than  the  last 
thirteen  years  of  his  life  compared  with 
the  former  part  of  if? — Will  modern  fas- 
tidionsness  call  all  this  enthusiasm  ? 

In  this  narrative,  the  reader  will  notice, 
that  the  essential  doctrines  of  justification 
and  regeneration  by  divine  grace  were 
not  only  believed  but  experienced  by  this 
zealous  African. — The  difference  between 
mere  human  and  divine  teaching  is  ren- 
dered striking  by  such  cases.  W'ith 
no  great  furniture  of  learning,  it  was  his 
happiness  to  know  little,  if  any  thing,  of 
the  then  reigning  philosophy. — We  see  a 
man  of  business  and  of  the  world  rising 
at  once  a  Phoenix  in  the  Church ;  and 
though  no  extraordinary  Theologian  in 
point  of  accurate  knowledge,  yet  an  useful 
practical  Divine,  an  accomplished  Pastor, 
flaming  with  the  love  of  God  and  of  souls, 
and  with  unremitting  activity  spending 
and  being  spent  for  Jesus  Christ. — This 
is  the  Lord's  doing;  and  it  should  be  re- 
marked as  HIS  WORK. — We  shall  see  that 
Cjqjrian's  own  conversion  prepared  him 
for  actual  service.  Argument  and  dispute 
prevailed  among  Christians  in  the  East; 
— brotherly  love  in  the  West. 

He  records  a  remarkable  influence  of 
Divine  Grace,  which  to  him  appeared  to 
have  accompanied  his  baptism.  Nor  is 
it  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  this  was 
commonly  the  case  at  that  time.  The 
inward  and  spiritual  grace  really  attended 
the  outward  and  visible  sisrn.     And      is 


to  be  lamented,  that  the  corruption  and 
perversion  of  after  ages,  availing  itself 
of  the  ambiguous  language  of  the  fathers 
on  this  subject, — which,  with  them,  waa 
natural  enough, — supposed  a  necessary 
connexion  to  take  place  where  there  had 
heen  a  frequent  one.  In  Cyprian's  time, 
to  call  baptism  itself  the  new  birth  was  not 
very  dangerous  :  In  our  age  it  is  poison 
itself:  Men  are  apt  to  content  themselves 
with  the  outward  and  visible  sign ;  and 
it  has  long  been  the  fashion  to  suppose, 
all  persons  who  have  been  baptised  whea 
they  were  infants,  to  be,  of  course,  when 
they  are  grown  up,  in  a  state  of  regenera- 
tion by  the  Holy  Spirit :  and  thus  men 
have  learned  to  furnish  themselves  with 
a  convenient  evasion  of  all  that  is  written 
in  Scripture  concerning  the  godly  motions 
of  the  third  Person  of  the  sacred  Tri- 
nity.* 

Cyprian  goes  on, — "And  that  the  marks 
of  divine  goodness  may  appear  the  more 
perspicuously  by  a  discovery  of  the  truth, 
I  would  lay  open  to  your  view  the  real 
state  of  the  world ; — I  would  remove  the 
thick  darkness  which  covers  it,  and  de- 
tect the  hidden  mischiefs  and  the  evils 
which  it  contains. — For  a  little  time,  fancy 
yourself  withdrawn  to  the  top  of  a  high 
mountain  ; — thence  inspect  the  appear- 
ance of  things  below  you;  look  all  around ; 
— preserve  yourself  unfettered  by  worldly 
connexions, — observe  the  fluctuating  tem- 
pests of  the  world  ; — you  will  then  pity 
mankind ;  you  will  understand  and  be 
sensible  of  your  own  happiness ; — you 
will  be  more  thankful  to  God ;  and,  with 
more  joy,  you  will  congratulate  yourself 
on  j^our  escape." 

He  then  gives  an  affecting  view  of  the 
immensity  of  evils  which  the  state  of 
mankind  at  that  time  exhibited,  and  gra- 
phically delineates  the  miseries  of  public 
and  of  private  life ;  after  which  he  returns 
to  the  description  of  the  blessings  of  true 
Christianity. 

"  The  only  placid  and  sound  tranquilli- 
ty," says  he,  "  the  only  solid,  firm,  and 

*  It  is  true  that  the  term  regeneration  may 
be  so  defined  as  to  imply  no  more  tliaii  the 
mere  ceremony  of  baptism.  But  tlie  real  clan- 
ger is,  lest  by  any  contrivances  in  our  defini- 
tions, we  eitber  do  away  entirely,  or  at  least 
weaken,  tbe  necessity  of  the  operations  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  so  essential  both  in  the  first  work 
of  conversion,  and  also  in  the  carrying  on  of 
that  work  ;  or  in  tbe  words  of  our  Tenth  Ar- 
ticle, so  essential  in  "  preventing  us  that  we 
may  have  a  good  will,  and  working  with  us 
when  we  have  that  good  will." 


164 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VHL 


perpetual  security  is,  to  be  delivered  from 
the  tempests  of  this  restless  scene,  to  be 
stationed  in  the  port  of  salvation  ;  to  lift 
np  the  eyes  from  earth  to  heaven,  and  to 
be  admitted  into  the  favour  of  the  Lord  : 
Such  a  man  approaches,  in  his  thoughts, 
near  to  his  God  ;  and  justly  g-lories,  that 
whatever  others  deem  sublime  and  great 
in  human  affairs, — is  absolutely  beneath 
his  notice.  He,  who  is  greater  than  the 
world,  can  desire  nothing,  can  want  no- 
thing from  the  world.  Wliat  an  unshaken 
protection ;  what  a  truly  divine  shelter 
fraught  with  eternal  good,  it  must  be,  to 
be  loosed  from  the  snares  of  an  entangling 
world,  to  be  purged  from  earthly  dregs, 
and  to  be  wafted  into  the  light  of  immor- 
tal day !  When  we  see  what  the  insi- 
dious rage  of  a  destructive  enemy  was 
plotting  against  us  ; — certainly,  we  must 
be  the  more  compelled  to  love  what  we 
shall  be,  because  we  have  now  learned 
both  to  know  and  to  condemn  what  we 
were.  Nor  is  there,  for  this  end,  any 
need  of  price,  of  canvassing,  or  of  manual 
labour :  This  complete  dignity  or  power 
of  man  is  not  to  be  acquired  by  elaborate 
eiibrts  :  The  gift  of  God  is  gratuitous  and 
easy.  As  the  sun  shines  freely,  as  the 
fountain  bubbles,  as  the  rain  bedews,  so 
the  Celestial  Spirit  infuses  himself.  The 
soul  looks  up  to  heaven  and  becomes 
conscious  of  its  Author :  It  then  begins 
actually  to  be  what  it  believes  itself  to 
be  :  It  is  higher  than  the  firmament,  and 
sublimer  than  all  earthly  power.  Only, — 
do  you,  whom  the  heavenly  warfare  hath 
marked  for  divine  service,  preserve  im- 
tainted  and  sober  your  Christian  course 
by  the  virtues  of  religion.  Let  prayer  or 
reading  be  your  assiduous  employment  : 
Sometimes  speak  with  God :  At  other 
times  hear  him  speak  to  you :  Let  him 
instruct  you  by  his  precepts  ;  let  him  re- 
gulate you :  Whom  he  hath  made  rich, 
none  shall  make  poor.  There  can  be  no 
penury  with  him  whose  heart  has  once 
been  enriched  with  celestial  bounty. 
Roofs  arched  with  gold,  and  houses  inlaid 
with  marble,  will  be  vile  in  your  eyes, 
when  you  know  that  your  own  minds  ou  ght 
rather  to  be  cultivated  and  adorned  :  That 
this  house  is  more  valuable,  which  the 
Lord  has  chosen  to  be  his  temple,  in 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  has  begun  to  dwell. 
Let  us  adorn  this  house  with  the  paintings 
of  innocence,  let  us  illuminate  it  with  the 
light  of  righteousness.  This  will  never 
fall  into  ruin  through  the  decays  of  age  : 
Its  ornaments  shall  never  fade.     What- 


ever is  not  genuine  is  precarious,  and  af- 
fords to  the  possessor  no  sure  foundation. 
This  remains  in  its  culture  perpetually 
vivid  ;  in  honour,  and  in  splendour,  spot- 
less and  eternal :  It  can  neither  be  abo- 
lished nor  extinguished. — Is  it  then  ca- 
pable of  no  alteration'? — Yes, — It  will 
receive  a  rich  improvement  at  the  resur- 
rection of  the  body. 

"Let  us  be  careful  how  we  spend  our 
time:  let  us  rejoice;  but  let  not  an  hour 
of  entertainment  be  inconsistent  or  uncon- 
nected with  divine  grace.  Let  the  sober 
banquet  resound  with  psalms;  and  as 
your  memory  is  good,  and  voice  harmo- 
nious, perform  this  office, — as  I  believe 
you  do. — It  will  be  more  than  agreeable, 
— it  will  be  delightful, — to  your  dear 
friends  to  hear  of  your  spiritual  and  reli- 
gious harmony." 

In  all  this  the  intelligent  reader  sees 
the  picture  of  an  active  Christian, — pos- 
sessed of  a  rich  portion  of  that  effusion  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  which,  from  the  Apos- 
tles' days,  still  exhibited  Christ  Jesus, — 
and  fitted  by  experience  to  communicate 
to  others  the  real  Gospel,  and  to  be  a 
liappy  instrument  of  guiding  souls  to  that 
rest  which  remains  for  the  people  of  God. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  PERSECUTION 

OF     DECIUS. THE    GOVERNMENT   OF 

CyPRlAN  TILL  HIS  RETIREMENT. 

How  Cyprian  conducted  himself  in  his 
bishopric,  who  is  sufficient  to  relate? 
says  Pontius,  in  the  fulness  of  his  admi- 
ration. Some  PARTICULAR  account,  how- 
ever, might  have  been  expected  from  one 
who  had  such  large  opportunity  of  infor- 
mation. He  does  make  some  brief  obser- 
vations on  his  external  appearance.  "  His 
looks  had  the  due  mixture  of  gravity  and 
cheerfulness ;  so  that  it  was  doubtful 
whether  he  vvere  more  worthy  of  love  or 
of  reverence.  His  dress  also  was  cor- 
respondent to  his  looks  :  He  had  renounc- 
ed the  secular  pomp  to  which  his  rank  in 
life  entitled  him ; — yet  he  avoided  affected 
penury." — From  a  man  of  Cyprian's  piety 
and  good  sense  united,  such  a  conduct 
might  be  expected. 

While  Cyprian  was  labouring  to  re- 
cover the  spirit  of  godliness  among  the 
Africans,  which  long  peace  had  corrupted, 
Philip  was   slain,   and   sue-     xhe  7th 
ceeded  by  Decius.     His  en-     Persecu- 


CEifT.  in.] 


UNDER  DECIUS,  ETC. 


165 


tionbyDe-    mity  to  the  former  emperor 
dus,  conspired  with  his  pagan  pre- 

A.  D.  250.  judices  to  bring  on  the  most 
dreadful  persecution  which 
the  Church  had  yet  experienced.  It  was 
evident  that  nothing  less  than  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Christian  name  was  intended. 
The  chronology  is  here  remarkably  em- 
barrassed;  nor  is  it  an  object  of  much 
consequence  to  trouble  either  myself  or 
the  reader  with  studious  attempts  to  set- 
tle it.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  eventful 
period  before  us  of  Cyprian's 
bishopric  extends  from  the 
year  two  hundred  and  forty- 
eiffht  to  two  hundred  and  six- 


The  ex- 
tent of  it, 
A.  D.  248 
to  260. 


ty,  and  that  Decius's  succes- 
sion to  the  empire  must  have  taken  place 
about  the  beginning  of  it.  The  persecu- 
tion raged  with  astonishing  fury,  beyond 
the  example  of  former  persecutions,  both 
in  the  East  and  West.  The  latter  is  the 
scene  before  us  at  present.  In  a  treatise 
of  Cyprian  concerning  the  lapsed,*  we 
have  an  affecting  account  of  the  declen- 
sion from  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  which 
had  taken  place  before  his  conversion,  and 
which  moved  God  to  chastise  his  Church. 
"  If  the  cause  of  our  miseries,"  says  he, 
"  be  investigated,  the  cure  of  the  wound 
may  be  found.  The  Lord  would  have  his 
family  to  be  tried.  And  because  long 
peace  had  corrupted  the  discipline  divine- 
ly revealed  to  us,  the  heavenly  chastise- 
ment hath  raised  up  our  faith,  which  had 
lain  almost  dormant :  and  when,  by  our 
sins,  we  had  deserved  to  suffer  still  more, 
the  merciful  Lord  so  moderated  all  things, 
that  the  whole  scene  rather  deserves  the 
name  of  a  trial  than  a  persecution.  Each 
had  been  bent  on  improving  his  patrimo- 
ny ;  and  had  forgotten  what  believers  had 
done  under  the  Apostles,  and  what  they 
ought  always  to  do  : — They  were  brood- 
ing over  the  arts  of  amassing  wealth : — 
The  pastors  and  the  deacons  each  forgat 
tlieir  duty :  Works  of  mercy  were  ne- 
glected, and  discipline  was  at  the  lowest 
ebb. — Luxury  and  effeminacy  prevailed  : 
Meretricious  arts  in  dress  were  cultivated  : 
Fraud  and  deceit  were  practised  among 
brethren. — Christians  could  unite  them- 
selves in  matrimony  with  unbelievers ; 
could  swear  not  only  without  reverence, 
but  even  without  veracity.  With  haughty 
asperity  they  despised  their  ecclesiastical 
superiors:  They  railed  against  one  an- 
other with  outrageous  acrimony,  and  con- 


Section  4. 


ducted  quarrels  with  determined  malice: 
— Even  many  bishops,  who  ought  to  be 
guides  and  patterns  to  the  rest,  neglect- 
ing the  peculiar  duties  of  their  stations, 
gave  themselves  up  to  secular  pursuits: 
— They  deserted  their  places  of  residence 
and  their  flocks  :  They  travelled  through 
distant  provinces  in  quest  of  pleasure  and 
gain;  gave  no  assistance  to  the  needy 
brethren;  but  were  insatiable  in  their 
thirst  of  money : — They  possessed  estates 
by  fraud,  and  multiplied  usury.  What 
have  we  not  deserved  to  suffer  for  such  a 
conduct*  Even  the  Divine  Word  hath 
foretold  us  what  we  might  expect,    'if 

HIS  CHILDREN  FORSAKE  MY  LAW,  AND  WALK 
NOT  IN  MY  JUDGMENTS,  I  WILL  VISIT  THEIR 
OFFENCES  WITH  THE    ROD,    AND    THEIR  SIN 

WITH  SCOURGES.'  Thcsc  thiugs  had  been 
denounced  and  foretold,  but  in  vain  :  Our 
sins  had  brought  our  affairs  to  that  pass, 
that  because  we  had  despised  the  Lord's 
directions,  we  were  obliged  to  undergo  a 
correction  of  our  multiplied  evils  and  a 
trial  of  our  faith  by  severe  remedies." 

That  a  deep  declension  from  Christian 
purity  had  taken  place  not  only  in  the 
East,  where  false  philosophy  aided  its 
progress,  as  we  have  seen,  but  also  in  the 
West,  where  the  operation  of  no  peculiar 
cause  can  be  traced  beyond  the  commoa 
influence  of  prosperity  on  human  depra- 
vity, is  now  completely  evident  from  this 
account  of  Cyprian;  and, — it  deserves  to 
be  remarked,  that  the  first  grand  and  gene- 
ral declension,  after  the  primary  effu- 
sion of  the  Divine  Spirit,  should  be  fixed 
about  the  middle  of  this  century.  The 
wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  is  also  to 
be  observed  in  qualifying  the  bishop  of 
Carthage  by  a  strong  personal  work  oa 
his  own  heart :  and  then,  in  raising  him 
to  the  See  of  Carthage,  to  superintend  the 
western  part  of  his  Church  in  a  time  of 
trial  like  the  present.  The  trial,  no  doubt, 
was  kindly  intended  by  Providence  to  ope- 
rate as  a  medicine  for  the  revival  of  the 
declining  spirit  of  Christianity;  but  it 
needed,  nevertheless,  all  that  fortitude, 
zeal,  and  wisdom,  with  which  Cyprian 
was  so  eminently  endowed. 

In  such  a  situation  it  was  not  to  be  ex- 
pected that  the  people  under  the  bishop's 
care  should,  in  general,  stand  their  ground: 
avarice  had  taken  deep  root  among  them; 
and  vast  numbers  lapsed  into  idolatry  im- 
mediately. Even  before  men  were  ac- 
cused as  Christians,  "  many  ran  to  the 
forum  and  sacrificed  to  the  gods  as  they 
were  ordered;  and  the  crowds  of  apos- 


166 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  IX. 


tates  were  so  great*  that  the  magistrates 
wished  to  delay  numbers  of  them  till  the 
next  day,  but  they  were  importuned  by 
the  wretched  suppliants  to  be  allowed 
to  prove  themselves  heathens  that  very 
night." 

At  Rome,  the  persecution  raged  with 
unremitting  violence.  There  Fabian  the 
bishop  suffered;  and,  for  some  time,  it 
became  impracticable  to  elect  a  successor : 
yet  it  does  not  appear  that  the  metropolis 
suffered  more,  in  proportion,  than  some 
other  places,  since  we  find  that  the  flame 
of  persecution  had  driven  several  bishops 
from  distant  provinces,  and  made  them  fly 
for  shelter  to  Rome.f  Cyprian,  however, 
having  been  regularly  informed  by  the 
Roman  clergy  of  the  martyrdom  of  their 
bishop,  congratulated  them  on  his  glori- 
ous exit,:j:  and  exulted  on  occasion  of  his 
uprightness  and  integrity.  He  expresses 
the  pleasure  he  conceived  in  observing 
that  his  edifying  example  had  so  much 
penetrated  their  minds ;  and  owns  the 
energy  which  he  himself  felt  to  imitate 
the  pattern. 

Moyses  and  Maximus,  two  Roman 
presbyters,  with  other  confessors,  were 
also  seized  and  imprisoned.  Attempts 
were  repeatedly  made  to  persuade  them 
to  relinquish  the  faith,  but  in  vain.  Cy- 
prian found  means  to  write  to  them  also 
a  letter  full  of  benevolence,  and  breathing 
the  strongest  pathos. §  He  tells  them 
that  his  heart  was  with  them  continually, 
— that  he  prayed  for  them  in  his  public 
ministry, — and  in  private.  He  comforts 
them  under  the  pressures  of  hunger  and 
thirst  which  they  endured,  and  congratu- 
lates them  for  living  now  not  for  this  life 
but  for  the  next;  and  particularly,  be- 
cause their  example  would  be  a  means  of 
confirming  many  who  were  in  a  wavering 
state. — But  Carthage  soon  became  an  un 
safe  scene  to  Cyprian  himself. — By  re 
peated  suffrages  of  the  people  at  the  thea- 
tre he  was  demanded  to  be  taken  and 
given  to  the  lions ;  and  it  behooved  him 
immediately  either  to  retire  into  a  place 
of  safety,  or  to  expect  the  crown  of  mar- 
tyrdom. 

Cyprian's  spirit  in  interpreting  Scrip- 
ture was  more  simple,  and  more  accom- 
modated to  receive  its  plain  and  obvious 
sense,  than  that  of  men  who  had  learned 
to  refine  and  subtilize.  He  knew  the  li- 
berty which  his  Divine  Master  had  given 


to  his  people — of  fleeing  when  they  were 
persecuted  in  one  city,  to  another; — and 
he  embraced  it.  Nay,  he  seems  scarcely 
to  have  thought  it  lawful  to  do  otherwise. 
— Even  the  last  state  of  his  martyrdom 
evinces  this. — His  manner  of  enduring  it, 
when  it,  providentially,  was  brought  on 
him,  3ufl[iciently  acquits  him  of  all  suspi- 
cion of  pusillanimity. — To  unite  such 
seemingly  opposite  things  as  discretion 
and  fortitude,  each  in  a  very  high  degree, 
is  a  sure  characteristic  of  greatness  in  a 
Christian  : — It  is  grace  in  its  highest  ex- 
ercise.— Pontius  thinks  it  was  not  with- 
out a  particular  divme  direction  that  he 
was  moved  to  act  in  this  manner  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Church. 

Behold  him  at  present,  in  some  place 
of  retreat,  under  the  protection  of  God, 
and  through  the  love  of  his  people  safe 
for  the  space  of  two  years  from  the  arm 
of  a  most  barbarous  persecution ;  and  let 
us  next  see  how  he  employed  this  inter- 
val of  retirement. 


*  Cypri. 
I  Ep.  4. 


de  lapsis. 


fEp. 
§Ep. 


31. 
16. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  CYPRIAN  AND  OF  THE 
WESTERN  CHURCH  DURING  HIS  RE- 
TIREMENT   OF    TWO    YEARS. 

CypRiAN  was  never  more  active  than  in 
his  retreat.  Nothing  of  moment  occur- 
red in  ecclesiastical  affairs  either  in  Af- 
rica or  in  Italy  with  which  he  was  unac- 
quainted ;  and  his  counsels,  under  God, 
were  of  the  greatest  influence  in  both 
countries.  I  shall  endeavour,  from  his 
own  letters,  which  were  written  in  this 
period,  to  abbreviate  the  account. 

The  presbyters  of  Carthage  sent  Cle- 
raentius,  a  sub-deacon,  to  Rome,  from 
whom  the  Roman  clergy  learnt  the  place 
of  the  retreat  of  the  bishop.  They,  in  re- 
turn, express  to  the  Africans  their  perfect 
agreement  in  opinion  concerning  the  pro- 
priety of  the  concealment,  because  he 
was  an  eminent  character,  and  a  life  ex- 
tremely valuable  to  the  Church.  They 
represent  the  conflict  as  very  important, 
which  God  had  now  permitted  for  the  trial 
of  his  servants :  They  said,  it  was  the 
express  purpose  of  God  to  manifest  both 
to  angels  and  to  men,  that  the  conqueror 
shall  be  crowned,  and  the  conquered,  tha* 
is,  the  faithless  apostate,  be  self-con- 
demned. They  express  the  deep  sense 
which  they  had  both  of  their  own  situar- 
tion  and  that  of  the  clergy  of  Carthage, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  take  care  not  to  in- 


CsjTT.  in.] 


HISTORY  OF  CYPRIAN. 


167 


cur  the  censure  passed  on  faithless  shep- 
herds in  the  prophet,*  but  rather  to  imi- 
tate their  Lord  the  good  shepherd,  who 
laid  down  his  life  for  the  sheep, f  and  who 
so  earnestly  and  repeatedly  charges  Si- 
mon Peter,  as  a  proof  of  his  love  to  his 
Master,    "to  feed  his  sheep.":!:     "We 
would  not  wish,  dear  brethren,"  say  they, 
"  to  find  you  mere  mercenaries,  but  good 
shepherds,  since  you  know  it  must  be 
highly  sinful  in  you  not  to  exhort  the 
brethren  to  stand  immovable  in  the  faith, 
lest  they  be  totally  subverted  by  idolatry. 
Nor  do  we  only  in  words  thus  exhort 
you ;  but,  as  you  may  learn  from  many 
who  came  from  us  to  you,  our  actions, 
with  the  help  of  God,  accord  with  our 
declarations :    we    make   no   scruple   to 
hazard  our  lives ;  for  we  have  before  our 
eyes  the  fear  of  God  and  of  eternal  punish- 
ment, rather  than  the  fear  of  men  and  of 
a  temporary  calamity :  we  do  not  desert 
the  brethren ;  we  exhort  them  to  stand  in 
the  faith,  and  to  be  ready  to  follow  their 
Lord  when  called:  We  have  also  done 
our  utmost  to  recover  those  who  had  gone 
up  to  sacrifice  in  order  that  they  might 
save  their  lives.  Our  Church  stands  firm 
in  the  faith  in  general :    Some,  indeed, 
overcome  by  terror,  either  because  they 
were  persons  in  high  life,  or  were  moved 
by  the  fear  of  man,  have  lapsed ;    yet 
these,  though  separated  from  us,  we  do 
not  give  up  as  lost  altogether,  but  we  ex- 
hort them  to  repent,  if  they  may  find  mer- 
cy with  him  who  is  able  to  save :  we 
would  not,  by  abandoning  them,  render 
their  case  hopeless  and  incurable. 

"  We  wish  you,  brethren,  to  act  in  the 
same  manner,. as  much  as  in  you  lies  : — 
Exhort  the  lapsed,  if  they  should  be 
seized  a  second  time,  to  confess  their  Sa- 
viour. And  we  suggest  to  you  to  receive 
again  into  commuuion  any  of  these,  if 


in  that  which  is  least,  will  have  '  autho- 
rity over  ten  cities.'*  May  God,  who 
does  all  things  for  those  who  hope  in 
him,  grant  that  we  may  all  be  found  thus 
diligently  employed  !  The  brethren  in 
bonds,  the  clergy,  and  the  whole  Church 
salute  you :  We  all  of  us  with  earnest 
solicitude  watch  and  pray  for  all  who  call 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord.  And  we  be- 
seech you,  in  return,  to  be  mindful  of  us 
also  in  your  prayers." 

Several  observations  present  themselves 
on  this  occasion.  1.  It  appears,  that, 
both  at  Rome  and  Carthage,  the  reduced 
mode  of  episcopacy  was  the  form  of  ec- 
clesiastical government  which  gradually 
prevailed  in  the  Christian  world.  It  is 
not  to  be  supposed  that  the  whole  body 
of  Christians,  either  at  Rome  or  at  Car- 
thage, was  no  more  than  what  might  be 
contained  in  one  assembly. — The  infer- 
ence is  obvious. 

2.  The  Roman  Church  appears,  in  the 
beginning  of  Decius's  persecution  at  least, 
to  have  been  in  a  much  more  thriving 
state  than  that  of  Carthage,  and  their 
clergy  to  have  been  models  worthy  of 
imitation  in  all  ages. 

3.  The  administration  of  discipline 
among  the  Christians,  wisely  tempered 
by  tenderness  and  strictness,  is  truly  ad- 
mirable. 

4.  The  work  of  the  Divine  Spirit  also 
amongst  them,  infusing  the  largest  cha- 
rity, even  to  the  laying  down  of  their 
lives  for  the  brethren,  is  manifest  beyond 
contradiction.  Now  mark  the  spirit  of  a 
primitive  pastor,  full  of  charity  and  meek- 
ness, of  zeal  and  prudence,  in  the  follow- 
ing letter  of  Cyprian  to  his  clergy  : — 

"  Being  hitherto  preserved  by  the  fa- 
vour of  God,  I  salute  you,  dearest  breth- 
ren, and  I  rejoice  to  hear  of  your  safety. 
As  present  circumstances  permit  not  my 


they  heartily  desire  it,  and  give  proofs  of  |  presence  among  you,  I  beg  you  by  your 

""  faith  and  by  the  ties  of  religion,  to  dis- 

charge your  duties,  in  conjunction  with 
mine  also,  that  nothing  be  wanting  either 
on  the  head  of  discipline  or  of  diligence. 
I  beg  that  nothing  may  be  wanting  to 
supply  the  necessities  of  those,  who  are 
imprisoned  because  of  their  glorious  pro- 
fession and  avowal  of  God,  or  who  labour 
underthepressuresof  indigence  and  pover- 
ty, since  the  whole  ecclesiastical  fund  is 
in  the  hands  of  the  clergy  for  this  very 
purpose,  that  a  number  may  have  it  in  their 
power  to  relieve  the  wants  of  individuals. 


sound  repentance.  And  certainly  officers 
should  be  appointed  to  minister  to  the 
widows,  the  sick,  those  in  prison,  and 
those  who  are  in  a  state  of  banishment. 
A  special  care  should  be  exercised  over 
the  catechumens,  to  preserve  them  from 
apostasy ;  and  those  whose  duty  it  is  to 
inter  the  dead,  ought  to  consider  the  in- 
terment of  the  martyrs  as  matter  of  indis- 
pensable obligation. 

"  Sure  we  are,  that  those  servants,  who 
shall  be  found  to  have  been  thus  faithful 


*  Ezek.  xxxiv. 
i  John  xxi. 


3,4. 


f  John  X. 


*  Luke  xix.  19. 


168 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH  ; 


[Chap.  IX. 


"I  beg  further,  that  you  would  use 
every  prudential  and  cautious  method  to 
procure  the  peace  of  the  Church;  and  if 
the  brethren,  in  their  charity,  wish  to  con- 
fer with  and  to  visit  those  pious  suftering 
converts,  whom  the  divine  goodness  hath 
thus  far  shone  upon  by  such  good  begin- 
nings, they  should,  however,  do  this  cau- 
tiously, not  in  crowds,  nor  in  a  multitude ; 
lest  any  odium  should  hence  arise,  and 
the  liberty  of  admission  be  denied  alto- 
gether; and  lest  while,  through  greedi- 
ness, we  aim  at  too  much,  we  lose  all. 
Consult  therefore  and  provide,  that  this 
may  be  done  safely  and  with  discretion ; 
so  that  the  presbyters,  one  by  one,  accom- 
panied by  the  deacons  in  turn,  may  suc- 
cessively minister  to  them,  because  the 
change  of  persons  visiting  them  is  less  lia- 
ble to  breed  suspicion.  For  in  all  things  we 
ought  to  be  meek   and   humble,  as  be- 
comes the  servants  of  God,  to  redeem  the 
time,  to  have  a  regard  for  peace,  and  to 
provide  for  the  people.     Most  dearly  be- 
loved and  longed-for,  I  wish  you  all  pros- 
perity, and  entreat  you  to  remember  us. 
Salute  all  the  brethren.  Victor  the  deacon, 
and  those  that  are  with  us,  salute  you."* 
The  numerous  defections  which  took 
place  must  have   penetrated  deeply  the 
fervent  and  charitable  spirit  of  Cyprian. 
Not  only  very  many  of  the  laity,  but  part 
of  the  clergy  also  had  been  seduced.     "  I 
could  have  wished,"  says  he,f  "  dearest 
brethren,  to  have  had  it  in  my  power  to 
salute  your  whole  body  sound  and  entire; 
but  as  the  melancholy  tempest  has,  in  ad 
dition  to  the  fall  of  so  many  of  the  people, 
also  affected  part  of  the  clergy, — sad  ac- 
cumulation of  our  sorrow  I   we  pray  the 
Lord,  that,  by  divine  mercy,  we  may  be 
enabled  to  salute  you  at  least, — whom  we 
have  known  hitherto  to  stand  firm  in  faith 
and  Atirtue, — as  sound  and  unshaken  fol 
lowers  of  Christ  for  the  time  to  come.— 
Though  the  cause  loudly  called  on  me  to 
hasten  my  return  to  you ;  first,  on  account 
of  my  own  desire  and  regret  for  the  loss 
of  your  company, — a  desire  which  burns 
strongly  within  me ; — in  the  next  place, 
that  we  might,  in  full  council,  settle  the  va- 
rious objects  in  the  Church  which  require 
attention ;  yet,  on  the  whole,  to  remain  still 
concealed  seemed  more  advisable  on  ac- 
count of  other  advantages  which  pertain 
to  the  general  safety,  an  account  of  which 
our  dear  brother  Tertullus  will  give  you ; 
who,  agreeably  to  that  care  which  he  em- 


ploys in  divine  works  with  so  much  zeal 
was  also  the  adviser  of  this  council,  that 
I  should  act  with  caution  and  moderation, 
and  not  rashly  commit  myself  to  the  pub- 
lic view  in  a  place  where  I  had  so  often 
been  sought  and  called  for. 

"Relying  therefore  on  your  afifection 
and  conscientiousness,  of  which  I  have 
had  good  experience,  I  exhort  and  charge 
you  by  these  letters,  that  you,  whose  si- 
tuation is  less  dangerous  and  invidious, 
would  supply  my  lack  of  service.  Let 
the  poor  be  attended  to  as  much  as  possi- 
ble,— those  I  mean,  who  have  stood  the 
test  of  persecution :  suffer  them  not  to 
want  necessaries  ;  lest  indigfence  do  that 
agamst  them  which  persecution  could 
not.  I  know  the  charity  of  the  brethren 
has  provided  for  very  many  of  them  :— 
yet, — as  I  wrote  to  you  before,  even  while 
they  were  in  prison, — if  any  persons  do 
want  meat  or  clothing,*  let  their  necessi- 
ties be  supplied." 

Li  the  sequel  of  this  epistle,  he  shows 
a  deep  knowledge  of  the  depravity  of  the 
human  heart,  which  is  very  apt  to  be 
puffed  up  with  vain-glory  and  self-con- 
ceit, on  the  consciousness  of  having  well 
performed  our  part  in  any  respect.  I 
cannot  forbear  transcribing  the  following 
practical  rules  of  humility. 

"  Let  them  know, — that  they  must  be 
instructed  and  taught  by  you  ; — that  the 
doctrines  of  Scripture  require  subordina- 
tion in  the  people  to  their  pastors  ; — that 
they  should  cultivate  an  humble,  modest, 
and    peaceable    demeanour  ; — and    that 
those  who  have  been  gloriously  bold   in 
the   avowal   of   their    faith,   should    be 
equally  exemplary  in  all  the  branches  of 
Christian  conduct. — The  harder  trial  yet 
remains  :—  The  Lord  saith,  '  He  that  en- 
dureth  to   the  end,   the  same   shall    be 
saved. 'f      Let  |^them   imitate  the  Lord, 
whose  humility  never  shone  more  than  at 
the  eve  of  his  passion,  when  he  washed 
his  disciples'  feet.     The  Apostle  Paul 
too,  after  repeated  sufferings,  still  conti- 
nued mild  and  humble.     His  elevation  to 
the  third  heaven  begat  in  him  no  arro- 
gance ;  neither,  says  he,  '  did  we  eat  any 
man's  bread  for  nought,  but  laboured  and 
travailed  night  and  day,  that  we  might 
not  be  chargeable  to  any  of  you.'ij: 

"  All  these  duties  do  you  instil  into  the 
minds  of  the  brethren :  and, — because  he, 


Epis.  4. 


t  Epis.  5. 


*  It  hence  appears  that  a 
had  been  released. 


number  of  them 


t  Matthew  x.  22. 


:j:  2  Thess.  iii.  8. 


CEST.m.] 


HISTORY  OF  CYPRIAN. 


169 


who  humbles  himself,   shall  be  exalted, 
— now  is  the  time  more  particularly  that 
they  should  tear  the  snares  of  the  enemy 
of  souls,  who  loves  to  attack  even  the 
strongest,  and  to  revenge   the  disgrace 
which   he   has   already    sustained    from 
them.     The  Lord  grant  that,  in  due  sea- 
son, I  may  be  enabled  to  visit  my  people 
again  ;  and  to  exliort  them  to  useful  pur- 
pose.    For  I  am  grieved  to  hear  that  some 
of  them  run  about  idly,  foolishly,  and  in- 
solently; or  give  themselves  up  to  strife; 
and   even   pollute,  by  fornication,  those 
members  which  had  confessed   Christ 
and  are  not  willing  to  be  subject  to  the 
deacons  or  presbyters,  but  seem  to  act  as 
if  they  intended,  by  the  bad  conduct  of  a 
few  nominal  Christians,  to  bring  disgrace 
on  the  whole  body.     He  is  a  true  Chris- 
tian  indeed,    on   account   of  whom   the 
Church  need  not  blush,  but  glory. 

"  To  the  point,  concerning  which  cer- 
tain presbyters  wrote  to  me,  I  can  answer 
nothing  alone;  for,  from  the  beginning  of 
my  appointment  to  this  See,  I  determin- 
ed to  do  nothing  without  your  consent  and 
the  consent  of  the  people.  But  when,  by 
the  favour  of  God,  I  shall  have  returned 
to  you, — we  will  treat  in  common  of  all 
things." 

In  the  next  letter*  he  dwells  on  the 
same  subject,  namely,  the  ill  conduct  of 
some  of  the  confessors.  The  use  of  good 
discipline  in  the  Church  of  God ;  the  bene- 
fits of  orderly  subjection  in  the  members ; 
the  danger  of  pride  and  self-exaltation ; 
and — the  deceilfulness  of  the  human  heart, 
are  well  staled,  and  in  exceedingly  strong 
terms. 

After  having  congratulated  his  people 
on  the  steadiness  of  their  confession,  he 
reminds  them  of  the  necessity  of  perse- 
verance, since  faith  itself  and  the  new 
birth  conduct  us  to  life  eternal,  not  mere- 
ly as  once  received,  but  as  preserved. 
He  reminds  them,  that  the  Lord  regards 
him  that  is  poor,  and  of  a  contrite  spirit, 
and  that  trembles  at  his  words ; — and  he 
rejoices  to  find  that  the  greatest  part  of 
the  confessors  thus  adorned  the  Gospel. f 
But  he  had  heard  that  some  of  them 
were  puffed  up :  To  these  he  exhibits  the 
mild,  charitable,  and  humble  spirit  of  the 
Lamb  of  God:  "And  dare,"  says  he, 
"any  one,  who  now  lives  by  him  and  in 


HIM,  to  lift  himself  up  with  pride  1 — He 
that  is  least  among  you,  the  same  shall 
be  great.  How  execrable  ought  those 
immoralities  and  indecencies  to  appear 
among  you,  which  we  have  heard  of  with 
the  deepest  sorrow  of  heart!" — He  then 
repeats  what  he  had  before  mentioned  of 
the  lasciviousness  of  some. 

"  Contentions  and  strifes  ought  to  have 
no  place  among  you,  since  the  Lord  has 
left  us  his  peace.     I  beseech  you  abstain 
from  reproaches  and  abuse ; — for  he  who 
speaks  what  is  peaceable,  and  good,  and 
just,  according  to  the  precepts  of  Christ, 
daily  imitates  his   Lord  and   Master. — 
We  renounced  the  world  when  we  were 
baptized;  but  now  we  truly  and  indeed 
renounce  the  world,  when,  upon  being 
tried  and  proved  by  God,  we  scruple  not 
to  give  up  our  own  wills  to  follow  the 
Lord ;  and  to  stand  and  live  in  his  faith 
and  fear.     Let  us  strengthen  one  another 
with  mutual  exhortations,  and  strive  to 
grow  in  the  Lord ; — that  when,  in  his 
mercy,  he  shall  give  us  that  peace  and 
tranquillity  which  he  has  promised,  we 
may  return  to  the  Church  as  new  men ; — 
and  that  both  our  brethren  and  the  gen- 
tiles may  receive  us  improved  in  holy 
conduct;  and  may  admire  the  excellency 
of  the  morals  and  discipline  of  those  very 
Christians,  who  had  astonished  them  by 
their  fortitude  during  the  persecution." 

The  mind  of  Cyprian,  full  of  the  fear 
of  God,  and  reflecting,  from  a  compari- 
son of  Christian  precepts  with  the  bad 
practice  of  many,  how  exceedingly  his 
people  had  provoked  the  Lord  before  the 
persecution,  was  vehementl)''  incited  to 
stir  them  up  to  repentance. — He  address- 


*  Epis.  fi.  ad  Rogatianum  presbyterum  el 
cseteriis  corifc'Ssores. 

+  A  coiit'cssor  means  one  who  openly  avow- 
ed himself  to  be  a  convert  to  Christiauhy,  &c. 
See  note,  p.  174,  infra. 

Vol.  L  P 


es  them  from  his  recess,*  as  follows : — 
"Though  I  am  sensible,  dearest  brethren, 
that  as  we  all  live  in  the  obedient  fear 
of  God,  you  are  instant  in  prayers,  yet  I 
also  admonish  you  that  we  ought  to 
breathe  out  our  souls  to  God,  not  only  in 
words,  but  also  in  fasting,  tears,  and 
every  method  of  supplication.  In  truth, 
we  must  understand  and  confess  that  the 
apostasy  which,  in  so  large  a  degree,  has 
wasted  our  flock  and  still  wastes  it,  is 
the  proper  consequence  of  our  sins." 

He  then  goes  on  to  speak  of  their  prac- 
tical corruptions,  as  he  does  in  his  trea- 
tise concerning  the  lapsed.  "  And  what 
plagues,  what  stripes  do  we  not  deserve, 
since  even  confessors,  who  ought  to  be 
patterns  to  the  rest,  are  quite  disorderly  ! 


Epis. 


170 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IX. 


Hence,  while  the  proud  and  indecent 
boasting  of  their  confession  puffs  up  some, 
torments  have  come  upon  us,  and  tor- 
ments unremitted ; — tedious  and  most  dis- 
tressing ;  and  so  protracted  as  to  exclude 
even  the  comfort  of  death  itself! 

"  Let  us  pray  with  our  whole  heart  for 
mercy :  and  if  the  answer  to  our  prayers 
be  slow  because  we  have  deeply  offended ; 
— let  us  knock;  for  to  him  that  knocketh 
it  shall  be  opened,  when  prayers,  groans, 
and  tears  beat  at  the  door." — He  then 
records  some  visions ;— which,  as  they 
rather  suit  the  dispensation  of  that  age 
in  which  miracles  were  by  no  means 
wanting,  I  pass  over. 

"Our  Master  himself  prayed  for  us; 
because  though  himself  no  sinner,  yet  he 
bore  our  sins.  And  if  he  laboured  and 
watched  on  account  of  us  and  of  our  sins, 
how  much  more  should  we  be  urgent  in 
prayer  1  Brethren — let  us  first  entreat  our 
Lord  himself,  and  then  through  him  we 
may  obtain  favour  with  God  the  Father. 
The  Father  himself  corrects  and  takes 
care  of  us,  in  the  midst  of  all  pressures, 
provided  we  remain  firm  in  the  faith,  and 
stick  close  to  his  Christ; — as  it  is  writ- 
ten, '  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the 
love  of  Christ  ■?  Shall  tribulation,  or  dis- 
tress, or  persecution,  or  famine,  or  naked- 
ness, or  peril,  or  sword  1'  None  of  these 
can  separate  believers :  Nothing  can 
pluck  away  those,  who  adhere  closely  to 
his  body  and  blood. — Persecution  is  the 
examination  and  trial  of  our  heart.  God 
would  have  us  to  be  sifted  and  tried  ;  nor 
was  ever  his  help  wanting  in  trials,  to 
those  who  believe.  Let  our  eyes  be  lift- 
ed up  to  heaven,  lest  earth  with  its  en- 
ticements deceive  us.  If  the  Lord  see 
us  humble  and  quiet,  lovingly  united, 
and  corrected  by  the  present  tribulation, 
he  will  deliver  us.  Correction  has  come 
first;  pardon  will  follow:  Let  us  only 
continue  to  pray  in  steady  faith ;  and  to 
behave  like  men  placed  between  the  ruins 
of  the  fallen  and  the  remains  of  those  who 
are  in  fear, — between  a  multitude  of  the 
sick,  and  the  few  who  have  escaped  a 
devouring  pestilence." 

Thus  the  persecution  at  Carthage  ap- 
pears to  have  been  very  dreadful ;  but 
mostly  so  on  account  of  the  number  of 
apostates  :  The  Christian  faith,  patience, 
and  magnanimity  of  Cyprian  and  of  a 
small  remnant  were  in  full  exercise. 

The  persecutors  endeavoured  to  lessen 
the  number  of  Christians  by  banishing 
from  Carthage  all  those  who  confessed 


Christ :  but  this  not  answering  their  pur- 
pose, they  proceeded  to  cruel  torments. 
Cyprian,  hearing  that  some  had  expired 
under  their  sufferings,  and  that  others 
were  still  in  prison  yet  alive,  wrote  to 
these  last  a  letter  of  encouragement  and 
consolation.  Their  limbs  had  been  sore- 
ly mangled  and  torn,  so  that  they  appear- 
ed like  one  continued  wound ;  yet  they 
remained  firm  in  the  faith  and  love  of 
Jesus.  One  of  them,  Mappalicus,  amidst 
his  torments,  said  to  the  proconsul,  "To- 
morrow you  shall  see  a  contest  for  a 
prize." — He  alluded  to  the  crown  of  mar- 
tyrdom; and,  what  he  uttered  in  faith, 
the  Lord  fulfilled : — He  lost  his  life  in 
the  conflict  on  the  next  day.* 

So  eagerly  and  so  firmly  was  the  mind 
of  Cyprian  fixed  on  heavenly  things  ;  and 
so  completely  lifted  up  above  the  world, 
that  he  ardently  exulted  and  triumphed 
amidst  those  scenes  of  horror.  He  de- 
scribes the  martyrs  and  confessors  as 
wiping  away  the  tears  of  the  Church, 
while  she  was  bewailing  the  ruins  of  her 
sons.  He  represents  even  Christ  him- 
self as  looking  down  with  complacency; 
fighting  and  conquering  in  his  servants  ; 
and  giving  strength  to  believers  in  pro- 
portion to  their  faith: — "He  was  present 
in  the  contest,"  says  he ;  "  He  encour- 
aged, corroborated,  animated  his  war- 
riors. And  he,  who  once  conquered 
death  for  us,  always  conquers  in  us." 
Toward  the  close  of  his  epistle,  he  con- 
soles, with  suitable  arguments,  those  who 
had  not  yet  been  crowned  with  martyr- 
dom, but  were  prepared  for  it  in  spirit. 

The  joy  of  Cyprian,  on  account  of  the 
faithfulness  of  the  martyrs,  was,  how- 
ever, considerably  damped  by  the  disor- 
derly conduct,  which  began  to  take  place 
in  his  absence.  Those,  who  had  suffer- 
ed tortures  for  Christ,  and  were  on  the 
point  of  martyrdom,  and  to  whom  it  was 
usual  to  make  application  for  the  presen- 
tation of  petitions,  wrote  to  him  and  re- 
quested, that  the  consideration  of  the 
cases  of  lapsed  Christians  might  be  de- 
ferred till  the  persecution  was  stopped, 
and  the  bishop  was  restored  to  his  Church. 
In  the  mean  time,  several  of  these  lapsed 
brethren  offered  themselves  to  certain 
presbyters  of  Carthage  to  be  received 
again  into  communion;  and  they  were 
actually  re-admitted  to  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per without  any  just  evidence  of  their  re- 
pentance.— The   bishop   dissembled  not 


*  Epis.  8. 


CxxT.  ni.] 


HISTORY  OF  CYPRIAN. 


171 


his  pleasure  on  this  occasion :  He  con- 
fessed, he  had  long  borne  with  these  dis- 
orders for  the  sake  of  peace,  till  he 
thought  it  his  duty  to  bear  with  them  no 
longer : — He  said,  "  that  it  was  quite  un- 
precedented to  transact  these  things  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  bishop:* — and 
that,  even  in  lesser  offences,  a  regular 
time  of  penitence  was  exacted  of  the 
members ; — a  certain  course  of  discipline 
took  place, — they  made  open  confession 
of  their  sins,  and  were  re-admitted  to 
communion  by  the  imposition  of  hands 
of  the  bishop  and  his  clergy." — He  di- 
rects that  the  irregular  practice  might  be 
stopped,  till,  on  his  return,  every  thing 
should  be  settled  with  propriety. 

Some  of  the  martyrs  themselves,  it  ap- 
pears,! acted  very  inconsiderately  in  this 
business,  and  gave  to  lapsed  persons  re- 
commendatory papers,  conceived  in  ge- 
neral terms.  Cyprian  wishes  them  to 
express  the  names  of  the  persons,  and  to 
give  no  such  recommendations  to  any  but 
those,  of  whose  sincere  repentance  they 
had  some  good  proof;  and  even  in  that 
case  to  refer  the  ultimate  cognizance  of 
such  matters  to  the  bishop. 

Every  thing  has  two  handles.  Cypri- 
znX  has  been  represented  as  stretching  the 
episcopal  power  beyond  its  due  bounds. 
I  see  no  evidence  that  he  exceeded  the 
powers  of  his  predecessors.  A  pious  care 
for  the  good  of  souls, — not  any  ambition 
for  the  extension  of  liis  own  authority, 
seems  to  influence  his  mind  in  these  af- 
fairs;; but  of  this,  the  learned  reader  must 
judge  for  himself,  who  will  take  the  pains 
to  examine  his  epistles  with  attention. 
Let  any  man  peruse  the  following  letter; 
and  consult  his  own  heart  as  he  goes 
along,  whether  it  be  the  language  of  a 
tender  father  of  the  Church,  or  of  an  im- 
perious lord. 

CYPRIAN  TO  THE  BRETHREN  OF  THE 
LAITV,  GREETING. 

"  I  know  from  my  own  feelings,  dear- 
est Brethren,  that  you  must  grieve  and 
bitterly  bewail  over  the  ruins  of  our  peo- 
ple, as  I  sincerely  join  with  you  in  sad 
grief  and  lamentation  for  every  one  of 
them  :  I  experience  the  truth  of  what  the 
blessed  Apostle  said, '  Who  is  weak,  and 
I  am  not  weak  1     Who  is  offended,  and 


*  A  further  confirmation  of  the  antiquit}-  of 
a  limited  episcopacy  in  the  Church  of  Christ, 
t  Epis.  10. 
^  Mosheim — Ecclesiastial  History. 


I  burn  not]'  And  again, '  If  one  member 
suffer,  all  the  members  suffer  with  it.'  I 
sympathize  and  condole  with  our  breth- 
ren, who  have  lapsed  through  the  violence 
of  persecution  :  It  is  true,  their  wounds 
give  me  the  most  acute  pain :  they  abso- 
lutely break  my  heart :  but,  divine  grace 
can  heal  them. — Still  I  think  we  should 
not  be  in  a  hurry  ;  nor  do  any  thing  in- 
cautiously and  precipitately ;  lest,  wliile 
we  rashly  re-admit  them  into  communion, 
the  divine  displeasure  be  more  grievously 
incurred.  The  blessed  martyrs  have  writ- 
ten to  us,  'begging  that  their  petitions  in 
favour  of  the  lapsed  may  be  examined, 
when  the  Lord  shall  vouchsafe  peace  to 
us,  and  we  shall  be  able  to  return  to  the 
Church.' — Certainly  then  every  case 
shall  be  examined  in  your  own  presence, 
and  with  the  concurrence  of  your  own 
judgments, — But  I  hear  that  some  presby- 
ters,— neither  mindful  of  the  precepts  of 
the  Gospel, — nor  considering  what  the 
martyrs  have  written  to  us, — and  also  in 
contempt  of  the  episcopal  authority,  have 
already  begun  to  communicate  with  the 
lapsed,  and  to  administer  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per to  them,  in  defiance  of  that  legitimate 
order  by  which  alone  re-admissions  are 
ever  to  be  regulated.  For,  if  in  lesser 
faults  this  discipline  should  be  observed, 
much  more  ought  it  in  evils,  like  these, 
which  radically  affect  the  Christian  pro- 
fession itself.  Our  presbyters  and  dea- 
cons are  bound  to  admonish  the  people  in 
this  matter,  that  they  may  cherish  the 
sheep  intrusted  to  them,  and  instruct  them 
in  the  way  of  imploring  mercy  by  the  di- 
vine rules. — I  have  too  good  an  opinion 
of  the  peaceable  and  humble  disposition 
of  our  people  to  believe  that  they  would 
have  ventured  to  lake  such  a  step,  had 
they  not  been  seduced  by  the  adulatory 
arts  of  some  of  the  clergy. 

"  Do  you,  then,  take  care  of  each  of 
them  ;  and,  by  your  judgment  and  mode- 
ration, according  to  the  sacred  precepts, 
moderate  the  spirits  of  the  lapsed :  let 
none  pluck  off  fruit,  as  yet  unripe,  with 
improvident  precipitation ;  let  none  com- 
mit a  vessel  again  to  the  deep,  shattered 
already  and  leaky,  till  it  be  carefully 
re-fitted  :  let  none  put  on  his  tattered  gar- 
ment, till  he  see  it  thoroughly  repaired. 
— I  beseech  them  also  to  attend  to  this 
advice,  and  to  expect  our  return ; — that 
when  we  shall  come  to  you, — by  the  mer- 
cy of  God, — we  may,  with  the  concur- 
rence of  other  bishops,  examine  the  let- 
ters and  the  petitions  of  the  martyrs,  in 


172 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  IX. 


the  presence  of  the  confessors,  according 
to  the  will  of  the  Lord." 

It  is  hence  observable,  that  persons, 
whose  religion  had  more  of  form  than 
sincerity,  and  whose  consciences  were 
not  altogether  seared,  acted  in  the  same 
manner  then  as  such  do  now ; — that  is, 
they  were  more  hasty  to  sfain  the  good 
will  of  men  than  of  their  Maker.  They 
were  ambitious  of  the  favour  of  the  mar- 
tyrs of  those  times,  who  were  unquestion- 
ably sound  and  pious  Christians ;  and 
we  shall  see  soon  still  stronger  proof, 
that  even  men  of  eminent  godliness  are 
sometimes  too  apt  to  repay,  with  conces- 
sions of  a  dangerous  nature,  the  profes- 
sions of  respect  made  to  them  by  ambigu- 
ous characters.  The  Lord's  Supper  was 
then,  as  it  is  now,  made  by  some  an  en- 
gine of  self-righteous  formality.  And  it 
is  in  cases  of  this  nature  that  wholesome 
Church-discipline  is  very  precious.  The 
danger  of  false  healing  justly  appeared 
great  to  Cyprian,  nor  can  any  thing  be 
conceived  more  proper  than  the  delay 
which  he  directed.  Yet  as  the  time  was 
protracted  to  a  more  distant  period  than 
he  expected,  and  as  he  was  afraid  that 
the  sickly  season  of  the  hot  weather  might 
carry  off  some  of  the  lapsed,  he  directs, 
in  a  subsequent  letter,*  "  that  any  of  the 
lapsed  penitents  whose  lives  might  he  in 
danger,  should,  by  such  Church  officers 
as  were  authorized,  be  re-admitted  into 
the  Church."  And  he  intreats  his  clergy 
to  cherish  the  rest  of  the  fallen  Christians 
with  care  and  tenderness. — He  observes 
that  the  grace  of  the  Lord  would  not  for- 
sake the  humble. 

His  exhortations  to  his  clergy  were  not 
without  effect.  They  fell  in  with  hi:S  views, 
and  solicited  tho  people  to  patience,  mo- 
desty and  real  repentance. — They  consult- 
ed him  how  they  should  act  in  certain  criti- 
cal cases  :  He  referred  them  to  his  former 
letters  ;  and  repeated  his  ideas  of  the  pro- 
per season  of  settling,  in  general,  the  con- 
cerns of  the  lapsed  ;  at  the  same  time  he 
urged  the  indecency  of  some  persons  in 
expecting  a  re-admission  into  the  Church 
before  the  return  of  those  who  were  in 
exile,  and  were  stripped  of  all  their  goods 
for  the  sake  of  the  Gospel.  "But,  if 
they  are  in  such  excessive  hurry,"  said 
the  bishop,  "  it  is  in  their  own  power  to 
obtain  even  more  than  they  desire.  The 
battle  is  not  yet  over ;  the  conflict  is  daily 
carrying  on.    If  they  cordially  repent,  and 


the  fire  of  divine  faith  burns  in  their 
breasts,  he  who  cannot  brook  a  delay, 
may,  if  he  please,  be  crowned  with  mar- 
tyrdom." 

The  African  prelate  was  ever  studious 
of  preserving  an  intimate  connexion  with 
the  Roman  Church,  where  still  the  perse- 
cution raged  and  prevented  the  election  of 
a  successor  to  Fabian. 

The  next  epistle  is  employed  in  giving 
them  an  account  of  his  proceedings. 

The  bold  neglect  of  discipline  in  Car- 
thage proved  a  source  of  vexation  to  his 
mind  in  addition  to  his  other  trials,  and 
called  forth  all  the  patience,  tenderness, 
and  fortitude  of  which  he  was  possessed. — 
Lucian  a  confessor  of  Christ,  sincere  and 
fervent  in  faith,  but  injudicious,  and  too 
little  acquainted  with  Christian  precepts, 
undertook,  in  the  name  of  the  collective 
bod}'^  of  the  confessors,  to  re-admit  into 
communion  all  the  lapsed  who  had  ap- 
plied to  them  ;*  and  he  wrote  a  very  con- 
cise letter  to  Cyprian,  in  which  he  desires 
him  to  inform  the  rest  of  the  bishops  of 
what  they  had  done,  and  expresses  a  wish 
that  he  may  acquiesce  in  the  views  of  the 
martyrs. — It  cannot  be  denied, — that,  on 
the  one  hand,  a  superstitious  veneration 
for  the  character  of  a  martyr  and  a  confes- 
sor had  grown  up  among  these  Africans  ; 
— and  that,  on  the  other, — those,  who  had 
suffered  for  Christj  in  persecution,  were 
apt  to  be  elated  with  spiritual  pride,  and 
to  assume  an  authority  which  by  no  means 
belonged  to  them  ; — so  dangerous  a  thing 
is  it  to  be  unacquainted  with  Satan's  de- 
vices,— and  so  prone  in  all  ages  are 
even  professors  of  true  religion  to  walk 
in  the  steps  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abi- 

Cyprian  sent  the  copy  of  this  letter  to 
his  clergy  at  Carthage  ;  and  prefaced  his 
observations  on  it  in  the  following  point- 
ed manner  :  "  To  this  man  will  I  look, 
saith  the  Lord,  even  to  him  that  is  poor 

AND  of  a  contrite  SPIRIT,  AND  THAT  TREM- 

BLETH  AT  MY  WORD.  This  character  be- 
comes us  all,  particularly  those  who  have 
fallen,  that  they  may  appear  before  the 
Lord  humble  and  penitent  indeed."  He 
then  added, — "  that  the  bishops,  his 
brethren,  had  agreed  with  him  in  opinion 
to  defer  the  consideration  of  the  cases  of 
the  lapsed  to  a  council  to  be  held  by  them 
in  general,  after  that  it  should  have  pleased 
God  to  restore  peace  to  his  Church;" — 


Epis.  12. 


*  Ejjis.  17. 

4  Sec  Numbers  x\i. 


f  Ellis.  18. 


Cent.  III.] 


HISTORY  OF  CYPRIAN. 


17a 


and  he  urged  them  "  to  support  these 
views."  He  sent  them,  at  the  same 
time,  a  copy  of  a  correspondence  between 
Caldonius,  an  African  bishop,  and  him- 
self. 

It  is  not  known  in  what  place  Caldo- 
nius lived  ;  but  he,  like    Cyprian,  was 
very  cautious  in  restoring  the  lapsed  to 
communion.      Some,    however,    of   his 
Church,  having-  apostatized  by  sacrificing 
to  the  pagan  gods,  were  called  to  a  se- 
cond  trial ;   when  they  recovered   their 
ground  ;  and,  in  consequence,  were  driven 
into  banishment  and  stripped  of  their  pro- 
perty.    Caldonius  expressed  his  opinion 
that  SUCH  should  be  re-admitted.     Felix, 
a  presbyter,  his  wife  Victoria,  and  one 
Lucian,  thus  lost  their  possessions,  which 
were  forfeited  to  the  Imperial  treasury. 
A  woman,  also,  named  Bona,  who  was 
dragged  by  her  pagan  husband  to  sacri- 
fice, was,  while  they   held   her  hands, 
compelled  to  a  seeming  compliance,  but 
she  fully  cleared  her  integrity  by  saying, 
"  I  did  it  not, — ye  have  done  it."     She 
also   was  banished.     Caldonius   having 
stated  the  facts  and  given  his  own  opi- 
nion, asks  the  advice  of  Cyprian,  who  ac- 
quiesces in  his  judgment ;  and  adds,  that 
he  wished  all  the  lapsed,  who  then  caused 
him  so  much  affliction,  were  disposed  to 
retrieve  their  Christian  character  by  these 
methods,  rather   than   to  increase    their 
faults  by  pride  and  insolence.* 

A  confessor,  named  Celerinus,  who 
lived  in  some  part  of  Africa — most  pro- 
bably in  banishment — was  much  grieved 
on  account  of  the  apostasy  of  his  two  sis- 
ters, Numeria  and  Candina.  He  wept 
night  and  day  in  sackcloth  and  ashes  on 
their  account;  and  hearing  of  Lucian  still 
being  in  prison  and  reserved  for  martyr- 
dom at  Carthage,  he  wrote  to  him  to  in- 
treat  that  either  he  himself  or  any  of  his 
suffering  brethren, — particularly,  whoso- 
ever should  first  be  called  to  martyrdom, 
— would  restore  them  to  the  Church.  He 
begs  the  same  favour  for  Etcusa  also ; 
who,  though  she  had  not  sacrificed,  had 
given  money  to  be  excused  from  the  act.j 
He  assures  Lucian  of  the  sincerity  of 
their  repentance;  and  says,  it  was  evi- 
denced by  their  kindness  and  assiduity  in 
attending  on  the  suffering  brethren.  He, 
manifestly,  attributes  too  much  to  the 
character  of  martyrs,  in  affirming,  that 
"  because  they  were  friends  and  wit- 
nesses of  Christ,  they  had  therefore  a 


Epis.  18,  19. 


p2 


t  Epis.  20. 


power  of  indulging  all  requests  of  this 
sort."  This  letter  and  the  answer  of  Lu- 
cian contain  a  mixture  of  good  and  evil : 
they  exhibit  true  grace  tarnished  with 
pitiable  ignorance  and  superstition.  Both 
Celerinus  and  Lucian  were,  doubtless, 
good  men ; — but  we  are  more  disposed  to 
make  candid  allowances  for  the  defects  of 
our  own  age  than  for  those  of  preceding 
times. 

The  conduct  of  Lucian  affords  a  memo- 
rable   and   lamentable   instance    of   the 
weakness  of  human  nature  even  in  a  re- 
generate spirit.  His  answer  to  Celerinus* 
displays  the  most  consummate  fortitude, 
— and  this, — as  far  as  appears — grounded, 
in  the  main,  on  the  true  faith  and  love  of 
Christ.    The  existence  of  a  deplorable 
and  subtile  spirit  of  pride,  in  some  de- 
gree, is,  perhaps,  not  to  be  denied;  but 
this  holy  man  was  certainly  not  aware  of 
the  alloy. — He  describes  himself  and  his 
companions  as  shut  up  and  pressed  to- 
gether excessively  close   in   two  small 
cells,  and  also  greatly  suffering  from  hun- 
ger,  thirst,   and  intolerable  heat.      He 
mentions  a  number  of  them  as  already 
killed  in  prison  ;  and  adds  that,  in  a  few 
days,  he  himself  must  expire.     "  For  five 
days,"  says  he,  "  we  have  received  very 
little  bread;  and  the  water  is  apportion- 
ed to  us  by  measure." — Such  were  the 
sufferings  of   this  persecution. — Lucian 
speaks  of  all  this  in  a  cool,  and  most  un- 
affected manner; — like  one,  whose  mind 
was  lifted  up  above  the  world  and  its  ut- 
most malice,  and  patiently  expected  a 
blessed  immortality.     As  to  the  petition 
of  Celerinus  in  favour  of  his  sisters,  he 
informs  him  that  Paul  the  martyr,  who 
had  lately  suffered,  had  visited  him  while 


YET  IN  THE  BODY,  and  had  said, — "Lu- 
cian, I  say  to  thee  before  Christ,  that  if 
any  person  after  my  decease  beg  of  you  to 
be  restored  to  the  Church,  do  you,  in  my 
name,  grant  his  request."  Lucian  ex- 
tends this  generosity  to  the  greatest 
height ;  and  refers  him  to  the  general  let- 
ter, which  he  had  already  written  in  be- 
half of  the  lapsed.  Yet  he  owns,  they 
ought  to  explain  their  cause  before  the  bi- 
shop, and  make  a  confession.  It  is  very 
plain,  however,  that  he  attributes,  in  this 
matter,  a  sort  of  superior  dignity  to  Paul, 
to  himself,  and  to  the  other  martyrs  :  and, 
no  doubt,  the  vain-glory  of  martyrdom 
was  much  augmented  by  the  excessive 
regard  which  now  began  to  be  shown  to 

*  Epis.  21. 


174 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IX. 


sufferers. — ^These  and  similar  facts  con- 
strain the  reluctant  historian  to  acknow- 
ledge, that  the  corruptions  of  superstition, 
in  giving  immoderate  honour  to  saints  and 
martyrs,  which  afterwards,  through  Sa- 
tan's artifice  and  delusion,  grew  to  the 
enormous  pitch  of  idolatrjr  itself,  had  al- 
ready entered  the  Church,  and  contami- 
nated the  simplicity  and  the   purity   of 
Christian  faith  and  dependence.  Yet  this 
concession, — it  must  be  remembered, — 
implies  no  suspicion  of  hypocrisy  either 
in  the  martyrs  or  in  their  admirers.    This 
same  Lucian  was  a  man  of  true,  of  sub- 
stantial piety. — He  wept  and  lamented 
exceedingly  on  account  of  the  lapsed  wo- 
men ;  and  had  the  fear  of  God  constantly 
before  his  eyes.     Probably,  he  was  not 
very  judicious  :  his  letter  is  confused  and 
perplexed  beyond  measure  ;  nor  is  it  now 
easy  to  say,  how  far  the  obscurity  is  to 
be  ascribed  to  the  want  of  a  clear  under- 
standing, or  to  his  very  distressed  cir- 
cumstances, or  to  the  corruption  of  the 
text. 

It  is  evident  that  a  spirit  extremely  dan- 
gerous to  the  cause  of  piety,  humility, 
and  wholesome  discipline,  was  spreading 
fast  in  the  African  Church.  Celerinus 
himself,  who  had  been  a  confessor,*  owns 
that  the  cause  of  his  sister  had  been  heard 
by  the  clergy  of  her  Church, — at  that 
time,  it  seems,  destitute  of  a  bishop  ; — 
who  had  deferred  the  settlement  of  it  till 
the  appointment  of  the  chief  pastor  ; — 
but  the  precipitation  of  men  would  brook 
no  delay. 

The  eyes  of  all  prudent  and  more  dis- 
cerning persons  in  the  Church  were  fixed 
on  the  bishop  of  Carthage  in  this  emer- 
gency. The  danger  of  the  loss  of  the 
Gospel  itself,  by  substituting  a  depen- 
dence on  saints  instead  of  Christ  Jesus, 
forcibly  struck  his  mind.  His  connexion 
with  the  Roman  clergy,  and  the  superior 
regard  to  discipline  which  there  prevailed, 
was  of  some  service  on  the  occasion ;  and, 
in  his  correspondence  with  them,f  he 
compares  the  immoderate  assuming  con- 
duct of  Lucian,  with  the  modesty  of  the 
martyrs  Mappalicus  and  Saturninus,  who 
had  abstained  from  such  practices :  The 
former  had  written  only  in  behalf  of  his 


*  By  a  confessor,  in  the  language  of  those 
times,  we  are  always  to  understand  a  person 
who  has  publicly  professed  or  confessed  him- 
self to  be  a  Christian,  when  called  upon  by  llie 
heathens  to  sacrifice  to  their  gods,  or  other- 
wise to  worship  them. 

t  Epis.  22. 


own  mother  and  sister;  and  the  latter, 
who  had  been  tortured  and  imprisoned, 
had  yet  sent  out  no  letters  whatever  of 
this  kind.  Lucian,  he  complains,  every 
where  furnished  the  lapsed  with  letters 
testimonal  for  their  reception  into  the 
Church,  written  with  his  own  hand  in 
the  name  of  Paul  while  alive,  continued 
to  furnish  them  after  his  death,  and  de- 
clared that  that  martyr  had  directed  him 
to  do  so ; — though  he  should  have  known, 
says  Cyprian,  that  he  ought  to  obey  the 
Lord  rather  than  his  fellow-servant. 

A  young  person,  named  Aurelius,  who 
had  suffered  torments,  was  seized  with 
the  same  vanity,  but  was  unable  to  write  ; 
and  Lucian  wrote  many  papers  in  his 
name. 

Cyprian  complains  of  the  odium  thus 
incurred  by  the  bishops.     In  some  cities, 
he  takes  notice  how  the  multitude  had 
forced  the  bishops  tore-admit  the  lapsed; 
but  he  blames  those  rulers  of  the  Church 
for  wantof  faith  and  Christian  constancy. 
In  his  own  diocese  he  had  occasion  for 
all  his  fortitude.     Some,  who  were  for- 
merly turbulent,  were  now  much  more  so, 
and  insisted  on  being  speedily  re-admit- 
ted.    He  observes  that  baptism  is  per- 
formed in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost;  and  that  remission  of 
past  sins  is  tlien  received ;  and  then  he 
complains  that  the  name  of  Paul,  in  ef- 
fect, is  inserted  in  the  place  of  the  Trinity. 
He  applies,  on  this  occasion,  St.  Paul's 
well-known  holy  execration  denounced  in 
the  beginning  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Gala- 
tians.     He  owns  his  obligation  to  Rome 
for  the  letters  of  their  clergy,  which  were 
well  calculated  to  withstand  these  abuses. 
He  wrote  a  congratulatory  letter*  to 
the   confessors    Moyses   and   Maxiraus, 
whose  faith  and  zeal,   united  with  mo- 
desty and  with  the  strictest  attention  to 
discipline,   he  had  formerly  much  com- 
mended ;  and  he  now  thanks  them  for  the 
epistolary  advice,  which  they  had  given 
to  the  African  confessors.     In  their  an- 
swerf  they  appear  transported  with  holy 
joy,  and  elevated  with  the  heavenly  pros- 
pects before  them.     They  quote  the  New 
Testament  Scriptures  relative:}:  to  these 
things ;   and  expresses  such  strength  of 
faitir,  hope,  and  charity,  as  demonstrates 
the  real  power  of  divine  grace  to  have 
been  possessed  by  them  in  a  very  emi- 


*  Epis.  24. 
^  Matt.  V.  10, 
18.     Horn.  viii. 


11. 

35. 


t  Epis.  25. 
Luke  vi.  23.     Matt. 


CziTT.  ni.] 


HISTORY  OF  CYPRIAN. 


175 


nent  manner.  Their  love  of  the  divine 
■word  and  of  just  discipline  appears  no 
less  great  than  their  zeal  and  ardonr  for 
martyrdom.  They  observe  how  deeply 
and  how  widely  spread  the  evil  of  defec- 
tion had  been  ;  and  they  conclude  with 
very  just  observations  on  the  right  me- 
thod of  treating  the  lapsed,  in  perfect 
agreement  with  Cyprian.  Greatness  of 
mind,  a  high  sense  of  the  importance  of 
order,  a  heavenly  warmth  of  temper,  and 
an  accuracy  of  judgment,  are  equally  and 
abundantly  evident  in  this  epistle  : — Such 
endowments  existing  in  just  proportion 
prove  that  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  very  sound  in  these  excellent  men. 

Cyprian  now  wrote  to  the  lapsed  them- 
selves; and  rebuked  the  precipitation  of 
some,  and  exposed  the  injustice  of  their 
claims,  since  they  acted  as  if  they  took  to 
themselves  the  whole  title  of  the  Church  : 
he  commended  the  modesty  of  others, 
who  refused  to  take  advantage  of  the  in- 
discreet recommendation  of  the  martyrs, 
and  who  wrote  to  him  in  the  language  of 
penitents ; — whence  it  appears  that  the 
folly  of  the  lapsed  was  by  no  means  uni- 
versal.* 

Gaius  Diddensis,  one  of  the  presbyters 
of  Cyprian,  undertook,   along  with  his 
deacon,  against  the  sense  of  the  rest  of 
the  clergj',    to   communicate    with    the 
lapsed.      Repeated  admonitions  availed 
not  to  a  reformation.     As  the  bishop  was 
sensible  that   the   common    people,    for 
whose  salvation  he  was  solicitous,  were 
deceived  by  these  things,  he  commends 
his  clergy  for  refusing  communion  with 
so  obstinate  and  irregular  a  presbyter  and 
deacon. — He  againf  intimates  his  inten- 
tion of  judging  all  things  in  full  council 
upon  his  return  ;  and  intreats  them  to  co- 
operate, in  the  mean  time,  with  his  views 
in   the   maintenance   of  discipline.      In 
writing  again  to  the  Roman  clergy,  he  de- 
clares his  determination  of  acting  as  God 
had  directed  his  ministers  in  the  Gospel, 
if  the  contumacious  were  not  reformed  by 
his  and  by  their  admonitions.:!: 

The  Roman  clergy  condole  affection- 
ately with  Cyprian; — "Our  sorrow," 
say  they,  "is  doubled, because  you  have 
no  rest  from  these  pressing  difficulties  of 
the  persecution ;  and  because  ihe  immo 
derate  petulance  of  the  lapsed  has  pro 
ceeded  to  the  height  of  arrogance.  But, 
though  these  things  have  grievously  af- 
flicted our  spirits  ;  yet  your  firmness  and 


evangelical  strictness  of  discipline  have 
moderated  the  load    of  vexation :    You 
have  both  restrained  the  wickedness  of 
certain  persons ;  and  also,  by  exhorting 
them  to  repentatice,   have   shown  them 
the  wholesome  way   to   salvation. — We 
are  astonished  that  they  should  proceed 
to  such  lengths,  in  a  time  so  mournful, 
so   unseasonable   as   the   present; — that 
they  should  not  so  much  as  ask  for  re- 
communion  with  the  Church;  but  claim 
it  as  a  right; — and  even  affirm  that  they 
are  already  forgiven  in  heaven.     Never 
cease,  brother, — in  your  love  of  souls, — 
to  moderate  and  restrain  these  violent  spi- 
rits ;  and  to  offer  the  medicine  of  truth  to 
the  erroneous,  though  the  inclination  of 
the  sick  be  often  opposite  to  the  prudent 
industry  of  the  physician.  These  wounds 
of  the  lapsed  are  fresh,  and  produce  con- 
siderable tumours;  but  we  feel  assured, 
that,  in  process  of  time,  their  heat  and 
violence  will  subside ; — and  the  patients 
themselves  will  then  be  thankful  for  that 
delay,  which  was  absolutely  necessary 
for  a  wholesome  cure,  provided  there  be 
none  to  arm  them  with  weapons  against 
themselves,    and,    by  perverse   instruc- 
tions, to  demand  for  them  the  deadly  poi- 
son of  an  over  hasty  restoration  :  for  we 
cannot  think  that  they  would  all*  have 
dared  to  have  claimed  their  admission  so 
petulantly,  without  the  encouragement  of 
some  persons  of  ecclesiastical  influence. 
We  know  the  faith,  the  good  order,  the 
humility  of  the  Carthaginian  Church; — 
whence  we  have  been  surprised  in  notic- 
ing certain  harsh  reflections  made  against 
you  in  a  certain  epistle,  when  we  have 
formerly  had  repeated  proof  of  your  mu- 
tual charily." 

They  proceed  to  give  the  most  whole- 
some advice  to  the  lapsed ;  and  in  truth, 
the  whole  conduct  of  the  Roman  clergy, 
at  this  season,  reflects  the  highest  honour 
on  their  wisdom  and  their  affection ;  and 
affords  the  most  pleasing  proofs  of  the 
good  state  of  that  church  at  that  time. 
The  same  can  by  no  means  be  said  of 
Cyprian's  : — they  were, — as  we  have 
seen, — a  declining  people  before  his  ap- 
pointment to  the  See;  and  the  scourge  of 
persecution  produced  vast  numbers  of 
apostates. — In  those  days  of  discipline, 
the  lapsed,  by  their  eagerness  for  re-ad- 
mission, showed  the  same  dispositions  of 


•  Epis.  26.        t  Epis.  27.        +  Epis.  28. 


*  They  must  have  uiulei-stsod  tliat  by  much 
the  major  part  at  least  of  the  lapsed  were 
guilty  of  this  evil. 


176 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IX. 


selfishness  and  of  pride,  which,  in  our 
times,  are  evinced  by  persons  wishing  to 
hear  nothing  but  comfort  preached  to  them, 
— but  finding  fault  with  ministers  who 
dare  not  speak  false  peace ; — and  by  un- 
soundly healing  themselves.  We  are 
perfectly  lax  in  point  of  discipline : — 
Who  regards  its  menaces  against  the  dis- 
orderly?— With  the  first  Christians  this 
was  an  awful  concern. — The  same  de- 
pravity of  nature  seems  now  to  work  on 
corrupt  minds  in  another  way ;  but  so  as 
still  to  exercise  the  patience  and  fortitude 
of  godly  ministers,  who,  by  persevering 
in  their  duty,  and  not  giving  way  to  the 
unreasonable  humours  of  their  people  in 
things  of  importance,  will  find,  in  the 
end,  a  wholesome  issue  even  with  many 
of  their  most  unpromising  and  froward 
hearers. 

An  African,  named  Privatus,  who  had 
left  his  country  and  travelled  to  Rome, 
solicited  to  be  there  received  as  a  Chris- 
tian. Cyprian  had  mentioned  him  to  the 
Roman  clergy,  and  pointed  out  his  real 
and  dangerous  character.  In  the  close  of 
tills  admirable  letter*  they  inform  him 
tliat,  before  they  had  received  his  caution- 
ary letters,  they  had  detected  the  impos- 
tor. At  the  same  time  they  lay  down  a 
golden  maxim,  "  that  we  all  ought  to 
watch  for  the  body  of  the  whole  Church, 
diffused  through  various  provinces." — It 
was  this  unity  and  uniformity  of  the 
Christian  Church,  which  hitherto  had 
preserved  it,  under  God,  from  the  infec- 
tion of  heresies.  None  of  these  were  yet 
able  to  mix  themselves  with  the  "  body 
of  Christ  :"f  and  the  Church, — instead 
of  being  broken  into  small  handfuls  of 
distinct  sets  of  persons,  all  glorying  in 
having  something  peculiarly  excellent, 
and  prone  to  despise  their  neighbours, — 
as  yet  knew  no  other  name  than  that  of 
CHRISTIAN :  numbers  and  diversity  of 
place  alone  prevented  their  assembling 
all  together ;  for  they  were  one  people. 
In  Italy  and  Africa  the  union  at  this  time 
appears  very  salubrious:  and  the  vigorous 
spirit  and  sound  understanding  of  Cy- 
prian was  enabled  to  apply  the  solid 
graces  of  the  Roman  Church  as  medicinal 
for  the  reformation  of  his  own  disordered 
flock. 

The  Roman  clergy,  in  a  second  letter,:): 
take  notice   of  St.  Paul's  eulogium   of 


*  Epis.  29. 
•j-  Coloss.  i. 
the  Church. 
:f  Epis.  80. 


24.    His  body's  sake,  which  is 


their  Church  in  the  beginning  of  his  epis- 
tle ; — "  that  their  faith  was  spoken  of 
through  the  whole  world,"  and  they  ex- 
press their  desire  of  treading  in  the  steps 
of  their  Christian  predecessors.  They 
mention  the  cases  of  Libellatici,*  which 
were  two-fold  ;  1st,  Of  those  who  deli- 
vered in  written  testimonials  to  heathen 
magistrates,  in  which  they  abjured  the 
Gospel ;  and  who,  at  the  same  time,  by 
paying  money,  obtained  the  privilege  of 
not  sacrificing  to  the  gods. — 2dly,  Of 
those  who  procured  friends  to  do  these 
same  things  for  them.  Both  kinds,  these 
last,  as  well  as  those  who  had  actually 
sacrificed,  were  censured  by  the  Roman 
clergy  as  lapsed  persons.  They  mention 
likewise  the  letters  sent  by  the  Roman 
confessors  into  Africa  to  the  same  pur- 
port, and  express  their  joy  on  account  of 
the  consistency  of  their  conduct  in  mat- 
ters of  discipline,  with  their  suflTerings 
for  the  faith.  They  declare  their  agree- 
ment in  opinion  with  Cyprian, — to  defer 
the  settlement  of  these  affairs  till  some 
general  measure  could  be  planned  for  this 
purpose,  after  peace  should  be  restored. 
"  Behold,"  say  they,  "  almost  the  whole 
world  is  laid  waste : — Fragments  of  the 
fallen  lie  in  every  place ; — With  one 
and  the  same  counsel,  with  unanimous 
prayers  and  tears,  let  us, — who  seem  hi- 
therto to  have  escaped  the  ruins  of  this 
visitation,  as  well  as  those,  who  have  not 
stood  entirely  faithful  during  the  persecu- 
tion, intreat  the  Divine  Majesty,  and  beg 
peace  in  the  name  of  the  whole  Church  : 
let  us  cherish,  guard,  and  arm  one  an- 
other with  mutual  prayers  :  let  us  suppli- 
cate for  the  lapsed,  that  they  may  be  rais- 
ed :  let  us  pray  for  those  who  stand,  that 
they  may  not  be  tempted  to  their  ruin  ;  let 
us  pray  also,  that  those,  who  have  fallen, 
may  become  sensible  of  the  greatness  of 
the  crime,  and  may  have  the  wisdom  not  to 
wish  for  a  crude  and  momentary  medicine, 
and  that  they  may  not  disturb  the  yet 
fluctuating  state  of  the  Church, — lest  they 
should  appear  to  aggravate  our  distresses 
by  exciting  internally  seditious  and  in- 
flammatory commotions.  Let  them  knock 
at  the  doors,  but  not  break  them.     Let 


*  So  called  from  libellus — which  here  means 
a  concise  written  document,  sigiieil  by  the  per- 
son whom  it  concerned,  and  containing  an  ac- 
count of  his  religion:  In  many  cases,  it  was 
only  signed  by  some  creditable  and  well-known 
friends. — An  evasive  contrivance — for  thepur- 
f^pose  of  quieting  insincere  consciences,  not  yet 
quite  hardened  ! 


CBirr.  m.] 


HISTORY  OF  CYPRIAN. 


177 


them  g-o  to  the  threshold  of  the  Churcli. 
but, not  leap  over  it.  Let  thein  watch  at 
the  gates  of  the  heavenly  camp,  but  with 
that  modesty  which  becomes  those  who 
remember  they  have  been  deserters.  Let 
them  arm  themselves  indeed  with  the 
weapons  of  humility,  and  resume  that 
shield  of  faith  which  they  dropped  through 
the  fear  of  death ;  but  so  that  they  may 
be  armed  against  the  devil, — not  against 
that  very  Church,  which  laments  over 
their  fall." 

The  want  of  a  bishop  at  Rome  w^as  an 
additional  reason  for  delay.  They  speak 
of  certain  bishops  w^ho  lived  in  their 
neighbourhood,  and  also  of  others,  who, 
through  the  flame  of  persecution,  had  fled 
to  them  from  distant  provinces, — who  all 
concurred  in  the  same  views. 

There  was  a  very  young  man,  named 
Aurelius,  whom  Cyprian  speaks  of  as 
greatly  excelling  in  the  graces  of  Chris- 
tianity. He  had  twice  undergone  the 
rage  of  persecution  for  the  sake  of  Christ: 
Banishment  was  his  first  punishment, 
and  torture  the  second.  The  bishop  had 
ordained  this  youth  a  reader  in  the  Church 
of  Carthage;  and  he  apologizes  on  ac- 
count of  the  peculiar  circumstances  of 
the  case  of  the  times,  for  his  not  having 
previously  consulted  his  presbyters  and 
deacons.  He  beseeches  them  to  pray, 
that  both  their  bishop  and  good  Aurelius 
may  be  restored  to  the  exercise  of  their 
respective  functions. — I  cannot  but  hence 
observe,  how  exact  and  orderly  the  ideas 
of  ordination  were  in  those  times. — It  is 
not  to  the  advantage  of  godliness  among 
us,  that  persons  can  now  be  introduced 
to  very  high  offices  in  the  ministry  with- 
trial,  ceremony,   or 


out   much   previous 
ditficulty.* 

Celerinus  was  also  ordained  a  reader 
by  the  same  authority.-)-  However  weak 
in  judgment  he  may  appear  from  the 
transactions  between  him  and  Lucian  al- 
ready stated,  the  man  suifered  with  great 
zeal  for  the  sake  of  Christ.  The  very  be- 
ginning of  the  persecution  found  him  a 
ready  combatant.  For  nineteen  days  he 
had  remained  in  prison  fettered  and  starv- 
ed; but  he  persevered,  and  escaped  at 
length  without  martyrdom.  His  grand- 
father and  two  of  his  uncles  had  suflTcred 
for  Christ,  and  their  anniversaries  were 
celebrated  by  the  Church. 

It  seems,  that  Cyprian  thought  proper 
to  reward  with  honourable  establishments 


in   the   Church  those  who  had  suffered 
with  the  greatest  faithfulness  in  the  per- 
secution, which  was  now  drawing  to  a 
close.     Numidicus  was  advanced  to  the 
office  of  presbyter.     He  had  attended* 
a   great   number  of  martyrs   who   were 
murdered  partly  with  stones  and  partly 
by  fire.     His  wife,  sticking  close  by  his 
side,  was  burnt  to  death  with  the  rest : 
He  himself,  half  burnt,  buried  with  stones, 
and  left  for  dead,  was  found  afterwards 
by  his  daughter;  and,  through  her  care, 
he    recovered.     Probably,  this  last  case 
was  the  eff"ect  of  the  tumultuary  rage  of 
a  persecuting  populace :  The  ferocity  of 
many  in  those  times  did  not  permit  them 
to  wait  for  legal  orders. — Who  can  tell 
the  number  of  Christian  sufferers,  which 
this  mode  of  oppression  must  have  added 
to  the  list  of  martyrs  1 

Amidst  all  these  cares,  the  charity  and 
diligence  of  Cyprian  towards  his  flock 
vver-e  unremitted.  The  reader  who  loves 
the  annals  of  genuine  and  active  godli- 
ness, will  not  be  wearied  in  seeing  still 
fresh  proofs  of  it  in  extracts  o^two  letters 
to  his  clergy. f 

"  Dear  brethren,  I  salute  you :  By  the 
grace  of  God,  I  am  still  safe ;  and  I  wish 
to  come  soon  to  you ; — that  our  mu- 
tual desire,  and  that  of  all  the  brethren, 
may  be  gratified.  Whenever,  on  the  set- 
tlement of  your  affairs,  you  shall  write 
to  me  that  I  ought  to  come,  or,  if  the 
Lord  should  condescend  to  make  it  plain 
to  me  before,  then  I  will  come  to  you;  for 
where  can  I  have  more  happiness  and 
joy,  than  there,  where  God  appointed  me 
both  first  to  become  a  believer,  and  also 
to  grow  in  faith]  I  beseech  you,  take 
diligent  care  of  the  widows,  of  the  sick, 
and  of  all  the  poor;  and  supply  also 
strangers,  if  any  be  indigent,  with  what 
is  needful  for  them,  out  of  my  proper 
portion,  which  I  left  with  Rogatian  the 
presbyter.  And  lest  that  should,  by  this 
time,  be  all  spent,  I  have  sent  by  Nari- 
cus  the  Acolyth,:j:  another  sum  of  money 
to  the  same  presbyter,  that  you  may  the 
more  readily  and  largely  supply  the  dis- 
tressed. 

"Though  you  have  been  frequently 
admonished  by  my  letters  to  show  all 
care  for  those,  who  have  gloriously 
confessed  the  Lord,  and  are  in  prison, 
yet  I  must  repeatedly  intreat  your  atten- 


Epis.  33. 


t  Epis.  34. 


*  Epis.  35.  t  Epis.  36,  37.  _ 

I  All  inteiior  officer  of  ihe  Church,  signify- 
insj  an  atteudant. 


178 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


tion  to  the  same  thing.  I  wish  circum- 
stances would  permit  my  presence  among 
you :  With  the  greatest  pleasure  and 
readiness  would  I  discharge  these  solemn 
duties  of  love  and  affection  towards  our 
brethren.  But — Do  you  represent  me. — 
A  decent  care  for  the  interment,  not  only 
of  those  who  died  in  torture,  but  also  of 
such  as  died  under  the  pressures  of  con- 
finement, is  necessary.  For,  whoever 
hath  submitted  himself  to  torture  and  to 
death,  under  the  eye  of  God,  hath  already 
suffered  all  that  God  would  have  him  to 
suffer. — Mark  also  the  days  in  which  they 
depart  this  life,  that  we  may  celebrate 
tlieir  commemoration  among  the  memo- 
rials of  the  martyrs ; — though  our  most 
faithful  and  devoted  friend  Tertullus, — 
who  agreeably  to  his  usual  exactness  and 
care,  attends  to  their  obsequies, — hath 
written,  still  writes  to  me,  and  signifies 
tJie  days  in  which  the  blessed  martyrs 
are  transmitted  to  immortality. — Their 
memorials  are  here  celebrated,  and  I  hope 
shortly,  under  Divine  Providence,  to  be 
a])le  to  celebrate  them  with  you.  Let 
not  your  care  and  diligence  be  wanting 
for  the  poor,  who  have  stood  firm  in  the 
faith,  and  have  fought  with  us  in  the 
Christian  warfare.  Our  affectionate  care 
and  attention  to  them  are  the  more  requi- 
site, because  neither  their  poverty  nor 
persecution  have  driven  them  from  the 
love  of  Christ." 

Every  one  knows  into  what  idolatry 
these  commemorations  of  martyrs  after- 
wards degenerated. — But  I  observe  few 
or  no  signs  of  it  in  the  days  of  Cyprian. 

In  addition  to  other  evils,  the  provi- 
dence of  God  now  thought  fit  to  exercise 
the  mind  of  Cy^irian  with  one  of  the  most 
distressing  calamities  which  can  happen 
to  a  lover  of  peace  and  charity, — the  rise 
of  a  schism. 

There*  existed  in  the  Church  of  Car- 
tilage a  person  of  a  very  exceptionable 
character,  named  Felicissimus,  who  had 
long  been  a  secret  enemy  of 

j^yg  artifices    and    blandishments 

which  seditious  persons  make 
use  of  in  all  ages,  this  man  had  enticed 
some  of  the  flock  to  himself;  and  he  held 
communion  with  them  on  a  certain  moun- 
tain. Among  these  and  in  their  neigh- 
bourhood, there  arrived  several  discreet 
brethren,  who  were  authorized  by  Cy- 
prian to  discharge  the  debts  of  poor  Chris- 

*  Epis.  38. 


[Chap.  IX. 

tians;  and  to  furnish  them  with  small 
sums  of  money  to  begin  business  again ; 
and  also  to  make  a  report  of  their  ages, 
conditions,  and  qualities,  that  he  might 
select  such  of  them  for  ecclesiastical  offi- 
ces, as  should  be  judged  properly  quali- 
fied. Felicissimus  opposed  and  thwarted 
both  these  designs.  Several  of  the  poor, 
who  came  first  to  be  relieved,  were  threat- 
ened by  him  with  imperious  severity, 
because  they  refused  to  communicate  on 
the  mountain.  This  man  growing  more 
insolent,  and  taking  advantage  of  Cy- 
prian's absence,  whose  return  he  speedily 
expected,  because  the  persecution  had 
nearly  ceased  at  Carthage,  raised  an  op- 
position against  the  bishop  in  form, — 
found  means  to  unite  a  considerable  party 
to  himself, — and  threatened  all  those  per- 
sons, who  did  not  choose  to  partake  in 
the  sedition. — Among  other  crimes,  this 
sower  of  discord  had  been  guilty  of  adul- 
tery ;  and  he  now  saw  no  method  of  pre- 
venting an  infamous  excommunication, 
but  that  of  setting  up  himself  as  a  leader. 
— His  second  in  this  odious  business  was 
named  Augendus,  who  did  his  utmust  to 
promote  the  same  views. — Cyprian,  by 
letter,  expressed  his  vehement  sorrow  on 
account  of  these  evils,  promised  to  take 
full  cognizance  of  them  on  his  return, 
and  in  the  mean  time  he  wrote  to  his 
clergy  to  suspend  from  communion  Fe- 
licissimus and  his  abettors. — His  clergy 
wrote  to  him  in  answer,  that  they  had 
suspended  the  chiefs  of  the  faction  ac- 
cordingly.* 

In  the  meantime  there  were  not  v/ant- 
ing  upright  and  zealous  ministers,  who 
instructed  the  people  at  Carthage. — 
Among  these  were  distinguished  Britius 
the  presbyter,  also  Rogatian  and  Numi- 
dicus,  confessors ;  and  some  deacons  of 
real  godliness.  These  warned  their  flocks 
of  the  evils  of  schism,  and  endeavoured 
to  preserve  peace  and  unity,  and  to  re- 
cover the  lapsed  by  wholesome  methods. 

In  addition  to  their  labours,  Cyprian 
now  wrote  to  the  people  themselves. f 
"For,"  says  he,  "the  malice  and  perfidy 
of  some  presbyters  hath  effected,  that  I 
should  not  be  able  to  come  to  you  before 
Easter.ij:  But  the  source  of  the  faction 
of  Felicissimus  is  now  discovered,  and 
we  are  acquainted  with  the  foundation 
on  which  it  stands.     His  followers  en- 


*  Epis.  39.  t  Epis.  40. 

:t:  In  what  -way  they  hindered  his  arriving 
sooner  will  appear  afterwards. 


Cbst,  III.] 


HISTORY  OF  CYPRIAN. 


179 


courage  certain  confessors,  that  they 
should  not  harmonize  with  their  bishop, 
nor  observe  ecclesiastical  discipline  faith- 
fully and  modestly.  And  as  if  it  were 
too  little  for  them  to  have  corrupted  the 
minds  of  confessors,  and  to  have  armed 
them  against  their  pastor,  and  to  have 
stained  the  glory  of  their  confession,  they 
turned  themselves  to  poison  the  spirits  of 
the  lapsed,  to  keep  them  from  the  great 
duty  of  constant  prayer,  and  to  invite  them 
to  an  unsound  and  dangerous  re-admission. 
ButI beseech  you,  brethren,  watch  against 
the  snares  of  the  devil :  Be  on  your  guard 
and  '  work  out  your  own  salvation :'  this 
is  a  second  and  a  different  sort  of  perse- 
cution and  temptation.  The  five  sedi- 
tious presbyters  may  be  justly  compared 
to  the  five  pagan  rulers,  who  lately,  in 
conjunction  with  the  magistrates,  pub- 
lished some  plausible  arguments  with  a 
view  of  subverting  souls.  The  same 
method  is  now  tried,  for  the  ruin  of  your 
souls,  by  the  five  presbyters  with  Feli- 
cissimus  at  their  head  :  They  teach  you, 
that  you  need  not  petition ; — that  he  who 
hath  denied  Christ,  may  cease  to  suppli- 
cate the  same  Christ  whom  he  hath  de- 
nied ; — that  repentance  is  not  necessary ; 
and  in  short,  that  every  thing  should  be 
conducted  in  a  novel  manner,  and  contra- 
ry to  the  rules  of  the  Gospel. 

"  My  banishment  of  two  years,  and  my 
mournful  separation  from  your  presence  ; 
my  constant  grief  and  perpetual  lamenta- 
tion ;  and  my  tears  flowing  day  and  night, 
because  the  pastor  whom  you  chose  with 
so  much  love  and  zeal  could  not  salute 
nor  embrace  you, — all  this,  it  seems,  was 
not  a  sufficient  accumulation  of  sorrow. 
— To  my  distressed  and  exhausted  spirit 
a  still  greater  evil  must  be  added, — that 
in  so  great  a  solicitude  I  cannot,  with 
propriety,  come  over  to  you.  The  threats 
and  snares  of  the  perfidious  oblige  me  to 
use  caution :  lest,  on  my  arrival,  the  tu- 
mults should  increase  ;  and  lest  I  myself, 
the  bishop,  who  ought  to  provide  in  all 
things  for  peace  and  tranquillity,  should 
seem  to  have  afforded  matter  for  sedition, 
and  again  to  exasperate  the  miseries  of 
the  persecution.  Most  dear  brethren,  I 
beseech  you  do  not  give  rash  credit  to  the 
pernicious  representations  of  those  who 
put  darkness  for  light :  They  speak,  but 
not  from  the  word  of  the  Lord :  They, 
who  are  themselves  separated  from  tlie 
Church,  promise  to  restore  the  lapsed. 

"There  is  one  God,  one  Christ,  one 
Church.     Depart,  I  pray  you,  far  from 


these  men,  and  avoid  their  discourse,  as 
a  plague  and  pestilence.  They  hinder 
your  prayers  and  tears,  by  affording  you 
false  consolations.  Acquiesce,  I  beseech 
you,  in  my  counsel :  I  pray  daily  for  you, 
and  desire  you  to  be  restored  to  the  Church 
by  the  grace  of  the  Lord. — Join  your 
prayers  and  tears  with  mine.  But,  if 
any  person  shall  despise  repentance,  and 
betake  himself  to  Felicissimus  and  to  his 
faction,  let  him  know  that  his  re-admis- 
sion into  the  Church  will  be  impractica- 
ble."_ 

It  is  not  possible,  by  a  few  extracts,  to 
give  a  perfect  idea  of  the  glowing  charity, 
which  reigned  in  Cyprian's  breast  on  this 
occasion.  Whoever  has  attended  to  the 
imbecility  of  human  nature,  ever  prone  to 
consult  ease,  to  humour  selfish  feelings, 
and  to  admit  flattery,  will  see  the  difficult 
trials  of  patience,  which  faithful  pastors, 
in  all  ages,  have  endured  from  the  insidi- 
ous arts  of  those  who  would  heal  the 
wounds  of  people  falsely. — Uncharitable 
— and,  imperious — are  the  usual  epithets 
with  which  they  are  aspersed  on  account 
of  their  faithfulness. — But  "  Wisdom  is 
justified  of  her  children." 

But  there  was  also  another  character, 
who  was  a  primary  agent  in  these  disa- 
greeable scenes, — Novatus,  a 
presbyter  of  Carthage,  a  man  '-n^racter 
extremely  scandalous  and  im-  "^g  °^^" 
moral.*  His  domestic  crimes 
had  been  so  notorious  as  to  render  him  not 
only  no  longer  fit  to  be  a  minister,  but 
even  unworthy  to  be  received  into  lay- 
communion.  The  examination  of  his  con- 
duct was  about  to  lake  place,  when  the 
breaking  out  of  the  persecution  by  Decius 
prevented  it.  He  it  was,  who  supported 
and  cherished  the  views  of  Felicissimus 
and  of  the  rest ;  and  he  appears,  by  his 
address  and  capacity,  to  have  been  ex- 
tremely well  qualified  to  produce  much 
mischief  in  the  Church.  He  could  do  it 
no  service;  because  he  was  absolutely 
devoid  both  of  honesty  and  conscience.— 
Felicissimus  himself,  though  at  first  the 
ostensible  leader  of  the  congregation  on 
the  mountain,  gave  way  afterwards  to  one 
of  the  five  presbyters,  named  Fortunatus, 
who  was  constituted  bishop  in  opposi- 
tion to  Cyprian.  Most  of  the  five  had 
been  already  branded  with  infamy  for  im- 
moralities. Yet  so  deep  is  the  corrup- 
tion of  human  nature — that  such  charac- 
ters usually  find  advocates,  even  where 

•  Epis.  49. 


180 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IX. 


the  light  of  the  Gospel  shines,  and  where 
there  exist  pastors  of  eminent  sanctity. 
The  fact  is,  pastors  of  this  last  descrip- 
tion cause  numerous  enemies  to  them- 
selves by  irritating-  the  corruptions  of 
wicked  men,  which  they  constantly  do  by 
refusing  to  speak  peace  where  there  is  no 
peace. — Itis  no  slightproof  of  the  strength 
of  these  evils,  that  even  a  persecution  the 
most  dreadful  yet  recorded  in  the  annals 
of  the  Church,  did  not  perfectly  unite  pro- 
fessors of  Christianity  in  love.  The  pious 
reader  will,  hence,  infer  the  necessity, 
which  called  for  so  severe  a  scourge  to 
the  Church  ;  and  will  also  remark  the  ad- 
vantages thence  accruing  to  the  really 
faithful,  either  by  happily  removing  them 
to  rest  out  of  a  world  of  sin  and  vanity, 
or  by  promoting  their  sanctification,  if 
their  pilgrimage  were  prolonged. 

Novatus,  either  unwilling  to  face  the 
bishop  of  Carthage,  or  desirous  to  extend 
tire  mischiefs  of  schism,  passed  the  sea 

and  came  to  Rome.  There  he 
Account  of    connected    himself    with    a 

priest,    named    Novatian,    a 


Novatian. 


friend  of  the  confessor  Moyses,  who  has 
been  already  mentioned,  and  whose  sui- 
ferings  at  Rome  were  of  a  tedious  nature. 
Novatus  had  the  address  and  manage- 
ment to  effect  the  separation  of  Novatian 
from  the  Church. — Moyses  renounced  all 
intercourse  with  his  former  friend  and  ac- 
quaintance on  account  of  this  conduct; 
and  soon  after  died  in  prison,  where  he 
had  been  confined  nearly  a  year.  Doubt- 
less, he  entered  into  eternal  glory  at 
length,  having  left  the  evidence  of  mo- 
desty and  peaceableness,  in  addition  to 
his  other  more  splendid  virtues,  as  testi- 
monies of  his  love  to  the  Lord  .Tesus. 

Novatus  found  the  religious  ideas  of  his 
new  associate  and  partner  ranged  in  ex- 
treme opposition  to  his  own.  Novatian  had 
been  a  Stoic  before  he  was  a  Christian ; 
and  he  still  retained  the  rigour  of  the  sect 
to  such  a  degree,  that  he  disapproved  of 
receiving  those  into  the  Church  who  once 
had  lapsed,  though  they  gave  the  sincer- 
est  marks  of  repentance.  Full  of  these 
unwarranted  severities,  he  exclaimed 
against  the  wise  and  well-tempered  leni- 
ty of  the  Roman  clergy  in  receiving  peni- 
tents. Many  of  the  clergy  of  Rome,  Avho 
were  still  in  prison  for  the  faith; — and 
among  these  Maximus  and  others,  to 
whom  Cyprian  had  formerly  written, — 
were  seduced  by  this  apparent  zeal  for 
Church-discipline;  and  they  joined  No- 
vatian.    His  African  tutor,  with  astonish- 


ing inconsistency,  after  having  stirred  up 
a  general  indignation  in  his  own  country 
and  against  his  own  bishop  on  account  of 
severity  to  the  lapsed,  now  supported  a 
party  who  complained  of  too  much  lenity 
at  Rome.  It  is  hard  to  say  which  of  the 
two  extremes  is  the  worse: — Novatus 
defended  both  within  the  compass  of  two 
years ; — and  with  equal  pertinacity. 

The  Roman  clergy  thought  it  high  time 
to  stem  the  t.orrent.  They  had,  for  six- 
teen months,*  with  singular  piety  and 
fortitude  governed  the  Church  during  one 
of  its  most  stormy  seasons.  Schism  was 
now  added  to  persecution :  The  necessity 
of  choosing  a  bishop  grew  more  and  more 
urgent;  yet  a  bishop  of  Rome  must,  of 
course,  be  in  the  most  imminent  danger 
of  martyrdom ; — for  Decius  threatened  all 
bishops  with  great  haughtiness  and  aspe- 
rity. Sixteen  of  them  happened  to  be 
then  at  Rome,  and  these  ordained  Corne- 
lius as  the  successor'of  Fabian.  He  was 
very  unwilling  to  accept  the  office;  but 
the  people,  who  were  present,  approved  of 
his  ordination;  and  no  step  was  to  be  ne- 
glected, which  might  be  useful  in  with- 
standing the  growing  schism.— 'The  life 
of  Cornelius  appears  to  have  been  worthy 
of  the  Gospel :  Novatian,  however,  not 
only  vented  many  calumnies  against  him, 
but  also  contrived,  in  a  very  irregular 
manner,|  to  be  elected  bishop  in  opposi- 
tion. 

Thus  was  formed  the  first  body  of 
Christians,  who,  in  modern  language, 
may  be  called  dissenters  ;  that  is,  men, 
who  separate  from  the  gene- 
ral-Church, not  on  grounds  of 

DOCTRINE,    but  of  DISCIPLINE. 

The  Novatianists  held  no  opi- 
nions contrary  to  the  faith  of  the  Gospel. 
It  is  certain  from  some  writings  of  Nova- 
tian extant,:!^  that  their  leader  was  sound 
in  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  But  the 
confessors,  whom  his  pretensions  to  su- 
perior§  purity  had  seduced,  returned  af- 
terwards to  the  communion  of  Cornelius, 
and  mourned  over  their  own  credulity. 
In  a  letter  of  Cornelius  to  Fabius,  bishop 
of  Antioch,  a  few  circumstances  are  occa- 
sionally mentioned,  from  which  an  idea  of 
the  state  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  at  that 


The  first 
Dissen- 
ters. 


*  Fleury,  B.  6. 

j- See  in  Euseb.  B.  6.  Cornelius's  letter  con- 
ceiiiing;  Novatian,  whom  Eusebius,  by  mis- 
take, confounds  with  Novatus. 

:):  See  Waterland's  Importance  of  the  Tri- 
nit}'. 

§  Epis.  48  and  49. 


\ 


CE3fT.  III.] 


HISTORY  OF  CYPRIAN. 


181 


time  may  be  collected.*  There  were 
under  the  bishop  forty-six  priests,  seven 
deacons,  seven  sub-deacons,  forty-two 
acolyths,  fifty-two  exorcists,  readers,  and 
porters,  and  upwards  of  fifteen  hundred 
widows,  and  infirm  or  disabled  persons. 
—"The  number  of  the  laity  was,"  says 
he,  "innumerable." — I  don't  know  so 
authentic  a  memorial  of  the  number  of  the 
Christians  in  those  times. 

In  this  letter  he  charges  Novatian, — 
perhaps  without  sufficient  warrant,— with 
having  denied  himself  to  be  a  priest  du- 
ring the  heat  of  the  persecution,  and  with 
obliging  his  separatists,  when  he  admi- 
nistered to  them  the  Lord's  Supper,  to 
swear  to  adhere  to  himself. — The  party, 
however,  at  Rome  daily  lost  ground  :  Ni- 
costratus  the  deacon  was  among  the  very 
few  persons  of  note  there,  who,  after  being 
seduced  by  the  arts  of  Novatian,  did  not  re- 
turn into  communion  and  peace  with  Cor- 
nelius.— Conscious  of  scandalous  crimes, f 
this  schismatic  fled  from  Rome  into  Af- 
rica ; — whither  Novatus  himself  also  re- 
turned ;  and  there  the  Novatians  found 
many  adherents,* and  are  said  to  have 
elected  for  themselves,  as  a  sort  of  coun- 
ter-bishop, a  presbyter,  named  Maximus, 
who  had  been  lately  sent  as  deputy  from 
Rome,  by  Novatian,  to  inforni  Cyprian 
of  the  new  election:j:  in  opposition  to  that 
of  Cornelius. — This  same  deputy,  Cypri- 
an had  rejected  from  communion. 

It  would  not  have  been  worth  while  to 
have  detailed  these  events  so  distinctly, 
but  for  the  purpose  of  marking  the  symp- 
toms of  declension  in  the  Church, — the 
unity  of  which  was  now  broken  for  the 
first  time  :  for  it  ought  not  to  be  concluded 
that  all  the  Novatians  were  men  void  of 
the  faith  and  love  of  Jesus.  The  artifices 
of  Satan  also,  in  pushing  forward  oppo- 
site extremes,  are  worthy  of  notice  :  The 
skilful  tempter  tries  both  the  lax  and  the 
severe  method  of  discipline.  The  former 
he  finds  more  suitable  to  the  state  of 
Christianity  in  our  times ;  but  it  could 
gain  no  solid  footing  in  the  third  century. 
The  Novatian  schism  stood  at  last  on  the 
ground  of  excessive  severity ; — a  certain 
proof  of  the  strictness  of  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal government  then  fashionable  among 
Christians,  and,  of  course,  of  great  purity 
of  life  and  doctrine  having  been  prevalent 
amonsT  them :  To  refuse  the  rc-admission 


*  About  the  middle  of  the  third  century, 
f  The  Novatians  called  themselves  Cathari, 
pure  people. 

I  The  election  of  Novatian. 
Vol.  I.  Q 


of  penitents  was  a  dangerous  instance  of 
Pharisaical  pride  :  but,  in  justice  to  No- 
vatian, it  ought  to  be  mentioaad,  that  he 
advised  the  exhorting  of  thejd^sed  to  re- 
pentance, though  he  thou^t  that  they 
should  then  be  left  to  the  judgment  of 
God.  On  the  same  plan  he  also  con- 
demned second  marriages  ; — Extreme  au- 
sterity and  superstition  were  growing  evils 
in  this  century ;  and  they  were  cherished 
by  false  philosophy. 

At  length,  Cyprian  ventured  out  of  his 
retreat  and  returned  to  Carthage.  In 
what  manner  he  there  conducted  him- 
self, shall  be  the  subject  of  the  next  chap- 
ter. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Cyprian's  settlement  of  his  church 
after  his  return,  and  the  his- 
tory of  the  western  church  till 
the  persecution  under  callus. 

The  prudence  of  Cyprian  had  been  so 
remarkable  during  the  whole  of  the  per- 
secution of  Decius,  that  we  may  fairly 
conclude  he  had  ceased  to  apprehend  atiy 
personal  danger  when  he  appeared  agaia 
in  public  at  Carthage.  In  fact,  it  was 
not  the  cessation  of  malice,  but  the  dis- 
traction of  public  affairs,  which  put  an 
end  to  this  persecution.  Decius,  on  ac- 
count of  the  incursion  of  the  Gotlis,  was 
obliged  to  leave  Rome  ;  and  God  gave  a 
respite  to  his  servants,  while  men  of  the 
world  were  wholly  taken  up  with  resist- 
ing or  mourning  under  their  secular  ca- 
lamities.— After  Easter  a  council  was 
held  at  Carthage,  and  the  eyes  of  Chris- 
tians were  turned  toward  it :  The  Church 
was  in  a  very  confused  state ;  and  some 
settlement  of  it  was  expected  under  the 
auspices  of  Cyprian  and  the  other  bishops 
of  Africa.  At  first,  a  short  delay  was  oc- 
casioned on  account  of  doubts  which 
arose  respecting  the  validity  of  the  elec- 
tion of  Cornelius.*  But  an  exact  infor- 
mation of  the  circumstances  laid  open  the 
truth :  The  regularity  of  his  appointment, 
and  the  violation  of  order  in  the  schis- 
matical  ordination  of  Novatian,  by  some 
persons  who  were  in  a  state  of  intoxica- 
tion, appeared  so  clearly,  that  no  room 
for  hesitation  was  left:  Novatian  was  re- 
jected in  the  African  synod ; — Felicissif 
mus,  with  his  five  presbyters,  was  con- 
demned;  and  Cornelius  was  owned  as 


See  Cornelius's  letter  ia  Euseb. 


182 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  X. 


legitimate  bishop  of  Rome. — And  now 
the  case  of  the  lapsed,  which  had  given 
so  much  disquietude,  and  which  Cyprian 
had  so  often  promised  to  settle  in  full 
council,  was  finally  determined  ; — and 
with  men,  who  feared  God,  it  was  no 
hard  thing  to  adjust  a  due  medium. — A 
proper  temperature  was  used  betAA'een  the 
precipitation  of  the  lapsed  and  the  stoical 
severity  of  Novatian.  Hence,  tried  peni- 
tents were  restored,  and  the  case  of  dubi- 
ous characters  was  deferred ;  and  yet 
every  method  of  Christian  charity  was 
used  to  bring  about  and  facilitate  their 
epentance  and  re-admission. 

Fortunatus  preserved  still  a  schismati- 
cal  assembly.     But  both  this  bishop  and 
his  flock  shrunk  soon  into  insignificance. 
The  Christian  authority  of  Cyprian  was 
restored.     The  Novatian  party  alone  re- 
mained a  long-  time  after,  in  Africa  and 
elsewhere,  numerous  enough  to  continue 
a  distinct  body  of  professing  Christians. 
The  very  little  satisfactory  light,  which 
Christian  annals  afford  concerning  these 
Dissenters,  shall  be  given  in  its  place. 
And,  as  I  am  convinced  that  the  Almighty 
has  not  limited  his  creatures  to  any  par- 
ticular   and    strictly    defined    modes    of 
Church' government,  I  cannot  be  under 
much  temptation  to  partiality. — The  laws 
of  historical  truth  have  obliged  me   to 
state  facts  which  prove  their  secession  to 
have  been  unjustifiable  ;  but  that  circum 
stance  does  not  render  it  impossible  that 
the  Spirit  of  God  might  be  with  some  of 
this  people  during  their  continuance  as  a 
distinct  body  of  Christians. 

Thus  did  it  please  God  to  make  use  of 
the  vigour  and  perseverance  of  Cyprian 
in  recovering  the  Church  of  Carthage 
from  a  state  of  most  deplorable  declension. 
First,  she  had  lost  her  purity  and  piety 
to  a  very  alarming  degree  ;  then,  she  was 
torn  with  persecution,  and  sifted  by  the 
storm  so  much  that  the  greatest  part  of 
her  professors  apostatized :  and,  lastly, 
she  was  convulsed  by  schisms,  through 
men's  unwillingness  to  submit  to  the 
rules  of  God's  own  word  in  wholesome 
discipline  and  sincere  repentance.  On 
Cyprian's  return,  however,  a  new  train 
of  regulation  was  established  by  the  coun 
oil  of  Carthage ;  and  unity  was  restored 
in  a  great  measure  :  The  accounts  of  the 
succeeding  transactions  are  imperfect  ; 
but  there  is  great  reason  to  believe  that 
the  Church  of  God  was  much  recovered 
in  these  parts. 
Decius  lost  his  life  in  battle  in  the 


year  two  hundred  and  fifty-one,  after  hav- 
ing: reisrned  thirty  months. — A  prince — 


Deciu3 
slain, 
A.  D 


neither  deficient  in  abilities 
nor  in  moral  virtues,  but  dis- 
tinguished, during  this  whole  ^_  jy.  251. 
period,  by  the  most  cruel  per- 
secution of  the  Church  of  God ;  he  ap- 
pears to  have  been  bent  on  its  ruin  ;  but 
was  stopped  in  his  career  by  an  over- 
ruling Providence. 

The  Church  was  now  allowed  peace 
for  a  little  time  under  Gallus,  the  succes- 
sor of  Decius. 

There  remain  a  few  circumstances  to  be 
observed,  which  attended  this  persecution 
in  the  West,  before  we  proceed  to  relate 
its  effects  in  the  Eastern  Church. 

Cyprian,  zealous  for  the  tmity  of  the 
Church,  informed  Cornelius,*  that  cer- 
tain persons  came  to  Carthage  from  No- 
vatian, who  insisted  on  being  heard  as 
to  some  charges  which  they  had  to  pro- 
duce against  Cornelius  : — But, — that  as 
sufficient  and  ample  testimony  had  already 
been  given  in  favour  of  Cornelius, — as  a 
prudent  delay  had  also  been  made, — and 
as  the  sense  of  the  Church  of  Rome  had 
been  authentically  exhibited,  any  further 
audience  of  the  Novatians  had  been  re- 
fused.— ^These,  he  observes,  strove  then 
to  make  a  party  in  Africa ;  and  for  this 
purpose  solicited  different  towns  and  pri- 
vate houses.  The  council  of  Carthago 
informed  them  that  they  ought  to  desist 
from  their  obstinacy,  and  not  to  relinquish 
their  mother  Church;  but  to  own,  that  a 
bishop  being  once  constituted  and  ap- 
proved by  the  testimony  and  judgment  of 
his  colleagues  and  of  the  people,  another 
could  not  be  lawfully  set  up  in  his  room  : 
and  that  therefore,  if  they  intended  to  act 
peaceably  and  faithfully, — if  they  pre- 
tended to  be  the  assertors  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ, — they  ought  to  return  to  the 
Church. 

Though  the  ideas  contained  in  this 
epistle  may  appear  very  repugnant  to  the 
habits  of  thinking  contracted  by  many 
professors  of  godliness  in  our  days,  I  see 
not,  I  own,  on  what  principles  they  can 
be  controverted.  There  is  a  medium  be- 
tween the  despotism  of  idolatrous  Rome 
and  the  extreme  licentiousness  of  modern 
ecclesiastical  polity. — Are  not  peace  and 
unity  precious  things! — and  ought  not 
they  to  be  preserved  in  the  Church  if  pos- 
sible ■? — Then  why  should  not  the  decided 
sense  of  the  majority  prevail,  where  that 


Epis.  41. 


Cent.  III.] 


HISRORY  OF  CYPRIAN. 


183 


mode  of  evantrelically  settling  a  Church 
has  been  usual,  and  where  it  is  not  con- 
trary to  the  established  laws  of  the  coun- 
try,— and  lastly,  where  pastors  sound  in 
faith  and  decorous  in  manners  have  been 
appointed  1 — Can  it  be  right  for  a  small 
number  of  individuals  to  dissent — and 
that,  on  no  better  ground,  than  their  own 
fancy  and  humour'?*  This  is  not  keep- 
ing the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of 
peace. — Such,  however,  was  the  first  ori- 
gin of  the  Novatian  schism. 

Persons,  who  have  been  accustomed  to 
approve  the  unrestrained  and  unscriptural 
manner  of  conducting  religious  commu- 
nities, which  now  so  unhappily  prevails  ; 
who  feel  no  pity  for  the  Church  of  Christ, 
nor  care  how  much  her  members  be  torn 
one  from  another,  and  who  make  no  more 
difficulty  of  changing  their  pastors  than 
their  workmen ;  will  not  enter  into  the 
beauty  of  Cyprian's  charitable  concern 
for  the  unity  of  the  Church.  It  is  evi- 
dent, union  at  Rome  was  as  much  on  his 
heart  as  union  at  Carthage,  because  he 
considered  Christ's  body  as  one.  He  ex- 
plains! to  Cornelius  why  he  was  not  im- 
mediately acknowledged  as  bishop,  and 
how  he  was  honourably  received  on  full 
information.  He  speaks  of  the  Roman 
schism  with  horror;    he  represents  the 


•  The  author  would  by  no  means  be  under- 
stood Iiere  to  encroach  on  the  right  of  private 
judgment  ;  but  be  laments  sincerely  tliat  the 
evii  of  separation  should  have  been  considered 
by  the  Novatians  as  a  trilling  matter  ;  and  he, 
further,  laments,  that  a  spirit  of  the  same  kind 
should  appear  to  jjrevail  strongly  in  our  own 
days. — "  l)oes,  then,  right  and  wrong, — will 
any  one  say, — depend  upon  numbers  ?  Have 
not  the  FEW  as  undoubted  a  right  to  their  own 
opinions  as  the  many  ?" — Such  questions  are 
often  asked, — and  with  an  air  of  triumph. — 
But,  after  all,  whoever  denied  this  right  of 
opinion  ;  this  right  to  think  ? — It  is  the  right 
of  ACTING  according  to  this  right  of  opinion 
that  is  contested.  Let  a  man,  for  e.xample,  in 
his  private  judgment,  prefer  for  his  pastor  or 
his  bishop  some  person  different  from  him  who 
has  been  elected  by  the  majority; — Let  him 
publicly  show  this  preference  at  tiie  time  of 
giving  his  suffrage  ; — but  let  him  remember 
to  acquiesce  peaceably  in  the  appointment  of 
the  persor\  elected  ;  and  not  endeavour  to  di- 
vide the  Church  of  Christ  by  placing  a  rejected 
candidate  or  some  other  favourite  at  the  head 
of  a  faction  in  opposition  to  the  election  of, — 
perhaps, — a  truly  godly  a\id  religious  man. 

But  in  all  this  the  author  supi)Oses  either 
the  Lex  scripta  or  the  Lex  non  scripta  of  liie 
country  to  authorize  ecclesiastical  appoint- 
ments by  election. 

+  Epis.  42. 


Christian   schismatics,   as   refusing   the 
bosom  and  the  embrace  of  their  mother, 
and  as  setting  up  an  adulterous  head  out 
of  the  Church.     I   attempt  not  to  vindi- 
cate expressions  which  go  to  the  length 
of  a  total  condemnation  of  the  persons  of 
schismatics :  Schism  is  not  so  deadly  an 
evil   as   heresy  ;  nor  must  we  undertake 
to  judge  the  HEARTS  of  others.     But  when 
all  this  is  allowed, — Does  not  the  zeal  of 
Cyprian  call  for  similar  candour! — ^The 
mischief,  which  had  just  begun  to  show 
itself  in  Rome  and  Carthage,  was  then 
NEW  in  the  Christian  world.     Before  the 
time  of  this  able  and  active  prelate,  no 
instance  had  happened  of  any  separations 
made  from  the   Church,  except   in   the 
case  of  damnable  heresies :  Slight  and 
tolerable  inconveniences  had  not  yet  been 
thought  sufficient  reasons  to  justify  such 
violent  measures ; — and,  it  must  be  owned, 
if  really  good  men  in  all  ages  had  pos- 
sessed the  same  conscientious  dread  of 
the  sin  of  Schism,  it  would  have  fared 
much  better  with  vital  Christianity;  and, 
further,  those  separations  which  must  of 
necessity  be  made,  when  false  worship 
and  false  doctrine  are  prevalent,  would 
have  been  treated  with  more  respect  in 
the  world. 

Encouraged  with  the  success  of  his 
pacific  labours  at  home,  Cyprian  endea- 
voured to  heal  the  breaches  of  the  Ro- 
man Christians.  He  was  sensible  that 
the  example  of  the  confessors,  whom  No- 
vatian's  appearance  of  superior  piety  in 
discipline  had  seduced,  had  occasioned  a 
great  defection.  He  wrote  respectfully 
to  his  former  correspondents,  and  assured 
them  that  the  deepest  sadness  had  pos- 
sessed his  breast  on  their  account :  he  re- 
minds them  of  the  honour  of  their  faith- 
ful suffi^ringfs  :  he  intreats  them  to  return 
to  the  Church ;  and  points  out  the  incon- 
sistency of  their  glorious  confession  of 
Christ  with  their  present  irregularity. 
But  so  exactly  attentive  was  Cyprian  to 
order,  that  he  first  sent  the  letter  to  Cor- 
nelius, and  ordered  it  to  be  read  to  him, 
and  submitted  to  his  consideration  before 
he  would  suffer  it  to  be  sent  to  the  con- 
fessors.* With  the  same  cautious  cha- 
rity he  explains  again  to  Cornelius  some 
things  which  had  given  umbrage  to  that 
prelate  with  respect  to  the  delay  of  the 
acknowledgment  of  his  ordination. | — 
These  transactions  appear  to  me  to  belong 
to  my  plan  ;  and  to  be  singularly  instruc- 


Epls.  43,  44. 


t  Epis.  45. 


184 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  X. 


tive.— The  conduct  of  this  African  bishop 
is  calculated  to  admonish  Christian  mi- 
nisters in  all  ages  to  enlarge  their  views 
so  as  to  comprehend  the  whole  Church 
of  Christ ;  and  never  to  feel  assured  that 
they  grow  in  true  zeal  and  true  charit)% 
as  long  as  they  do  not  feel  the  evils  of 
division,  and  do  not  labour  to  preserve 
peace  and  unity. 

The  progress  of  Christian  grace  will 
always  be  much  seen  in  the  just  manage- 
ment of  matters  of  this  kind. 

There  is  the  strongest  reason  to  believe 
that  the  authority  of  Cyprian  had  a  great 
effect  on  the  minds  of  Maximus  and  the 
other  seduced  confessors,  whose  undoubt- 
ed piety  gave  the  chief  support  to  Nova- 
tian's  party.  But  another  circumstance 
happened  about  the  same  time,  which 
contributed  to  open  their  eyes  effectually. 
The  excessive  eagerness  of  the  schisma- 
tics at  Rome  defeated  their  own  end. 
"With  the  view  of  increasing  the  Schism, 
they  were  so  fraudulent  as  to  send  out 
frequent  letters  in  the  names  of  these  con- 
fessors, almost  throughout  all  the  Church- 
es. Maximus  and  the  rest  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  fact,  and  were  exceed- 
ingly surprised  :  they  owned  they  knew 
not  a  syllable  of  the  contents  of  these 
letters :  and  they  heartily  desired  a  re- 
union with  the  Church.  The  whole  body 
of  the  Roman  Christians, — and  probably, 
at  that  time  no  purer  Church  existed, — 
sympathized  with  these  confessors  both 
in  their  seduction  and  in  their  recovery. 
Tears  of  joy  and  thanksgiving  to  God 
burst  forth  in  the  assembly.  "  We  con- 
fess," says  Maximus  and  the  rest  with 
ingenuous  frankness,  "  our  mistake. — We 
own  Cornelius  the  bishop  of  the  most 
holy  general*  Church,  chosen  by  Al 
mighty  God  and  by  Christ  our  Lord  ;  we 
suffered  an  imposture  :  We  were  circum- 
vented by  treachery  and  a  captious  plau- 
sibility of  speech :  and  though  we  seem 
to  have  had  some  communication  with  a 
schismatic  and  a  heretic, f  yet  our  mind 
was  sincerely  with  the  Church ;  for  we 
knew  that  there  is  one  God,  one  Christ, 
one  Lord,  whom  we  have  confessed ;  one 
Holy  Ghost;  and  that  one  bishop  ought 

*  I  choose  to  translate  Cornelius's  Calho- 
licse  in  Epis.  46,  which  gives  an  account  of  this 
transaction,  genehal  rather  tlian  catholic, 
to  distinguish  the  Church  of  Christ  at  large 
from  particular  separatists. 

+  They  confound  here  two  terms  that  ought 
to  be  kept  distinct.  Novatian  was  a  schisma- 
tic, but  not  a  heretic. 


to  be  in  the  general  Church."  "  Should 
we  not,"  says  Cornelius,  "  be  moved  with 
their  profession; — and,  by  restoring  them 
to  the  Church,  give  them  the  opportunity 
of  acting  according  to  that  belief  which 
they  liave  dared  to  profess  before  all  the 
world  ]  We  have  restored  Maximus  the 
presbyter  to  his  office  : — the  rest  we  have 
also  received  with  the  zealous  consent  of 
the  people." 

Cyprian,  with  his  usual  animation,* 
congratulated  Cornelius  on  the  event; 
and  describes  the  happy  effect  which  the 
example  of  the  confessors  had  on  the 
minds  of  the  people. — And,  I  cannot  biit 
think  that,  in  modern  times,  much  evil 
might  have  been  prevented  in  the  Church 
of  Christ, — if  many  excellent  men,  who 
have  suffered  their  minds  to  be  harassed 
by  needless  and  frivolous  scruples,  had 
possessed  more  tenderness  of  conscience 
in  regard  to  the  question  of  schism  and 
separation. — "  No  one  can  now  be  de- 
ceived," says  Cyprian,  "  by  the  loqua- 
city of  a  frantic  schismatic,  since  it  ap- 
pears that  good  and  glorious  soldiers  of 
Christ  could  not  long  be  detained  out  of 
the  Church  by  perfidy  and  fallacy." 

The  Novatians  being  baffled  at  Rome, 
Novatus  and  Nicostratus  went  over  to 
Africa.  We  have  already  taken  notice 
of  their  seditious  attempts  in  those  parts. 
Cornelius, f  by  letter,  warned  Cyprian  of 
the  probable  approach  of  the  schisma- 
tics ;  and  certainly,  there  is  a  disagreea- 
ble harshness  of  language  in  this  account 
of  his  enemies  as  well  as  in  the  fragment 
of  his  Epistle  preserved  by  Eusebius. 

Of  Novatus  himself,  the  bishop  of 
Carthage,  who  must  have  thoroughly 
known  him,  asserts  expressly  and  cir- 
cumstantially that  he  was  guilty  of  hor- 
rible crimes,  which,  in  truth,  it  is  neither 
pleasant  to  particularize,  nor  does  the 
plan  of  this  history  call  for  such  a  detail. 
—The  honest  charity  of  Cyprian  requires 
that  this  testimony  should  be  admitted. :|: 
This  bishop  was  as  remarkable  for  mode- 
ration as  for  zeal.  He  speaks  with  much 
sensibility  of  persons  seduced  by  the  arts 
of  the  foul  impostor;  and  observes — 
"  Those  only  will  perish,  who  are  wilful 
in  their  evils.  The  rest,"  says  he,  "  the 
mercy  of  God  the  Father  will  unite  with 
us,  and  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Christ,  and 
our  patience."  I  wish  this  benevolent 
spirit  had  had  opportunities  of  knowing 
Novatian  as  perfectly  as  he  knew  Nova- 


Epis.  47 


t  Epis.  48.         +  Epis.  49. 


Cent.  III.] 


CYPRIAN, 


185 


tus.  But  a  Roman,  who  does  not  appear 
ever  to  have  come  into  Africa  at  all,  could 
only  he  made  known  to  him  hy  report. — 
I  shall  find  a  convenient  place  by  and  by, 
in  which  it  may  be  proper  to  make  such 
further  remarks  upon  him  as  the  scanty 
and  imperfect  materials  will  supply. — 
Let  the  candid  reader,  however,  always 
bear  in  mind,  that,  though  Novatus  was, 
doubtless,  a  very  wicked  man,  though  no 
ground  for  the  separation  appears  in  his- 
tory, and  though  there  is  not  the  least 
reason  to  believe  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
had  left  the  general  Church  to  abide  with 
the  dissentients,  yet  the  personal  charac- 
ter of  several  of  the  supporters  of  the 
schism  might  still  be  excellent. 

In  answer  to  a  friendly  letter  of  the  Ro- 
man confessors,*  Cyprian,  after  congratu- 
lating them  on  their  re-union  with  the 
Church,  and  expressing  his  sincere  sor- 
row for  the  former  defection,  delivers  his 
sentiments  on  the  duty  of  Christians  in 
this  point.  The  flattering  idea,  which 
had  seduced  these  good  men,  was  a  no- 
tion of  constituting  a  Church  here  on 
earth  exactly  pure  and  perfect. — The  man, 
who  sustained  so  much  ill-will  on  ac- 
count of  discipline,  may  be  heard  with 
patience  on  this  subject. — Yet  he  was  far 
from  supposing  that  fallible  mortals 
should  be  able,  in  all  cases,  to  decide 
positively  who  were  true  Christians  and 
who  not,  and  to  rectify  all  abuses,  and  to 
cleanse  the  Church  of  all  its  tares.  The 
middle  state  between  impracticable  efforts 
of  severity  and  licentious  neglect  was  Cy- 
prian's judgment:  He  thought  it  neces- 
sary that  the  lapsed  should  show  good 
marks  of  penitence  :  and  he  held  it  highly 
culpable  to  separate  from  the  visible 
Church,  for  the  want  of  that  exact  purity 
in  the  members  which  the  present  state  of 
things  does  not  admit.  But  let  us  hear 
the  bishop  himself:  The  subject  is  not, 
indeed,  of  the  first  importance,  bat  it  de 
serves,  on  account  of  its  practical  influ- 
ence, to  be  deeply  considered  by  all 
friends  of  vital  godliness. 

"  Though  there  appear  to  be  tares  in  the 
Church,  our  faith  and  love  ought  not  to 
be  impeded  by  seeing  them,  so  that  we 
should  desert  our  post. — Our  business  is 
to  labour,  that  we  ourselves  may  stand  a 
scnitiny,  that  when  the  wheat  shall  be 
gathered  into  the  harvest,  we  may  receive 
reward  according  to  our  labour.  The 
Apostle  speaks  of  vessels  not  only  of  gold 


and  silver,  but  also  of  wood  and  of  earth, 
and  some  to  honour  and  some  to  dishon- 


Epis.  50,  51. 
q2 


our. 

"  Be  it  our  care  that  we  be  found  ves- 
sels of  gold  or  silver  :  but  we  are  not  to 
break  in  pieces  the  vessels  of  earth  :  this 
belongs  to  the  Lord  alone,  who  has  a  rod 
of  iron. — The  servant  cannot  be  greater 
than  his  master:  nor  must  any  man  claim 
to  himself  what  the  Father  attrilnites  to 
the  Son   alone: — No  man  should  think 
himself  capable  ofthoroughly  purging  the  ' 
floor,  or  of  separating  all  the  wheat  from 
the  tares  by  human  judgment.     To  think 
so  is  proud  obstmacy   and  sacrilegious 
presumption,  which  a  depraved  madness 
assumes   to  itself;    and  Avhile  some  lay 
claim  to  a  dominion  of  this  kind  beyond 
the  limits  of  justice  and  equity,  they  are 
lost  to  the  Church ;  and,  while  they  inso- 
lently  extol    themselves,    they   become 
blinded  by  their  passions,  so  as  to  lose 
the  light  of  truth.  With  these  views,  we 
have  aimed  at  a  proper  medium ;  we  have 
contemplated  the  balance  of  the  Lord ;  we 
have  thirsted  exceedingly  that  we  might 
be  directed  both  by  the  holiness  and  the 
mercy  of  God  the  Father;  and,  after  a 
long  and  careful  deliberation,   we  have 
settled  a  just  mediocrity.  —I  refer  you  to 
my  own  books  on  the  subject,  which  I 
lately  read  here;  and  which,   from  mo- 
tives of  brotherly  love,  I  have  sent  over 
to  you  to  read.     In  them  there  is  wanting- 
neither  a  due  censure  of  the  lapsed,  nor 
medicine  to  heal  the  penitent. — I  have 
expressed  also  my  thoughts  on  the  unity 
of  the  Church  to  the  best  of  my  feeble 
judgment."* 

There  was  a  bishop  of  some  note, 
named  Antonius,  Avho  seemed  disposed 
to  embrace  the  Novatian  schism.  To 
him  Cyprian  in  a  long  letter  explains  with 
much  force  and  clearness  the  whole  of 
his  ideas  on  the  subject.  A  short  abridge- 
ment of  it  may  merit  perusal,  because  of 
the  charity  and  good  sense  which  run 
through  it.)" 

He  clears  himself  from  the  charge  of 
inconsistency,  by  showing,  in  both  cases, 
the  views  on  which  he  acted  under  very 
different  circumstances,  formerly  with 
strictness,  now  with  lenity  ; — he  informs 
him  what  had  been  determined  both  at 
Rome  and  Carthage  concerning  the  la])sed; 
— he  enlarges  on  the  virtues  of  Cornelius, 
who  had  ventured  his  life  in  a  time  of  se- 

*  He  means  his  Treatises  on  the  Lapsed, 
and  on  the  Unity  of  the  Church. 
t  Epis.  52. 


186 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CIirRCH: 


[Chap.  X. 


\cro  trial  under  Dccius; — he  ilotomls  him 
against  the  unjust  aspersions  of  the  IS'o- 
vatians,  and  demonstrates,  that  verj'  dif- 
ferent rules  and  metliods  should  he  used, 
Rccordinoto  the  eircunistances  of  olTend- 
ers;  and  that  Novatian's  stoicism,  hy 
which  all  sins  are  equal,  was  ahsolutely 
repuornant  to  the  fjenius  of  Christianity. 
He  supports  his  ideas  of  mercy  liy  strik- 
ing and  apposite  passages  of  Scripture. 
For  instance;  "The  whole  need  not  a 
physician,  hut  the  sick."  What  sort  of 
a  physician  is  he,  who  says,  "  1  cure  only 
the  sound  ?" — "Nor  ought  we  to  think 
all  those  whom  we  see  wounded  hy  a  de- 
gree of  apostasy,  during  the  deadly  per- 
secution, to  he  absolutely  dead;  hut  ra- 
ther to  lie  half  dead  only,  and  to  be  capa- 
ble of  being  recovered  by  sound  faith  and 
penitence,  so  as  yet  to  display  in  future 
the  true  characters  of  confessors  and  mar- 
tyrs." 

He  shows  that  the  censures  of  the 
Church  ought  not  to  anticipate  the  judg- 
ment of  the  Lord.  His  quotations  of 
Scripture,  in  behalf  of  receiving  penitents 
again  into  the  Church  may  well  be  spared: 
— The  Novatian  unchariiableness  will,  in 
our  days,  scarcely  find  a  defender. 

He  "heauiifuUy  insists  on  the  propriety 
and  wholesomcness  of  mercy,  gentleness, 
and  charity,  and  exposes  the  unreason- 
ableness of  the  present  dissent  from  this 
circumstance — that  formerlji   in  Africa, 
some  bishops  excluded  adulterers  from  a 
return  into  the  Church, — but  they  did  not 
form  a  schism  on  that  account.     And  yet 
au  adulterer  appears  to  him  to  deserve  a 
greater  degree  of  severity  than  a  man  who 
lapses  through  fear  of  torment. — He  ex- 
poses the  absurdity  of  the  Novatians  in 
exhorting  men  to  repent,  while  they  rob 
them   of  all  those  comforts  and   hopes 
which  should  encourage  repentance.     It 
is  observable,  that  he  alleges  nothing  par- 
ticular against  the  personal  character  of 
Novatian  : — but  he  blames  Schism  with 
an  excess  of  severity  not  to  be  defended. 
From  another  circumstance  we  are  led 
to  remark  the  strictness  of  discipline  which 
then  prevailed  in  the  purest  Ciuirches. — 
Several  persons,   who  stood  firm  lor  a 
time  in  persecution,  and  afterwards  fell 
through  extremity  of  torment,  were  kept 
three  years  in  a  state  of  exclusion  from 
the  Church  ;  and  yet  they  lived  all  that 


time  with  every  mark  of  true  repentance. 
—  Cyprian  being  consulted,*  decided  that 
they  ought  to  be  re-admitted  to  commu- 


nion. 


The  appearance  of  a  new  persecution 
from  (rallus  now  threatening  tiie  Church, 
Cyprian,  with  the  African  synod,  wrote 
to  Cornelius  on  the  subject  of  hastening 
the  reception  of  penitents,  that  they  might 
be  armed  for  the  approaching  storm. f 

In  the  mean  time  Kelicissimus  finding, 
after  his  condemnation,  no  security  to  his 
reputation  in  Africa,  crossed  the  sea  to 
Home,  raised  a  party  against  Cornelius, 
and  by  menaces,  threw  him  into  great 
fear.  Cj'prian's  spirit  seems  more  dis- 
turbed on  this  occasion  than  I  have  seen 
n-ason  to  observe  in  any  of  his  epistles. 
He  supports  the  dignity  of  the  episcopal 
character  in  a  style  of  great  magnificence ; 
but  it  is  evident,  that  continued  ill  treat- 
ment from  seditious  characters  had  led 
him  into  some  degree  of  impatience  :  The 
language  he  uses  concerning  the  autho- 
rity of  bishops,  would  sound  strange  to 
our  ears,  thoujili  it  bj-  no  means  contains 
any  definite  ideas  contrary  to  the  Scrip- 
tures. The  whole  epistle  is  calculated  to 
rouse  the  dejected  spirit  of  Cornelius; 
and  shows  much  of  the  hero — less  of  the 
Christian.  He  confesses — that  he  speaks 
grieved  and  irritated,  by  a  series  of  un- 
merited ill  usage.  He  takes  notice  that 
at  the  very  time  of  writing  this,  he  was 
again  demanded  by  the  people  to  be  ex- 
posed to  the  lions.  He  speaks  of  the  or- 
dination of  Fortunatus  and  also  of  Maxi- 
mus,  by  the  schismatics,  in  a  contemptu- 
ous manner. — It  is  very  evident,  that,  on 
the  whole,  he  triumphed  in  Carthage 
among  his  own  people.  His  great  virtues 
and  unquestionable  sincerity  secured  him 
their  affections ;  l)'it  they  seem  not  to 
have  been  sufficiently  patient  and  discreet 
in  the  re-admission  of  ollenders  :  He  com- 
plains that,  in  some  cases,  they  were  vio- 
lent and  resentfiil ; — and  in  otliers,  preci- 
pitately easy  and  f\ivourable.  The  elo- 
quence, and  even  the  genuine  charity  of 
this  great  man,  appears  throughout  this 
fifty-fifth  epistle; — but  it  is  deficient  in 
the  meekness  and  the  moderation,  which 
shine  in  his  other  performances. 


•  Epis.  53. 


t  Epis.  54. 


CiiST.  UL] 


PERSECUTION  OF  DECIUS. 


187 


CHAPTER    XI. 

THE  EFFECTS  OF  THE  PERSECUTION  OF 
DECIUS  IX  THE  EASTERN  CHURCH. 

Thk  Eastern  and  Western  Churches 
were,  in  those  times,  divided  from  each 
other  by  the  (ireelv  and  Roman  lanjriiajre, 
tliou<(h  cemented  by  the  common  bond — 
of  the  Itoman  government,  and  much  more 
— of  the  common  Salvation.  It  will  often 
be  found  convenient  to  consider  their  his- 
torj'  distinctly.  The  ((enlile  Church  of 
Jerusalem  still  maintained  its  respecta- 
bility under  Alexander  its  bishop,  wiio 
has  been  mentioned  above.  He  was  airain 
called  on  to  confess  Christ  before  the  tri- 
bunal of  the  president  at  Cscsarea;  and, 
in  this  second  trial  of  his  faith,  having 
acquitted  himself  with  his  usual  fidelity, 
he  was  cast  into  prison:  His  venerable 
locks  procured  him  neither  pity  nor  re- 
spect: and  he  finally  breathed  out  liis 
soul  under  confinement.* 

At  Antioch,  I5abylas  after  his  confes- 
sion dying  in  bonds,  Fabius  was  chosen 
his  successor.  In  this  persecution  the 
renowned  Origen  was  called  to  suffer  ex- 
tremely. Bonds,  tonnents,  a  dungeon, 
the  pressure  of  an  iron  chair,  the  disten- 
sion of  his  feet  for  many  days,  the  threats 
of  burning,  and  other  evils  were  inflicted 
by  his  enemies,  all  which  he  manfully  en- 
dured :  and  his  life  was  still  preserved  ; 
for  the  judge  was  solicitously  careful  that 
his  tortures  should  not  kill  him.  "  What 
words  he  uttered  on  these  occasions,  and 
how  useful  to  those  who  need  consolation, 
many  of  bis  epistles,"  says  Eusebius, 
"  declare  with  no  less  truth  than  accura- 
cy!"— If  the  words  here  alluded  to  were 
now  extant,  more  light,  I  apprehend, 
might  be  thrown  on  the  internal  charac- 
ter of  Origen,  in  respect  to  experimental 
godliness,  than  by  all  his  works  which 
remain. 


Account  of 
])ioiiysius, 
bishop  of 
Alexan- 
dria. 


Origen 
dies,  aged 

70. 


These  show  the  scholar,  the 
philosopher,  and  the  critic : 
— Those  would  have  display- 
ed the  Christian.  This  great 
man  died  in  his  seventieth 
year,  about  the  same  time  as  the  emperor 
Decius. 

Uy  and  by  I  shall  find  occasion  to  in- 
sert an  estimate  of  his  character. 

Dionysius  was  at  this  time  bishop  of 
Alexandria, — a  person  of  great  and  de- 
served renown  in  the  Church.     We  are 

•  Euseb.  li.  6.  flora  C.  39  to  the  end. 


obliged  to  Eusebius  for  a  few 
fragments    of    his   writings, 
some  of  which  being  histori- 
cal, must  be  here  inserted.  In 
an    ejjistle   to   Cerrnanus    he 
writes  thus: — "Sal)inus,  the 
Roman  governor,  sent  an  officer  to  seek 
me,  during  the  persecution  of  Decius,  and 
I  remained  four  days  at  home,  expecting 
Ills  coming:  he  made  the  most  accurate 
search   in   the  roads,  the  rivers,  and  the 
fields,  where  he  suspected  I  might  be  hid. 
A  confusion  seems  to  have  seized  liim, 
that  he  could  not  find  my  house;  for  he 
had  no  idea  that  a  man,  in  my  circum- 
stances, should  stay  at  home.  At  length, 
after  four  days,  God  ordered  me  to  re- 
move;* and,  having  opened  me  a  way 
contrary  to  all  expectation,  I  and  my  ser- 
vants and  many  of  the  brethren  went  to- 
gether. The  event  showed  that  the  whole 
was  the  work  of  Divine  Providence. — 
About  sun-set,   I   was   seized,   together 
with    my  whole  company,    by  the  sol- 
diers, and  was  led  to  Taposiris.    l]iit  my 
friend  Timotheus,  by  the  providence  of 
Cod,  was  not  presenti,  nor  was  he  seized. 
He  came  afterwards  to  my  house,   and 
found  it  forsaken  and  guarded ;  and  he 
then  learned  that  we  were  taken  captive. 
How  wonderful   was   the   dispensation! 
but  it  shall  be  related  precisely  as  it  hap- 
pened.    A  countrj-man  met  Timotheus  as 
he  was  flying  in  confusion,  and  asked  the 
cause  of  his  hurry  :  he  told  him  the  truth  : 
the  peasant  heard  the   story  and  went 
away  to  a  nuptial  feast,  at  which  it  was 
the  custom  to  watch  all  night.     He  in- 
formed the  guests  of  what  he  had  heard. 
At  once,  they  all  rose  up,  as  by  a  signal, 
and  ran  quickly  to  us,  and  shouted  :  our 
soldiers,  struck  with  a  panic,  fled;  and 
the  invaders  found  us  laid  down  on  un- 
fiirnished  beds.    I  first  thought  they  must 
have  been  a  company  of  robbers.     They 
ordered  me  to  rise  and  go  out  quickly ;  at 
length   I  understood  their  real  designs; 
and  I  cried  out,  and  entreated  them  ear- 
nestly to  depart,  and  to  let  us  alone.   But 
if  they  really  meant  any  kindness  to  us,  I 
requested  them  to  strike  off  my  head,  and 
so  to  deliver  me  from  my  persecutors. 
They  compelled  me  to  rise  by  doAvnright 
violence;  and  I  then  threw  myself  on  the 
ground.     They  seized  my  hands  and  feet, 
pulled  me  out  by  force ;  and  placed  me 
on  an  ass,  and  conducted  me  from  the 
place." 


•  H}-  a  vision  or  some  oilier  Divine  icanires- 
tation,  I  suppose. 


188 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XI. 


In  so  remarkable  a  manner  was  this 
useful  life  preserved  to  the  Church.  We 
shall  see  it  was  not  in  vain. 

In  an  epistle  to  Fabius  bishop  of  Anti- 
och,  he  gives  the  following  account  of 
the  persecution  at  Alexandria,  which  had 
preceded  the  Decian  persecution  by  a 
whole  year,  and  which  must  have  hap- 
pened therefore  under  Philip,  the  most 
open  friend  of  Christians.  "A  certain 
augur  and  poet  took  pains  to  stir  up  the 
malice  of  the  gentiles  against  us,  and  to 
inflame  them  with  zeal  for  the  support  of 
their  own  superstitions.  Stimulated  by 
him,  they  gave  free  course  to  their  licen- 
tiousness, and  deemed  the  murder  of 
Christians  to  be  the  most  perfect  piety 
and  the  purest  worship  of  demons.  They 
first  seized  an  old  man,  named  Metras, 
and  ordered  him  to  blaspheme  :  he  refus- 
ed; and  they  beat  him  with  clubs,  and 
pricked  his  face  and  eyes  with  sharp 
reeds :  they  dragged  him  to  the  suburbs, 
and  they  th^re  stoned  him.  Then  they 
hurried  one  Quinta,  a  faithful  woman,  to 
the  idol-temple,  and  insisted  on  her  wor- 
shipping of  the  gods. — Quinta  showed 
the  strongest  marks  of  abominating  that 
practice.  They  then  tied  her  by  the  feet ; 
dragged  her  over  the  rough  pavement 
through  all  the  city;  dashed  her  against 
mill  stones,  and  whipped  her ;  and  lastly 
they  led  her  back  to  the  place  where  they 
had  first  seized  her;  and  there  they  dis- 
patched her. — After  this,  with  one  accord 
they  all  rushed  on  the  houses  of  the  god- 
ly: every  one  ran  to  the  house  of  his 
neighbour,  spoiled  and  plundered  it;  and 
purloined  the  most  valuable  goods,  and 
threw  away  those  things  which  were 
vile  and  refuse,  and  burnt  them  in  the 
roads ;  and  thus  was  exhibited  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  captive  and  spoiled  city. 
The  brethren  fled  and  withdrew  them- 
selves, and  received  with  joy  the  spoiling 
of  their  goods,  as  those  did  to  whom 
Paul  beareth  witness ;  and  I  do  not  know, 
that  any  person,  who  fell  into  their  hands, 
— except  one, — denied  the  Lord.  Among 
others,  they  seized  an  aged  virgin,  called 
Apollonia,  and  dashed  out  all  her  teeth  ; 
and  having  kindled  a  fire  before  tlie  city, 
tliey  threatened  to  burn  her  alive,  unless 
she  would  consent  to  blaspheme.  This 
admirable  woman  begged  for  a  little  in- 
termission ;  and  she  then  quickly  leaped 
into  the  fire,  and  was  consumed.  They 
laid  violent  hands  on  Serapion  in  his  own 
house :  they  tortured  him  and  broke  all 
his  limbs;   and,  lastly,  threw  him  head 


long  from  an  upper  room.  No  road,  pub- 
lic or  private,  was  passable  to  us,  by 
night  or  by  day :  the  people  crying  out 
always  and  every  where,  that  unless  we 
would  speak  blasphemy,  we  should  be 
thrown  into  the  flames; — and  these  evils 
continued  a  long  time.  A  sedition  then 
succeeded,  and  a  civil  war,  which  avert- 
ed their  fury  from  us,  and  turned  it  against 
one  another;  and  again  we  breathed  a 
little  during  the  mitigation  of  their  rage. 
Immediately  the  change  of  government 
was  announced  :  The  persecuting  Decius 
succeeded  Philip  our  protector,  and  we 
were  threatened  with  destruction :  The 
edict,  which  our  Lord  foretold  would  be 
so  dreadful  as  to  seduce,  if  it  were  possi- 
ble, even  the  elect,*  appeared  against  us. 
— All  were  astonished;  many  Christians 
of  quality  discovered  themselves  imme- 
diately through  fear ;  others,  who  held 
public  offices,  were  constrained  by  their 
office  to  appear  ;  and  others  were  brought 
forward  and  betrayed  by  their  gentile 
relations.  Each  person  was  cited  by 
name.  They  then  approached  the  un- 
holy altars ;  some  pale  and  trembling, 
not  as  if  they  were  going  to  sacrifice,  but 
to  be  themselves  the  victims;  so  that 
they  were  derided  by  the  multitude  who 
stood  around;  and  it  was  visible  to  all 
that  they  were  very  much  frightened  both 
at  the  prospect  of  death  and  at  the  crime 
of  sacrificing:  but  some  ran  more  readily 
to  the  altar,  and  affirmed  boldly,  that  they 
never  had  been  Christians.  Of  such  our 
Lord  affirmed  most  truly,  that  they  should 
be  saved  with  great  dilHculty.|  Of  the 
rest  some  followed  the  various  examples 
above  mentioned  ;  and  others  fled  : — Some 
persisted  in  the  faith ;  and  suffered  bonds 
and  imprisonment  for  many  days ;  but, 
at  last,  before  they  were  led  to  the  tribu- 
nal, they  abjured  their  religion; — others 
held  out  longer,  and  endured  torments. — 
But  the  firm  and  stable  pillars  of  the 
Lord,  being  strengthened  by  him,  and 
having  received  vigour  and  courage  pro- 
portionate and  correspondent  to  the  live- 
ly faith  which  was  in  them,  became  ad- 
mirable martyrs  of  his  kingdom. — The 
first  of  these  was  Julian,  a  gouty  person 
who  could  neither  stand  nor  walk;  he 
was  brought  forth  with  two  others  who 
carried  him;  one  of  whom  immediately 
denied   Christ.     The  other,  called   Cro- 

*  It  is  evident  tliat  this  apijlication  of  our 
Lord's  words  is  a  mistake. 

f  I  suppose  he  means  because  they  were 
rich. 


Ceitt.  III.] 


PERSECUTION  OF  DECIUS. 


189 


nion  the  Benevolent,  and  old  Julian  him- 
self, having  confessed  the  Lord,  were  led 
through  the  whole  city, — very  large  as 
ye  know  it  is, — sitting  on  camels  :  they 
were  then   scourged,  and  were  at  last 
burnt  in  a  very  hot  fire  in  the  view  of 
surrounding  multitudes.   A  soldier,  named 
Besas,  stood  by  them  and  defended  them 
from  insults  ;  which  so  incensed  the  mob, 
that  the  man  lost  his  head  for  having 
thus  behaved  boldly  in  the  service  of  his 
God. — An  African  by  birth,  called  Me- 
car,*  and  truly  meriting  the  appellation, 
having  resisted  much  importunity,  was 
burnt  alive.   After  these,  Epimachus  and 
Alexander,  who  had  long  sustained  im- 
prisonment  and    undergone   a   thousand 
tortures,  were  burnt  to  death ;  and  along 
with  these  four  women.     Ammonarion, 
a  holy  virgin,  was  grievously  tormented 
by  the  judge  for  having  declared  before- 
hand that  she  would  not  repeat  the  blas- 
phemy which  he  ordered  :  she  continued 
faithful,  and  was  led  away  to  execution. 
The  venerable  ancient  Mercuria — and  Di- 
onysia,  a  mother,  indeed,  of  many  chil- 
dren, but  a  mother  who  did  not  love  her 
children  more  than  the  Lord — and  another 
Ammonarion, — these,  together  with  many 
others,  were  slain  by  the  sword  without 
being  first  exposed  to  torments : — for  the 
president  was  ashamed  of  torturing  them 
to  no  purpose,  and  of  being  baffled  by 
women  ; — which   had    been   remarkably 
the  case  in  his  attempt  to  overcome  the 
former  Ammonarion,  who  had  undergone 
what  might  have  been  esteemed  sufficient 
torture  for  them  all. — Heron,  Ater,  and 
Isidore,  Egyptians,  and  with  them  a  boy 
of  fifteen,  called  Dioscorus,  were  brought 
before  the  tribunal :  the  boy  resisted  both 
the  blandishments  and  the  tortures  which 
were  applied  to  him :  the  rest,  after  cruel 
torments,  were  burnt.    The  boy  having 
answered   in   the   wisest   manner  to  all 
questions,  and  excited  the  admiration  of 
the  judge,  was  dismissed  by  him  from 
motives  of  compassion,  with  an  intima- 
tion of  hope  that  he  might  afterwards  re- 
pent.— And  now  the  excellent  Dioscorus 
is   with   us,   reserved  to  a  greater   and 
longer  conflict.     Nemesian  was  first  ac- 
cused  as   a   partner  of  robbers;  but  he 
cleared  himself  of  this  charge  before  the 
Centurion : — An  information — that  he  was 
a  Christian,  was  then  brought   against 
him,  and  he  came  bound  before  the  presi- 
dent, who  most  unjustly  scourged  him 


*  Happy  or  blessed. 


with  twice  the  severity  used  in  the  case 
of  malefactors,  and  then  burnt  him  among 
robbers. — Thus  was  he  honoured  in  re- 
sembling Christ  in  suffering. 

"  And  now  some  of  the  military  guard. 
Amnion,  Zeno,  Ptolemy,  and  Ingenuus, 
and  with  tliem  old  Theophilus,  stood  be- 
fore the  tribunal ;  when  a  certain  person 
being  interrogated  whether  he  was  a 
Christian,  and  appearing  disposed  to  de- 
ny the  imputation,  they  made  such  lively 
signs  of  aversion  as  to  strike  the  behold- 
ers ;  but  before  they  could  be  seized,  they 
ran  voluntarily  to  the  tribunal  and  owned 
themselves  Christians, — so  that  the  go- 
vernor and  his  assessors  were  astonished. 
— God  triumphed  gloriously  in  these; 
and  gave  them  evidently  the  ascendant 
over  the  judges;  and  they  went  to  exe- 
cution with  all  the  marks  of  exultation. 

"  Many  others  through  the  towns  and 
villages  were  torn  to  pieces  by  the  gen- 
tiles. Iscyrion  was  an  agent  to  a  certain 
magistrate ;  yet  he  refused  to  sacrifice : 
This  man,  after  repeated  indignities,  was 
killed  by  a  large  stake  driven  through 
his  intestines.— ^But  why  need  I  mention 
the  multitude  of  those  who  wandered  in 
deserts  and  mountains,  and  were  at  last 
destroyed  by  famine,  and  thirst,  and  cold, 
and  diseases,  and  robbers,  and  wild 
beasts'?  Those,  who  survived,  are  wit- 
nesses of  their  faithfulness  and  victory. 
Suffice  it  to  relate  one  fact:  There  was  a 
verjr  aged  person  named  Chseremon,  bish- 
op of  the  city  of  Nilus.  He,  together 
with  his  Avife,  fled  into  an  Arabian  moun- 
tain; and  they  did  not  return ;  nor  could 
the  brethren,  after  much  searching,  dis- 
cover them  alive  or  dead  ;  and  many  per- 
sons about  the  same  Arabian  mountain 
were  led  captive  by  the  Barbarian  Sara- 
cens, some  of  whom  were  afterwards  re- 
deemed for  money  with  difficulty ;  others 
could  never  regain  their  liberty."  Di- 
onysius  adds  something  concerning  the 
benevolence  of  the  martyrs  towards  the 
lapsed,  and  contrasts  it  with  the  inexora- 
ble severity  of  Novatian. 

Two  things  are  evident  from  this  nar- 
rative, 1st,  That  the  persecution  found 
the  Eastern  Christians  as  poorly  provided 
against  the  storm  as  the  Western.  Long 
peace  and  prosperity  had  corrupted  both; 
and  men,  in  the  former  part  of  this  cen- 
tury, had  forgotten  that  a  Christian  life 
was  that  of  a  stranger  and  pilgrim.  The 
Decian  persecution,  under  God,  was  at 
once  a  scourge  and  an  antidote.  2d,  Yet 
1  there  still  existed  a  competent  number  of 


190 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  XL 


The  story 
of  Sera- 
pion. 


those  who  should  prove  the  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  the  power  of  Divine  Grace  ac- 
companying- it. — The  true  Church  is  not 
destroyed,  but  flourishes  and  triumphs 
amidst  both  inward  and  outward  evils. 

Eusebius  relates  a  story,  from  Diony- 
sius's  letters  to  Fabius,  which  he  says 
was  full  of  wonder : — "  There  was  a  faith- 
ful aged  person,  named  Sera- 
pion,  who  had  lived  blameless 
a  long  time,  but  fell,  in  the 
time  of  trial,  through  fear  of 
death  or  of  bodily  pain.  He  had  fre- 
quently solicited  to  be  restored  to  the 
Church,  but  in  vain, — ^because  he  had 
sacrificed.  He  was  seized  with  a  dis- 
temper and  continued  speechless  and 
senseless  for  three  days  successively; 
but  recovering  a  little  on  the  fourth,  he 
called  to  his  grandson, '  And  how  long,' 
says  he,  'do  you  detain  me?  I  beseech 
you  hasten  and  quickly  dismiss  me.  De- 
sire one  of  the  presbyters  to  visit  me ;' 
and  after  this  he  was  again  speechless. 
The  boy  ran  for  the  presbyter ;  it  was 
night ;  the  presbyter  was  sick,  and  could 
not  come.  But  he  had  given  directions 
to  receive  dying-  penitents, — particularly 
if  they  should  have  supplicated  for  it, — 
that  they  might  leave  the  world  in  good 
hope.  He  gave  a  little  of  the  P]ucharist 
to  the  boy;  and  bid  him  dip  it  in  water, 
and  put  it  into  the  old  man's  mouth  :  The 
child  hastened  to  follow  the  directions ; 
and  found  Serapion  a  little  recruited, — 
who  said,  '  You  are  come,  son  ; — do 
quickly  what  you  are  ordered,  and  dis- 
miss me.'  The  old  man  had  no  sooner 
received  the  morsel,  than  he  gave  up  the 
ghost. — Was  he  not  evidently  reserved, 
until  he  was  absolved  ;  and  was  not  his  sin 
remitted,  and  the  man  acknowledged  by 
Christ  as  a  faithful  servant  on  account  of 
many  good  works."  Thus  far  Dionysius. 
I  remark  here,  1st,  That  the  connexion 
between  the  sacrament  and  the  grace  con- 
veyed by  it,  being  usually  thus  expressed 
as  if  it  were  necessary  and  indissoluble, 
both  in  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper, 
gave  occasion  to  the  increase  of  much  su- 
perstition in  the  Church.  I  am  disposed 
to  believe,  and  certainly  to  hope,  that 
both  Dionysius  and  Serapion  knew  that 
the  sign  was  nothing  without  the  inward 
grace.  Yet  perhaps  they  are  not  to  be 
acquitted  of  superstition  on  account  of 
the  inordinate  stress  which  they  laid  on 
external  things. — The  reader  must  ob- 
serve that  this  evil  continues  to  grow 
during  the  third  century. 


2d, — That,  along  with  this  superstition, 
the  power  of  the  leaders  of  the  Church, 
would  naturally  increase  beyond  the  due 
l)ounds.  That  it  it  did  so  afterwards  sur- 
prisingly is  well  known ; — but  I  judge 
the  evil  to  have  begun  already  both  in 
the  East  and  in  the  West. 

3d, — That  there  was  at  that  time, 
among  persons  of  real  piety,  a  general 
propensity  to  extend  discipline  too  far. 
Serapion  ought,  doubtless,  to  have  been 
sooner  received  into  the  Church.  The 
Lord  seems  to  have  favoured  him  with 
a  token  of  his  loving-kindness,  by  fulfill- 
ing his  desires  of  being  re-admitted  into 
the  Church  before  he  left  the  world. — 
But  how  much  more  decent  and  proper 
would  it  have  been  for  him  to  have  been 
received  while  in  health.  Satan  always 
pushes  men  to  extremes.  Church  disci- 
pline was  held  then  too  high  ;  with  us  it 
is  reduced  to  the  lowest  state.  Without 
communion  with  a  visible  Church  estab- 
lishment in  form,  however  impracticable  it 
might  be,  it  was  scarcely  thought  possi- 
ble for  a  man  to  be  saved  :  Slany  per- 
sons, at  that  time,  would  have  had  no 
hope  of  Serapion's  salvation,  if  the  pow- 
er of  his  disease  had  prevented  the  recep- 
tion of  the  Eucharist.  The  clouds  of 
miserable  superstition  increased,  till  by 
the  light  of  the  Reformation  they  were 
dispelled.  On  the  contrary,  in  our  age, 
the  Lord's  Supper  itself  is  treated  with 
levity  by  thousands  who  call  themselves 
Christians ;  and  communion  with  a  set- 
tled ministry  and  Church  is  esteemed  as 
a  thing  of  trifling  consequence  by  num- 
bers who  profess  the  doctrines  of  vital 
godliness. 

Dionysius  wrote  several  other  tracts, 
which  are  mentioned  by  Eusebius  : — 
Among  the  rest  he  wrote  to  Cornelius, 
bishop  of  Rome,  in  answer  to  his  letter 
against  Novatian  ;*  and  informed  him — 
that  he  had  been  invited  by  Helenus  of 
Tarsus  in  Cicilia,  and  by  the  rest  of  the 
bishops  of  his  neighbourhood,  by  Firmi- 
lian  of  Cappadocia  and  Theoctistes  of 
Palestine,  to  meet  them  in  a  synod  at 
Antioch,  where  some  attempts  were  made 
to  strengthen  the  Novatian  party. — But 
all  these  Churches  united  to  condemn  the 
schism,  and,  with  this  view,  Dionysius 
wrote  to  the  Roman  confessors  both  be- 
fore and  after  they  had  returned  to  the 
Church.     On  the  whole,  the  East  and 


*  Eusebius  certainly  calls  him  Novatus  by 
mistake. 


Cbnt.  hi.] 


PERSECUTION  OF  DECroS, 


191 


West  united  in  condemning-  the  new  dis- 
senters ;    whose  head  having   professed 
that  some  brethren   had  compelled  him 
to  the  separation,  Dionysius  wrote  to  No- 
vatian  himself  to  this  effect :    "  If  you 
were  led  unwillingly,  as  you  say,  you 
will  prove  it  by  returning  willingly  ;  for 
a  man  ought  to  suffer  any  thing-  rather 
than  to  rend  the  Church  of  God.     Even 
martyrdom  on  this  account  would  be  no 
less  glorious  than  on  any  other ; — even 
more  so — For  in  common  martyrdom  a 
man  is  a  witness  for  one  soul  : — here  for 
the   whole   Church.     And   now,  if  you 
would  compel  or  persuade  the  brethren 
to  unanimity,  your  good  conduct  would 
be  more  laudable  than  your  defection  was 
culpable.     The  latter  will  be  forgotten, 
the  former  will  be  celebrated  through  the 
Christian  world.     But  if  you  find  it  im 
practicable  to  draw  over  others,  save  your 
own  soul  at   least ;   I  wish   you   to  be 
strong  in  the  Lord,  and  studious  of  peace." 
Such  was  the  zeal  of  the  Christian  lead- 
ers at  that  time  for  the  preservation  of 
UNITY.     If  there   had   been  a  defection 
from  Christian  purity  of  doctrine  in  the 
general  Church,  or  if  the  Heads  of  it,  for 
the  most  part,  had  been  vicious  men  in 
principle  or  practice,  one  might  have  sus- 
pected that  the  Lord  had  forsaken  these, 
and  that  his  Spirit  had  rested  chiefly  with 
the  new  separatists.     But  that  godliness 
in  a  considerable  degree  prevailed  still  in 
the  Church  at  large  is  very  evident.  Cypri- 
an, Dionysius,  Cornelius,  Firrnilian,  were 
holy  men  :     Martyrs,  in  abundance  from 
their  flocks,  suffered  for  Christ's  sake : 
A  number  of  Church  officers  suffered  in 
a  very   edifying   manner  : — The   lapsed 
were  restored  among  them  by  the  most 
Christian  methods  of  mildness  and  just 
discipline ; — and  this  with  success  in  a 
variety  of  cases. — Dionysius  concurred 
with  Cyprian  in  his  views  on  the  subject ; 
and,  though  the  flame  of  Christian  piety 
was  considerably  lowered  since  the  days 
of  Ignatius,  I  see  not  a  shadow  of  proof 
that  there  was  any  just  reason  for  dissent 
or  any  superior  degree  of  spirituality  with 
the   Novatians. — If,   for   example,   there 
had  been  many  persons  among  them  of 
half  the  piety  of  Cyprian,  I  think  it  pro- 
bable that  history  would  not  have  been 
silent  respecting  them. 

It  is  my  duty"to  trace  the  work  of  the 
Divine  Spirit  wherever  I  can  find  it. 
Traces  of  this  Spirit,  with  the  Novatians 
in  general,  in  these  times,  I  cannot  dis- 
cern; and  yet,  it  is  improbable,  that  they 


should  have  been  a  people  altogether  for- 
saken of  God.  Wherever  the  real  truth, 
as  it  is  in  Jesus,  is  professed,  there  some 
measure  of  his  Spirit  most  probably  exists. 
Novatian  himself  is  constantly  reprehend- 
ed both  by  Cyprian  and  by  Dionysius  : 
Yet,  I  observe,  they  cast  no  imputations 
on  his  moral  character  :  His  schism  alone 
is  the  object  of  their  reprehension  :  Cor- 
nelius, indeed,  carries  the  matter  still 
farther,  as  we  have  seen ;  but  I  am  not 
disposed  to  credit  all  he  says  :  His  tem- 
per was  heated  by  personal  competition. 

Before  we  proceed  to  other  instances 
of  the  Decian  persecution,  it  may  be  pro- 
per to  conclude  the  affair  of  Novatian : 
Let  us  collect  what  evidence  we  can ;  and 
endeavour  to  form  a  just  estimate  of  his 
character  : — If  our  observations  appear 
unsatisfactory ; — let  it  be  imputed  to  the 
scantiness  of  the  materials. 

Novatian  was  originally  a  Stoic ;  and 
seems  to  have  contracted  all  the  seve- 
rity which  marked  that  sect  of  philoso- 
phers. He  was  born  a  Phrygian,  and 
came  to  Rome,  where  he  em- 
braced Christianity.  He  ap- 
plied for  the  office  of  presby- 
ter ;  but,  as  he  had  neglected 


Character 
of  Nova- 
tian. 


certain  ecclesiastical  forms  after  recovery 
from  a  sickness,  he  was  objected  to  by 
the  clergy  and  the  people.  The  bishop, — 
probably  Fabian  the  predecessor  of  Cor- 
nelius,— desired  that  the  rules  might  be 
dispensed  with  in  his  case.  This  was 
granted  ;  and  it  is  a  testimony,  surely, 
rather  in  favour  of  his  abilities  and  con- 
duct than  otherwise,  particularly,  as  the 
circumstance  stands  recorded  by  the  pen 
of  his  rival  Cornelius.*  That  he  excelled 
in  genius,  learning,  and  eloquence,  is 
certain  :  and  hence,  it  is  not  probable, 
that  he  was  a  man  of  debauched  or  of 
loose  morals.  The  evils  of  his  schism 
were  unquestionably  great ;  but  no  vice 
seems  affixed  to  his  character ;  nor  does 
any  just  suspicion  lie  against  the  purity 
of  his  intentions.  One|  of  the  letters  of 
the  Roman  clergy  to  Cyprian,  written  by 
Novatian  himself,  is  still  extant:  It  is 
worthy  of  a  Roman  presbyter  and  of  a 
zealous  Christian  ; — and,  at  that  time, 
the  writer  coincided  in  opinion  with  the 
African  prelate.  E  usebius,  in  his  Chroni- 
con,  ranks  him  among  the  confessors : 
and  it  is  certain,  that  while  he  continued 
presbyter  his  fame  was  not  only  without 
a  blot,  but  very  fair  in  the  Church. 

*  See  bis  letter  in  Eusebius.       f  Pam.  31. 


192 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XL 


Perhaps  it  had  been  happy  for  him  if 
--he  had  never  consented  to  become  a  bi- 
shop. The  preference  given  to  Corne- 
lius in  the  election  of  a  bishop,  was,  pro- 
bably enough,  the  grand  cause  of  the 
schism  :  From  being  actuated  by  a  tem- 
perate degree  of  severity,  he  became  in- 
tolerably inexorable  in  his  ideas  of  disci- 
pline :  It  is  not  for  man  to  say  how  far 
temper,  stoicism,  prejudice,  and  principle 
might  all  unite  in  this  business: — We 
must  now  behold  him  bishop  of  the  No- 
vatians,  and  industriously  spreading  the 
schism  through  the  Christian  world.  The 
repeated  condemnation  of  it  in  synods 
hindered  not  its  growth ;  and  as  purity  of 
principle  and  inflexible  severity  of  disci- 
pline, were  their  favourite  objects,  it  is 
not  to  be  apprehended  that  Novatian 
could  have  supported  himself  in  the  opin- 
ion of  his  followers  without  some  degree 
of  exemplary  conduct.  He  is  allowed  to 
have  preserved  in  soundness  the  Chris- 
tian Faith  :  There  is  actually  extant  a 
treatise  by  him  on  the  Trinity ; — and 
that,  one  of  the  most  regular  and  most  ac- 
curate which  is  to  be  found  among  the 
ancients.  It  is  astonishing  that  any 
man  should  ascribe  the  ideas  of  the  Trini- 
tarians mainly  to  the  Nicene  Fathers. 
We  have  repeatedly  seen  proofs  of  the 
doctrine  being  held  distinctly  in  all  its 
parts  from  the  Apostles'  days.  This  trea- 
tise by  Novatian  may  be  added  to  the 
list: — I  know  not  how  to  abridge  it  bet- 
ter than  by  referring  the  ^reader  to  the 
Athanasian  creed.  The  Trinity  in  Unity, 
and  the  Godhead  and  Manhood  of  Christ 
in  one  person,  are  not  more  plainly  to  be 
found  in  that  creed,  than  in  the  composi- 
tion of  this  contemporary  of  Cyprian. 

I  wish  that  a  more  experimental  view, 
— a  more  practical  use — of  Christian  doc- 
trines, were  to  be  seen  in  it.  But  all  pro- 
fessors of  Christianity, — Churchmen  or 
dissenters — seem,  at  that  time,  to  have 
much  relaxed  in  this  respect.  The  favour 
and  simplicity  of  the  life  of  faith  in  Jesus 
was  not  so  well  known:  yet,— particu- 
larly under  the  article  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
— he  speaks  very  distinctly  of  "  him  as 
the  author  of  regeneration,  the  pledge  of 
the  promised  inheritance,  and,  as  it  were, 
the  hand-writing  of  eternal  salvation, — 
who  makes  us  the  temple  of  God  and  his 
house, — who  intercedes  for  us  with 
'groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered,' — 
who  acts  as  our  advocate  and  defender, 
— who  dwells  in  our  bodies,  and  sancti- 
fies them  for  immortality.     He  it  is,  who 


fights  against  the  flesh, — hence  the  flesh 
fights  against  the  Spirit:" — and  he  pro- 
ceeds to  speak  in  the  best  manner  of  his 
holy  and  blessed  operations  in  the  minds 
of  the  faithful.* 

He  wrote  also  a  sensible  little  tract 
against  the  bondage  of  Jewish  meats; 
in  which  he  explains  the  nature  of  Chris- 
tian liberty,  according  to  the  views  of  St. 
Paul,  with  just  directions  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  temperance  nnd  decorum. 

The  letter  to  Cyprian  before  mentioned 
closes  his  works.  He  lived  to  the  time 
of  Valerian,  under  whom  Cyprian  suffer- 
ed. In  that  persecution  also  fell  Nova- 
tian by  martyrdom,  as  appears  from  the 
authentic  testimony  of  Socrates. f  His 
rival  Cornelius  died  a  little  time  before 
them,  in  exile  for  the  faith. — It  will  be  a 
grateful  refreshment  to  the  reader  to  pause 
for  a  moment;  and  to  contemplate  these 
three  men  meeting  in  a  better  world, 
clothed  with  the  garments  of  Jesus,  and 
in  him  knownng  their  mutual  relation, 
which  prejudice  hindered  in  this  mortal 
scene  of  strife,  infirmity,  and  imperfec- 
tion. Neither  the  separation  of  Novatian, 
nor  the  severity  with  which  the  two  regu- 
lar bishops  condemned  him,  can  be  justi- 
fied.— There  seems,  however,  sufficient 
evidence  of  the  Christian  character  of  the 
separatist ; — The  general  tenor  of  his  life ; 
— and  above  all,  his  death,  show  to  whom 
he  belonged.:): 

The  reader  will  pardon  this  digression ; 
— if  that  be  indeed  a  digression, — which 
shows  that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  not  li- 
mited to  one  denomination  of  Christians  ; 
and  which  paves  the  way  for  a  liberal 
and  candid  construction  of  characters.  In 
the  future  scenes  of  this  history,  while 
we  trace  the  kingdom  of  God  through  a 
multiplicity  of  names  and  divisions  of 
men,  it  will  highly  behoove  us  to  cultivate 
an  unprejudiced  temper. 

To  proceed  with  the  Decian  persecu- 
tion.— The  management  of  this  seems  to 
have  been  the  whole  employment  of  the 
magistrates.  Swords,  wild  beasts,  pits, 
red-hot  chairs,  wheels  for  stretching  hu- 
man bodies,  and  talons  of  iron  to  tear 
them ; — these  were  at  this  time  the  instru- 
ments of  Pagan  vengeance.  Malice  and 
covetousness  in  informing  against  Chris- 
tians were  eagerly  and  powerfully  set  on 
work  during  this  whole  short,  but  horri- 
ble reign :  And  the  genius  of  men  was 

*  Nov.  Trin.  p.  114.  t  L-  IV.  C.  28. 

I  Greg.  Nyss.  vita  Thaum.  p.  1000.— See 
Fleury,  B.  6—25. 


Cext.  III.] 


PERSECUTION  OF  DECIUS. 


193 


never  known  to  have  had  more  of  employ- 
ment in  aiding  the  savageness  of  the 
heart.  Life  was  prolonged  in  torture,  in 
order  that  impatience  in  suffering  might 
effect  at  length,  what  surprise  and  terror 
could  not. 

Mark  two  examples  of  Satanic  artifice. 
A  martyr  having  endured  the  rack  and 
burning  plates,  the  judge  ordered  him  lo 
be  rubbed  all  over  with  honey,  and  then 
to  be  exposed  in  the  sun,  which  was  very 
hot,  lying  on  his  back  with  his  hands  tied 
behiad  him,  that  lie  might  be  stung  by 
insects. — Another  person,  young  and  iu 
the  flower  of  his  age,  was,  by  the  order 
of  the  same  judge,  carried  iuto  a  pleasant 
garden  among  iiowers,  near  a  pleasing  ri- 
vulet surrounded  with  trees  :  here  they 
laid  him  on  a  feather  bed,  bound  him  with 
silken  cords,  and  left  him  alone.  After- 
ward, a  very  handsome  lewd  woman  was 
introduced  to  him;  who  began  to  em- 
brace him  and  to  court  him  with  all  ima- 
ginable impudence.  The  martyr  spit  iu 
her  face ;  and  at  length  bit  oil'  his  own 
tongue;  as  the  most  effectual  method  in 
his  power  of  resisting  the  assaults  of  sen- 
suality. In  the  most  shocking  and  dis- 
gusting trials,  Christianity,  however,  ap- 
peared what  it  is, — true  holiness ;  while 
its  persecutors  showed  that  thej'^  were  at 
enmity  with  every  virtuous  principle  of 
internal  benevolence,  and  of  external  de- 
corum.* 

Alexander,  bishop  of  Comana,  suffered 
martyrdom  by  fire.  At  Smyrna,  Eude- 
mon  the  bishop  apostatized,  and  several 
unhappily  followed  his  exam- 
ple. But  the  glory  of  this 
Church,  once  so  celebrated  by 
the  voice  of  infallibility,!  was 
not  totally  lost.  The  exam- 
ple of  Pionius,  one  of  the 
was  salutary  to  all  the 
Churches. — The  account  of  his  martyr- 
dom is,  in  substance,  confirmed  by  Euse- 
bius: — Nor,  in  general,  is  there  any  thing 
in  it  improbable,  or  unworthy  of  the 
Christian  spirit.:j: — In  expectation  of  be- 
ing seized,  he  put  a  chain  about  his  own 
neck,  and  caused  Sabina  and  Asclepiades 
to  do  the  same, — to  show  their  readiness 
to  suffer.  Polemon,  keeper  of  the  idol- 
temple,  came  to  them  with  the  magis- 
trates:  "Don't  you  know,"  says  he, 
"  that  the  emperor  has  ordered  you  to  sa- 
crifice'?"    "We  are  not  ignorant  of  the 


Martyr- 
dom of 
Alexan- 
der,bishop 
of  Coma- 
na. 

presbyters, 


*  Jerom  vita  Paul. 

*  Euseb.  B.  4.  C.  15.' 
Vol.  I. 


t  Rev.  ii.  8,  9,&c. 
-Fleury,  B.  6—30. 
R 


commandments,"  says  Pionius,  "  but 
they  are  those  commandments  which  di- 
rect us  to  worship  God."  "  Come  to  the 
market-place,"  says  Polemon,  "  and  see 
the  truth  of  what  I  have  said."  "  We 
obey  the  true  God,"  said  Sabina  and  As- 
clepiades. 

When  the  martyrs  were  in  the  midst 
of  the  mvillitude  in  the  market-place,  "  It 
would  be  wiser  in  you,"  says  Polemon, 
"  to  submit  and  avoid  the  torture."  Pio- 
nius began  to  speak ;  "  Citizens  of  Smyr- 
na, who  please  yourselves  with  the  beau- 
ty of  your  walls  and  city,  and  value  your- 
selves on  account  of  your  poet  Homer ; 
and  ye  Jews,  if  there  be  any  among  you, 
hear  me  speak  a  few  words :  We  find  that 
Smyrna  has  been  esteemed  the  finest  city 
in  the  world,  and  was  reckoned  the  chief 
of  those  which  contended  for  the  honour 
of  Homer's  birth.  I  am  informed  that 
you  deride  those  who  come  of  their  own 
accord  to  sacrifice,  or  who  do  not  refuse 
when  urged  to  it.  But  surely  your  ad- 
mired Homer  should  teach  you  never  to 
rejoice  at  the  death  of  any  man."*  "  And 
ye  Jews  ought  to  obey  Moses,  who  tells 
you,  '  Thou  shalt  not  see  thy  brother's 
ass  or  his  ox  fall  down  by  the  way,  and 
hide  thyself  from  them :  thou  shalt  surely 
help  him  to  lift  them  up  again.'f  And 
Solomon  says,  '  Rejoice  not  when  thine 
enemy  falleth.' — For  my  part  I  would  ra- 
ther die,  or  undergo  any  sufferings,  than 
contradict  my  conscience  in  religious  con- 
cerns.ij:  Whence  then  proceed  those 
btirsts  of  laughter  and  cruel  scofts  of  the 
Jews,  pointed  not  only  against  those  who 
have  sacrificed,  but  against  us  1  They 
insult  us  with  a  malicious  pleasure  to 
see  our  long  peace  interrupted. — Though 
we  were  their  enemies  still  we  are  men. 
— But  what  harm  have  we  done  them  ? 
What  have  we  made  them  to  suffer  ? 
Whom  have  we  spoken  against  1  Whom 
have  we  persecuted  with  unjust  and  un- 
relenting hatred  1  Whom  have  we  com- 
pelled to  worship  idols  ?  Have  they  no 
compassion  for  the  unfortunate  1  Are  they 
themselves  less  culpable  than  the  poor 
wretches,  who,  through  the  fear  of  'men 
or  of  tortures,  have  been  induced  to  re- 
nounce their  religion?"  He  then  address- 
ed the  Jews  on  the  grounds  of  their  own 


*  Odyss.  xxii.  v.  412.  f  Deut.  xxii.  4. 

I  Pionius  adapts  liimself  to  his  audience, 
and  convicts  them  of  guilt  even  by  tlieir  own 
principles,  a  thing  not  hard  to  be  done  in  all 
cases, — except  in  those  of  trueChristians,  who 
never  fail  to  show  their  faith  by  their  works. 


194 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XI. 


Scriptures,  and  solemnly  placed  before 
the  Pagans  the  day  of  judgment. 

The  sermon  bore  some  resemblance  to 
Stephen's*  in  like  circumstairces :  It 
tended  to  beget  conviction  of  sin,  and  to 
lead  men  to  feel  their  need  of  the  Divine 
Saviour,  accord mg  to  the  justest  vievirs 
and  in  the  soundest  taste  of  the  Gospel. 
He  spake  long,  and  was  very  attentively 
heard ;  and  there  is  reason  to  hope  that 
his  exertions  were  not  in  vain.  The  peo- 
ple who  surrounded  him  said  with  Pole- 
mon,  "  Believe  us,  Pionius,  your  probity 
and  wisdom  make  us  deem  you  worthy  to 
live ; — and  life  is  pleasant." — Thus  pow- 
erfully did  conscience  and  humanity  ope- 
rate in  their  hearts.  "  I  own,"  says  the 
martyr,  "  life  is  pleasant,  but  I  mean  that 
eternal  life  which  I  aspire  after :  I  do  not 


are  so  learned  seek  death  in  this  resolute 
manner  ?" 

When  carried  to  prison,  they  found 
there  a  presbyter  named  Lemnus, — a 
woman  named  Macedonia, — and  another 
called  Eutychiana,  a  Montanist. 

These  all  employed  themselves  in 
praising  God,  and  showed  every  mark  of 
patience  and  cheerfulness.  Many  Pagans 
visited  Pionius,  and  attempted  to  persuade 
him  to  renounce  his  religion : — His  an- 
swers struck  them  with  admiration.  Some 
persons,  who,  by  compulsion,  had  sacri- 
ficed, visited  them  and  shed  many  tears. 
"  I  now  suffer  afresh,"  says  Pionius ; 
"  and  methinks  I  am  torn  in  pieces  when 
I  see  the  pearls  of  the  Church  trod  under 
foot  by  swine,  and  the  stars  of  heaven 
cast  to  the  earth  by  the  tail  of  the  dragon.* 


with  a  contemptuous  spirit  reject  the  good  — But  our  sins  have  been  the  cause 


things  of  this  life  ;  but  I  prefer  something 
which  is  infinitely  better: — I  thank  you 
for  your  expressions  of  kindness  :  I  can- 
not, however,  but  suspect  some  stratagem 
in  it." 

The  people  continued  intreating  him  : 
and  he  still  discoursed  to  them  of  a  future 
state. — ^The  well-known  sincerity  and  un- 
questionable virtues  of  the  man  seem  to 
have  filled  the  Smyrneans  with  venera- 
tion, and  his  enemies  began  to  fear  an  up- 
roar in  his  favour.  "  It  is  impossible  to 
persuade  you  then,"  said  Polemon.  "  I 
would  to  God  I  could,"  said  Pionius, 
"persuade  you  to  be  a  Christian  !" 

Sabina,  by  the  advice  of  Pionius,  who 
was  her  brother,  had  changed  her  name, 
for  fear  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  her 
pagan  mistress,  who,  in  order  to  compel 
her  to  renounce  Christianity,  had  for- 
merly put  her  in  irons,  and  banished  her 
to  the  mountains,  where  the  brethren  se- 
cretly supported  her  with  nourishment 
She  now  called  herself  Theodota.  "  What 
God  dost  thou  adore]"  says  Polemon 
"  God  Almighty,"  she  answered,  "who 
made  all  things  ; — of  which  we  are  assur- 
ed by  his  Word  Jesus  Christ."  "And 
what  dost  THOU  adore  ]"  speaking  to  As- 
clepiades.  "  Jesus  Christ,"  says  he. 
"  What,  is  there  another  God  ?"  says  Po- 
lemon. "  No,"  says  he,  "  this  is  the 
same  whom  we  come  here  to  confess." — 
He,  who  worships  the  Trinity  in  Unity, 
will  find  no  difl^iculty  in  reconciling  these 
two  confessions.  Let  him,  who  does  not 
so  worship,  attempt  it.  One  person  pity- 
ing Pionius,  said,    "  Why  do  you  that 

*  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  Chap.  vii. 


The  Jews,  whose  character  of  bigotry 
had  not  been  lessened  by  all  their  mise- 
ries, and  whose  hatred  to  Christ  conti- 
nued from  age  to  age  with  astonishing 
uniformity,  invited  some  of  the  lapsed 
Christians  to  their  synagogue.  The  gene- 
rous spirit  of  Pionius  was  moved  to  ex- 
press itself  vehemently  against  the  Jews. 
Among  other  things  he  said,  "  They  pre- 
tend that  Jesus  Christ  died  like  other 
men  by  constraint.  Was  that  man  a 
common  felon,  whose  disciples  have  cast 
out  devils  for  so  many  years'?  Could  that 
man  be  forced  to  die,  for  whose  sake  his 
disciples,  and  so  many  others,  have  volun- 
tarily suffered  the  severest  punishment'?" 
— Having  spoken  a  long  time  to  them,  he 
requested  thera  to  depart  out  of  the  prison. 

Though  the  miraculous  dispensations 
tendant  on  Christianity  form  no  part  of  the 
plan  of  this  History,  I  cannot  but  observe 
on  this  occasion,  how  strongly  their  conti- 
nuance in  the  third  century  is  here  attested. 
Pionius  affirms  that  devils  were  ejected 
by  Christians  in  the  name  of  Christ ;  and 
he  does  this  in  the  face  of  enemies,  who 
would  have  been  glad  of  the  shadow  of 
an  argument  to  justify  their  bitterness, 
resentment,  and  perfidy. 

The  captain  of  the  horse  came  to  the 
prison,  and  ordered  Pionius  to  go  to  the 
idol-temple.  "Your  bishop  Eudemon 
hath  already  sacrificed,"  said  he.  The 
martyr,  knowing  that  nothing  of  this  sort 
could  be  done  legally  till  the  arrival  of 
the  proconsul,  refused.  The  captain  put 
a  cord  about  his  neck,  and  dragged  him 
along  with  Sabina  and  others.  They  cried, 


*  Rev.  xii.  4. 


Cent.  III.] 


FERSECUTION  OF  DECIUS. 


193 


"  We  are  Christians,"  and  fell  to  the 
ground,  that  they  might  not  enter  the 
idol-temple.  Pionius,  after  much  resist- 
ance, was  forced  into  it  and  placed  on  the 
ground  before  the  altar;  and  there  stood 
the  unhappy  Eudemon,  after  having  sac- 
rificed. 

Lepidus,  a  judge,  asked;  "What  God 
do  you  adore]"  "  Him,"  says  Pionius, 
"  that  made  heaven  and  earth."  "  You 
mean  him  that  was  crucified"?"  "I  mean 
him  whom  God  the  Father  sent  for  the 
salvation  of  men."  The  judges  then 
whispered  to  one  another,  and  said, — 
"  We  must  compel  them  to  say  what  we 
wish." — Pionius  heard  them,  and  cried, 
"  Blush,  ye  adorers  of  false  gods :  have 
some  respect  to  justice,  and  obey  your 
own  laws:  they  enjoin  you  not  to  do  vio- 
lence to  us;  but  merely  to  put  us  to 
death." 

Then  Ruflanus  said,  "  Forbear,  Pionius, 
this  thirst  after  vain-glory."  "Is  this 
your  eloquence  ]"  answered  the  martyr  : 
"  Is  this  what  you  have  read  in  your 
books  ]  Was  not  Socrates  thus  treated 
by  the  Athenians'?  According  to  your 
judgment  and  advice  he  sought  after 
vain-glory,  because  he  applied  himself 
to  wisdom  and  virtue." — Ruffinus  was 
struck  dumb. — The  case  was  apposite  in 
a  degree  :  Socrates,  undoubtedly,  suffer- 
ed persecution  on  account  of  his  zeal  for 
moral  virtue. 

A  certain  person  placed  a  crown  on 
Pionius's  head,  which  he  tore  in  pieces 
before  the  altar:  The  Pagans  finding 
their  persuasions  ineffectual,  remanded 
them  to  prison. 

A  few  days  after  this,  the  proconsul 
Quintilian  returned  to  Smyrna,  and  ex- 
amined Pionius.  He,  then,  tried  both 
tortures  and  persuasions  in  vain ;  and  at 
length,  enraged  at  his  obstinacy,  he  sen- 
tenced him  to  be  burnt  alive. 
Martyr-  rpj^g  martyr  went  cheerfully  to 
Pionius.  *'^^  place  oi  execution,  and 
thanked  God,  who  had  pre- 
served his  body  pure  from  idolatry.  After 
he  was  stretched  and  nailed  to  the  wood, 
the  executioner  said  to  him,  "Change 
your  mind,  and  the  nails  shall  be  taken 
out."  "I  have  felt  them,"  answered 
Pionius:  He  then  remained  thoughtful 
for  a  time;  afterward  he  said,  "  I  hasten, 
O  Lord,  that  I  may  the  sooner  be  a  par- 
taker of  the  resurrection."  Metrodorus, 
a  Marcionite,  was  nailed  to  a  plank  of 
wood  in  a  similar  manner:  They  were 
then  both  placed  upright;  and  a  great 


quantity  of  fuel  was  heaped  around  them. 
— Pionius,  with  his  eyes  shut,  remained 
motionless,  absorbed  in  prayer  while  the 
fire  was  consuming  him.  At  length  he 
opened  his  eyes,  and  looking  cheerfully  on 
the  fire,  said,  "Amen;" — his  last  words 
were,  "  Lord,  receive  my  soul." — Of  the 
particular  manner  in  which  his  compa- 
nions suffered  death  we  have  no  account. 

In  this  narrative  we  see  the  spirit  of 
heavenly  love  triumphing  over  all  world- 
ly and  selfish  considerations.  Does  not 
the  zeal  of  Pionius  deserve  to  be  com- 
memorated as  long  as  the  world  endures  1 
The  man  appears  to  have  forgotten  his 
sufferings  :  He  is. wholly  taken  up  in  vin- 
dicating the  divine  truth  to  the  last. — 
Who  can  doubt  of  his  having  been  a  faith- 
ful preacher  of  the  Gospel  ]  He  is  intent 
on  the  blessed  work  amidst  his  bitterest 
pains. — Glorious  exemplification  of  true 
religion  in  its  simplicity  ! 

If  there  be  any  thing  particular  in  the 
treatment  he  underwent,  it  consists  in  the 
repeated  endeavours  which  were  made 
to  preserve  his  life. — The  man  was  much 
respected,  though  the  Christian  was  ab- 
horred. Integrity  and  uprightness,  when 
eminent,  and  supported  by  wisdom  and 
learning,  fail  not  to  overawe,  to  captivate, 
and  to  soften  mankind.  The  voice  of 
natural  conscience  pleads  ;  but  cannot 
overcome  the  enmity  of  the  human  heart 
against  God. 

There  are  many  good  reasons  which 
may  be  assigned  why  sound  learning 
ought  to  be  cultivated  by  Christians,  and 
especially  by  all  who  mean  to  be  pastors 
of  Christ's  flock.  The  case  of  Pionius 
clearly  intimates  this.  Knowledge  never 
fails  to  ensure  respect.  It  does  this  a 
thousand  times  more  effectually  with 
mankind  than  birth  or  wealth,  or  rank, 
or  power. — It  is  evident  that  Pionius  was 
a  man  of  learning,  and  that  his  persecu- 
tors esteemed  him  on  that  account,  and 
took  pains  to  detach  him  from  Christian- 
ity.— We  may  conceive  how  useful  this 
accomplishment  had  been  in  the  course 
of  his  ministry. 

A  Montanist  and  a  Marcionite  are  the 
fellow-sufferers  of  this  martyr :  The  lat- 
ter is  consumed  with  him  in  the  flames. 
Doubtless,   from  all  the  information  of 


antiquity,  both  these  heresies  appear  in 
an  odious  light.  But  there  might  be  ex- 
ceptions, and  who  so  likely  to  be  among 
those   exceptions,  as  those       "  " 

ed  1     We 


godliness 


who  suffer- 
must  not  confine  the  truth  of 
to  any   particular   denomina- 


196 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XI. 


tion.  Providence,  by  mixing  persons  of 
very  opposite  parties  in  the  same  scene 
of  persecution,  demonstrates  that  the  pure 
faith  and  love  of  Jesus  may  operate  in 
those  who  cannot  own  each  other  as 
brethren:  I  know  not  whetlier  Pionius 
and  Metrodorus  did  so  on  earth :  I  trust 
they  do  so  in  heaven. 

In  Asia  a  merchant  named  Maximus, 
was  brought  before  Optimus  the  procon- 
sul, who  inquired  after  his  condition]  "I 
was  born  free,"  said  he,  "but  I  am  the 
servant  of  Jesus  Christ."  "Of what  pro- 
fession are  you  ]"  "  I  live  by  commerce." 
"  Are  you  a  Christian  1"  "  Though  a  sin- 
ner, yet  I  am  a  Christian."  While  the 
usual  process  of  persuasions  and  of  tor- 
tures was  going  forward ; — he  exclaimed, 
— "These  are  not  torments  which  we 
suffer  for  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ:  They  are  wholesome  unctions." 
— Such  was  the  effect  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
shedding  the  love  of  God  in  Christ 
abroad  in  the  human  heart ! — He  was  or- 
dered to  be  stoned  to  death.* 

All  this  time  the  persecution  raged  in 
Egypt  with  unremitting  fury.  In  the 
lower  Thebias  there  was  a  young  man 
named  Paul,  to  whom,  at  fifteen  years  of 
age,  his  parents  left  a  great  estate.  He 
was  a  person  of  much  learning,  of  a  mild 
temper,  and  full  of  the  love  of  God.  He 
had  a  married  sister,  with  whom  he  lived. 
Her  husband  was  base  enoutjh  to  design 
an  information  against  him,  in  order  to 
obtain  his  estate.  Paul,  having  notice 
of  this,  retired  to  the  desert  mountains, 
where  he  waited  till  the  persecution  ceased. 
Habit,  at  length,  made  soli- 
Paul  the        ^^(jg  agreeable  to  him.     He 

xirst  rift*" 

jjjjf  found  a  pleasant  retreat,  and 

lived  there  during  fourscore 
and  ten  years.  At  the  time  of  his  retire- 
ment he  was  twenty-three,  and  he  died 
at  the  age  of  a  hundred  and 
thirteen.|  This  is  the  first 
distinct  account  of  a  hermit 
in  the  Christian  Church. — No  doubt 
ought  to  be  made  of  the  genuine  piety  of 
Paul. — Those,  who,  in  our  days,  con- 
demn ALL  Monks  with  indiscriminating 
contempt,  seem  to  make  no  allowance  for 
the  prodigious  change  of  times  and  cir- 
cumstances. Reflect  seriously  on  the 
sort  of  society  to  which  Christians  were 
exposed  in  the  reign  of  Decius :  Was 
there  a  day, — an  hour,  in  which  they 
could  enjoy  its   comforts,   or  secure   its 


Lived  to 
be  113. 


'  Fleury,  B.  6—40. 


t  Ibid.  B.  6—48. 


benefits'?  Where  could  Christian  eyes  or 
ears  direct  their  attention, — and  not  meet 
with  objects  exceedingly  disgusting?  If 
Paul  preferred  solitude  in  such  a  season, 
we  need  not  be  more  surprised  than  we 
are  at  the  conduct  of  Elijah  the  prophet. 
— But,  why  did  he  not,  with  the  return 
of  peace,  return  also  to  the  discharge  of 
social  duties'? — The  habit  was  contract- 
ed ;  and  the  love  of  extremes  is  the  in- 
firmity of  human  nature. — Besides,  a 
heart  breathing  the  purest  love  to  God 
might  naturally  enough  be  led  to  think 
the  perfection  of  godliness  best  attaina- 
ble in  solitude. — The  increasing  spirit  of 
superstition  soon  produced  a  number  of 
imitations  of  Paul :  and  the  most  lament- 
able effect  was  that  those,  who  possessed 
only  external  religion,  placed  their  right- 
eousness and  their  confidence  in  monastic 
austerities  ; — and  thus,  from  the  depraved 
imitations  of  well-meant  beginnings,  one 
of  the  strongest  supports  of  false  religion 
gradually  strengthened  itself  in  the  Chris- 
tian world. 

Here  we  close  the  account  of  the  De- 
cian  persecution.  Its  author  is  admired 
by  Pagan  writers.  Wliat  has  been  said 
of  Trajan  and  Antoninus  is  applicable  to 
him.  He  was  a  moralist ;  and  he  w^as  a 
cruel  persecutor. — It  cannot  be  denied, 
that  for  thirty  months  the  Prince  of  Dark- 
ness had  full  opportunity  to  gratify  his 
malice  and  his  fury.  But  the  Lord  meant 
to  chasten  and  to  purify  his  Church, — not 
to  destroy  it.  The  whole  scene  is  me- 
morable on  several  accounts. — It  was  not 
a  local  or  intermitting,  but  a  universal 
and  constant  persecution :  and,  therefore, 
it  must  have  transmitted  great  numbers 
to  the  regions  where  sin  and  pain  shall 
be  no  more. — The  peace  of  thirty  years 
had  corrupted  the  whole  Christian  atmo- 
sphere :  The  lightning  of  the  Decian  rage 
refined  and  cleared  it.  No  doubt,  the  ef- 
fects were  salutary  to  the  Church.  Ex- 
ternal Christianity  might  indeed  have 
still  spread,  if  no  such  scourge  had  been 
used ;  but  the  internal  spirit  of  the  Gos- 
pel, would,  probably,  have  been  extin- 
guished. The  survivors  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  learning,  in  the  faithfulness  of  the 
martyrs  what  that  spirit  is ;  and  men 
were  again  taught,  that  he  alone,  who 
strengthens  Christians  in  their  sufferings, 
can  effectuatly  convert  the  heart  to  true 
Christianity. — The  storm,  however,  prov- 
ed fatal  to  many  individuals  who  aposta- 
tized ;  and  Christianity  was,  in  that  way, 
cleared  of  many  false  friends.    We  have 


Cbwt.  III.] 


UNDER  GALLUS. 


197 


also  noticed  two  collateral  evils. — Both 
the  formation  of  schisms  and  of  super- 
stitious solitudes  had  their  date  from  the 
Decian  persecution. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH    DURING 
THE  REIGN  OF  GALLUS. 

The  successor  of  Decius  allowed  the 
Church   of  Christ   a   little   tranquillity. 
During  that  space  the  two  small  treatises 
of  Cyprian   concerning'    the 
Gallus  Lapsed  and  concerningp  Unity, 

succeeds  j      i,..i  c 

Decius  were,  doubtless,  oi  some  ser- 

about  "^ice  in  recovering  the  lapsed 

A  D  251  ^'^  ^  state  of  penitence,  and  in 
disposing  the  minds  of  men 
to  preserve  the  unity  of  the  Church.  In 
the  former  of  these  treatises,  indeed,  it 
must  be  confessed  he  carries  his  censure 
of  the  Novatians  too  far.  The  sin  and 
the  danger  of  rending  the  body  of  Christ 
might  have  been  stated  in  the  strongest 
terms,  without  pronouncing  the  evil  to 
be  absolutely  damnable :  This  was  car- 
rying the  matter  beyond  all  bounds  of 
moderation.  But  the  same  candour  which 
should  incline  one  to  apprehend  that  No- 
vatian  was  influenced  by  good  intentions, 
in  his  too  rigid  scheme,  pleads  also  for 
the  motives  of  Cyprian's  zeal  in  the 
maintenance  of  unity. — He  seems  to  have 
considered  the  mischief  as  most  exceed- 
ingly destructive ;  and  he  can  find  no 
terms  sufficiently  strong  to  express  his 
detestation  of  it. 

But  Gallus  soon  began  to  disturb  the 
peace  of  the  Christians,  though  not  with 
the  incessant  fury  of  his  predecessor. — 
A  Roman  presbyter,  named 
Gallus  Hyppolitus,  had  been  seduced 

the  7th "  '"^^  Novatianism;  but  his 
Persecu-  mind  had  not  been  perverted 
tion.  from  the  faith  and  love  of  Je- 

sus. He  was  now  called  on 
to  suffer  martyrdom,  which  he  did  with 
courage  and  fidelity.  Either  curiosity  or 
a  desire  of  instructive  information  induced 
some  persons  to  ask  him  in  the  last  scene 
of  his  sufferings,  whether  he  still  persist- 
ed in  the  communion  of  Novatian?  He 
declared  in  the  most  explicit  terms,  that 
he  now  saw  the  affair  in  a  new  light, — 
that  he  repented  of  having  encouraged  the 
schism, — and  that  he  died  in  the  commu- 
nion of  the  general  Church. — Such  a  tes- 
r2 


Banish- 
ment of 
Cornelius. 


timony  must  have  weakened  the  influence 
of  the  schism.* 

In  this  persecution  of  Gallus  it  was 
that  Cornelius  confessed  the  faith  of 
Christ,  and  was  banished,  by  the  empe- 
ror, to  Civita  Vecchia ;  which 
gave  occasion  to  a  congratu- 
latory letter  from  Cyprian.  In 
one  part  of  it  he  reflects  on  the 
Novatians  with  his  usual  vehemence : — 
The  rest  breathes  a  fervent  spirit  of  piety 
and  charity,  and  throws  a  strong  light  on 
two  historical  facts  ; — namely, — that  the 
persecution  of  Gallus  was  severe ; — and, 
that  the  Roman  Christians  bore  it  with 
becoming  and  exemplary  fortitude. 

"  We  have  been  made  acquainted,  dear- 
est brother,  with  the  glorious  testimonies 
of  your  faith  and  virtue  ;  and  we  have  re- 
ceived the  honour  of  your  confession  with 
such  exultation,  that,  in  the  praises  of 
your  excellent  conduct,  we  reckon  our- 
selves partners  and  companions.  For,  as 
we  have  but  one  Church,  united  hearts, 
and  indivisible  concord,  what  pastor  re- 
joices not  in  the  honours  of  his  fellow- 
pastors  as  his  own  ]  Or  what  brother- 
hood does  not  every  where  exult  in  the 
joy  of  brothers  ]  We  cannot  express  how 
great  was  our  joy  and  gladness  when  we 
heard  of  your  prosperous  fortitude; — that 
at  Rome  you  were  the  leader  of  the  con- 
fession, and,  moreover,  that  the  confession 
of  the  leader  strengthened,  in  the  breth- 
ren, their  disposition  to  confess  ; — that 
while  you  led  the  way  to  glory,  you  in- 
cited many  to  be  companions  of  your 
glory ;  so  that  we  are  at  a  loss  which 
most  to  celebrate, — your  active  and  steady 
faith,  or  the  inseparable  love  of  the  breth- 
ren. The  virtue  of  the  bishop  in  leading 
the  way  was  publicly  admired ;  while  the 
union  of  the  brethren  in  following  him 
was  proved  beyond  contradiction:  There 
was  but  one  mind  and  one  voice  among 
you  all.  The  Apostle  foresaw,  in  spirit, 
this  faith  and  firmness  of  the  whole  Ro- 
man Church,  which  have  shown  so  illus- 
triously ;  and,  in  praising  the  primitive 
fathers,  he  stirs  up  their  future  sons  to 
an  imitation  of  their  courage  and  patience. 
Your  unanimity  and  perseverance  are 
great,  and  an  instructive  example  to  the 
brethren.  Ye  have  taught  largely  the 
important  lesson  of  fearing  God,  of  firm- 
ly adhering  to  Christ,  of  uniting  pastors 
with  the  people,  brethren  with  brethren  in 
one  common  danger  ;  ye  have  proved, — 


*Fleury,B.7.  X. 


198 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XH. 


that  a  concord  thus  formed  is  invincible ; 
— that  the  God  of  peace  hears  and  an- 
swers the  joint  prayers  of  the  peace- 
makers.— With  terrible  violence  the  ad- 
versary rushed  to  attack  the  soldiers  of 
Christ;  but  was  bravely  repulsed. 

"  He  had  hoped  to  supplant  the  servants 
of  God,  by  finding  them,  like  raw  soldiers, 
unprepared  :  He  had  hoped  to  circumvent 
a  few  individuals ;  but  he  found  them 
united  for  resistance;  and  he  learnt, — 
that  the  soldiers  of  Jesus  remain  on  the 
•watch  sober  and  armed  for  the  battle ; 
that  they  cannot  be  conquered  ; — that 
they  may  die  ;  but  that  they  are  invinci- 
ble because  they  fear  not  death ; — that 
they  resist  not  aggressors,  since  it  is  not 
lawful  for  them,  though  innocent,  to  kill 
the  guilty  :*  and  lastly — that  they  readily 
give  up  their  life  and  shed  their  blood,  in 
order  that  they  may  the  more  quickly  de- 
part from  an  evil  world  in  which  wicked- 
ness and  cruelty  rage  with  so  much  fierce- 
ness. What  a  glorious  spectacle  under 
the  immediate  eyes  of  God  !  What  a  joy 
in  the  sight  of  Christ  and  of  his  Church, 
that — not  a  single  soldier,  but  the  whole 
army  together,  endured  the  warfare  I 
Every  individual,  who  heard  of  this  pro- 
ceeding, has  joined  in  it:  How  many 
lapsed  are  restored  by  this  glorious  con- 
fession !  For  now  they  have  stood  firm  ; 
and,  by  the  very  grief  of  their  penitence, 
are  made  more  magnanimous :  Their 
former  fall  may  now  be  justly  considered 
as  the  effect  of  sudden  tremor  ;  but  they 
have  returned  to  their  true  character :  they 
have  collected  real  faith  and  strength  from 
the  fear  of  God,  and  have  panted  for  mar- 
tyrdom. 

"  As  much  as  possible  we  earnestly 
exhort  our  people  not  to  cease  to  be  pre- 
pared for  the  approaching  contest,  by 
watching,  fasting,  and  prayers.  These 
are  our  celestial  arms ;  these  are  our  for- 
tresses and  weapons.  Let  us  remember 
one  another  in  our  supplications  :  Let  us 
be  unanimous  and  united ;  and  let  us  re- 
lieve our  pressures  and  distresses  by  mu- 
tual charity  :  And  whosoever  of  us  shall 
first  be  called  hence,  let  our  mutual  love 
in  Christ  continue  ;  and  let  us  never  cease 
to  pray  to  our  merciful  Father  for  all  our 
brethren  and  our  sisters." 

Thus  ardent  was  the  spirit  of  Cyprian 
in  the  expectation  of  martyrdom  !     And 

*  A  plain  proof  of  ihe  passiveness  of  Chris- 
tians, still  continued  from  the  Apostolic  age, 
under  the  most  unjust  treatment. 


SO  little  account  did  he  make  of  temporal 
things !  And,  in  this  natural  and  easy 
manner,  did  he  esteem  the  dreadful  scenes 
of  persecution  as  matter  of  joy. 

He  himself  was  preserved,  for  the  use 
of  the  Church,  beyond  the  life  of  Gallus, 
as  well  as  of  Decius. — Cornelius  died  in 
exile:  His  faithfulness  in  suifering  for 
Christ  evinces  all  along  whose  servant 
he  was ; — otherwise,  history  affords  little 
evidence  respecting  his  character. — The 
little  specimen  which  we  have  of  his 
writings,  will  induce  no  one  to  think  high- 
ly of  his  genius  or  capacity. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  Cyprian,  who  had 
seen  and  known  such  dreadful  devasta- 
tions under  Decius,  finding,  after  a  very 
short  interval,  the  persecution  renewed 
by  Gallus,  should  be  tempted  to  imagine 
the  approach  of  Antichrist, — the  end  of 
the  world, — and  the  day  of  judgment  to  be 
at  hand.  Sagacious  and  holy  men  are 
never  more  apt  to  be  deceived  than  when 
they  attempt  to  look  into  futurity.  God 
hath  made  the  present  so  much  the  ex- 
clusive object  of  our  duty,  that  he  will 
scarcely  suffer  even  his  best  and  wisest 
servants  to  gain  reputation  for  skill  and 
foresight  by  any  conjectures  concerning 
the  times  and  the  seasons,  which  he  hath 
reserved  in  his  own  power.  The  perse- 
cution of  Gallus  proved,  however,  a  light 
one  compared  with  that  of  Decius.  Un- 
der very  formidable  apprehensions  of  it, 
Cyprian  wrote  an  animating  letter  to  the 
people  of  Thibaris.*  The  mistaken  idea 
I  have  mentioned,  probably,  added  spirit 
to  the  epistle;  nevertheless  the  reasoning 
is  solid;  and  his  arguments,  and  the 
scriptures  which  he  quotes,  deserve  at- 
tention in  all  ages. — A  few  extracts  may 
gratify  the  reader. 

"  I  had  intended,  most  dear  brethren, 
and  wished, — if  circumstances  had  per- 
miited,  agreeably  to  the  desire  you  have 
frequently  expressed, — myself  to  have 
come  among  you;  and,  to  the  best  of  my 
poor  endeavours,  to  have  strengthened 
the  brotherhood  with  exhortations.  But 
ursfent  affairs  detain  me  at  Carthage ;  I 
cannot  make  excursions  into  a  country 
so  distant  as  yours ;  nor  be  long  absent 
from  my  people.  Let  these  letters,  then, 
speak  for  me. 

"You  ought  to  be  well  assured,  that 
the  day  of  affliction  is  at  hand;  and,  that 
the  end  of  the  world,  and  time  of  Anti- 
christ, is  near :  W^e  should  all  stand  pre- 


*  Epis.  56. 


Cext.  III.] 


UNDER  GALLUS. 


199 


pared  for  the  battle,  and  think  only  of 
the  glory  of  eternal  life  and  of  the  crown 
of  Christian  confession.     Nor  ought  we 
to  flatter  ourselves  that  the  imminent  per- 
secution will  resemble  the  last : — a  hea- 
vier and  more   ferocious   conflict   hangs 
over  us,  for  which  the  soldiers  of  Christ 
ought  to  prepare  themselves  with  sound 
faith  and  vigorous  fortitude ;  and  consider 
that  they  daily  drink  the  cup  of  the  blood 
of  Christ,*   for  this  reason, — that  they 
themselves   may   be   able  to  shed  their 
blood  for  HIM. — To  follow  what  Christ 
hath  taught  and  done  is  to  be  willing  to 
be   found   with   Christ.       As   John   the 
the   Apostle   says ;    '  He   that   saith  he 
abideth  in  Christ,  ought  himself  also  to 
walk  even  as  he  walked.'      Thus  also 
the   blessed   Apostle   Paul   exhorts  and 
teaches,  saying, '  We  are  the  sons  of  God, 
and  if  sons,  then  heirs  of  God  and  joint 
heirs  with  Christ,  if  we  suffer  with  him, 
that  we  may  also  be  glorified  together.' 
Let  no  man  desire  any  thing  now  which 
belongs  to  a  perishing  world ;  but  let  him 
follow  Christ,  who  lives  for  ever,  and 
who  makes  his  servants  to  live,  if  indeed 
they  be  settled  in  the  faith  of  his  name. 
For  the  time  is  come,  most  dear  brethren, 
which  our  Lord  long  ago  foretold,  saying, 
'The  hour  is  coming,  when  whosoever 
killeth  you  will  think  he  doeth  God  ser- 
vice.' "     In  his  usual  manner  he  quotes 
those  Scriptures  which  relate  to  persecu- 
tion :  and,  doubtless,  the  force  and  beauty 
of  them  would  then  be  felt  and  admired, 
more  than  they  are  by  us,  who,  it  is  to  be 
feared,  are  apt  to  speculate  upon  them  at 
our  ease  with  too  much  indifference. 

Observe  how  justly  he  arms  their  minds 
against  the  discouragement  which  the 
circumstances  of  approaching  persecu- 
tion are  apt  to  induce.  "Let  no  one, 
when  he  sees  our  people  scattered  through 
fear  of  persecution,  be  disturbed,  because 
he  sees  not  the  brethren  collected,  nor 
the  bishops  employed  among  them.  We, 
whose  principles  allow  us  to  suflfer  death, 
but  not  to  inflict  it,  cannot  possibly,  in 
such  a  season,  be  all  in  one  place. — 
Wherever,  therefore,  in  those  days,  by 
the  necessity  of  the  time,  any  one  shall 
be  separated,  in  body,  not  in  spirit,  from 
the  rest  of  the  flock, — let  not  such  a  one 
be  moved  at  the  horror  of  the  flight,  nor 
be  terrified  by  the  solitude  of  the  desert, 

*  The  daily  reception  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
appears  to  have  been  the  practice  of  the  Afri- 
caa  Church  at  that  time. 


while  he  retreats  and  lies  hid.  No  man 
is  alone,  who  hath  Christ  for  his  compan- 
ion :  No  man  is  without  God,  who,  in  his 
own  soul,  preserves  the  temple  of  God 
undefiled.  The  Christian  may  indeed  be 
assailed  by  robbers  or  by  wild  beasts 
among  the  mountains  and  deserts ;  he 
may  be  afflicted  by  famine,  by  cold,  and 
by  thirst,  he  may  lose  his  life  in  a  tem- 
pest at  sea, — but  the  Saviour  himself 
watches  his  faithful  soldier  fighting  in  all 
these  various  ways ;  and  is  ready  to  be- 
stow the  reward  which  he  has  promised 
to  give  in  the  resurrection." 

He  then  produces  precedents  of  Scrip- 
ture-saints, who  suflTered  for  God  in  the 
most  ancient  times,  and  adds,  "  How 
shameful  must  it  be  for  a  Christian  to  be 
unwilling  to  suffer,  when  the  Master  suffer- 
ed first ;  to  be  unwilling  to  suffer  for  our 
own  sins,  when  he,  who  had  no  personal 
sin,  suffered  for  us.*  The  Son  of  God 
suffered,  that  he  might  make  us  the  sons  of 
God  : — and,  shall  not  the  sons  of  men  be 
willing  to  suffer,  that  they  may  continue 
to  be  esteemed  the  children  of  God? 

"Antichrist  is  come,  but  Christ  is  also 
at  hand. — The  enemy  rages  and  is  fierce, 
but  the  Lord  is  our  defender:  and  he  will 
avenge  our  sufferings  and  our  wounds." 
— He  again  makes  apposite  Scripture  quo- 
tations.— That  from  the  Apocalypse  is 
remarkable,  "If  any  man  worship  the 
beast  and  his  image,"  &c.  Rev.  xiv.  9. 

"  O  what  a  glorious  day,"  continues 
Cyprian,  "will  come,  when  the  Lord 
shall  begin  to  recount  his  people,  and  to 
adjudge  their  rewards; — to  send  the  guil- 
ty into  hell ; — to  condemn  our  persecutors 
to  the  perpetual  fire  of  penal  flame  ; — and 
to  bestow  on  us  the  reward  of  faith  and 
of  devotedness  to  him.  What  glory! 
what  joy!  to  be  admitted  to  see  God; — 
to  be  honoured;  to  partake  of  the  joy  of 
eternal  light  and  salvation  with  Christ 
the  Lord  your  God;  to  salute  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  all  the  Patriarchs, 
and  Prophets,  Apostles,  and  Martyrs;  to 
joy  with  the  righteous,  the  friends  of 
God,  in  the  pleasures  of  immortality ! — 
When  that  revelation  shall  come,  when 
the  beauty  of  God  shall  shine  upon  us, 
we  shall  be  as  happy  as  the  deserters  and 


*  I  have  translated  this  literall)'.  The  dif- 
ference between  suflering  for  our  own  sins, 
and  suffering  for  us,  is  striking;  the  first  is 
corrective,  the  second  is  by  imijutation.  Cy- 
prian believed  the  atonement  of  Christ,  and 
therefore  varied  his  phraseology,  to  prevent 
mistakes. 


200 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XH. 


rebellious  will  be  miserable  in  inextin- 
guishable fire." 

Such  are  the  views  of  the  next  life 
which  this  good  bishop  sets  before  Chris- 
tians. The  palm  of  heavenly-mindedness 
belonged  to  these  persecuted  saints  :  and 
I  wish,  with  all  our  theological  improve- 
ments, we  may  attain  to  a  measure  of 
this  zeal  amidst  the  various  good  things 
of  this  life,  which  as  Christians,  we  at 
present  enjoy. 

Lucius  was  chosen  bishop  of  Rome  in 
the  place  of  Cornelius;  but  was  imme- 
diately driven  into  exile  by  the  authority 
of  Gallus.  Cyprian  congratu- 
Lucius  lated  him  both  on  his  promo- 

Bishop  of  *^°"  ^^^  °"  ^'^  sufferings. 
Rome  His  exile  must  have  been  of 

A  D  252  short  duration.  He  was  per- 
mitted to  return  to  Rome  in 
the  year  two  hundred  and  fifty-two ;  and 
a  second  congratulatory  letter  was  writ- 
ten to  him  by  Cyprian.*  He  suffered 
death  soon  after;  and  was  succeeded  by 
Stephen. — ^The  episcopal  seat  at  Rome 
was  then,  it  should  seem,  the  next  door 
to  martyrdom. 

It  was  not  owing  to  any  diminution  of 
his  usual  zeal  and  activity,  that  the  Afri- 
can prelate  was  still  preserved  alive, 
while  three  of  his  contemporaries  at  Rome, 
Fabian,  Cornelius,  and  Lucian,  died  a 
violent  death  or  in  exile.  About  this 
time  he  dared  to  write .  an  epistle  to  a 
noted  persecutor  of  those  times,  named 
Demetrianus :  and,  with  great  freedom 
and  dignity,  he  exposed  the  unreasona- 
bleness of  the  Pagans  in  charging  the 
miseries  of  the  times  upon  the  Christians. 
There  will  be  no  necessity  to  give  any 
detail  of  his  reasonings  on  the  subject: — 
Paganism  has  at  this  day  no  defenders. 
— The  latter  part  of  the  epistle,  which 
is  exhortatory  and  doctrinal,  shall  be  af- 
terwards considered,  when  we  come  to 
make  an  estimate  of  Cyprian's  theological 
works. 

The  short  reign  of  Gallus  was  distin- 
guished by  so  large  an  assemblage  of  hu- 
man miseries,  as  to  give  a  plausible 
colour  to  Cyprian's  mistake  of  the  near 
P    ,-\  approach  of  the  end  of  the 

in^Afi^icr  world.  A  dreadful  pestilence 
A  D  '^5"'  t)roke  out  in  Africa,  which 
■  "'''"  daily  carried  off  numberless 
persons ;  and  frequently  swept  away 
whole  houses.  The  Pagans  were  alarm- 
ed beyond  measure :  Through  fear,  they 

*  Epis.  58. 


neglected  the  burial  of  the  dead,  and  vio- 
lated the  duties  of  humanity.  The  bodies 
of  many  lay  in  the  streets  of  Carthage, 
and  in  vain  seemed  to  ask  the  pity  of 
passengers.* — It  was  on  this  occasion, — 
that  the  Lord  stirred  up  the  spirit  of 
Christians  to  show  the  practical  superior- 
ity of  their  religion;  and,  that  Cyprian, 
in  particular,  exhibited  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  proofs  of  his  real  character.  He 
gathered  together  his  people,  and  expa- 
tiated on  the  subject  of  mercy.  He  point- 
ed out  to  them, — that  if  they  did  no  more 
than  others, — no  more  than  the  heathen 
and  the  publican  did  in  showing  mercy 
to  their  own,  there  would  be  nothing  so 
Very  admirable  in  their  conduct; — that 
Christians  ought  to  overcome  evil  with 
good,  and,  like  their  heavenly  Father,  to 
love  their  enemies,  since  he  makes  his 
sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  the  good,  and 
sends  rain  on  the  just  and  the  unjust. 
Why  does  not  he,  who  professes  himself 
a  son  of  God,  imitate  the  example  of  his 
Father "?  We  ought  to  answer  to  our  birth, 
and  those,  who  appear  to  be  born  again 
of  God  should  not  degenerate,  but  should 
be  solicitous  to  evidence  the  genuineness 
of  their  relation  to  God  by  the  imitation  of 
his  goodness.  Much  more  than  this,  Pon- 
tius tells  us,  was  said  by  him.  But  Pontius 
is  always  very  scanty  in  his  informations. 

The  eloquent  voice  of  Cyprian,  on  this 
occasion,  as  on  others,  roused  the  alac- 
rity of  his  people.  The  Christians  ranked 
themselves  into  classes  for  the  purpose  of 
relieving  the  public  distress.  The  rich 
contributed  largely  :  The  poor  gave  what 
they  could ;  namely,  their  labour,  with 
extreme  hazard  of  their  lives : — The  Pa- 
gans saw  with  astonishment  the  effects  of 
the  love  of  God  in  Christ;  and  had  a  salu- 
tary opportunity  of  contrasting  these  ef- 
fects with  their  own  selfishness  and  inhu- 
manity. 

The  dreadful  calamity  of  the  Plague 
gave  to  Cyprian  an  opportunity  of  im- 
pressing on  the  minds  of  his  people,  what, 
in  truth,  had  been  the  ruling  object  of  his 
own  life  since  his  conversion,  namely — 
a  warm  and  active  regard  for  the  bless- 
ings of  immortality,  joined  with  a  holy 
indifference  for  things  below.  He  pub- 
lished on  this  occasion  his  short  treatise 
on  Mortality.  He,  who  wrote  it,  must 
have  felt  what  all  have  need  to  feel, — 
how  little  a  thing  life  is, — how  valuable 
the   prospect   of   heavenly    bliss!     The 


•  Vit.  Pont. 


Cewt.  III.] 


UNDER  GALLUS. 


201 


whole  of  this  little  tract  is  very  precious ; 
but  the  reader  must  be  content  with  a  few 
extracts. 

"The  kingdom  of  God,  my  dearest 
brethren,  shows  itself  to  be  just  at  hand. 
The  reward  of  life,  the  joy  of  eternal 
salvation,  perpetual  gladness,  and  para- 
dise lost, — all  these  things  come  into  our 
possession  now  that  the  world  passes 
away :  Heavenly  and  eternal  glories  suc- 
ceed earthly,  fading  trifles.  What  room 
is  there  for  anxiety,  solicitude,  or  sadness, 
unless  faith  and  hope  are  wanting  ]  If, 
indeed,  a  man  be  unwilling  to  go  to 
Christ,  or  does  not  believe  that  he  is  go- 
ing to  reign  with  him,  such  a  one  has 
good  reason  to  fear  death:  For,  '  the  just 
live  by  faith.' — Are  ye  then  just;  Do 
ye  live  by  faith ;  Do  ye  really  believe  in 
the  promise  of  God  ] — If  so, — why  do  ye 
not  feel  secure  of  the  faithfulness  of 
Christ;  why  do  ye  not  embrace  his  call, 
and  bless  yourselves  that  ye  shall  soon 
be  with  him,  and  be  no  more  exposed  to 
Satan!" 

He  than  makes  an  apposite  use  of  the 
ease  of  good  old  Simeon,  and  adds, 

"Our  stable  peace,  our  sound  tran- 
quillity, our  perpetual  security  is  in  the 
world  to  come  : — In  this  world  we  wage 
a  daily  war  with  our  spiritual  enemies  ; 
■we  have  no  rest :  If  one  sin  be  subdued, 
another  is  up  in  arms  : — We  are  continu- 
ally exposed  to  temptations;  but  the  di- 
vine laws  forbid  us  to  yield  to  them. — 
Surely,  amidst  such  constant  pressures, 
we  ought  to  be  joyful  in  the  prospect  of 
hastening  to  Christ  by  a  speedy  depar- 
ture. How  does  our  Lord  himself  instruct 
us  on  this  very  head  ]  Ye  shall  weep  and 
lament,  but  the  world  shall  rejoice;  and 
ye  shall  be  sorrowful,  but  your  sorrow 
shall  be  turned  into  joy. —  Who  does  not 
wish  to  be  free  from  sorrow  ]  Who  would 
not  run  to  take  possession  of  joy  T  Since 
then  to  see  Christ  is  joy,  and  since  our 
joy  cannot  be  full  till  we  do  see  him, — 
what  blindness,  what  infatuation  is  it,  to 
love  the  penal  pressures  and  tears  of  the 
world,  and  not  to  be  desirous  of  quickly 
partaking  of  that  joy  which  shall  never 
pass  away ! 

"  The  cause  of  this,  dear  brethren,  is 
UNBELIEF  :  We  none  of  us  believe  really 
and  solidly  those  things  to  be  true  which 
the  God  of  truth  promises, — whose  word 
is  eternally  firm  to  those  that  put  their 
trust  in  him.  If  a  man  of  a  grave  and 
respectable  character  promises  you  any 
thing,  you  do  not  doubt  his  performance, 


because  you  know  him  to  be  faithful. 
Now  God  himself  speaks  with  you ;  and 
dare  you  waver  in  uncertainty  1  He  pro- 
mises you  immortality  when  ye  shall 
depart  out  of  this  world  ;  and  will  ye 
still  doubtl — This  is  not  to  know  God: 
This  is  to  offend,  with  the  sin  of  unbelief, 
Christ  the  Lord  and  Master  of  believers  : 
— '  To  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is 
gain,'  said  the  blessed  Apostle, — who 
computed  it  to  be  gain  indeed, — no  longer 
to  be  detained  in  the  snares  of  the  world, 
— no  longer  to  be  obnoxious  to  sin  and 
the  flesh, — to  be  exempt  from  excruciating 
pressures, — to  be  freed  from  the  poison- 
ous jaws  of  Satan, — and  lastly,  to  go  to 
the  joys  of  eternal  salvation  upon  the  call 
of  Christ." 

Some  of  Cyprian's  people  happened  to 
be  staggered  in  their  minds,  because  they 
found  that  Christians  were  liable  to  be 
afflicted  with  the  plague  as  others  :  Upon 
which,  the  bishop  explained  to  them — 
that  IN  SPIRIT  the  children  of  God  are  in- 
deed separated  from  the  rest  of  mankind ; 
but  that,  in  all  other  respects,  they  are 
obnoxious  to  the  common  evils  of  human 
life.  In  his  usual  manner  he  supports 
his  precepts  by  Scripture  examples  ;  and 
speaks  eloquently  and  solidly  of  the  be- 
nefits of  afflictions,  and  of  the  opportunity 
of  showing  what  spirit  they  are  of.  "  Let 
that  man  fear  to  die,"  says  he,  "who  has 
the  second  death  to  undergo ;  who  is  not 
born  of  water  and  the  Spirit;  who  is  not 
a  partaker  of  the  cross  and  passion  of 
Christ;  and  whom  eternal  flame  will 
torment  with  perpetual  punishment.  To 
such  a  one  life  is  indeed  a  desirable  ob- 
ject, because  it  delays  his  condemnation : 
— but  what  have  good  men  to  dread  from 
death] — They  are  called  by  it  to  an 
eternal  refreshment. — There  is,  however, 
great  use  in  a  season  of  uncommon  mor- 
tality: It  rouses  the  idle;  compels  de- 
serters to  return;  and  produces  faith  in 
the  Gentiles  :  It  dismisses  and  sends  to 
rest  many  old  and  faithful  servants  of 
God ;  and  it  raises  fresh  and  numerous 
armies  for  future  battles. 

"We  should  consider  and  think  again 
and  again,  that  we  have  renounced  the 
world  and  live  here  as  strangers.  What 
stranger  loves  not  to  return  to  his  own 
country'?  Let  us  rejoice  in  the  day 
which  summons  us  to  our  home. — There, 
a  great  number  of  dear  friends  await  us : 
What  raptures  of  mutual  joy  to  see  and 
embrace  one  another  !"  , 

The  active  as  well  as  the  passive  graces 


202 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XH. 


of  Cyprian  were  kept  in  perpetual  exer- 
cise by  various  calamities,  which  hap- 
pened at  no  great  distance  of  time  from 
each  other.  The  madness  of  men  has 
ever  been  generating  the  horrors  and  mi- 
series of  war,  and  there  have  never  been 
wanting  poets  and  historians  to  celebrate 
the  praises  of  those  who  have  most  ex- 
ceeded others  in  shedding  human  blood. — 
It  belongs  to  narrations  purely  Christian 
to  record,  with  a  modest,  yet  firm  appro- 
bation, the  actions  of  holy  men,  whom 
the  world  despises,  but  whom  the  grace 
of  God  leads  to  the  exercise  of  real  love 
to  God  and  men. — Mark  another  instance 
of  Cyprian's  truly  Christian  benevolence. 
Numidia,  the  country  adjoining  to  Car- 
thage, had  been  blessed  with  the  light 
of  the  Gospel,  and  a  number  of  Churches 
were  planted  in  it.  By  an  irruption  of 
the  barbarous  nations,  who  neither  owned 
the  Roman  sway,  nor  had  the  least  ac- 
quaintance with  Christianity,  many  Nu- 
midian  converts  were  carried  into  cap- 
tivity. Eight  bishops,  Januarius,  Max- 
imus,  Proculus,  Victor,  Modianus,  Ne- 
mesian,  Nampulus,  and  Honoratus,  wrote 
the  mournful  account  to  the  prelate  at 
Carthage.  What  he  felt  and  did  on  the 
occasion  his  own  answer  will  best  ex- 
plain. The  love  of  Christ  and  the  in- 
fluence of  his  Holy  Spirit  will  appear  to 
have  been  not  small  in  the  African  Church 
from  this  and  from  the  foregoing  case ; 
nor  will  the  calamities  of  the  times  and 
the  scourge  of  persecution  seem  to  have 
been  sent  to  them  in  vain.* 

"  With  much  heart-felt  sorrow  and  tears 
we  read  your  letters,  dearest  brethren, 
which  ye  wrote  to  us  in  the  solicitude  of 
your  love  concerning  the  captivity  of  our 
brethren  and  sisters.  For  who  would 
not  grieve  in  such  cases'?  or  who  would 
not  reckon  the  grief  of  his  brother  his 
own  1  since  the  Apostle  Paul  says,  '  If 
one  member  suffer,  all  the  members  suffer 
with  it;  and  if  one  member  rejoice,  all 
the  other  members  rejoice  with  it;'  and 
elsewhere,  '  Who  is  weak,  and  I  am  not 
weak  *?'  Therefore  now  the  captivity  of 
our  brethren  is  to  be  reckoned  our  cap- 
tivity ;  and  the  grief  of  those  who  are 
in  danger  is  to  be  reckoned  as  our  own 
grief,  since  we  are  all  one  body : — Not 
only  our  affections,  but  the  religion  of 
Jesus  itself  ought  to  incite  us  to  redeem 
the  brethren :  For,  since  the  Apostle  says, 
in  another  place,  '  Know  ye  not  that  ye 

»  Epis.  60.  Para. 


are  the  temple  of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  dwelleth  in  you]'     It  follows, 
that  even  if  our  love  did  not  induce  us  to 
help  the  brethren,  yet,  in  such  circum- 
stances, we  ought  to  consider,  that  they 
which  are  taken  captive,  are  the  temples 
of  God,  and  that  we  ought  not,  by  a  long 
delay  and  neglect,  to  suffer  the  temples 
of  God  to  remain  in  captivity,  but  to  la- 
bour with  all  our  might,  and  quickly  to 
show  our  obsequiousness  to  Christ  our 
Judge,  OUR  Lord,  and   our   God.     For 
whereas   Paul   the    Apostle    says,   '  As 
many  of  you  as  have  been  baptized  into 
Christ,  have  been  baptized  into  his  death ;' 
Christ  is  to  be  viewed  as  existing  in  our 
captive  brethren  ;  and  he,  who  dwells  and 
abides  in  us,  must,  by  a  sum  of  money, 
be  redeemed  from  captivity,  and  snatched 
from  the  hands  of  the  barbarians; — he, 
who  by  his  cross  and  blood,*  redeemed 
us  from  death,  and  snatched  us  from  the 
jaws  of  Satan. — In  fact,  he  suffers  these 
things  to  happen,  in  order  that  our  faith 
may  be  tried,  and  that  it  may  be  seen 
whether  we  be  willing  to  do  for  another 
what  every  one  would  wish  to  be  done 
for  himself,  were  he  a  prisoner  among 
the  barbarians.     For  who,  if  he  be  a  fa- 
ther, does  not  now  feel   as  if  his  sons 
were  in  a  state  of  captivity  ]     Who, — if 
a  husband, — is  not  affected  as  if  his  own 
wife  were  in  that  calamitous  situation  ? 
This  must  be  the  case,  if  we  have  but  the 
common  sympathy  of  men. — Then  how 
great  ought  our  mutual  sorrow  and  vexa- 
tion to  be  on  account  of  the  danger  of  the 
viro-ins  who  are  there  held  in  bondage  ! 
Not  only  their  slavery,  but  the  loss  of 
their  chastity  is  to  be  deplored  ;  the  bonds 
of  barbarians  are  not  so  much  to  be  dread- 
ed as  the  lewdness  of  men,  lest  the  mem- 
bers  of    Christ   dedicated  to   him,   and 
devotedf  for  ever  to  the  honour  of  conti- 
nency,  should  be  defiled  and  insulted  by 
libidinous  savages. 

"  Our  brethren,  ever  ready  to  work  the 
work  of  God,  but  now  much  more  quick- 
ened by  great  sorrow  and  anxiety  to  for- 
ward so  salutary  a  concern,  have  freely  and 


*  Redemption  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  union 
and  fellowship  with  liim  maintained  in  the  soul 
by  faith,  and  the  returns  of  love  answerable  to 
his  loving  kindness,  these  are  the  principles  of 
Christian  benevolence. 

f  Voluntary  celibacy,  I  apprehend,  was  in 
growing  repute  in  the  Church  at  that  time. 
St.  Paul's  advice  in  the  7lh  of  first  Cor.  had 
then  many  followers,  but  monastic  vows  had 
yet  no  existence. 


Cext.  III.] 


UNDER  VALERIAN. 


largely  contributed  to  the  relief  of  the  dis- 
tressed captives.  For,  whereas  the  Lord 
says  in  the  Gospel, '  I  was  sick,  and  ye  vis- 
ited me  ;'  with  how  much  stronger  appro- 
bation would  he  say, '  I  was  a  captive,  and 
ye  redeemed  me  !'  And  when  again  he 
says,  '  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  to 
me ;'  how  much  more  is  it  in  the  same 
spirit  to  say, — I  was  in  the  prison  of  cap- 
tivity and  lay  shut  up  and  bound  among 
barbarians,  and  ye  freed  me  from  the  dun- 
geon of  slavery:  Ye  shall  receive  your 
reward  of  the  Lord  in  the  day  of  judg- 
ment. 

"Truly  we  thank  you  very  much  that 
ye  wished  us  to  be  partakers  of  your  soli- 
citude, and  of  a  work  so  good  and  necessa- 
ry ; — that  ye  have  offered  us  fertile  fields 
in  which  we  might  deposite  the  seeds  of 
our  hope  with  an  expectation  of  an  ex- 
uberant harvest.  We  have  sent  a  hun- 
dred thousand  sesterces, — the  collection 
of  our  clergy  and  laity*  of  the  Church  of 
Carthage,  which  you  will  dispense  forth- 
with according  to  your  diligence.  Hearti- 
ly do  we  wish  that  no  such  thing  may 
happen  again,  and  that  the  Lord  may  pro- 
tect our  brethren  from  such  calamities. 
But  if,  to  try  our  faith  and  love,  such  af- 
flictions should  again  befal  you,  hesitate 
not  to  acquaint  us  ;  and  be  assured  of  the 
hearty  concurrence  of  our  Church  with 
you  both  in  prayer  and  in  cheerful  contri- 
butions. 

"  That  you  may  remember  in  your 
prayers,  our  brethren,  who  have  cheer- 
fully contributed, — I  have  subjoined  the 
names  of  each  ; — I  have  added  also  the 
names  of  our  colleagues  in  the  ministry, 
who  were  present  and  contributed,  in  their 
own  names  and  in  that  of  the  people ;  and, 
besides  my  own  proper  quantity,  I  have 
set  down  and  sent  their  respective  sums. 
We  wish  you,  brethren,  always  prospe- 
rity." 

About  this  time,  Cyprian  wrote  to  an 
African  bishop,  named  Caecilius,  for  the 
purpose  of  correcting  a  practice  in  the 
administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
which  had  crept  into  some  Churches, — 
of  using  water  instead  of  wine. — With 
arguments  drawn  from  the  Scriptures,  he 
insists  on  the  necessity  of  wine  in  the  ov- 
dinance,  as  a  proper  emblem  of  the  blood 
of  Christ. 

The  appointment  of  Stephen  to  the  bish- 
opric of  Rome  was  soon  followed  by  the 


death  of  Callus;  who  was 
slain,  in  the  year  two  hundred 
and  fifty-three,  after  a  wretch- 
ed reign  of  eighteen  months. 


203 


Death  of 
Gallus, 
A.  D.  253. 


*  About  7811.  5s.  sterling. — See  Notes  to 
Epis.  62.  Oxfoid  Edit. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE  PACIFIC  PART  OF  VALERIAn's 
REIGN. 

Under  Gallus  the  peace  of  the  Church 
of  Christ  seems  to  have  been  very  short 
and  precarious.  But  his  successor  Va- 
lerian, for  upwards  of  three  years,  proved 
their  friend  and  protector.  His  house 
was  full  of  Christians,  and  he  appears  to 
have  had  a  strong  predilection  in  their  fa- 
vour. 

The  Lord  exercises  his  people  in  vari- 
ous ways.  There  are  virtues  adapted  to 
a  state  of  prosperity  as  well  as  of  adver- 
sity.— The  wisdom  and  love  of  God,  in 
directing  the  late  terrible  persecutions, 
have  been  plainly  made  manifest  by  the 
excellent  fruits. — Let  us  now  attend  to 
the  transactions  of  Christians  during  this 
interval  of  refreshment. 

The  affairs  of  Cyprian  detain  us  long, 
because  his  eloquent  pen  continues  to  at- 
tract us ;  and  because  we  would  not  lose 
a  faithful  and  an  able  guide,  till  we  are 
compelled  to  leave  him. — Probably,  there 
were  many  before  his  time,  whose  Chris- 
tian actions  would  have  equally  deserved 
to  be  commemorated :  But  the  materials  of 
information  fail  us :  The  fine  composi- 
tions of  this  bishop  are  still,  however,  a 
capital  source  of  historical  instruction. 

During  the  tranquillity  under  the  em- 
peror Valerian,  a  council  was  held  in 
Africa  by  sixty-six  bishops,  with  Cypri- 
an at  their  head.  The  object  of  this  as- 
sembly was,  doubtless,  the  regulation  of 
various  matters  relating  to  the  Church  of 
Christ. — These  bishops  had,  unquestiona- 
bly, each  of  them,  a  small  diocess ;  and 
with  the  assistance  of  their  clergy,  they 
superintended  their  respective  jurisdic- 
tion according  to  the  primitive  mode  of 
Church-government.  The  face  of  Africa, 
which  is  now  covered  with  Mahometan, 
idolatrous,  and  piratical  wickedness,  af- 
forded in  those  days  a  very  pleasing  spec- 
tacle ;  for  we  have  good  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  a  real  and  salutary  regard  was 
paid  to  the  various  flocks  by  their  eccle- 
siastical shepherds.  But,  we  have  no 
particular  accounts  of  the  proceedings  of 
this  council  beyond  what  is  contained  in 


204 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XHI. 


a  letter  of  Cyprian,  to  which  I  shall  pre- 
sently advert.  He  mentions  two  points, 
which  engaged  their  attention; — but,  it 
is  very  likely,  that  matters  of  greater  im- 
portance than  either  of  those  points  were 
then  reviewed  : — The  synod  was  worthy 
of  the  name  of  Christian  :  many  of  the 
bishops  then  present  had  faithfully  main- 
tained the  cause  of  Christ  during  scenes 
of  trial  the  most  severe  that  can  be  ima- 
gined ;  and  I  know  no  ground  for  suspect- 
ing the  clergy  of  those  times  to  have 
been  influenced  by  schemes  of  political 
ambition  for  increasing  their  wealth  or 
power. 

A  presbyter,  named  Victor,  had  been 
re-admitted  into  the  Church  without  hav- 
ing undergone  the  legitimate  time  of  trial 
in  a  state  of  penance,  and  also  without  the 
concurrence  and  consent  of  the  people. 
His  bishop,  Therapius,  had  done  this  ar- 
bitrarily and  contrary  to  the  institutes  of 
the  former  council  for  settling  such  mat- 
ters. Cyprian,  in  the  name  of  the  coun- 
cil, contents  himself  with  reprimanding 
Therapius ;  but  yet  confirms  what  he  had 
done,  and  warns  him  to  take  care  of  of- 
fending in  future. 

This  is  one  of  the  points.  And,  we 
see  hence  that  a  strict  and  godly  disci- 
pline, on  the  whole,  now  prevailed  in  the 
Church ;  and  that  the  wisest  and  most 
successful  methods  of  recovering  the 
lapsed  were  used.  The  authority  of  bish- 
ops was  firm,  but  not  despotic  :  and  the 
share  of  the  people,  in  matters  of  ec- 
clesiastical correction  and  regulation,  ap- 
pears worthy  of  notice. 

The  other  point  he  thus  explains  in  the 
same  letter  addressed  to  Fidus :  "As  to 
the  care  of  infants,  of  whom  you  said 
that  they  ought  not  to  be  baptized  within 
the  second  or  third  day  after  their  birth, 
and  that  the  ancient  law  of  circumcision 
should  be  so  far  adhered  to  that  they 
ought  not  to  be  baptized  till  the  eighth 
day ;  we  were  all  of  a  very  different  opin- 
ion. We  all  judged  that  the  mercy  and 
grace  of  God  should  be  denied  to  none. 
For,  if  the  Lord  says  in  his  Gospel,  'the 
Son  of  man  is  not  come  to  destroy  men's 
lives,  but  to  save  them,'  how  ought  we 
to  do  our  utmost,  as  far  as  in  us  lies,  that 
no  soul  be  lost!  Spiritual  circumcision 
should  not  be  impeded  by  carnal  circum- 
cision. If,  even  to  the  foulest  offenders 
when  they  afterwards  believe,  remission 
of  sins  is  granted,  and  none  is  prohibited 
from  baptism  and  grace ;  how  much  more 
should  an  infant  be  admitted ; — who,  just 


born,  hath  not  sinned  in  any  respect,  ex- 
cept, that  being  carnally  produced  accord- 
ing to  Adam,  he  hath,  in  his  first  birth, 
contracted  the  contagion  of  the  ancient 
deadly  nature ; — and  who  obtains  the  re- 
mission of  sins  with  the  less  difficulty, 
because  not  his  own  actual  guilt,  but  that 
of  another,  is  to  be  remitted. 

"  Our  sentence  therefore,  dearest  bro- 
ther, in  the  council  was,  that  none,  by 
us,  should  be  prohibited  from  baptism 
and  the  grace  of  God,  who  is  merciful 
and  kind  to  all." 

I  purpose  carefully  to  avoid  disputes 
on  subjects  of  small  moment.  Yet  to 
omit  a  word  here  on  a  point,  which  hath 
produced  volumes  of  strife,  might  seem 
almost  a  studied  affectation :  On  such 
occasions  I  shall  briefly  and  pacifically 
state  my  own  views,  as  they  appear  de- 
ducible  from  evidence. 

Instead  of  disputing  whether  the  right 
of  infant-baptism  is  to  be  derived  from 
Scripture  alone,  and  whether  tradition 
deserves,  any  attention  at  all,  I  would 
simply  observe, — that  the  Scripture  itself 
seems  to  speak  for  an  infant 
baptism  ;*— and  further,  that     pefence  of 


tradition,  in  matters  of  cus- 


tism. 


tom  and  discipline,  is  of  real 
weight,  as  appears  from  the  confession 
of  every  one ;  for  every  one  is  glad  to 
support  his  cause  by  it,  if  he  can : — and 
in  the  present  case, — to  those  who  say 
that  the  custom  of  baptizing  children  was 
not  derived  from  the  apostolical  ages, 
the  traditional  argument  may  fairly  run 
in  language  nearly  Scriptural,  "  if  any 
man  seem  to  be  contentious,  we  have  no 
such  custom,  neither  the  Churches  of 
God:"! — and  we  never  had  any  such 
custom  as  that  of  confining  baptism  to 
abults. 

Here  is  an  assembly  of  sixty-six  pas- 
tors, men  of  approved  fidelity  and  gravity, 
who  have  stood  the  fiery  trial  of  some  of 
the  severest  persecutions  ever  known, 
and  who  have  testified  their  love  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  a  more  striking 
manner  than  any  Antipado-baptists  have 
had  an  opportunity  of  doing  in  our  days ; 
and,  if  we  ma)'  judge  of  their  religious 
views  by  those  of  Cyprian, — and  they 
are  all  in  perfect  harmony  with  him, — 
they  are  not  wanting  in  any  fundamental 
of  godliness.  No  man  in  any  age  more 
reverenced  the  Scriptures,  and  made  more 
copious  use  of  them  on  all  occasions, 


*  1  Cor.  vii.  14. 


t  1  Cor.  xi.  16. 


Gext.  III.] 


UNDER  VALERIAN. 


205 


than  he  did;  and, — it  must  be  confessed, 
— in  the  very  best  manner.  For  he  uses 
them  continually,  for  practice,  not  for 
osTENTATIO^;  for  USE,  not  for  the  sake  of 
VICTORY  in  argument. — Before  this  holy 
assembly  a  question  is  brought, — not 
whether  infants  should  be  baptized  at  all, 
— none  contradicted  this, — but,  whether 
it  is  right  to  baptize  them  immediately, 
or  on  the  eighth  day]  Without  a  single 
negative,  they  all  determined  to  baptize 
them  immediately.  This  transaction  pass- 
.    _  ed   in  the  year  two  hundred 

A.  u.  ^53.  ^jjj  fifty-three.  Let  the  rea- 
der consider:  If  infant-baptism  had  been 
an  innovation,  it  must  have  been  now  of 
a  considerable  standing:  The  disputes 
concerning  Easter,  and  other  very  uninter- 
esting points,  show  that  such  an  innova- 
tion must  have  formed  a  remarkable  asra 
in  the  Church.  The  number  of  heresies 
and  divisions  had  been  very  great.  Among 
them  all  such  a  deviation  from  apostoli- 
cal practice  as  this,  3iust  have  been  re- 
marked. To  me  it  appears  impossible 
to  account  for  this  state  of  things,  but  on 
the  footing  that  it  had  ever  been  allowed  ; 
and,  therefore,  that  the  custom  was  that 
of  the  first  Churches.  Though,  then,  I 
should  wave  the  argument  d.awn  from 
that  sentence  of  St.  Paul,  "Else  were 
your  children  unclean,  but  now  they  are 
holy;" — and  yet  it  is  not  easy  to  explain 
its  meaning  by  any  thing  else  than  infant- 
baptism, — I  am  under  a  necessity  of  con- 
cluding, that  the  antagonists  of  infant- 
baptism  are  mistaken.  Yet  I  see  not 
why  they  may  not  serve  God  in  sincerity, 
as  well  as  those  who  are  differently 
minded.  The  greatest  evil  lies  in  the 
want  of  charity  :  and  in  that  contentious 
eagerness,  with  which  singularit}'-,  in  lit- 
tle things,  is  apt  to  be  attended.  Trul}^ 
good  men  have  not  always  been  free  from 
this  ; — perhaps  few  persons,  on  the  whole, 
cultivated  larger  and  more  generous  views 
than  our  African  prelate ; — yet,  in  one 
instance,  we  shall  presently  see,  he  was 
seduced  into  a  bigotry  of  spirit  not  un- 


like to  that  which  I  here  disapprove,  and 
greatly  lament. 

I  could  have  wished  that  Christian 
people  had  never  been  vexed  with  a  con- 
troversy so  frivolous  as  this  about  bap- 
tism:  but  having,  once  for  all,  given  my 
views  and  the  reasons  of  them,  I  turn 
from  the  subject,  and  observe  further, — 
that  there  is,  in  the  extract  of  the  letter 
before  us,  a  strong  and  clear  testimony  of 
the  faith  of  the  ancient  Church  concern- 

VOL.  I.  S 


ing  the  doctrine  of  original  sin.      One 
may  safely  be  allowed  to  reason,  on  that 
head,  in  the  same  way  as  in  the  case  just 
now  considered;  but  the  fulness  of  Scrip- 
ture  concerning  so  momentous  a  point 
precludes  the  necessity  of  traditional  ar- 
guments.    A  lover  of  divine  truth  will, 
however,  not  be  displeased  to  find — that, 
without  contradiction,  Christians  in  the 
middle  of  the  third  century  did  believe, 
that  men  were  born  in  sin  and  under  the 
wrath  of  God  through  Adam's  transo-res- 
sion,  and,  by  their  connexion  with  him 
as  a  federal  head,  were  involved  in  all 
the  consequences  of  his  offence.     Such 
were  the  sentiments  of  the  ancient  Chris- 
tians in  general ; — of  the  very  best  Chris- 
tians,— who  possessed  the  spirit  of  Christ 
in  the  most  powerful  degree. — The  just 
consequences,  which  belong  to  this  fact, 
are  seldom  attended  to  by  persons  who 
are  wise  in  their  own  conceit. — "  Let  us 
attend,"  say   they,  "  to  right  reason, — 
to  modern  improvements  in  the  interpre- 
tation  of   Scripture,    and    let   us   reject 
without  ceremony  the  obsolete   absurdi- 
ties  of  ancient   ignorance  ;" — The   real 
practical  meaning  of  which  is  this :  We 
will  torture  and  twist,  in  every  possible 
direction,  the  most  perspicuous  passages 
of  holy  writ,  rather  than  we  will  acknow- 
ledge them  to  contain  doctrines   which 
we  dislike. — To  submit  at  once  to  the 
testimony  of  the  Divine  W"ord  is,  in  itself, 
the  most  reasonable  thing  in  the  world; 
but  when  men  will  not  abide  by  that ; — 
when   they   will   substitute   schemes    of 
their   own  fancy  and  invention, — in  the 
place  of  actual  revelation, — and  still  pro- 
fess themselves  to  be  under  the  guidance 
of  the  Scriptures,  it  may  then  be  very  ex- 
pedient to  oppose  and  confute  their  un- 
warrantable constructions  and  criticisms 
by  the  unanimous  judgment  of  the  primi- 
tive Church,  who  had  the  best  opportuni- 
ty of  knowing  the   truth. — There  is  no 
unprejudiced  mind,  which  will  not  feel 
the  force  of  this  argument. 

The  following  private  case, — which 
must  have  happened  in  a  time  of  peace, 
— and  therefore  may  properly  be  referred 
to  this  period,  deserves,  on  account  of  the 
light  which  it  throws  on  primitive  Chris- 
tian manners,  to  be  distinctly  recorded. 

"  Cyprian  to  Eucratius  his  brother. 
Health.  Your  love  and  esteem  have  in- 
duced you,  dearest  brother,  to  consult 
me  as  to  what  I  think  of  the  case  of  a 
Player  among  you,  who  still  continues  to 
instruct  others  in  that  infamous  and  mi- 


206 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XHI. 


serable  art,  which  he  himself  hath  learnt. 
You  ask  whether  he  should  be  allowed 
the  continuance  of  Christian  communion] 
I  think  it  very  inconsistent  with  the  ma- 
jesty of  God,  and  the  rules  of  his  Gospel, 
that  the  modesty  and  honour  of  the  Church 
should  be  defiled  by  so  base  and  infa- 
mous a  contagion.  In  the  law*  men  are 
prohibited  to  wear  female  attire,  and  are 
pronounced  abominable ;  how  much  more 
criminal  must  it  be,  not  only  to  put  on 
"Woman's  garments,  but  also  to  express 
lascivious,  obscene,  and  effeminate  ges- 
tures in  a  way  of  instructing  others ! — 
By  these  means  boys  will  not  be  improv- 
ed in  any  thing  that  is  good,  but  abso- 
lutely ruined  in  their  morals. 

"  And  let  no  man  excuse  himself,  as 
having  left  the  theatre,  while  yet  he  un- 
dertakes to  qualify  others  for  the  work. 
You  cannot  say  that  the  man  has  ceased 
from   his    business,   when   he   provides 
substitutes  in  his  own  place,  and  furnishes 
the  playhouse  with  a  number  of  perform- 
ers instead  of  one ;   and  teaches   them, 
contrary  to  the  divine  ordinances,  to  con- 
found,  in  their  apparel,  the  proper  and 
decent  distinctions  of  the  sexes;  and  so 
gratifies  Satan  by  the  defilement  of  the 
divine  workmanship. — If  the  man  makes 
poverty  his  excuse,  his  necessities  may 
be  relieved  in  the  same  manner  as  those 
of  others,   who   are   maintained   by  the 
alms  of  the  Church,  ])rovided  he  be  con- 
tent with  frugal  and  simple  food,  and  do 
not  fancy  that  we  are  to  hire  him,  by  a 
salary,  to  cease  from  sin ;  since  it  is  not 
OUR  interest,  but  his  own,  that  is  con- 
cerned in  this  aflfair.    But, — ^let  his  gains 
by  the  service  of  the  playhouse  be  ever 
so  large, — "What   sort  of    gain  is  that, 
which  tears  men  from  a  participation  in 
the  banquet  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob, 
and  leads  them  from  their  miserable  and 
ruinous  feasting  in  this  world  to  the  pu- 
nishments of  eternal  famine  and  thirst  1 
Therefore,--ifpossible,— recover  him  from 
this  depravity  and  infamy  to  the  way  of 
innocence  and  to  the  hope  of  life,  that  he 
may  be  content  with  a  parsimonious,  but 
salutary  maintenance  from  the  Church. 
And,  if  your  Church  be  insufficient  to 
maintain  its  own  poor,f  he  may  transfer 
himself  to  us; — and  he  shall  here  receive 
what  is  necessary  for  food  and  raiment : — 
He  must,  however,  no  longer  teach  his 


*  Deut.  xxii.  5. 

f  Eucratius  was  the  liishop  of  the  place 
called  ThensBj  lying  in  the  military  road  to 
Carthage. 


pernicious  lessons;  hut  himself  endea- 
vour to  learn  something  from  the  Church 
that  may  be  useful  to  his  salvation. 
Dearest  son,  I  wish  you  constant  pros- 
perity."* 

The  decision  of  Cyprian  is,  doubtless, 
that  which  piety  and  good  sense  wovild 
unite  to  dictate  in  the  case. — A  player 
was  ever  an  infamous  character  at  Rome; 
and  was  looked  on  as  incapable  of  filling 
any  of  the  offices  of  state.     The  Romans, 
at  the  same  time  that  they  showed,  in  this 
point,   the  soundness  of  their  political, 
evinced  the    depravity    of   their   moral, 
sense :    For  there  were  still  maintained 
by  them,  at  the  public  expense  and  for  the 
public   amusement,  a  company  of  men, 
who, — they  knew, — must  of  necessity  be 
dissolute  and  danoferous  members  of  so- 
ciety.     If  this  was  the  judgment  of  sober 
Pagans,  we  need   not  wonder   that   the 
purity   of  Christianity   would   not   even 
suffer  such  characters  to  be  admitted  into 
the  bosom  of  the  Church  at  all.     To  say, 
that  there  are  noble  sentiments  to  be  found 
in  some  dramas,  answers  not  the  purpose 
of  those,  who  would  vindicate  the  enter- 
tainments of  the  stage.     The  support  of 
them  requires  a  system  in  its  own  nature 
corrupt ; — a  system,  which  inust  gratify 
the  voluptuous  and  the  libidinous,  or  it 
can  have  no  durable  existence.     Hence, 
in  every  age,  complaints  have  been  made 
of  the  licentiousness  of  the  stage ;  and  the 
necessity  of  keeping  it  under  proper  re- 
straints and  regulations  has  been  admit- 
ted by  its  greatest  admirers.     But  it  is,  I 
think,  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that  the 
stage  may  remain  a  favourite  amusement, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  be  so  regulated  as 
not  to  offend  the  modest  eyes  and  ears  of 
a  humble  Christian.     The  gravest  advo- 
cates for  the  theatre  expect  pleasure  from 
it  rather  than  instruction:  If,  therefore, 
you  believe  that  human  nature  is  corrupt 
and  impure,  only  ask  yourself  what  sort 
of  dramatic  exhibitions  and  conversations 
will  be  most  likely  to  meet  with  the  ap- 
plause of  the  people; — and  you  will  soon 
be  led  to  conclude,  that  the  playhouse  is 
and  must  be  a  school  of  impurity. 

The  first  Christians  felt  the  force  of  this 
obvious  argument,  and  they  rejected  the 
stage  entirely. — A  Christian,  renouncing 
the  pomps  and  vanity  of  this  wicked 
world,  and  yet  frequenting  the  playhouse, 
was  with  them  a  solecism. — The  effusion 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which,  during  three 


£p.  61.  Pam. 


Cent.  III.] 


UNDER  VALERIAN. 


207 


centuries,  we  are  now  reviewinor,  never 
admitted  these  amusements  at  all. — The 
profession  of  the  dramatic  art,  and  the 
profession  of  Christianity,  were  held  to  be 
absolutely  inconsistent  with  each  other. 

It  is  one  of  the  main  designs  of  this 
History  to  show,  practically,  what  true 
Christians  were,  both  in  principles  and  in 
manners:    and,  in   this   view,   the   case 
before  us   is  exceeding-ly   instructive.— 
What  would   Cyprian  have  said  had  he 
seen  large  assemblies  of  Christians,  so 
called,  devoted  to  these  impurities,  and 
supporting  them  with  all  their  might,  and 
deriving  from  them  the  highest  delight] 
— "  Such    persons    must,    certainly,    be 
strangers  to  the  joy  of  the  Holy  Ghost; 
and  fcannot  but  wonder  why  they  choose 
to  retain  the  name  of  Christians." — Then, 
if  he  had  examined  their  stage  entertain- 
ments,  and  compared   them  with  those 
that  were  in  vogue  in  his  own  day, — 
Would  he  not  have  seen  the  same  confu- 
sion of  sexes, — the  same  encouragement 
of  unchaste  desires,  and  the  same  sen- 
suality, with  the  same  contemptuous  ridi- 
cule of  Christianity  1 — If,  indeed,  in  his 
time  the  Gospel  was  ever  burlesqued  on 
a  stage,  as  it  has  frequently  been  in  ours. 
— In  some  points  of  lesser  consequence, 
the  ancient  drama  might  differ  from  the 
modern  ;  but,  on  the  whole,  the  spirit  and 
tendency  was  the  same;  and,  doubtless, 
this  excellent  bishop   would  have  been 
astonished  to  be  told,  that  in  a  country 
which  called  itself  Christian,  actors  and 
actresses   and    managers    of   playhouses 
amassed    large   sums   of    money ; — that 
many  exemplary  clergymen  could  scarcely 


Behold  now  the  strenuous  assertor  of 

the  right  of  faithful  bishops  openly  expo- 
sing the  pretensions  of  unworthy  ones, 
and  instructing  the  people  to  guard  them- 
selves against  such  delusions  1  What  ef- 
fect his' epistle  had,  does  not  appear: 
The  weight  of  his  character,  and  the 
vigour  oflhe  discipline  then  happily  pre- 
valent in  Africa,  make  it  probable  that  it 
had  the  desired  success. 

Rogatian,  an  African  bishop,  com- 
plained to  Cyprian  and  his  colleagues  as- 
sembled in  a  Synod,  of  the  insolent  and 
injurious  behaviour  of  a  deacon.  Cyprian 
observes,  that  he  might  have  done  him- 
self justice  without  taking  this  step. — 
He  applies  the  case  of  Korah,  Dathan, 
and  Abiram  to  this  of  the  haughty  dea- 
con, and  takes  notice  very  properly  of  the 
humble  and  unassuming  carriage  of  our 
Lord  toward  the  impious  dignitaries  of 
the  Jewish  Church.  "  He  taught  us," 
says  he,  "by  his  own  behaviour  towards 
false  pastors,  how  true  ones  ought  to  be 
fully  and  regularly  honoured." 

The  following  passage  is,  perhaps,  the 
most  striking  proof  of  any  in  Cyprian's 
writings,  that  the  ideas  of  episcopacy 
were  too  lofty,  even  in  that  a^e,  and  that 
they  had  insensibly  grown  with  the  gra- 
dual increase  of  superstition. — Let  it  be 
remarked  as  a  character  of  the  spirit  of 
those  times;  and  as  an  instance  of  the 
effect  of  that  spirit  on  a  mind  the  most 
pure  and  humble. 

"  Deacons  ought  to  remember  that  the 
Lord  chose  Apostles,  that  is,  bishops  and 
rulers;  but  that  the  Apostles,  after  his 
ascent  into  heaven,  chose  to  themselves 


find  subsistence;  and,  that  theologians  of  deacons,  as  the  ministers  of  their  govern 


great  erudition  enlisted  in  the  service  of 
the  stage,  and  obtained  applause  by  writ- 
ing comments  on  dramatic  poets. 

There  was  a  bishop  of  Assure,  named 
Fortunatus,  who  had  lapsed  in  the  time  of 
persecution,  and  who,  without  any  marks 
of  repentance,  still  assumed  to  himself  the 
episcopal  character,  and  insisted  on  his 
being  received  as  such  by  the  clergy  and 
people.  This  case  produced  an  epistle 
of  Cyprian  to  the  Church,*  in  which  he 
as  strenuously  opposes  the  ambitious 
claims  of  the  bishop  as,  in  similar  circum- 
stances, he  had  formerly  done  those  of 
the  laity;  and  he  repeats  the  advice 
which  he  had  before  given  to  the  lapsed, 
and  cautions  the  people  against  the  recep- 
tion of  him  in  his  former  rank  and  station. 


Epis,  6. 


ment  and  of  the  Church.  Now  if  we 
dare  do  any  thing  against  God  who  makes 
bishops,  then  may  deacons  dare  to  act 
against  us  by  whom  they  are  appointed." 
Even  the  least  offensive  part  of  this 
comparison  is  very  unseemly:  Bishops 
are,  by  no  means,  to  be  considered  in  the 
same  light  as  Apostles, — His  next  obser- 
vation is,  however,  strictly  just :  "  These 
are  the  beginnings  of  heresies,  and  the 
attempts  of  ill-disposed  schismatics  to 
please  themselves,  and  to  despise  with 
haughtiness  their  superiors."  He  pro- 
ceeds to  advise  the  bishop  how  to  act 
concerning  a  turbulent  deacon ;  and  he 
does  this  with  that  happy  mixture  of  firm- 
ness and  charity,  of  which,  by  a  pecu- 
liarly intuitive  discernment,  he  seldom 
failed  to  show  himself  a  master.* 

»  Epis.  66. 


208 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XIIT- 


Geminius  Victor,  by  his  will,  appointed 
Faustinus,  a  presbyter,  a  guardian.  In 
an  African  synod,  Cyprian  and  his  col- 
leagues wrote  to  the  Church  of  Furnaj*  a 
protest  against  the  practice. — The  clergy 
were  then  looked  on  as  men  wholly  de- 
voted to  divine  things :  secular  cares 
were  taken  out  of  their  hands  as  much  as 
possible. — Let  this  fact,  also,  be  noted  as 
one  of  the  happy  effects  of  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  Church. 

Novatianism  had  spread  into  Gaul ; 
and  Marcian,  bishop  of  the  Church  of 
Arelate,  united  himself  to  the  schism. 
Faustinus,  bishop  of  Lyons,  and  several 
other  French  bishops,  wrote  to  Stephen 
of  Rome  on  this  subject.  Faustinus 
wrote,  also,  concerning  the  same  matter, 
to  Cyprian  of  Carthage  ;  who,  in  a  letter 
to  Stephen,  supported  the  cause  of  the 
general  Church  against  the  schismatics. 
— These  facts  are  mentioned,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  showing  how  the  Gospel,  which 
had  so  gloriously  begun  at  Lyons  in  the 
second  century,  must  now  have  spread  iu 
France  to  a  great  degree. — Contentions 
and  schisms  usually  have  no  place,  till 
after  Christianity  has  tiken  deep  root. 

The  same  observation  may  be  made  re- 
specting the  progress  of  Christianity  in 
Spain ;  where,  by  the  inscriptions  of 
Cyriac  of  Ancona,  it  appears  that  the  light 
of  truth  had  entered  in  Nero's  time. 
Two  Spanish  bishops,  Basilides  and  Mar- 
tial, had  deservedly  lost  their  pastoral 
offices  in  the  Church,  on  account  of  their 
unfaithfulness  in  the  persecution.  Cy- 
prian and  his  colleagues  in  council  wrote 
to  confirm  their  deposition:  He  shows 
that  the  people,  no  less  than  the  clergy, 
were  bound  to  abstain  from  communion 
with  such  characters;  and  he  supports 
his  argument  by  the  directions  of  Moses 
to  the  children  of  Israel,  "Depart,  I  pray 
you,  from  the  tents  of  these  wicked 
men.  He  recommendsf — that  ordinations 
should  be  performed  in  the  sight  of  all 
the  people,  that  they  might  all  have  an 
opportunity  to  approve  or  to  condemn  the 
characters  of  the  persons  ordained.  He 
takes  notice — that,  in  Africa,  the  neigh- 
bouring bishops  used  to  meet  in  the  place 
where  the  new  bishop  was  to  be  ordained ; 
and,  that  there  he  was  chosen  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  people  themselves,  who  knew 
fully  the  life  and  conversation  of  every 
candidate.  He  observes — that  Sabinus, 
who  had  been  substituted  in  the  room  of 


Epis.  67. 


t  Epis.  68. 


Basilides,  bad  been  ordained  in  this  fair 
and  equitable  manner:  and  he  censures 
Basilides  for  going  to  Rome,  and  for  gain- 
ing by  deceit,  the  consent  of  Stephen  to 
his  being  re-instated  in  his  former  dignity. 
Cyprian  thinks — that  his  guilt  was  much 
aggravated  by  his  conduct;  and  in  regard 
to  Martial,  who,  it  seems,  had  defiled 
himself  with  Pagan  abominations,  he  in- 
sists,— that  his  deposition  ought  to  re- 
main confirmed. 

While  these  things  show  the  unhappy 
spirit  of  human  depravity  bearing  down 
the  most  wholesome  fences  of  discipline, 
they  evince,  that  there  existed  persons  at 
that  time  in  the  Christian  world,  who  ex- 
erted themselves, — and  that  not  without 
success, — to  preserve  the  purity  of  the 
Church.  And,  if  ever  it  should  please 
God  to  affect,  with  due  care  and  zeal,  thf^ 
hearts  of  those,  who  possess  the  power 
to  reform  our  own  ecclesiastical  defects 
and  abuses,  better  guides  and  precedents 
than  these, — next  to  the  Scriptures, — will 
scarcely  be  found. 

In  the  year  two  hundred  and  fifty-four, 
Pupian,  a  Christian  of  distinc- 
tion in  Carthage,  by  letter  ac-     Pupian's 
cased   Cyprian  of  rulingf  the      '^^  ^^'^' 
Church  with  imperious  sway ;     p,.ian 
and  of  ejecting  members  from     a.  D.'254. 
it  with  great   insolence    and 
haughtiness.      The  African   prelate  had 
presided  now  during  six  years,  and  had 
signalized  himself,  equally  in  persecution 
and  in  peace,  as  the  friend  of  piety,  order, 
and  discipline,  and  had  exerted  himself, 
in  the  use  of  every  temporal  and  spiritual 
faculty,  solely  for  the  good  of  the  falling 
and  distempered  Church  :  he  saw,  by  this 
time,  the  great  success  of  his  labours ; 
and,  it  now  behooved  him  to  pay  the  tax, 
which  eminent  virtue  ever  does  pay  to 
slander  and  to  envy. — A  tax,  no  doubt, 
exceedingly  irksome  and  distressing; — 
nevertheless,   necessary   to   prevent   the 
risings  of  pride,  and  to  preserve  the  most 
eminent  Christian  humble  before  his  God. 
Pupian  believed,  or  affected   to  believe 
very  unjust  rumours,  which  were  circu- 
lated against  his  pastor;  and  said,  that 
the  scruple  of  conscience,  with  which  he 
was  seized,  prevented  him  from  owning 
the  authority  of  Cyprian.     He  himself 
had  suffered  during  the  persecution,  and 
had  been  faithful ;  but,  like  Lucian,  whom 
he  probably  resembled  both   in  virtues 
and  weaknesses,  he  was  disgusted  at  the 
backwardness   of  Cyprian    in   receiving 
the  lapsed.   This  malcontent  heavily  com- 


Ceitt.  III.] 


UNDER  VALERIAN. 


209 


plained  of  his  severity,  while  the  Nova- 
tian  party  had  separated  from  their  bishop 
on  account  of  his  lenity.  The  best  and 
wisest  characters  have  ever  been  most 
exposed  to  such  inconsistent  charges.  It 
does  not  appear  that  Pupian  was  able  to 
raise  a  second  sect  of  dissenters  on  oppo- 
site grounds  to  those  of  the  first :  and  we 
may  hope  that  he  reflected  on  his  error, 
and  returned  into  a  state  of  reconciliation 
with  his  bishop.  A  few  extracts  from 
Cyprian's  answer — for  we  have  not  Pu- 
pian's  letter — may  throw  still  stronger 
light  on  the  temper  and  principles  of  Cy- 
prian, and  aflford  us  some  salutary  reflec- 
tions. 

To  the  charge  of  Pupian — that  he  was 
not  possessed  of  humility,  he  answers 
thus  :  "  Which  of  us  is  most  deficient  in 
humility  1 — I,  who  daily  serve  the  breth- 
ren ;  and  who,  with  kindness  and  plea- 
sure, receive  every  one  who  comes  to  the 
Church  ;  or  you,  who  constitute  yourself 
the  bishop  of  the  bishop,  and  judge  of  the 
judge  appointed  by  God  for  a  certain 
time'?  The  Lord,  in  the  Gospel,  when 
it  was  said  to  him,  '  Answerest  thou  the 
high  priest  so  ]'  still  preserving  the  re- 
spect due  to  the  sacerdotal  character,  said 
nothing  against  the  high  priest,  but  only 
cleared  his  own  innocence  :  and  St.  Paul, 
though  he  might  have  been  justified  in 
using  strongf  lanofuagre  aofainst  those  who 
had  crucified  the  Lord,  yet  answers,  '  I 
wist  not,  brethren,  that  he  was  the  High 
Priest;  for  it  is  written,  Thou  shalt  not 
speak  evil  of  the  ruler  of  thy  people.' 

"Unless,  indeed,  you  will  say — that 
before  the  persecution,  when  you  were  in 
communion  with  me,  I  was  your  pastor ; 
but  that  after  the  persecution  I  ceased  to 
be  so. — I  suppose,  then,  the  persecution 
exalted  you  to  the  high  honour  of  a  wit- 
ness for  Christ ;  and,  at  the  same  time, 
depressed  me  from  my  office  by  a  heavy 
proscription ; — yet, — the  very  edict  which 
proscribed  me,  acknowledged  my  rank  as 
a  bishop  :*  Thus,  even  those,  who  be- 
lieved not  God  who  appoints  the  bishop, 
credited  the  devil  who  proscribed  him, 

"  I  speak  not  these  things  in  a  way  of 
boasting,  but  with  grief;  since  you  set 
yourself  up  as  a  judge  of  God  and  his 
Christ,  who  says  to  the  Apostles, — and, 
of  consequence,  to  all  the  bishops,  the 
successors  of  the  Apostles, — '  He  that 


*  The  edict  ran  thus—"  Whoever  sliall  hold 
or  possess  any  pait  of  the  goods  of  Ciecilius 
Cj^prian,  bishop  of  llie  Christians,"  &c. 
S2 


heareth  you,  heareth  me ;  and  he  that  re- 
jecteth  you,  rejecteth  me.' — Hence  here- 
sies and  schism  arise  and  must  arise, 
whenever  persons  presumptuously  de- 
spise the  authority  of  the  bishop,  who 

alone  is  the  president  of  the  Church 

What  arrogance  is  this, — to  call  pastors 
to  vouR  cognizance  ;  and  unless  they 
be  acquitted  at  your  bar, — behold — 
the  brethren  must  be  pronounced  to  have 
been  without  a  bishop  for  the  last  six 
years  ! 

"You  say  your  scruples  must  be  solved; 
— but,  Why  did  not  those  martyrs,  who, 
full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,— suffered  for  God 
and  his  Christ ; — Why  did  not  many  of 
my  colleagues,  and  many  of  the  people, 
who  have  been  illustrious  for  their  suf- 
ferings, indulge  similar  scruples  1  Must 
all — as  you  arfirm — who  have  communi- 
cated with  me,  be  considered  as  polluted, 
and  as  having  lost  the  hope  of  eternal 
life  1 — Pupian  alone  is  upright, — invio- 
lable,— holy, — chaste  :  he  must  not  mix 
with  us  :  he  must  dwell  solitary  in  para- 
dise !!  " 

He  then  exhorts  him  to  return  to  the 
bosom  of  the  Church  :  but  at  the  same 
time  he  informs  him,  that,  in  the  matter 
of  his  re-admission,  he  shall  be  guided 
by  intimations  and  admonitions  from  the 
Lord,  communicated  to  him  possibly  by 
visions  and  dreams. — This  is  a  languao-e 
not  unusual  in  Cyprian:  but  we  know 
too  little  of  the  mode  of  dispensation 
which  the  Church,  at  that  time,  was  un- 
der, to  judge  accurately  concerning  it; — 
certainly  the  age  of  miracles  had  not  then 
ceased  ;  and,  certainly,  instruction  by 
dreams  was  very  much  the  method  used 
by  God  in  Scripture  ; — To  reject,  there- 
fore, wholly  the  positive  declarations  of 
a  man  of  Cyprian's  wisdom  and  veracity, 
would  be  inexcusable  temerity. — He,  re- 
peatedly, speaks  of  the  Lord's  directions 
revealed  to  him  in  the  manner  above 
mentioned. 

If  some  expressions  in  the  letter  be  al- 
lowed to  favour  of  episcopal  haughtiness, 
which  was  then  growing  in  the  Church, 
the  main  tenor  of  it,  nevertheless,  con- 
tains nothing  but  what  Pupian  ought  to 
have  attended  to  most  seriously.  A  readi- 
ness to  believe  stories,  which  tend  to  ca-' 
lumniate  the  worthiest  pastors,  is  a  snare 
which  Satan  has  too  successfully  laid  for 
the  members  of  the  Church  in  all  ages  ; 
and,  doubtless,  much  greater  circumspec- 


Epis.  69. 


210 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XHI. 


Contro- 
vei-sy  re- 
specting 
rc-bapti- 
zation. 


tion  is  required  on  this  head,  than  many 
are  disposed  to  pay.  The  brotherly  fel- 
lowship of  Churches  depends,  in  a  great 
measure,  on  their  endeavours  to  preserve 
the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of 
peace. 

Cyprian  concludes  in  this  nervous  man- 
ner: "I  have  vi^rilten  these  things  with 
a  pure  conscience,  and  in  the  firm  reliance 
on  my  God. — You  have  my  letters  ;  I 
have  yours ;  both  will  be  recited  in  the 
day  of  judgment  before  the  tribunal  of 
Christ."* 

A  controversy  now  arose  among  Chris- 
tians, while  the  pacific  spirit  of  Valerian 
continued    to   protect    them, 
which  reflects  no  honour  on 
any  of  the  parties  concerned 
in    it.     The    question    was, 
whether     persons     returning 
from  heresies  into  the  Church 
ought   to   be   re-baptised  1      The   active 
spirit  of  Cyprian  was  employed,  partly 
by  a  council  in  Africa,  and  partly  by  hit 
letters,  in  maintaining  that  the  baptism 
of  heretics  was  null  and  void  ;  and  that 
even  Novatian  baptism  ought  to  be  looked 
upon  in  the  same  light.     Stephen,  bishop 
of  Rome,  maintained,  that,  if  persons  had 
been  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  imposition 
of  hands  would  then  be  sufficient  for  their 
reception  into  the   Church :    The  point 
was  left  undecided,  because  no  party  had 
power  to  compel  others  ;  most  Christians, 
however,  have  long  since  agreed  with 
Stephen;  and,  indeed,  it  is  the  voice  of 
good   sense  as  well  as  of  the  Church  of 
England, — that  the  efficacy  of  a  Sacra- 
ment, rightly  administered,  depends  not 
on  the  character  of  him  that  ministers  it. 
But  the  respect  which  Cyprian,  not  un- 
deservedly, had  acquired  by  his  labours, 
his  sufferings,  and  his  abilities,  procured 
him  a  much  greater  degree  of  strength 
than  either  the  importance  of  his  cause  or 
the   weight   of  his   arguments   merited. 
Even  Firmilian  of  Cappadocia,  in  a  long 
letter,  supported  his  side  of  the  question. 
— This  bishop,  occasionally,  reverts   to 
the  case  of  a  woman,  who,  about  twenty- 
two  years  before  the  date  of  his  letter, 
had  professed  herself  a  prophetess,  and 
for  a  long  time  had  deceived  the  brethren 
with  her  ecstatic  raptures,  till  one  of  the 
exorcists  confuted   her   pretensions.      It 
may  be  worth  while  just  to  have  mention- 
ed this  fact,  as  it  shows  that  delusions 

*  Epis.  69. 


have  ever  been  raised  by  Satan  to  disgrace 
the  work  of  God.     It  appears  by  the  same 
letter,* — that  Stephen  behaved  with  much 
violence  and  asperity  in  the  contest; — 
that  he  did  not  even  admit  to  a  conference 
the  brethren  who  came  to  him  from  dis- 
tant parts,  if  they  happened  to  be  of  Cy- 
prian's opinion ; — but  that  he  denied  them 
the  common  rights  of  hospitality. — In  the 
course  of  this  controversy  Cyprian  de- 
cided, and  certainly  with  much  proprie- 
ty,— that  those, f  whose   weak  state  of 
health  did  not  permit  them  to  be  washed 
in  water,  were  yet  sufficiently  baptized 
by  being  sprinkled  : — He  observes,  that 
the  virtue  of  baptism  ought  not  to  be  es- 
timated, in  a  carnal  manner,  by  the  quan- 
tity of  external  apparatus. 

How  weak,  alas,  is  man! — A  peace  of 
three  )'ears  has  set  the  members  of  the 
Church  in  a  flame  among  themselves, — 
and  for  a  matter  of  trifling  import! — And 
one  of  the  best  and  wisest  men  of  his  day, 
by  zeal  for  unity,  and  by  caution  against 
innovations,  is  betra3'ed  into  the  support 
of  an  indefensible  point  of  mere  ceremony, 
which  tends  to  the  encouragement  of  su- 
perstition and  the  weakening  of  brotherly 
love ! — How  soon  do  we  forget  that  "  the 
kingdom  of  God  is  not  meat  and  drink, 
but  righteousness,  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost!"— With  what  difficulty  is  the 
real  love  of  Jesus  and  its  fruits  preserved 
among  professors  of  Christianity!  All 
this  proves  in  the  strongest  manner, — how 
mighty  and  gracious  the  Lord  is  in  still 
preserving  a  Church  in  the  earth; — how 
dark  and  corrupt  is  man;— how  active 
and  subtile  is  Satan;  how  precious  is 
that  blood  which  cleanses  from  all  sin; — 
and  how  true  is  that  book  which  contains 
these  salutary  doctrines  and  faithfully 
describes  the  misery  of  man! — How 
safely  may  we  rely  on  the  way  of  salva- 
tion which  it  teaches ;  and  how  pleasing 
is  the  prospect  which  it  exhibits  of  the 
Church  in  heaven  I 

The  reader  would  justly  think  the  time 
ill-employed  in  unravelling  the  niceties 
of  this  trifling  controversy. — Besides,  our 
attention  is  called  to  more  important  mat- 
ter:—God  prepares  a  scourge  for  his  fro- 
ward  children  :  Persecution  lowers  again 
with  renewed  strength;  and  Christians 
are  called  on — to  forget  their  idle  internal 
squabbles,— to  humble  themselves  before 
HiiM, — and  to  prepare  for  fresh  scenes  of 
horror  aud  desolation. 


Epis.  75. 


t  Epis.  76. 


Ckiit.  III.] 


MARTYRDOM  OF  CYPRIAN. 


211 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  LAST  ACTS  AND  MARTYRDOM  OF 
CYPRIAN. 


8th  Per- 
secution, 
A.  D.  257 


The  change  in  the  disposition  of  Va- 
lerian towards  the  Christians,  which  took 
place   about  the  year  of  our  Lord   two 
hundred   and    fifty-seven,    is 
one  of  the   most   memorable 
instances  of  the  instability  of 
human  characters.     In  kind- 
ness  to  them  he  had  surpassed  all  his 
predecessors.      Even  from   Philip   they 
had   not   experienced  so  much  courtesy 
and  friendship.     His  palace  had,  usually, 
been  full  of  the  followers  of  Jesus,  and 
was  looked  on  as  a  sanctuary.     But  now, 
after  he  had  reigned  three  years,  he  w'as 
induced  by  his  favourite,  Macrianus,  to 
commence  a  deadly  persecution.     This 
man   dealt  largely  in  magical   enchant- 
ments  and    abominable    sacrifices ;     he 
slaughtered  children,  and  tore  out  the  in- 
testines of  new-born  babes.*     The  per- 
secution of  Christians  was  a  cruel  em- 
ployment, worthy  of  a  mind  so  fascinated 
with   diabolical   wickedness   and    folly; 
and  he  found  in  Valerian  but  too  prompt 
a  disciple.     This  fresh  attack  on  the  ser- 
vants of  Christ  began  in  the  year  two 
hundred  and  fifty-seven,  and   continued 
during  the  remainder  of  the  reign  of  this 
emperor ; — namely,  three  years  and  a  half. 
Stephen  of  Rome  appears  to  have  died  a 
natural  death  about  the  beginning  of  it: 
For,  there  is  no  evidence  of  his  martyr- 
dom;  and,  therefore,  we  want  the  proofs 
which  might,  in  that  case,  have  been  af- 
forded, whether  his  turbulent  and  aspir- 
ing spirit  was  really  combined  with  gen- 
uine Christian  affections. — He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Sixtus. 

Cyprian,  who  had  escaped  two  perse- 
cutions, was  now  made  the  victim  of  the 
third, — though  by  slow  degrees,  and 
with  circumstances  of  comparative  lenity. 
Every  thing  relating  to  him  is  so  interest- 
ing, that  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  prosecute 
his  story,  in  a  connected  manner,  to  his 
death;  and  to  reserve  the  narrative  of 
other  objects  of  this  persecution  till  after- 
wards. 

He  was  seized  by  the  servants  of  Pa- 
ternus  the  proconsul  of  Carthage,  and 
brought  into  his  council-chamber.    "  The 


sacred   emperors,   Valerian   and  Gallie- 
nus,"  says  Paternus,  "  have  done  me  the 
honour  to  direct  letters  to  me,  in  which 
they  have  decreed,  that  all  men  ought  to 
adore  the  gods  whom  the  Romans  adore  : 
and  on  pain  of  being  slain  with  the  sword 
if  they  refuse.     I  have  heard  that  yoo 
despise  the  worship  of  the  gods ; — whence 
I  advise  you  to  consult  for  yourself  and 
to  honour  them."     "  I  am  a  Christian," 
replied  the  prelate,  "  and  know  no  god 
but  the  one  true  God,  who  created  heaven 
and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  things  in  them. 
This  God  we  Christians  serve:  To  him 
we  pray  night  and   day  for  all  men,  and 
even  for  the  emperors."     "  You  will  die 
the  death  of  a  malefactor,  if  you  persevere 
in  this  disposition  of  mind."*     "That  is 
a   good   disposition   which  fears   God," 
answered  Cyprian,  "  and  therefore  it  must 
not  be  changed."     "  It  is  the  will,  then, 
of  the  princes,  that,  for  the  present,  you 
should  be  banished."     "  He  is  no  exile," 
replied  the  bishop,  "  who  has  God  in  his 
heart,  for  the  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the 
fulness   thereof."     Paternus  said,  "  Be- 
fore you  go,  tell  me, — where  are  your 
presbyters  :  They  are  said  to  be  in  this 
city?" — With  much   presence  of  mind, 
Cyprian  reminded  him  of  the  edicts  made 
by  the  best  Roman  princes  against  the 
practice  of  informers  :  "  They  ought  not, 
therefore,  to  be  discovered  by  me ;  and 
you  yourself  do  not  approve  of  men,  who 
offer  themselves  voluntarily  to  you."  "  I 
will   make   you   discover   them   by  tor- 
ments." "  By  me,"  the  intrepid  bishop 
rejoined,  "  they  shall  not  be  discovered." 
"  Our  princes  have  ordered  that  Chris- 
tians  should  hold  no  conventicles ;  and 
whoever  breaks  this  rule  shall  be  put  to 
death."      "  Do  what  you  are  ordered," 
Cyprian  calmly  replied. 

Paternus,  however,  was  not  disposed 
to  hurt  Cyprian.  Most  probably  he  re- 
spected the  character  of  the  man,  who, 
by  this  time,  must  have  been  highly  es- 
teemed in  Africa  on  account  of  a  shining 
series  of  good  works.  After  having  made 
soine  ineffectual  attempts  to  work  on  his 
fears,  he  sent  him  into  banishment  to 
Curubis,  a  little  town  fifty  miles  from 
Carthage,  situate  by  the  sea,  over  against 
Sicily. °  The  place  w-as  healthy,  the  air 
good,  and,  by  his  own  desire,  he  had  pri- 
vate lodgings.  The  citizens  of  Curubis, 
during-  the  eleven  months  which  he  lived 


•  Dionysius  of  Alex. — Euseb.  B.  7.  C. 


10. 


*  The  passion  of  Cyprian  in  Fam.  Edit. — 
Fleury's  Hist.  B.  7. 


212 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH  : 


[Chap.  XIV. 


among  them,  treated  him  with  great  kind- 
ness ;  and  he  was  repeatedly  visited  by 
the  Christians.— In  this  short  interval 
Paternus  died. 

While  the  exiled  prelate  remained  by 
the  sea-side,  serving  his  divine  Master  in 
holy  meditations  and  useful  actions  to  the 
best  of  his  power  and  opportunity,  he  was 
informed  that  the  persecutors  had  seized 
nine   bishops,  with  several   priests   and 
deacons,  and  a  great  number  of  the  faith- 
ful, even  virgins  and  children  ;  and,  after 
beating  them  with  slicks,  had  sent  them 
to  work  in  the  copper  mines  among  the 
mountains.     Every  one  of  these  bishops 
had  been  present  at  the  last  council  of 
Carthage;  their  names  were  Nemesian, 
Felix,  Lucius,  a  second  Felix,  Litteus, 
Polus,  Victor,  Jader,  and  Dativus.    I  can- 
not  account    for    the    milder   treatment 
which  Cyprian  received  from  the  Roman 
governors  in  any  other  way  than  by  sup- 
posing, that  an  extraordinary  and  rever- 
ential  respect  was   paid  to  his  superior 
quality,  labours,  and  virtues.     13e  that  as 
it  may.  Providence  certainly  favoured  him 
in  a  peculiar  manner.     But  his  sympa- 
thizing spirit  could  not  but  be  with  his 
brethren  : — His  sentiments  and  his  feel- 
ings are  strongly  expressed  in  a  letter  to 
Nemesian  and  the  rest. 

"  Your  glory  requires,  blessed  and  be- 
loved brethren,  that  I  ought  to  come  and 
embrace  yon,  were  it  not  that  the  confes- 
sion of  the  same  name  has  confined  me 
also  to  this  place  :  but  if  it  be  forbidden 
me  to  come  to  you  in  body,  I  am  ]neseiU 
with  you  in  spirit  and  affection  ;  and  I 
endeavour  to  express  my  very  soul  to  you 
in  letters.— How  do  I  exult  in  your  hon- 
ours, and  reckon  myself  a  partner  with 
yovi,— though  not  in  suffering,— yet  in  the 
fellowship  of  love!— How  can  1  hold  my 
peace,  when  I  hear  such  glorious  things 
of  dearest  brethren!  How  hath  the  Di- 
vine dispensations  honoured  you  !  Part 
of  you  have  already  finished  the  course 
of  martyrdom,  and  are  now  receiving 
crowns  of  righteousness  from  the  Lord ; 
and  the  rest,  as  yet  in  prisons,  or  in 
mines  and  bonds,  exhibit,  in  the  tedious- 
ness  of  their  afflictions,  still  great  exam- 
ples of  patience  and  perseverance,  which 
will  arm  and  strengthen  the  brethren,  at 
the  same  time  that  these  long-continued 
torments  will  advance  the  sufferers  to  a 
higher  proficiency  in  Christian  glory,  and 
ensure  to  them  a  proportional  reward  in 
heaven. 

"In  truth,— that  the    Lord  has  thus 


honoured    you,  affords   me   no   surprise 
when  I  reflect  on  your  blameless  lives 
and  faithfulness;  your  firm  adherence  to 
the  divine  ordinance;  your  integrity,  con- 
cord, humility,  diligence;  mercy  in  che- 
rishing the  poor;  constancy  in  defence  of 
the  truth  ;  and  strictness  of  Christian  dis- 
cipline : — And,    that   nothing   might   be 
wanting  in  you  as  patterns  of  good  works, 
even  now,  by  confession  with  the  mouth 
and  by  suffering  with  the  body,  you  stir 
up  the  minds  of  the  brethren  to  divine 
martyrdom,  and  distinguish  yourselves  as 
leaders  of  eminent  goodness;   nor  do  I 
doubt,  but  that  the  flock  will  imitate  their 
pastors  and  presidents,  and  be  crowned, 
in  like  manner,  by  our  common  Lord. — 
That  you  have   been  grievously  beaten 
with  clubs,  and  have  been  initiated,  by 
that  punishment,  in  Christian  confession, 
is  a  thing  not  to  be  lamented.     The  body 
of  a  Christian  trembles  not  on  account  of 
clubs :  All  his  hope  is  in  wood.*     The 
servant  of  Christ  acknowledges  the  em- 
blem of  his  salvation :    Redeemed  by  a 
cross  of  wood  to  eternal  life,  by  this  wood 
he  is  advanced  to  his  crown.     O  happy 
ieet !  shackled  indeed  at  present  with  fet- 
ters;  ye  will  quickly  finish   a  glorious 
journey  to  Christ!— Let  malice  and  cru- 
elty bind  you  as  they  please,  ye  will  soon 
pass  from  earth  and  its  sorrows  to  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.— In   the   mines  ye 
have  not  abed  on  which  the  body  may  be 
refreshed  ; — nevertheless,  Christ  is  your 
rest  and  consolation:  Your  limbs  are  fa- 
tigued with  labour  and  lie  on  the  ground  : 
but  so  to  lie  down,  when  you  have  Christ 
with  you,  is  no  punishment. — Filth  and 
dirt  defile  your  limbs,  and  ye  have  no 
baths  at  hand  ;  but,  remember,  ye  are  in- 
wardly washed  from  all  uncleanness. — 
Your  allowance  of  bread  is  but  scanty ; 
be  it  so,— man  doth  not  live  by  bread 
alone,  but  by  the  word  of  God.     Ye  have 
no  proper  clothes  to  defend  you  from  the 
cold ;  —but  he,  who  has  put  on  Christ,  is 
clothed  abundantly." 

He  afterwards  comforts  them,  by  suita- 
ble arguments,  under  the  loss  of  means 
of  grace  and   of   public  worship;   and 


*  I  observe  once  for  all, — tliat  the  want  of  a 
just  classical  taste  like  that  of  the  Augustan 
a"-e,  and  the  excess  of  false  rhetorical  onia- 
ii?enls,  appear  every  where  in  Cyprian's  writ- 
inn-s.  This  was  not  the  dtlect  of  ihe  man,  but 
oHhe  times:  and  the  meanness  of  the  pun  in 
this  place  will  be  forgiven  by  all,  who  relish 
(he  preciousuess  of  the  doctrine  connected 
with  it. 


Cekt.  III.] 


MARTYRDOM  OF  CYPRIAN. 


213 


speaks  of  the  Lord  as  rewarding  the  pa- 
tience and  fortitude  of  his  saints,  which 
virtues  are  indeed  his  own  work  in  their 
hearts.  "For  it  is  of  him  that  we  con- 
quer; it  is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the  Spi- 
rit of  your  Father  which  speaketh  in 
you." — He  shows,  hence,  the  great  sin 
of  unbelief — in  not  trusting  him  who  pro- 
mises his  aid  to  those  who  confess  him, 
and  in  not  fearing  him  who  threatens 
eternal  punishment  to  those  who  deny 
him.  In  conclusion,  he  begs  their  earn- 
est prayers, — that  he  and  they  may  be 
freed  from  the  snares  and  the  darkness  of 
the  world;  and  that  those,  who,  in  the 
bond  of  love  and  peace,  had  stood  to- 
gether against  the  injuries  of  heretics 
and  the  pressures  of  the  heathen,  might 
together  rejoice  in  the  celestial  man- 
sions.* 

Nemesian  and  the  other  bishops  re- 
turned him  an  answer  full  of  affection 
and  gratitude,  from  three  different  places 
in  which  they  were  confined ;  and  they 
acknowledge  the  pecuniary  assistance 
which  he  had  sent  them. 

Cyprian  wrote  also  to  Rogatian  the 
younger,  and  to  other  confessors  who 
were  in  prison, — most  probably  at  Car- 
thage : — He  animates  them  in  his  usual 
manner,  "to  despise  present  afflictions 
through  the  hope  of  future  joys  ;"  and  he 
speaks  with  much  pleasure  of  some  wo- 
men and  boys  who  were  partners  of  their 
sufferings.  He  recommends  to  them  the 
example  of  the  elder  Rogatian,  and  of  the 
ever  peaceable  and  sober  Felicissimus,| 
who  had  consummated  their  martyrdom 
already. 

In  the  year  two  hundred  and  fifty-seven, 
Cyprian  was  permitted  to  return  from  ex- 
ile; and  he  lived  in  a  garden  near  Car- 
thage, which  was  now  pro- 
Cyprian  videntially  restored  to  him, 
returns  though  he  had  sold  it  at  his 

A  D  257  """^^  conversion.  His  liberal 
spirit  would  have  inclined 
him  once  more  to  sell  it  for  the  relief  of 
the  needy,  if  he  had  not  feared  lest  he 
should  excite  the  envy  of  the  persecutors. 
Here  he  regulated  the  affairs  of  the 
Church  and  distributed  to  the  poor  what 
he  had  left.  He  sent  messengers  to 
Rome  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  up  cer- 
tain  indistinct    information   which    had 


*  Epis.  78,  79,  80. 

f  He  thus  distinguishes  this  humble,  patient 
martyr,  tVoin  the  factious  character  of  the 
same  name.    Epis.  81. 


been  received  concerning  the  persecution 
having  broken  out  afresh ;  and  he  imme- 
diately communicated  to  the  brethren* 
the  following  facts,  namely — That  Va- 
lerian had  given  orders  that  bishops, 
presbyters,  and  deacons  should  be  put  to 
death  without  delay  ; — that  senators,  no- 
bleinen,  and  knights  should  be  degraded 
and  deprived  of  their  property;  and,  that 
if  they  still  persisted  in  being  Christians, 
they  should  lose  their  lives; — that  wo- 
men of  quality  should  be  deprived  of  their 
property  and  banished ; — and  that  all 
Ceesar's  freedmen,  who  should  have  con- 
fessed, should  be  stripped  of  their  goods, 
be  chained,  and  sent  to  work  on  his  es- 
tates. These  were  Valerian's  directions 
to  the  senate;  and  he  sent  letters,  to  the 
same  effect,  to  the  governors  of  pro- 
vinces :  "  These  letters,"  said  Cyprian, 
"  we  daily  expect  to  arrive.  We  stand, 
however,  in  the  firmness  of  faith,  in  pa- 
tient expectation  of  suffering,  and  in 
humble  hope  of  obtaining,  from  the  Lord's 
help  and  kindness,  the  crown  of  eternal 
life."  He  mentions  also  the  daily  fero- 
city with  which, — he  understood, — the 
persecution  was  carried  on  at  Rome  in  all 
its  horrors:  and,  he  gives  a  particular  in- 
stance of  it,  in  the  martyrdom  of  Xystus, 
the  bishop.— He  begs  that  the  intelli- 
gence may  be  circulated  through  Africa ; 
"  That  we  may  all  think  of  death ;  but 
not  more  of  death  than  of  immortality; 
and,  that,  in  the  fulness  of  faith,  we  may, 
rather  with  joy  than  fear,  expect  the  ap- 
proaching events." 

Galerius  Maximus  had  succeeded  Pa- 
ternus  in  the  proconsulate,  and  Cyprian 
was  daily  expected  to  be  sent  for.  In 
this  awful  crisis  a  number  of  senators  and 
others,  considerable  for  their  offices  or 
their  quality,  came  to  him.  Ancient 
friendship  melted  the  minds  of  some  of 
them  towards  him ;  and  they  offered  to 
conceal  him  in  country-places;  but  his 
soul  was  now  thirsting  for  martyrdom. 
The  uncertainty  of  tedious  banishment 
could  not  be  agreeable  to  one,  who  had 
had  so  much  experience  of  that  kind; 
and,  Valerian's  law  being  expressly  le- 
velled at  men  of  his  character,  there 
seemed  little  probability  left  of  his  being 
long  concealed.  Further,  I  believe  the 
gen^erous  temper  of  this  prelate  would 
have  been  hurt,  if  the  safety  of  his  former 
Pagan  friends  had  been  endangered  on 
his  account.     He  might,  therefore,  hesi- 


Epis.  82. 


214 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH : 


[Chap.  XIV. 


tate  to  accept  their  offers,  though,  accord- 
ing- to  the  steady  maxims  of  his  consci- 
entious prudence,  he  would,  by  no  means, 
do  anything  to  accelerate  his  own  death. 
Pontius  his  deacon  tells  us, — that  in  op- 
position to  the  intemperate  zeal  of  those 
who  were  for  giving  themselves  up  to 
martyrdom,  Cyprian  had  always  on  this 
head  conscientious  fears,  lest  he  should 
displease  God  by  throwing  away  his  life. 
In  fact,  he  continued  still  at  Carthage, 
exhorting  the  faithful,  and  wishing,  that 
when  he  should  suifer  martyrdom,  death 
might  find  him  thus  employed  in  the  ser- 
vice of  his  God.  Being  informed,  how- 
ever, that  the  proconsul,  then  at  Utica, 
had  sent  soldiers  for  him,  he  was  induced 
to  comply,  for  a  season,  with  the  advice 
of  his  friends,  by  retiring  to  some  place 
of  concealment,  that  he  might  not  suffer 
at  Utica,  but, — that  if  he  was  called  to 
martyrdom, — he  miglit  finish  his  life 
among  his  own  people  at  Carthage  :  So 
he  states  the  matter  in  the  last  of  his  let- 
ters to  the  clergy  and  the  people.  "  Here 
in  this  concealment,  I  wait  for  the  return 
of  the  proconsul  to  Carthage,  ready  to 
appear  before  him,  and  to  say  what  shall 
be  given  me  at  the  hour.  t)o  you,  dear 
brethren,—  Do  you,  agreeably  to  the  in- 
structions you  have  always  received  from 
me,  continue  still  and  quiet:  Let  none  of 
you  excite  any  tumult  on  account  of  the 
brethren,  or  offer  himself  voluntarily  to 
the  Gentiles. — He,  who  is  seized  and  de- 
livered up,  ought  to  speak:  The  Lord, 
who  dwells  in  us,  will  speak  at  that 
hour:  Confession  rather  than  profession 
is  our  duty." 

The  proconsul  returned  to  Carthage, 
and  Cyprian  returned  to  his  garden. 
There  he  was  seized  by  two  officers, 
who  had  been  sent  with  soldiers  for  that 
purpose.  They  obliged  him  to  sit  be- 
tween themselves  in  a  chariot;  and  they 
conveyed  him  to  a  place  named  Sextus, 
six  miles  from  Carthage,  by  the  sea-side. 
The  proconsul  lodged  there  on  account  of 
indisposition;  and  he  gave  orders  that 
Cyprian  should  be  carried  back  to  the 
house  of  the  chief  officer,  about  the  dis- 
tance of  a  stadium*  from  the  prretorium; 
and — that  the  consideration  of  the  busi- 
ness should  be  deferred  till  the  next  day. 
— The  news  spread  through  Carthage: 
The  celebrity  of  the  bishop,  on  account 
ofhis  good  works,  drew  prodigious  crowds 
to  the  scene;  not  only  of  Christians,  but 


A  hundred  and  twenty-five  paces. 


of  infidels,  who  revered  eminent  virtue  in 
distress. 

The  chief  officer  guarded  him, — ^but,  in 
a  courteous  manner ;  so  that  he  was  per- 
mitted to  have  his  friends  about  him  as 
usual.  The  Christians  passed  the  night 
in  the  street  before  his  lodo-incrs;  and  the 
benevolence  of  Cyprian  moved  him  to 
direct  a  particular  attention  to  be  paid  to 
the  young  women  who  were  among  the 
multitude. 

The  next  day  the  proconsul  sent  for 
Cyprian,  who  walked  to'  the  prsetori- 
um  attended  by  a  vast  concourse  of  peo- 
ple. The  proconsul  not  yet  appearing, 
he  was  ordered  to  wait  for  him  in  a  pri- 
vate place.  He  sat  down,  and  being  in 
a  great  perspiration,  a  soldier,  who  had 
been  a  Christian,  offered  him  fresh  clothes: 
"Shall  we,"  says  Cyprian,  "seek  a  re- 
medy for  that  which  inay  last  no  longer 
than  to-day  ]"  The  arrival  of  the  pro- 
consul was  announced,  and  this  venera- 
ble servant  of  Christ  was  brought  before 
him  into  the  judgment-hall. — "  Are  you 
Thascius  Cyprian]"  "lam."  "Are  you 
HE  whom  the  Christians  call  their  bish- 
op ]"  "lam."  "Our  princes  have  or- 
dered you  to  worship  the  gods."  "That 
I  will  not  do."  "You  would  judge  bet- 
ter to  consult  your  safety,  and  not  lo  de- 
spise the  gods."  "  My  safety  and  my 
strength  is  Christ  the  Lord,  whom  I  de- 
sire to  serve  for  ever."  "  I  pity  your 
case,"  says  the  proconsul,  "and  could 
wish  to  consult  for  you."  "I  have  no 
desire,"  says  the  prelate,  "that  things 
should  be  otherwise  with  me,  than  that  I 
may  adore  my  God,  and  hasten  to  him 
with  all  the  ardour  of  my  soul; — for  the 
afflictions  of  this  present  time  are  not 
worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory 
which  shall  be  revealed  in  us."  The 
proconsul  grew  red  with  anger;  and  im- 
mediately pronounced  sentence  of  death 
in  the  following  terms  : — "  You  have 
lived  sacrilegiously  a  long  time ;  you 
have  formed  a  society  of  impious  con- 
spirators; you  have  shown  yourself  an 
enemy  to  the  gods  and  their  religion,  and 
have  not  hearkened  to  the  equitable  coun- 
sels of  our  princes ;  you  have  ever  been 
a  father  and  a  ringleader  of  the  impious 
sect. — You  shall  therefore  be  an  example 
to  the  rest, — that,  by  the  shedding  of  your 
blood,  they  may  learn  their  duty.  Let 
Thascins  Cyprian,  who  refuses  to  sacri- 
fice to  the  gods,  be  put  to  death  by  the 
sword."  "  God  be  praised  !"  said  the 
martyr;   and  while   they  were  leading 


Ceitt.  hi.] 


CYPRIAN  AND  ORIGEN. 


215 


Execution 
of  Cyprian 

A.D.  258. 


him  away,  a  multitude  of  the  people  fol- 
lowed and  cried,  "•  Let  us  die  with  our 
holy  bishop." 

A  troop  of  soldiers  attended  the  martyr ; 
and  the  officers  marched  on  each  side  of 
him.  They  led  him  into  a  plain  sur- 
rounded with  trees,  and  many 
climbed  up  to  the  top  of  them, 
to  see  him  at  a  distance.  Cy- 
prian took  off  his  mantle,  and 
fell  on  his  knees  and  worshipped  his 
God : — then  he  put  off  his  inner  garment 
and  remained  in  his  shirt. — The  execu- 
tioner being  come,  Cyprian  ordered  twen- 
ty-five golden  denarii  to  be  given  to  him: 
he  himself  bound  the  napkin  over  his 
own  eyes ;  and  a  presbyter  and  a  dea- 
con tied  his  hands,  and  the  Christians 
placed  before  him  napkins  and  handker- 
chiefs to  receive  his  blood. — His  head 
was  then  severed  from  his  body  by  the 
sword.* 

His  biographer  Pontius  represents  him- 
self as  wishing  to  have  died  with  him : 
and,  as  divided  between  the  joy  of  his 
victorious  martyrdom,  and  sorrow  that 
himself  was  left  behind. 

Thus, — after  an  eventful  and  instruc- 
tive period  of  about  twelve  years  since 
his  conversion, — after  a  variety  of  toils 
and   exercises  among  friends,  and  open 
foes  and  nominal  Christians,  by  a. death 
more  gentle  than  commonly  fell   to  the 
lot  of  martyrs,  rested  at  length  in  Jesus 
the  truly  magnanimous  and  benevolent 
spirit  of  Cyprian  of  Carthage. — An  ex- 
traordinary personage,  surely  !    And  one 
whose  character  calls  for  the  most  dis- 
tinct review  and  illustration  in  our  power. 
— An  attempt  of  this  sort  we  would  make 
in  the  next  chapter,  however  imperfect, 
or  inadequate  it  may  prove. — Let  writers, 
whose  views  are  secular,  celebrate  their 
heroes,  their  statesmen,  and  their  philoso- 
phers ;  but  let  us, — even  though  a  Chris- 
tian's taste  be  derided, — at  least  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  rare  felicity  of  the  present 
times  of  civil  liberty,  and  endeavour,  in 
employing  the  press,  to  do  some  justice 
to  the  virtues  of  men,  who,  while  they 
lived,   "  set   their    affections   on   things 
above,"  and  who,  after  death,  according 
to  modern  sentiments  of  worth  and  excel- 
lence,— are  almost,  assigned  to  contempt- 
uous oblivion And,  may  their  me- 
morial be  blessed  forever! ! 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CYPRIAN    COMPARED    WITH    ORIGEN. 

The  east  and  the  west  beheld  at  the 
same  time  these  two  men,  in  talents,  ac- 
tivity, and  attainments  much  superior  to 
the  rest  of  the  Christian  world.  The 
Roman  seems,  beyond  contradiction,  to 
have  much  excelled  the  Grecian  in  those 
things  in  which  true  Christian  virtue 
consists ;  yet  as  the  latter,  by  the  fruits 
of  his  life, — though  they  were  miserably 
tarnished  and  clouded  by  a  depraved  phi- 
losophy,—still  claims  a  just  place  amon,g 
saints,  it  may  answer  some  valuable  pur- 
pose, not  impertinent  to  the  design  of 
this  History,  to  compare,  in  several  par- 
ticulars, the  respective  endowments,  de- 
fects, and  excellences  of  these  extraordi- 
nary men. 

1.  There  may  have  been  as  pious  and 
holy  men  as  Cyprian,  in  the  interval  of 
time  between  the  Apostles  and  him,  but 
we  have  no  opportunity  of  knowing  any 
other  Christian  so  well.  The  distinct 
particularity  of  the  accounts  concerning 
him  makes  his  character  remarkably  de- 
serving of  our  attention.  The  dealings 
of  God  with  a  sinner,  at  his  first  conver- 
sion, often  give  a  strong  tincture  to  the 
whole  future  life.  Cyprian  was  intend- 
ed for  very  great  and  important  services 
in  the  Church;  and,  those — of  an  active 
nature,  and  attended  with  an  almost  un- 
interrupted series  of  sufferings; — such  as 
no  man  could  perform  to  the  glory  of 
God,  but  one,  who  knew  assuredly  the 
ground  on  which  he  stood,  by  a  strong 
work  of  the  Divine  Spirit  on  his  soul. 
His  experience  in  conversion  he  himself 
describes  in  his  letter  to  Donatus. — His 
reception  of  Christianity  was  not  the  ef- 
fect of  mere  reasoning  or  speculation.  It 
was  not  carried  on  in  a  scholastic  or  phi- 
losophical manner,  but  may  truly  be  said 
to  have  been  "  in  the  demonstration  of 
the  Spirit  and  of  power."  He  felt  the 
doctrines   of  the   Gospel, — namely,   the 


of  God  ;    forofiveness   of  sins 


by 

the 


grace 

Jesus  Christ;  and  Ihe  inflixence  of 
Holy  Ghost, — powerful,  exuberant,  and 
victorious.  His  soul  was  brought  into 
the  love  of  God,  and  that  of  the  purest 
kind,  tempered  ever  with  humility  and 
godly  fear :  and  it  is  evident — that  he  al- 
ways saw  the  work  to  be  of  God,  and 
-  Acts  of  his  Martyrdom.     Passion  of  Cy-  beheld  nothing  in  himself  as  wise,  holy, 

prianin  Pam.  Puntius's  Life  of  Cyprian,  aatl  |  and  glormus  ;^  and  that  a,  spmt  of  thank- 

Fleury's  History. 


I  fulness  for  redeeming  love,  of  simple  de- 


216 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV.. 


pendence  on  the  divine  promises,  and  of 
steady  charity  to  God  and  man,  was  the 
result.  His  race  was  of  no  long  duration ; 
only  about  twelve  years  ;  and  by  far  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  he  was  bishop  of 
Carthage.  He  lived  a  Christian  life; 
and  no  part  of  it  was  exempt  from  much 
labour  or  much  affliction.  He  seems 
never  to  have  known  what  it  was  to  set- 
tle into  a  lukewarm  state.  The  fire 
which  was  first  kindled  in  him,  burnt  se- 
rene and  steady  to  the  end  of  his  days. — 
I  am  aware  that  Mosheim  charges  him 
with  an  ambitious,  domineering  spirit, 
that  invaded  the  rights  of  the  lower  cler- 
gy and  people.*  But  I  take  the  liberty 
of  assuring  the  cautious  reader,  that  this 
excellent  and  very  judicious  secular 
historian,  is  not  to  be  trusted  in  his  ac- 
counts of  men  of  real  holiness.  From 
the  most  attentive  review  which  I  have 
been  able  to  make  of  the  character  of  the 
African  prelate,  by  a  repeated  perusal  of 
the  existing  evidence,  especially  his  epis- 
tles, I  cannot  see  any  thing  on  which  to 
ground  such  a  censure.  He  did  nothing, 
in  general,  without  the  clergy  and  peo- 
ple. He  was  ever  sedulous  in  promoting 
the  good  of  the  whole.  The  episcopal 
authority  was,  in  his  time,  at  no  very 
blameable  height  in  the  Church :  never- 
theless, through  the  gradual  growth  of 
superstition,  it  was,  naturally,  advancing 
to  an  excess  of  dignity;  and  it  is  not  to 
be  denied  that  some  few  expressions  sa- 
vouring of  haughtiness  and  asperity  are 
to  be  found  in  the  writings  of  Cyprian. — 
But  these  few  expressions  were  evident- 
ly the  effect  of  particular  provocation  ; — 
nor  is  there  the  least  evidence  that  am- 
bition was  his  vice.  Candour  would 
rather  say,  he  was,  in  general,  influenced 
by  a  very  fervent  zeal,  supported  in  its 
exertions  by  a  temper  remarkably  active 
and  sanguine.  But  whoever  looks  into 
the  original  records  with  an  expectation 
of  finding  any  thing  selfish,  proud  or 
domineering  in  his  general  conduct,  will 
be  disappointed;  and,  on  the  contrary, 
will  be  struck  with  the  steady  tenor  of 
gentleness,  charity,  and  humility.  In 
fine,  if  he  had  not  been  a  Christian,  one 
might  have  held  him  forth  to  the  world 
as  a  GREAT  man;— if  it  be  the  part  of  a 
great  man  to  unite,  in  a  large  and  capaci- 
ous mind,  many  virtues,  and  each  of  them 
in  a  high  degree  of  perfection; — virtues 
too,  which  are  opposite  in  their  nature, 


*  Eccles.  History,  Century  III.  Chap.  2. 


and  which  rarely  meet  in  firm  consistence 
in  the  same  subject; — for  example,  vig- 
our and  mildness,  magnanimity  and  mer- 
cy, fortitude  and  prudence,  warmth  of 
temper  and  accuracy  of  judgment,  and, 
above  all, — zeal  and  discretion. 

In  Origen's  conversion  we  see  nothing 
remarkable.  He  received  Christianity  in 
a  way  of  education,  rather  than  by  quick, 
lively,  and  decisive  operations  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  It  is  not  usual  with  God  to  make 
use  of  SUCH  persons  for  extraordinary  ser- 
vices, like  those  for  which  Cyprian,  in 
the  prime  of  life,  appears  to  have  been 
selected  from  the  world.  Origen's  views 
of  the  peculiar  truths  of  Christianity  were, 
— to  say  no  more,  too  faint  and  general; 
— nor  ever  sufficiently  distinguished 
from  moral  and  philosophical  religion. 
He  bore  persecution,  when  young,  with 
much  zeal  and  honesty;  but  he  lived 
many  years  in  peace  and  prosperity. 
Much  respected  and  sought  after  by  phi- 
losophers, highly  esteemed  and  honoured 
by  courts  and  by  the  great,  he  lived  a 
scholastic  rather  than  an  active  life  in  the 
Church ;  always  fully  employed  indeed, 
but  more  like  a  man  of  letters  than  a  min- 
ister of  the  Gospel ;  ever  bent  on  pro- 
motingr  truth  and  holiness  so  far  as  he 
knew  them ;  but  always  leaving  one's 
mind  dissatisfied  on  account  of  the  defec- 
tiveness of  his  views.  His  last  scenes 
are  the  most  satisfactory  and  the  most 
decisively  Christian.  He  suffered  per- 
secution with  the  patience  and  honesty 
of  a  martyr;  and  proved  indeed  whose 
disciple  he  was  on  the  whole.  Mosheim 
charges  him  with  dishonesty  in  his  argu- 
ments against  Celsus;  and  says,  that 
any  one  that  has  penetration  and  judg- 
ment may  discern  it.*  It  would  have 
been  more  to  the  purpose  to  have  pointed 
out  the  instances  of  dishonest  argumen- 
tation, which  he  alludes  to.  My  exami- 
nation of  the  tract  in  question  induces  me 
to  dissent  from  this  learned  historian ; 
and  further,  I  am  convinced  that  great 
uprightness  of  mind  was  a  ruling  feature 
in  Origen's  character. — But  it  is  not  the 
practice  of  modern  writers  to  be  candid 
in  their  judgment  of  the  ancient  Chris- 
tians. 

After  this  general  review  of  these  two 
men,  and,  after  it  has  been  admitted  that 
integrity  and  fairness  of  mind  were  pos- 
sessed by  both  in  a  very  great  degree,  it 


*  Mosheim's  Eccl.  History,   Century  HI. 
Chap.  3. 


Cent.  III.] 


CYPRIAN  AND  ORIGEN. 


217 


may  be  natural  to  ask — In  what  consisted 
the  superior  excellence  of  Cyprian  ] — 
The  general  answer  to  such  an  inquiry  is 
— The  manner  of  their  first  conversion 
has  appeared  to  have  been  strikingly  dif- 
ferent in  the  two  cases;  and  still  more 
so — The  work  of  God  upon  their  hearts 
afterwards. — But  besides  this, — 

2.  Cyprian  was  possessed  of  a  simpli- 
city  of  TASTE   to  which   Origen   seems 
ever  to  have  been  a  stranger.     By  sim- 
plicity oftaste  I  mean  here  a  genuine  and 
unadulterated  relish  for  the  doctrine  and 
spirit  of  the  Christian  religion,  just  as  it 
stands  in  its  real  nature.     It  is  possible 
for  a  person  very  eminent  in  this  gift, — 
which  is  purely  divine  and  spiritual,— to 
be,  in  no  way,  remarkable  for  his  know- 
ledge of  evangelical  truth  :  In  respect  of 
knowledge   he   may   not    much    exceed 
another  who  is  far  his  inferior  in  the  for- 
mer grace  of  the  Spirit:  The  light  and 
means  of  information  are  very  dillerent  in 
different  ages  of  the  Church ;  and  it  is 
evident  that  the  third  century  suffered  a 
decline   in   illumination.     But   where   a 
man  is  deficient  in  knowledge,  yet  if  his 
simplicity    of    Christian  taste   be   very 
great,  he  will  be  silent  on  those  subjects 
which  he  does  not  understand,  or  at  least 
he  will  be  extremely  cautious  in  opposing 
any  part  of  divine  truth.     This  was  Cy- 
prian's  case.     He   appears   not,  for   in- 
stance, to  have  understood  the  doctrine 
of  the  election  of  grace.     Since  Justin's 
days  the  knowledge  of  that  article  of  faith 
was  departing  from  the  Church. — But. 
he  opposed  it  not. — Origen,  less  humble 
and  less  submissive  to  divine  instruction 
and  feeling  more  resources  in  his  reason 
ing  powers,  dares  to  oppose  it  by  a  con 
trary  statement.* 

In  Cyprian  this  simplicity  appears  in 
a  supreme  degree.  He  never  trifles  with 
Scripture,  or  sets  up  his  reason  against  it. 
Unencumbered  with  the  apparatus  of 
Grecian  philosophy,  and  possessed  of 
what  is  much  better, — plain  good  sense, 
he  takes,  always,  the  words  of  Scripture 
in  their  obvious,  and  most  natural  mean- 
ing ;  and  thinks  he  has  sufficiently  proved 
his  point,  when  he  has  supported  it  by 
an  apposite  quotation.  His  humble  spirit 
bows  to  the  divine  word :  and  hence, 
faith,  patience,  charity,  heavenly-mind- 
edness,  have  full  dominion  in  his  soul ; 
and  hence  also,  his  sentiments  have  i 
strength,  a  purity,  a  perspicuity,  pecu- 


liarly  the  property  of  those  whose  reli- 
gious taste  is  altogether  scriptural.  Here 
it  is  that  Cyprian  and  Origen  are  diame- 
trically opposite  to  each  other.     The  lat- 
ter is  full  of  endless  allegorical  interpre- 
tations, and  of  platonic  notions  concern- 
ing the  soul  of  the  world,  the  transmigra- 
tioii  of  spirits,  free-will,  and  the  pre-ex- 
istence  of  souls.     The  first  and  simple 
sense  of  Scripture  he  too  often  ventures 
to  reject  entirely.*     David's  sin  in  the 
affair  of  Uriah  he  cannot  admit.   It  seems, 
he   had   not   such    strong   and   palpable 
proof  of  his  own  innate  depravity,  as  to 
suppose  it  possible  for  so  good  a  man  to 
fall  so  foully.     He  has  recourse,  there- 
fore, to  a  hidden  and  abstruse  sense.  His 
numberless  comments  on  Scripture  con- 
stitute  a   system    of    fanciful    allegory, 
which  pervades  the  whole  of  the  sacred 
oracles  :  The  just  and  plain  sense  is  much 
neglected;     and  the   whole   is   covered 
with  thick  clouds  of  mysticism  and  chi- 
merical philosophy.      He  labours,  it  is 
true,  to  support  the  faith,  which  was  once 
delivered  to  the  saints ;  but,  like  his  pla- 
tonic master,  Ammonius,  he  introduces 


large  quantities  of  figurative  trash,  which 
wifl  not  incorporate  with  Christian  doc- 
trine.— Thus,  by  accommodating  his  in- 
terpretations to  the  then  reigning  literary 
taste,  he  gained  to  himself,  indeed,  a 
celebrity  of  character  among  the  heathen, 
even  among  the  great  and  noble,  but 
threw  all  things  into  inextricable  ambi- 
guity.— His  quickness  of  parts  and  his 
superior  ingenuity  served  only  to  entan- 
gle him  more  effectually,  and  to  enable 
him  to  move  in  the  chaos  of  his  own  for- 
mation with  an  ease  and  rapidity  that  ren- 
dered him  unconscious  of  the  difficulties 
in  which  he  had  involved  himself. 

One  remarkable  consequence  of  this 
difference  of  character  was,  that  while 
Origen,  among  the  Pagans,  succeeded  in 
gaining  the  favour  of  the  great,  and  was 
heard  by  them  with  patience,  Cyprian 
could  not  be  endured  in  his  preaching  or 
writings, — except  by  real  Christians. — 
Another  consequence  is  this, — It  is  no 
easy  thing  to  vindicate  the  soundness  of 
the  former  in  Christian  principles  :— The 
latter  challenges  the  severest  scrutiny. — 
He  is  christian  throughout. 

Such  is  the  difference  between  a  man 
of  simplicity  and  a  man  of  philosophy 
and  religion ;  and  the  mind,  on  this  oc- 
casion, is  led  to  compare  the  effect  of  a 


-Vol.  I. 


Philocalia  xxi. 
T 


Philoc.  Chap.  1.  page  20. 


218 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV- 


philosophical  and  of  a  philological  spirit. 
Origen  had  the  former,  Cyprian  the  lat- 
ter. Eloquence  was  his  distinguishing 
accomplishment;  and  he  possessed  all 
the  powers  of  it  in  a  very  high  degree, 
according  to  the  taste  of  the  age, — which 
was  far  from  being  the  best.  And  here, 
I  would  hnmbly  submit  to  the  considera- 
tion of  the  pious  and  well-disposed, — 
whether  the  knowledge  of  grammar,  his- 
tory, criticism,  and  of  oratory,  theoretical 
and  practical,  properly  regulated  by  com- 
mon sense  and  in  subordination  to  divine 
grace,  be  not  much  less  dangerous,  and, 
in  their  way,  more  useful  endowments 
for  a  minister  of  Christ,  than  deep  re- 
searches into  philosophy  of  any  kind  1 — 
Far,  very  far,  from  meaning  to  insinuate 
that  the  studies  of  metaphysics  and  of 
natural  philosophy  should  be  entirely  ex- 
cluded from  the  education  of  persons, 
who  mean  to  be  pastors, — I  would  be 
understood  to  suggest, — that  a  less  pro- 
portion of  THESE,  and  a  greater  proportion 
of  THOSE  than  what  agrees  with  the  pre- 
sent fashionable  taste,  might  be  more 
advantageous  to  the  Church.  The  rea- 
soning powers  might  find  in  the  for- 
mer an  useful  exercise  and  improvement, 
without  the  same  danger  of  presump- 
tion which  so  strongly  adheres  to  the  lat- 
ter.* 

3.  Having  compared  the  lives  and  the 
tempers  of  these  men,  let  us  now  view  the 
PRINCIPLES  of  each.  Of  Cyprian,  after 
the  many  quotations  already  given  from 
his  writings  little  need  be  added.  Never- 
theless, as  it  has  lain  more  in  our  way  to 
consider  him  as  addressing  Christians 
than  pagans  or  infidels,  I  shall  select  a 
letter  of  his  to  Demetrian,  a  persecutor  of 
Christians  in  Africa,  in  which  his  manner 
of  preaching  to  men  altogether  profane 
and  unconverted  is  observable. 

He  denounces  to  them  the  plain  threat- 
enings  of  eternal  punishment.  "  There 
remains  hereafterf  an  eternal  prison,  con- 
stant flame,  and  perpetual  punishment. 
There  the  groans  of  suppliants  will  not 
he  heard,  because  here  they  disregarded 
the  terror  of  God's  indignation,"  He 
bids  them  solemnly  look  into  themselves, 
and  appeals  to  the  conscience  as  affording 


*  These  sentiments  are  certainly  favoured 
by  the  conijiarison  of  Cyprian  and  Origen. — 
It  is  true,  lliis  is  only  a  single  instance  of  such 
comparison  : — l)ut,  I  believe,  it  will  be  very 
difficult  to  find  examples  of  a  contrary  ten- 
dency, t  Pam.  ad  Demetrian. 


full  proof  of  guilt  before  God.  And  he 
aggravates  the  charge  of  condemnation, 
because,  amidst  the  miseries  of  the  times, 
men  did  not  repent.  After  exposing  the 
folly  of  idolatry,  and  exhibiting,  in  lively 
colours,  the  all-important  scenes  of  the 
last  judgment,  he  concludes  with  this 
Christian  exhortation,  which  is  intro- 
duced in  the  true  taste  and  order  of  things, 
after  he  had  first  denounced  the  terrors  of 
the  law.  "  Provide  then  for  your  secu- 
rity and  life,  while  you  may.  We  oflfer 
you  the  most  salutary  counsel ;  and  be- 
cause we  are  forbidden  to  hate  you  or  to 
requite  evil,  we  exhort  you,  while  there 
is  time,  to  please  God  and  to  emerge  from 
the  profound  night  of  superstition  into  the 
fair  light  of  true  religion.  We  envy  not 
your  advantages,  nor  do  we  hide  the  di- 
vine benefits.  We  return  good  will  for 
your  hatred ;  and,  for  the  torments  and 
punishments,  which  are  inflicted  upon  us, 
we  show  you  the  paths  of  salvation. — 
Believe,  and  live  ;  and  do  ye,  who  perse- 
cute us  for  a  time,  rejoice  with  us  for  ever. 
When  you  depart  hence,  there  will  be  no 
room  for  repentance :  no  method  of  being 
reconciled  to  God :  here,  eternal  life  is 
either  lost  or  secured  ;  here,  by  the  wor- 
ship of  God  and  the  fruit  of  faith,  ])rovi- 
siou  is  made  for  eternal  salvation  :  and  let 
no  man  be  retarded,  either  by  his  sins  or 
by  his  years,  from  coming  to  obtain  it. 
No  repentance  is  too  late,  while  a  man 
remains  in  this  world. 

"  An  access  lies  open  to  the  grace  of 
God  ;  and,  to  those,  who  seek  and  under- 
stand the  truth,  the  access  is  easy.  Even, 
in  the  very  exit  of  life,  pray  for  remission 
of  sins,  and  implore  the  only  living  and 
true  God  with  confession  and  faith  :  Par- 
don is  granted  to  him  who  confesses  his 
sin  ;  and  saving  grace  from  the  divine 
goodness  is  conferred  on  the  believer ; 
and,  thus  may  a  man  pass  from  death  to 
immortality  in  his  very  last  moments. 
By  subduing  death  through  the  trophy  of 
his  cross,  by  redeeming  the  believer  with 
the  price  of  his  blood,  by  reconciling  man 
to  God  the  Father,  and  by  quickening  the 
dead  with  celestial  regeneration,  Christ 
imparts  to  us  these  great  mercies.  Him, 
if  it  be  possible,  let  us  all  follow ; — let 
us  be  baptized  in  his  name.  He  opens 
to  us  the  way  of  life ;  he  brings  us  back 
to  paradise.  He  leads  us  to  the  heavenly 
kingdom  :  and  we  shall  always  live  with 
him.  By  him  made  sons  of  God,  we 
shall  rejoice  with  him  for  ever :  Redeem- 
ed by  his  blood,  we  shall  be  Christians 


Cent.  III.] 


CYPRIAN  AND  ORIGEN. 


219 


with  Christ  in  glory :  we  shall  be  the 
blessed  of  God  the  Father;  and  shall 
give  him  thanks  to  all  eternity. — Tlie 
man,  who  was  obnoxious  to  death,  and 
has  been  made  a  sure  j)artaker  of  immor- 
tality, cannot  but  be  tilled  with  joy  and 
gratitude  for  evermore." 

With  sucli  an  affectionate  spirit,  and 
with  such  clearness  of  doctrine  did  Cy- 
prian preach  justification,  by  faith  onlv, 
to  the  unconverted.  It  must  not  be  denied, 
— that,  in  his  address  to  men,  who  had 
already  "  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  graci- 
ous," there  is  not  the  same  evangelical 
purity.  In  his  treatise  on  Good  Works, 
he  says  very  excellent  things  on  the  duty 
of  alms-frivintj:  but  he  sometimes  uses 
language  that  might  easily  be  construed 
into  the  language  of  merit ;  and  as  he 
had  not  learnt  to  distinguish  the  Apocry- 
pha from  the  Old  Testament,  he  supports 
his  ideas  with  quotations  from  Tobit  and 
Ecclesiasticus.  We  have  had, — what 
he  had  not, — an  experience  of  the  evil 
tendency  of  any  expressions,  which, 
in  the  smallest  degree,  countenance  the 
supposition  of  the  efficacy  of  Imman 
WORKS  in  washing  away  the  pollution  of 
sin,  whether  contracted  before  or  after 
baptism.  We  know  too,  from  the  de- 
pendence on  the  divine  grace  and  on  the 
Spirit's  illumination,  which  Cyprian  and 
many  other  fathers  of  the  same  stamp 
habitually  exeicised, — besides  the  tes- 
timony of  their  holy  lives, — that  the  same 
expressions  mean  not  with  them  what 
they  do  in  the  mouths  of  moderns,  who 
too  often  appear  to  be  full  of  self-righte- 
ousness and  of  contempt  both  of  the  grace 
of  Christ  and  of  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  We  are  sure,  that  the  former 
mean  no  opposition  to  the  free  gift  of 
God,  because  they  are  humble  :  whereas, 
it  is  but  too  evident  that  the  latter  do, — 
because  they  are  proud,  and  scorn  the 
whole  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the 
formation  of  the  new  creature.  It  had 
been  well,  however,  if  holy  men  had 
never  given  a  handle  to  the  profane  to 
adulterate  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel. 
But  I  have  before  observed,  that  Cyprian's 
views  of  grace  were  not  equally  clear 
with  those  of  the  first  Christians:  Yet, 
in  every  fundamental  principle,  he  speaks 
as  the  Oracles  of  God ;  and  in  his  ad- 
dresses to  Pagans,  Christians,  or  Jews, 
he  is  alway?  fervent  and  zealous.  His 
tract  on  Patience,  as  a  practical  perform- 
ance, and  that  on  the  Lord's  Prayer,  as  a 
doctrinal  one,  deserve  the  highest  praise. 


In  general,  his  works  are  excellent  in 
their  kind,  and  he  must  have  a  poor  taste 
indeed  in  godliness  who  will  not  find  the 
perusal  of  them  refreshing  to  his  soul. 
Nevertheless,  Cyprian  shines  much  more 
in  practical  than  in  speculative  divinity. 
The  shortness  of  his  Christian  life  and 
the  pressure  of  his  employments  will 
easily  account  for  this. 

I  wish  it  were  as  easy  to  clear  the  doc- 
trinal character  of  Origen  from  reproach. 
The  ancients  themselves  were  much  di- 
vided in  their  views  of  his  opinion  con- 
cerning the  Son  of  God.  It  is  certain 
that  the  Arians  of  the  fourth  century 
seemed  to  receive  some  countenance  from 
him ;  and  men  who  had  so  very  little  as- 
sistance from  precedents,  were  glad  to 
catch  at  the  shadow  of  an  argument  drawn 
from  his  illustrious  name. — But  what,  if 
his  Arianism  were  indeed  full  and  con- 
fessed on  all  hands, — What  would  such 
a  fact  avail  as  an  argument, — I  say,  not 
an-ainst  the  Scriptures, — but  against  the 
joint  consent  of  the  whole  Church  for 
three  hundred  years  ?  Even  the  very  op- 
position made  against  his  character  by 
many,  shows  how  zealous  the  Church 
had  ever  been  in  the  defence  of  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity. — Here  is  open  a  wide 
field  of  controversy ;  but  little  profit  is  to 
be  expected  from  traversing  it. — The 
writings  of  Origen  against  Celsus,  in 
which  he  ably  defends  Christianity 
against  philosophy  and  paganism,  and 
the  Philocalia  of  the  same  author,  furnish 
sufficiently  decisive  passages  against 
Arian  tenets, — if  they  were  not  embar- 
rassed by  others  of  a  more  doubtful  cast. 

It  is  probable,  however,  that  one  who 
thought  so  rapidly,  wrote  so  much,  and 
had  his  eyes  so  steadily  fixed  on  his  phi- 
losophy, must  have  dropped  many  things, 
which  he  would  not  have  seriously  main- 
tained if  he  had  ever  carefully  reviewed 
them.  That  he  never  meant  to  hold  any 
thing  different  from  the  orthodox  creed, 
may  be  inferred  from  the  pains  which  he 
took  against  heretics,  as  well  as  from  his 
general  character.  Some,  therefore,  of 
his  indefensible  sentences  ought  to  be 
considered  as  containing  queries  and  con- 
jectures rather  than  settled  opinions. 
Athanasius  must  be  allowed  to  have  been 
a  judge  of  this  matter;  and  he  believed 
him  to  be  sound,  and  quoted  his  writings 
to  prove  our  Lord's  co-eternity  and  co- 
essentiality  with  the  Father.  And  he, 
likewise,  observes — that  what  things  Ori- 
gen wrote  by  way  of  controversy  and  dis- 


220 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XV. 


putation  are  not  to  be  looked  on  as  his 
own  sentiments.* 

After  all,  the  best  defence  of  this  great 
man  consists  in  the  general  holiness  of 
his  life,  and  in  his  patient  suffering  for 
the  faith  of  Christ  in  old  age  :  And  I  re- 
joice that,  amidst  all  the  trash  with  which 
his  writings  abound,  we  have  yet  this 
unquestionable  testimony — that  he  kept 
the  commandments  of  God,  and  had  the 
faith  of  Jesus.  The  loss  of  his  volumin- 
ous commentaries,  and  of  his  other  nu- 
merous works,  is,  perhaps,  not  much  to  be 
regretted.  There  are  two  sentencesf  in 
them  which  merit  particular  attention. 
He  thus  speaks  on  the  words,  Rom.  iii. 
"  we  conclude,  that  a  man  is  justified  by 

faith,"  &C.  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  FAITH 
ONLY  IS  sufficient;  so  THAT  IF  ANY  PER- 
SON ONLY  BELIEVE,  HE  MAY  BE  JUSTIFIED, 
THOUGH  NO  GOOD  WORK  HATH  BEEN  FUL- 
FILLED BY  him;" — and  again,  on  the  case 
of  the  penitent  thief,  "he  was  justified 
by  faith  without  the  works  of  the  law ; 
because,  concerning  these,  the  Lord  did 
not  inquire  what  he  had  done  before  ; 
neither  did  he  stay  to  ask  what  work  he 
was  purposing  to  perform  after  he  had 
believed ; — but,  the  man  being  justified 
by  his  confession  only,  Jesus,  who  was 
going  to  paradise,  toolc  him  as  a  compa- 
nion, and  carried  him  there." 

Thus,  the  precious  doctrine  of  justifi- 
cation, though  much  sullied  and  covered 
with  rubbish,  was  yet  alive,  in  the  third 
century,  even  in  the  faith  of  the  most  du- 
bious characters  among  the  Anti-Nicene 
fathers.  This  it  was  that  kept  Origen, 
with  all  "  his  hay  and  stubble,":)^  firm  on 
Christian  foundations,  and  distinguished 
him  radically  from  an  adversary  of  Christ. 

4.  If  we  compare  the  public  life  of 
these  two  men,  the  Grecian  shines  in  a 
scholastic,  the  Roman  in  a  pastoral  capa- 
city. Origen  appears  as  an  author,  and 
moves  in  a  sphere  calculated  for  the  learn- 
ed. Cyprian  is  a  preacher,  and,  like  the 
Apostles,  addresses  equally  all  sorts  of 
men.  The  latter,  on  account  of  the  pride 
of  corrupt  nature,  was  most  likely  to  be 
regarded  by  the  poor :  He  valued  not  re- 
finement of  composition  :  His  aim  was  to 
reach  the  heart  and  the  conscience,  and 
to  reduce  every  religious  consideration  to 
real  practice.  Origen,  however,  was  use- 
fully employed  in  untying  knotty  specu- 


*  Cave's  Life  of  Origen. 
•}•  See  Bisliop  Bevei-idge  on  the  Articles  of 
tlie  Church  of  England. 
+  I  Cor.  iii.  12. 


lations,  in  refuting  heresies,  and  in  recom- 
mending Christianity,  or  something  like 
Christianity,  to  the  learned  world.  No 
doubt,  his  labours  would  be  of  some  ad- 
vantage amidst  the  mischief  which  the 
accommodating  scheme  produced ;  but 
the  pastoral  exhortations  of  Cyprian,  as 
they  Avould  not  be  received  at  all  by  pre- 
judiced philosophers,  so,  where  they  were 
received,lefteffects  ofunadulterated  piety, 
through  the  divine  influence  that  attended 
them.  As  a  Christian  bishop,  scarcely 
any  age  has  seen  his  superior  in  activity, 
disinterestedness,  and  steady  attention  to 
discipline.  He  was  equally  remote  from 
the  extremes  of  negligent  remissness, 
and  impracticable  severity :  and  he  pos- 
sessed a  charity  and  a  patience  unwearied, 
and  ever  consistent.  He  may  safely  be 
recommended  as  a  model  to  all  pastors, 
and  particularly  to  those  of  rank  ^nd  dig- 
nity throughout  Christendom.  Whoever 
feels  a  desire  to  serve  God  in  the  most  ar- 
duous and  the  most  important  of  all  pro- 
fessions, may  profitably, — next  after  the 
study  of  the  sacred  oracles,  give  days  and 
nights  to  Cyprian's  writings. — All  his 
geuine  compositions, — if  you  except  his 
correspondence  and  controversy  with  vSte- 
phen  of  Rome, — deserve  a  diligent  peru- 
sal ;  yet  no  man  must  be  expected  to 
relish  them  thoroughly,  unless  he  himself 
has  experienced  the  new  birth  unto  right- 
eousness. A  truly  regenerated  person 
will  not  only  relish  them,  but  also  will 
not  fail  to  be  affected  with  a  generous 
glow  of  the  purest  godliness,  upon  read- 
ing them  with  care  and  attention. — The 
frequency  of  such  bishops  in  Europe  is 
devoutly  to  be  wished  !  What  avail  good 
sense,  taste,  learning,  without  Christian 
simplicity — and  a  heart  above  the  world, 
its  flatteries  or  its  frowns  ! — Contemplate 
— study  the  character  of  the  prelate  of 
Carthage,  and  you  will  learn  what  Chris- 
tian bishops  once  were,  and  what  they 
still  ought  to  be. 

5.  But  thechiefpointof  view  in  which 
the  contrast  between  these  two  persons  is 
most  striking,  is  in  the  consequences  and 
fruits  of  their  labours  and  their  writings. 
Before  Cyprian's  time,  Africa  appears  to 
have  been  in  no  very  flourishing  state 
with  respect  to  Christianity.  Within 
twelve  years  he  was  the  instrument  of 
most  material  service  in  recovering  many 
apostates,  in  reforming  discipline,  and  in 
reviving  the  essence  of  godliness.  His 
example  was  most  powerful  and  effectual 
among  them  for  ages.    The  honours  paid 


Cent.  III.] 


UNDER  VALERIAN. 


221 


to  his  memory  demonstrate  this :  More- 
over, it  is  certain,  that  his  diocese,  once 
the  scene  of  Punic  greatness,  continued, 
long  after,  one  of  the  most  precious  gar- 
dens of  Christianity,  as  I  shall  have 
abundant  occasion  to  show  in  the  course 
of  this  History, — if  I  should  be  permitted 
to  continue  it. — But  the  mischiefs  of  Ori- 
gen's  taste  and  spirit  in  religion  were  in- 
expressible.— Talents  and  learning  are 
coveted  by  mankind ;  he,  however,  who 
possesses  much  of  them,  has  the  more 
abundant  need  to  learn  humility  and  di- 
vine caution.  For,  if  he  do  not  evidently 
benefit  mankind  by  them,  he  is  in  danger 
of  doing  much  mischief.  No  man,  not 
altogether  unsound  and  hypocritical,  ever 
injured  the  Church  of  Christ  more  than 
Origen  did.  From  the  fanciful  mode  of 
allegory,  introduced  by  him  and  uncon- 
trolled by  Scriptural  rule  and  order,  arose 
a  vitiated  method  of  commenting  on  the 
sacred  pages ;  which  has  been  succeeded 
by  the  contrary  extreme — namely,  a  con- 
tempt of  types  and  figures  altogether ; 
and,  in  a  similar  way,  his  fanciful  ideas 
of  LETTER  and  SPIRIT  tended  to  remove 
from  men's  minds  all  just  conceptions  of 
genuine  spiritualit}'. — A  thick  mist  for 
ages  pervaded  the  Christian  world,  sup- 
ported and  strengthened  by  his  absurd 
allegorical  manner  of  interpretation.  The 
learned  alone  were  considered  as  guides 
implicitly  to  be  followed  ;  and  the  vulgar, 
— when  the  literal  sense  was  hissed  off  the 
stage, — had  nothing  to  do  but  to  follow 
their  authority  wherever  it  might  conduct 
them. — It  was  not  till  the  days  of  Luther 
and  iMelancthon,  that  this  evil  was  fairly 
and  successfully  opposed. 

If  I  have  carried  the  parallel  to  a  greater 
length  than  the  just  laws  of  history  allow, 
the  importance  of  the  case  is  my  apology. 
Let  the  whole  be  attentivelj''  weighed  by 
the  serious  reader,  in  connexion  with  two 
passages  of  St.  Paul :  the  first  of  which 
is, — "  I  am  jealous  over  you  with  a  godly 
jealousy,  lest  your  minds  be  corru]Ued 
from  the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ ;" — 
and  the  second — "  Hath  not  God  made 
foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world  V 


CHAPTER   XVI 


».». 


OTHER  PARTICULARS  OF    VALERIAN  S 
PERSECUTION. 

It  has  been  already  mentioned,  that  Cy- 

priein  heard  of  the  death  of  Sixtus,  bishop  of 

t2 


Rome,  a  little  before  his  own  martyrdom. 
In  pursuance  of  the  cruel  orders  of  Valeri- 
an, for  carrying  on  the  persecution,  that 
prelate  had  been  seized  with  some  of  his 
clergy.  While  they  were  carrying  him  to 
execution,  Laurentius,  his  chief  deacon, 
followed  him  weeping,and  said,  "Whither 
goest  thou.  Father,  without  thy  son  ]" 
Sixtus  said,  "  You  shall  follow  me  in 
three  days."  We  may  suppose  him  to 
have  been  possessed  with  the  spirit  of 
prophecj;-  in  saying  this,  because  we  are 
certain  that  miraculous  gifts  were  as  yet 
by  no  means  extinct  in  the  Church :  But, 
perhaps,  the  declaration  was  not  out  of 
the  reach  of  common  sagacity  from  the 
circumstances  of  affairs. 

After  Sixtus's  death,*  the  Prefect  of 
Rome,  moved  by  an  idle  report  of  the  im- 
mense riches  of  the  Roman  Church,  sent 
for  Laurentius,  and  ordered  him  to  deliver 
them  up.  Laurentius  replied,  "  Give  me 
a  little  time  to  set  every  thing  in  order, 
and  to  take  an  account  of  each  particular." 
The  Prefect  granted  him  three  days  time. 
In  that  space  Laurentius  collected  all  the 
Poor  who  were  supported  by  the  Roman 
Church,  and  going  to  the  Prefect,  said, 
"  Come,  behold  the  riches  of  our  God; 
you  shall  see  a  large  court  full  of  golden 
vessels."  The  Prefect  followed  him,  but 
seeing  all  the  poor  people,  he  turned  to 
Laurentius  with  looks  full  of  anger. 
"  What  are  you  displeased  atl"  said  the 
martyr  ? — "  The  gold,  you  so  eagerly  de- 
sire, is  but  a  vile  metal  taken  out  of  the 
earth,  and  serves  as  an  incitement  to  all 
sorts  of  crimes :  the  true  gold  is  that 
Light  whose  disciples  these  poor  men  are. 
The  misery  of  their  bodies  is  an  advan- 
tage to  their  souls  :  Sin  is  the  real  disease 
of  mankind  :  The  great  ones  of  the  earth 
are  the  truly  poor  and  contemptible. 
These  are  the  treasures  which  I  promised 
you  ;  to  which  I  will  add  precious  stones. 
— Behold  these  virgins  and  widows ;  they 
are  the  Church's  crown;  make  use  of 
these  riches  for  the  advantage  of  Rome, 
of  the  emperor,  and  of  yourself." 

Doubtless,  if  the  Prefect's  mind  had 
been  at  all  disposed  to  receive  an  instruc- 
tive lesson,  he  would  have  met  with  one 
here.  The  liberality  of  Christians  in 
maintaining  a  great  number  of  objects, 
and  in  looking  for  no  recompence  but 
that  which  shall  take  place  at  the  resur- 
rection of  the  just,  while  they  patientl)' 
bore  affliction,  and  humbly  rested  on  an 

*  Aug.  Vol.  9.  p.  52.— See  Fleury,  B.  7. 


232 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XVI. 


unseen  Saviour,  was  perfectly  agreeable 
to  the  mind  of  him,  who  bids  his  disci- 
ples, in  a  well-known  parable,  to  relieve 
those  who  cannot  recompense  them.* 
How  glorious  was  this  scene  !  at  a  time 
when  the  rest  of  the  world  were  tearing 
one  another  in  pieces,  and  when  philoso- 
phers made  not  the  slightest  attempts  to 
alleviate  the  miseries  of  their  fellow- 
creatures  ! — But,  as  the  persecutors  would 
not  hear  the  doctrines  explained,  so  nei- 
ther would  they  see  the  precepts  exempli- 
fied with  patience.  "  Do  ye  mock  me?" 
cries  the  Prefect ;  "  I  know,  ye  value 
yourselves  for  contemning  death,  and 
therefore  ye  shall  not  die  at  once."  Then 
he  caused  Laurentius  to  be  stripped,  ex- 
tended, and  fastened  to  a  gridiron,  and, 
in  that  manner,  to  be  broiled  to  death  by 
a  slow  fire.  When  he  had  continued  a 
considerable  time  with  one  side  to  the  fire, 
he  said  to  the  Prefect,  "  Let  me  be  turned, 
I  am  sufficiently  broiled  on  one  side." 
And  when  they  had  turned  him,  he  looked 
up  to  heaven  and  prayed  for  the  conver- 
sion of  Rome;  and  then  gave  up  the 
ghost ! 

I  give  this  story  at  some  length,  be- 
cause it  has  sufficient  marks  of  credibili- 
ty, and  is  supported  by  the  evidence  of 
Augustine. — I  am  not  disposed  to  follow 
rieury  in  various  other  narratives.  In 
subjects  of  martyrology  this  author  seems 
directly  opposite  to  our  countryman  Gib- 
bon. Whatever  judgment  these  histo- 
rians possessed,  remained,  in  this  matter, 
equally  unexercised  by  both.  Indiscrimi- 
nate incredulity  is  as  blind  as  indiscrimi- 
nate belief. — I  may  not  always  succeed, 
but  I  certainly  endeavour  to  separate  truth 
from  fiction,  and  neither  to  impose  on  my 
readers  nor  myself. 

At  Ceesarea,  in  Cappadocia,  a  child, 
named  Cyril,  sho\ved  uncommon  forti- 
tude. He  called  on  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  continually,  nor  could  threats  or 
blows  prevent  him  from  openly  avowing 
Christianity. — Several  children  of  the 
same  ao"e  persecuted  him;  and  his  own 
father,  with  the  applauses  of  many  per- 
sons for  his  zeal  in  the  support  of  pagan- 
ism, drove  him  out  of  his  house.  The 
judge  ordered  him  to  be  brought  before 
him,  and  said,  "  My  child,  I  will  pardon 
your  faults ;  and  your  father  shall  receive 
you  again:  It  is  in  your  power  to  enjoy 
your  father's  estate,  provided  you  are 
wise,  and  take  care  of  your  own  interest." 

»  Luke  xiv.  12—15. 


"I  rejoice  to  bear  your  reproaches,"  re- 
plied the  child ; — "  God  will  receive  me : 
I  am  not  sorry  that  I  am  expelled  out  of 
our  house :  I  shall  have  a  better  mansion : 
I  fear  not  death,  because  it  will  introduce 
me  into  a  better  life."  Divine  Grace 
having  enabled  him  to  witness  this  good 
confession,  he  was  ordered  to  be  bound 
and  led,  as  it  were,  to  execution.  The 
judge  had  given  secret  orders  to  bring 
him  back  again,  hoping  that  the  sight  of 
the  fire  might  overcome  his  resolution. 
Cyril  remained  inflexible.  The  humanity 
of  the  judge  induced  him  still  to  continue 
his  remonstrances.  "  Your  fire  and  your 
sword,"  says  the  young  martyr,  "are 
insignificant.  I  go  to  a  better  house ;  I 
go  to  more  excellent  riches :  Dispatch 
me  presently,  that  I  may  enjoy  them." 
The  spectators  wept  through  compassion. 
"  Ye  should  rather  rejoice,"  says  he,  "  in 
conducting  me  to  punishment.  Ye  know 
not  what  a  city  I  am  going  to  inhabit,  nor 
what  is  my  hope."  Thus  he  went  to  his 
death,  and  was  the  admiration  of  the 
whole  city. — Such  an  example  illustrates 
well  that  Scripture, — "  Out  of  the  mouths 
of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  ordained 
strength." 

There  were  at  Antioch  a  presbyter  and 
a  layman,  the  former  named  Sapricius, 
the  latter  Nicephorus,  who,  through  some 
misunderstanding,  after  a  remarkable  inti- 
macy, became  so  completely  estranged, 
that  they  would  not  even  salute  each 
other  in  the  street.  Nicephorus  after  a 
time  relented,  begged  forgiveness  of  his 
fault,  and  took  repeated  measures  to  pro- 
cure reconciliation,— but  in  vain.  He 
even  ran  to  the  house  of  Sapricius,  and 
throwinghimself  athisfeet,  entreated  his 
forgiveness  for  the  Lord's  sake; — the 
presbyter  continued  obstinate. 

In  this  situation  of  things  the  persecu- 
tion of  Valerian  reached  them  suddenly. 
Sapricius  was  carried  before  the  governor, 
and  ordered  to  sacrifice  in  obedience  to 
the  edicts  of  the  emperors.  "  We  Chris- 
tians," replied  Sapricius,  "  acknowledge 
for  our  King  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the 
true  God,  and  the  Creator  of  heaven  and 
earth. — Perish  idols,  which  can  do  nei- 
ther good  nor  harm  !"  The  Prefect  tor- 
mented him  a  long  time,  and  then  cona- 
manded  that  he  should  be  beheaded.  Ni- 
cephorus, hearing  of  this,  runs  up  to  hina, 
as  he  is  led  to  execution,  and  renews  in 
vain  the  same  supplications.  The  execu- 
tioners deride  his  humility  as  perfect  folly. 
But  he  perseveres,  and  attends  Sapricius 


Cbkt.  III.] 


UNDER  VALERIAN. 


223 


to  the  place  of  execution.  There  he  says 
further,  It  is  written,  "  Ask,  and  it  shall 
be  given  you." — But,  not  even  the  men- 
tion of  the  word  of  God  itself,  so  suitable 
to  Sapricius's  own  circumstances,  could 
affect  his  obstinate  and  unforgiving  tem- 
per. 

Sapricius,  however,  suddenly  forsaken 
of  God,  recants,  and  promises  to  sacrifice. 
Nicephorus,  amazed,  exhorts  him  to  the 
g      . ..  contrary,   but   in  vain.     He, 

recaiiis"*  then,  says  to  the  execution- 
ers, "  I  believe  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  whom  he  hath 
renounced."  The  officers  return  to  give 
an  account  to  the  governor,  who  ordered 
Nicephorus  to  be  beheaded.* 

The  account  ends  here  : — but  if  Sapri- 
cius lived  to  repent,  as  I  hope  he  did,  he 
mig-ht  learn  what  a  danjjerous  thinof  it  is 
for  a  miserable  mortal,  whose  sufficiency 
and  perseverance  rest  entirely  on  Divine 
Grace,  to  despise,  condemn,  or  exult  over 
his  brother.  The  last  became  the  first  : 
— and  God  showed  his  people  wonder- 
fully by  this  case,  that  he  will  support 
them  in  their  sufferings  for  his  name ;  but 
that,  at  the  same  time,  he  would  have 
them  to  be  humble,  meek,  and  forgiving. 
This  is  the  first  instance  I  have  seen  of  a 
man  attempting  to  suffer  for  Christ  on 
PHILOSOPHICAL  grouuds  ; — and  it  failed  : 
Self-sufficiency  and  pure  Christianity  are, 
in  their  nature,  distinct  and  opposite  : — 
Let  no  man  attempt  to  unite  or  mix  to- 
gether such  heterogeneous  and  jarring 
principles. 

It  appears  that  Christian  fortitude  is  a 
very  different  thing  from  the  steady  pride 
of  a  philosopher,  or  the  sullen  patience  of 
an  Indian;  and,  that  it  cannot  even  sub- 
sist in  the  absence  of  Christian  meekness 
and  charity. — Philosophers  and  savages 
without  the  least  supernatural  help,  have 
frequently  maintained  a  hardy  and  un- 
conquerable spirit.  But,  the  event  of  this 
story  may  teach  the  infidel, — that  he  has 
no  reason  to  exult  in  such  instances, — 
that  the  spirit  of  suffering  for  Christ  is, 
in  its  kind,  a  quite  different  thing, — that 
it  is  above  mere  human  nature, — that  it  is 
wrought  in  the  heart  by  divine  grace, — 
and,  that  it  cannot  subsist  if  the  Spirit  of 
God  be  provoked  to  leave  the  sufferer. 

Dionysius  of  Alexandria,  whom  Divine 
Providence  had  so  remarkably  preserved 
in  the  Decian  persecution,  lived  to  suffer 
much  also  in  this — but  not  to  death.  Eu- 

•  Fleury,  Book  7.  Acta  sincera,  253,  254. 


sebius  has  preserved  some  extracts  of  his 
writings,  which  not  only  prove  this  fact 
beyond  dispute,  but  also  throw  considera- 
ble light  on  the  effects  of  Valerian's  per» 
secution  in  Egypt.* 

This  bishop,  with  his  presbyter  Maxi- 
mus,  three  deacons,  and  a  Roman  Chris- 
tian, was  brought  before  jEmilian  the 
Prefect,  and  was  ordered  to  recant :  At 
the  same  time  it  was  observed,  that  his 
doing  so  might  have  a  good  effect  on 
others. — He  answered,  "  We  ought  to 
obey  God  rather  than  man ;  I  worship 
God,  who  alone  ought  to  be  worshipped." 
"Hear  the  clemency  of  the  emperor," 
says  ^milian  :  "You  are  all  pardoned, 
provided  you  return  to  a  natural  duty  : — 
Adore  the  gods  who  guard  the  empire, 
and  forsake  thosie  things  which  are  con- 
trary to  nature."  Dionysius  answered, 
"  All  men  do  not  worship  the  same  gods, 
but  men  worship  variously  according  to 
their  sentiments.  But  we  worship  the 
One  God,  the  maker  of  all  things,  who 
gave  the  empire  to  the  most  clement  em- 
perors Valerian  and  Gallienus  ;  and  to 
him  we  pour  out  incessant  prayers  for 
their  prosperous  administration."  "  What 
can  be  the  meaning,"  says  ^milian, 
"  why  ye  may  not  still  adore  that  God  of 
your's, — on  supposition  that  he  is  a  god 
— in  conjunction  with  our  gods  ]"  Diony- 
sius answered, — "  We  worship  no  other 
God." 

From  this  remarkable  question  of  the 
Prefect,  it  is  evident,  that  men  might 
have  been  tolerated  in  the  worship  of  Je- 
sus, if  they  had  allowed  idolaters  also  to 
be  right  in  the  main,  by  associating  idols 
with  the  true  God.  The  firmness  of  Chris- 
tians, in  this  respect,  provoked  their  ene- 
mies. The  dislike,  at  this  day,  of  the 
pure  Gospel  of  Christ,  arises  from  a  simi- 
lar cause  :  Men  are  condemned  as  bigots, 
because  they  cannot  allow  the  world  at 
large  to  be  right  in  the  eyes  of  God. 

iEmilius  banished  them  all  to  a  village 
near  the  desert,  called  Cephro.  And 
thither  Dionysius,  though  sickly,  was 
constrained  to  depart  immediately.  "  And 
truly,"  says  Dionysius,  "  we  are  not  ab- 
sent from  the  church  :  for  I  still  gather 
such  as  are  in  the  city  as  if  I  were  pre- 
sent : — absent  indeed  in  body,  but  present 
in  spirit.  And  there  continued  with  us, 
in  Cephro,  a  great  congregation,  partly  of 
the  brethren  which  followed  us  from  Alex- 
andria, and  partly  of  them  which  came 


Book  7.  Chap.  x. 


224 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XVI. 


from  Egypt.  And  there  God  opened  a 
door  to  me  to  speak  his  word.  Yet,  at 
the  beginning,  we  suffered  persecution 
and  were  stoned :  hut  at  length,  not  a 
few  of  the  Pagans  forsook  their  idols  and 
were  converted.  For,  here,  we  had  an 
opportunity  to  preach  the  word  of  God  to 
a  people  who  had  never  heard  it  before. 
And  God,  that  brought  us  among  them, 
removed  us  to  another  place,  after  our  mi- 
nistry was  there  completed.  As  soon  as 
I  heard  that  ^milian  had  ordered  us  to 
depart  fromCephro,  I  undertook  my  jour- 
ney cheerfully,  though  I  did  not  know 
whitlier  we  were  to  go  ;  but,  upon  being 
informed  that  Colluthio  was  the  place,  I 
felt  much  distress;  because  it  was  re- 
ported to  be  a  situation  destitute  of  all  the 
comforts  of  society,  exposed  to  the  tumults 
of  travellers,  and  infested  by  thieves. 
My  companions  well  remember  the  effect 
this  had  on  my  mind.  I  proclaim  my  own 
shame  :  At  first  I  grieved  immoderately. 
It  was  a  consolation,  however,  that  it  was 
nigh  to  a  city.  I  was  in  hopes  from  the 
nearness  of  the  city,  that  we  might  enjoy 
the  company  of  dear  brethren;  and  that 
particular  assemblies  for  divine  worship 
might  be  established  in  the  suburbs, 
which  indeed  came  to  pass." 

Amidst  this  scantiness  of  information 


Caius,  and  Peter,  were  separated  from 
the  other  brethren,  and  were  confined  in 
a  dreary  part  of  Libya,  distant  three  days 
journey  from  Paraetonium." — Afterwards 
he  says,   "There  hid  themselves  in  the 
city   some   good   men   who    visited   the 
brethren   secretly :  Among  these,  Maxi- 
mus,  Dioscorus,  Demetrius,  and  Lucius, 
were  ministers.     Two  others  of  greater 
note,  Faustinus  and  Aquila,  now  wander, 
I  know  not   where,  in  Egypt.     All  the 
deacons  died  of  diseases,  except  Faus- 
tinus, Eusebius,  and  Chceremon.  God  in- 
structed Eusebius  and  strengthened  him, 
from  the  beginning,  to  minister  diligent- 
ly to  the  confessors  in  prison,  and  to  bury 
the  bodies  of  the  holy  martyrs  : — which, 
however,  he  could  not  do  without  great 
danger.       The   president,   to   this   day, 
ceases  not  his  cruelty,  killing  some  in- 
stant,  and   tearing  in  pieces  others  by 
torments,   or  consuming  them  by  bonds 
and  imprisonments  :  He  forbids  any  per- 
sons to  come  nigh  them ;    and  inquires 
daily   whether   his  orders  be  obeyed — 
Yet  our  God  still  refreshes  the  afflicted 
with  consolation  and  with  the  attendance 
of  the  brethren." 

Tiiis  Eusebius, — here  honourably  men- 
tioned,— was  sometime  after  bishop  of 
Laodicea   in   Syria;   and    Maxiinus   the 


conveyed  in  no  great  perspicuity  or  beau-  presbyter  was  successor  to  Dionysius  in 


ty  of  style,  it  appears,  however,  that  the 
Lord  was  with  Dionysius,  and  caused 
his  sufferings  to  tend  to  the  furtherance 
of  the  Gospel. — His  confession  of  his 
own  heaviness  of  mind  does  honour  to 
his  ingenuousness:  and  the  strength  of 
Christ  was  made  perfect  in  his  weakness. 

In  another  epistle,  he  gives  a  brief  ac- 
count of  the  afflictions  of  others. — It  de- 
serves to  be  transcribed  as  a  monument 
of  the  greatness  and  the  violence  of  Va- 
lerian's persecution. 

"  It  may  seem  superfluous  to  recite  the 
names  of  our  people :  for  they  were  many, 
and  to  me  unknown.  Take  this  however 
for  certain  :  There  were  men  and  women, 
young  men  and  old  men,  virgins  and  old 
women,  soldiers  and  vulgar  persons,  of 
all  sorts  and  ages.  Some,  after  stripes 
and  fire,  were  crowned  victors  :  some,  im- 
mediately by  the  sword,  and  others,  after 
a  short  but  severe  torture,  became  accep- 
table sacrifices  to  the  Lord.  You  all 
heard  how  I,  and  Caius,  and  Faustus, 
and  Peter,  and  Paul,  when  we  were  led 
bound  by  the  centurion  and  his  soldiers, 
were  seized  by  certain  men  of  Mareota, 
and  drawn  away  by  violence.     I,  and 


was   reserved   to 
— a^ain  to  suffer- 


Alexandria.      Faustus 
the  days  of  Dioclesian- 
even  to  blood. 

At  Ceesarea  in  Palestine,  Prisons,  Mal- 
cus,  and  Alexander,  were  devoured  by 
wild  beasts.  These  persons  led  an  ob- 
scure life  in  the  country;  but  hearing  of 
the  multitude  of  executions,  they  blamed 
themselves  for  their  sloth;  they  came  to 
Caesarea;  went  to  the  judge,  and  obtain- 
ed the  object  of  iheir  ambition. — Our  di- 
vine Master,  both  by  precept  and  exam- 
ple, condemns  such  forward  zeal ; — which 
however,  in  these  instances,  we  trust, 
was  not  without  a  real  love  of  his  name. 
— We  have  seen  abundantly  how  much 
like  a  true  disciple  of  Christ,  Cyprian  of 
Carthage  conducted  himself  in  these  re- 
spects.— In  this  same  city,  there  like- 
wise suffered  a  woman,  who  was  said  to 
be  inclined  to  the  heresy  of  Marcion ;  but, 
probably,  there  was  not  much  ground  for 
the  report. 

After  three  years  employed  in  persecu- 
tion. Valerian  was  taken  prisoner  by  Sa- 
por king  of  Persia,  who  detained  him  the 
rest  of  his  life,  and  made  use  of  his  neck 
when  he  mounted  his  horse ;  and  at  length 


Cext.  III.] 


REIGN  OF  GALLIENUS. 


225 


commanded  him  to  be  flayed 
"^?uo'*"  and  salted.  This  event  be- 
^eathby  longs  rather  to  secular  than 
Sapor,  Church-history:  But  as  it  is 

A  D  260      perfectly  well  attested,  and  as 

no  one  that  I  know  of,  except 
Mr.  Gibbon,  ever  affected  to  disbelieve  the 
fact,  it  cannot  but  strike  the  mind  of  any 
one  who  fears  God. — Valerian  had  known 
and  respected  the  Christians  :  His  perse- 
cution must  have  been  a  sin  against  the 
light;  and  it  is  common  with  Divine 
Providence  to  punish  such  daring  offen- 
ces in  a  very  exemplary  manner. 

After  Valerian's  captivity  the  Church 
was  restored  to  rest.  About  the  year 
two  hundred  and  sixty-two,  Gallienus, 
his  son  and  successor,  proved  a  sincere 
friend  to  the  Christians,  though,  in  other 

respects,  no  reputable  empe- 
Gallienus      ^^^^      g      g^jjc^g   ^e   stopped 

the  Chris-  persecution;  and  he  had 

tians  the  condescension  to  give  the 

A    n  oco      bishops  his  letters  of  licence 

A.  U.  262.  ■  ,     .  ,        , 

to   return    to    their    pastoral 

charges.  One  of  these  letters,  as  pre- 
served by  Eusebius,  runs  thus; — "The 
emperor  Caesar  Gallienus,  to  Dionysius 
the  bishop  of  Alexandria,  and  to  Pinna 
and  Demetrius,  with  the  rest  of  the  bish- 
ops. The  benefit  of  our  favour  we  com- 
mand to  be  published  through  the  world  : 
and  I  have,  therefore,  ordered  every  one 
to  withdraw  from  such  places  as  were 
devoted  to  religious  uses ;  so  that  you 
may  make  use  of  the  authority  of  my 
edict  against  any  molestation ;  for  I  have, 
sometime  since,  granted  you  my  protec- 
tion : — wherefore,  Cyrenius  the  gover- 
nor of  the  province  will  observe  the  re- 
script which  I  have  sent."  He  directed 
also  another  edict  to  certain  bishops,  by 
which  he  restored  to  them  the  places  in 
which  they  buried  their  dead. 

Were  it  needful  at  this  day  to  refute 
the  rash  calumnies  of  Tacitus  and  of 
others  against  the  Christians,  one  might 
appeal  to  these  two  edicts  of  Gallienus. 
It  is  impossible  that  either  of  them  could 
have  taken  place,  if  it  had  not  been  unde- 
niable, that  the  Christians,  even  to  the 
time  beyond  the  middle  of  the  third  cen- 
tury, were  men  of  probity  and  worthy  of 
the  protection  of  government.  As  it  is 
impossible  to  avoid  this  conclusion,  the 
deepest  stain  rests  on  the  characters  of 
Trajan,  Decius,  and  Valerian,  men  high- 
ly respected  in  secular  history,  for  treat- 
ing their  subjects  of  the  best  characters 
with   savage    ferocity. — But   God,  who 


has  the  hearts  of  all  men  in  his  hand, 
provided  for  his  servants  a  protector  in 
Gallienus,  after  an  unexampled  course  of 
heavy  persecution  during  the  three  last 
reigns. — Gallienus  himself  seems  to  have 
been  more  like  a  modern  than  an  ancient 
sovereign  ; — a  man  of  taste,  indolence, 
and  philosophy  ; — disposed  to  cherish 
every  thing  that  looked  like  knowledge 
and  liberty  of  thinking;— by  no  means  so 
kind  and  generous  in  his  constant  prac- 
tice as  his  profession  might  seem  to 
promise ; — the  slave  of  his  passions,  and 
led  away  by  every  sudden  feeling  that 
seized  his  imagination.  The  Christians 
appear  to  have  been  considered  by  him  as 
a  sect  of  new  philosophers ;  and  as  he 
judged  it  improper  to  persecute  philoso- 
phe'rs  of  any  sort,  they  found  a  complete 
toleration  under  a  prince,  whose  con- 
science seems  to  have  been  influenced  by 
no  religious  attachment  whatever. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

FROM  THE  REIGX  OF  GALLIENUS  TO 
THE  END  OF  THE  CENTURY. 

The  general  history  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  for  the  remaining  forty  years  of 
this  century,  affords  no  great  quantity  of 
materials.  After  having  collected  them 
into  this  chapter  in  order,  it  may  be  pro- 
per to  reserve,  to  a  distinct  consideration, 
the  lives  of  some  particular  persons,  and 
other  miscellaneous  matters,  which  be- 
long not  to  the  thread  of  the  narrative._ 

We  now  behold  a  new  scene : — Chris- 
tians legally  tolerated  under  a  pagan  go- 
vernment for  forty  years  ! — The  example 
of  Gallienus  was  followed  by  the  suc- 
cessive emperors  to  the  end  of  the  centu- 
ry : — It  was  violated  only  in  one  instance ; 
— the  effect  of  which  was  presently  dis- 
sipated by  the  hand  of  Providence. — This 
new  scene  did  not  prove  favourable  to 
the  growth  of  grace  and  holiness.  In  no 
period  since  the  Apostles  was  there  ever 
so  great  a  general  decay  as  in  this  ; — not 
even  in  particular  instances,  can  we  dis- 
cover, during  this  interval,  much  of  live- 
ly Christianity. 

Those,  however,  are  not  well  informed 
in  the  nature  of  the  religion  of  Jesus, 
who  suppose,  that,  literally,  there  was 
no  persecution  all  this  time : — True  Chris- 
tians are  never  without  some  share  of  it ; 
nor  is  it  in  the  power  of  the  best  and  the 
mildest  governments  to  protect  men  of 
godliness  from  the  malice  of  the  world  in 


226 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  XVH. 


all  cases.  We  saw  an  example  of  this 
when  Commodus  was  emperor: — Ob- 
serve another  under  the  government  of 
Gallienus.~At  Csesarea  in  Palestine, 
there  was  a  soldier — of  bravery, — of  no- 
ble family, — and  of  great  opulence ;  who, 
upon  a  vacancy,  was  called  to  the  office 
of  centurion.  His  name  was  Marinus. 
— But,  another  soldier  came  before  the 
tribunal,  and  urged — that,  by  the  laws, 
Marinus  was  incapacitated,  because  he 
was  a  Christian,  and  did  not  sacrifice  to 
the  emperors ; — and  that  he  himself,  as 
next  in  rank,  ought  to  be  preferred. — 
Achffius  the  governor  asked  Marinus  what 
was  his  religion] — upon  which  he  con- 
fessed himself  a  Christian.  The  gover- 
nor gave  him  the  space  of  three  hours  for 
deliberation. — Immediately  Theotecnes, 
bishop  of  Ca;sarea,  called  Marinus  from 
the  tribunal, — took  him  by  the  hand, — 
led  him  to  the  Church, — showed  him  the 
sword  that  hung  by  his  side,  and  a  New 
Testament  which  he  pulled  out  of  his 
pocket ; — and  he  then  bid  him  choose 
which  of  the  two  he  liked  best. — Marinus 
stretched  out  his  hand,  and  took  up  the 
Holy  Scriptures. — "  Hold  fast,  tlien," 
said  Theotecnes  ;  "  Cleave  to  God  :  and 
BiM  whom  you  have  chosen,  you  shall 
enjoy  :  you  shall  be  strengthened  by  him, 
and  shall  depart  in  peace." — After  the 
expiration  of  the  three  hours,  upon  the 
crier's  summons,  he  appeared  at  the  bar, 
manfully  confessed  the  faith  of  Christ, 
heard  the  sentence  of  condemnation,  and 
was  beheaded. 

Without  more  acquaintance  with  the 
particular*  institutes  of  Roman  law  on 
this  subject,  it  is  not  easy  to  reconcile 
this  proceeding  with  the  edict  of  Gallie- 
nus. — Perhaps  the  act  of  Achceus  was  il- 
legal,— or,  perhaps,  some  particular  mili- 
tary law  might  be  in  force  against  the 
martyr.  The  fact,  however,  rests  on  the 
best  authority ;  and  the  profession  of 
arms  appears  to  have  had  still  among 
them,  since  the  days  of  Cornelius,  those 
who  loved  Jesus  Christ.' 

The  greatest  luminary  in  the  Church 
at  this  time  was  Dionysius  of  Alexandria. 
His  works  are  lost :  A  few  extracts  of 
them,  preserved  by  Eusebius,  have  al- 
The  Sa-  ready  been  given ; — and  some 
bellian  few  more  may  be  here  intro- 

Heresy  duced — He  speaks  of  the  Sa- 

appears.  bellian  heresy,  which  had 
now  made  its  appearance, — as  follows  : — 


Euseb.  Book  7,  Chap.  14. 


"  As*  many  brethren  have  sent  their 
books  and  disputations  in  writing  to  me, 
concerning  the  impious  doctrine  lately 
propagated  at  Pentapolis  in  Ptolemais, 
which  contains  many  blasphemies  against 
the  Almighty  God  and  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  also  much  infi- 
delity respecting  his  only-begotten  Son, 

the  FIRST  BEGOTTEN  OF  EVERY  CREATURE, 

and  THE  Word  incarnate  ;  and,  lastly, 
much  senseless  ignorance  relative  to  the 
Holy  Ghost; — some  of  them  I  have 
transcribed,  and  sent  the  copies  to  you." 

This  is  the  first  account  in  existence  of 
the  origin  of  Sabellianism  ; — a  plausible 
corruption,  no  doubt, — perhaps  the  most 
so  of  all  those  which  oppose  the  mystery 
of  the  Trinity.  But,  like  all  the  rest,  it 
fails  for  want  of  Scripture-evidence,  and 
shows  itself  to  be  only  a  weak  attempt  to 
lower  and  submit  to  human  reason  that, 
which  was  never  meant  to  be  amenable 
to  its  tribunal.  The  careful  distinctions 
of  Dionysius,  in  recounting  the  persons 
of  the  Trinity,  were  very  proper  in  speak- 
ing of  a  heresy  which  confounds  the  per- 
sons, and  leaves  them  nothing  of  those 
distinct  characters,  on  which  the  nature 
of  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  so  much 
depends. 

This  bishop  also  delivers  his  senti- 
ments in  the  controversy  concerning  the 
re-baptizing  of  heretics :  He  is  against 
that  practice ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  he 
condemns  with  great  severity  the  Nova- 
tian  schism ; — because,  says  he,  "  it 
charges  the  most  loving  and  merciful 
God  with  unmercifulness."f  Yet,  on 
the  subject  of  baptism,  he  confesses  him- 
self to  have  been,  for  some  time  at  least, 
stago-ered  in  opinion  by  a  remarkable 
caseT — "  When  the  brethren  were  gather- 
ed together,  and  when  there  was  present 
one  who  had  been,  before  my  time,  an 
ancient  minister  of  the  clergy,  a  certain 
person,  allowed  to  be  sound  in  the  faith, 
— upon  seeing  our  form  and  manner  of 
baptism,  and  hearing  the  interrogatories 
and  responses,  came  to  me  weeping  and 
wailing,  falling  prostrate  at  my  feet,  and 
protesting — that  the  baptism  which  he 
had  received  was  heretical, — could  not 
be  the  true  baptism, — and,  that  it  had  no 
agreement  with  that  which  was  in  use 
among  us,  but,  on  the  contrary,  was  full 
of  impiety  and  blasphemy.  He  owned, 
that  the  distress  of  his  conscience  was 
extreme, — that  he  durst  not  presume  to 


Book  7,  Chap.  5.      f  Book  7,  Chap.  7. 


Ce^t.  III.] 


EEIGN  OF  GALLIENUS. 


227 


lift  up  his  eyes  to  God,  because  he  had 
been  baptized  with  profane  words  and 
rites.  He  begf^ed  therefore  to  be  re-bap- 
tized ;  with  which  request  I  durst  not 
comply ;  but  I  told  him  that  frequent 
communion,  many  times  administered, 
would  suffice.  This  man  had  heard 
thanksgiving  sounded  in  the  church,  and 
had  sung  to  it,  'Amen;'j  he  had  been 
present  at  the  Lord's  table ;  had  stretched 
forth  his  hand  to  receive  the  holy  food ; 
had  actually  communicated;  and,  indeed 
for  a  long  time,  had  been  partaker  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
— therefore,  I  durst  not  re-baptize  him, 
but  bade  him  be  of  good  cheer  and  of  a 
sure  faith,  and  boldly  ap])roach  to  the 
communion  of  saints. — Notwithstanding 
all  this,  the  man  mourns  continually ; 
and  his  horror  keeps  him  from  the  Lord's 
table ;  and  he  scarcely,  with  much  in- 
treaty,  can  join  in  the  prayers  of  the 
Church." 

We  have  no  farther  account  of  this  mat- 
ter; but  surely  there  is  no  good  reason 
to  believe  that  the  God  of  Grace  would, 
in  due  time,  relieve  such  a  character. 

The  detestation  of  heresy,  and  the 
marked  distinction  of  true  Christianity 
were,  in  some  circumstances,  carried  to 
an  extreme,  during  this  century;  disci- 
pline, however,  was  not  neglected  in  the 
Church;  but,  as  I  have  already  observed, 
was  carried  sometimes  to  excess, — even 
to  superstition. — Sextan's  temptations  are 
ever  ready  to  drive  to  despair  truly  peni- 
tent and  contrite  spirits.  This  story,  as 
it  respects  all  the  parties  concerned, 
breathes  throughout  a  spirit  the  very  op- 
posite to  the  licentious  boldness  of  our 
own  times,  and  marks  the  peculiar  cha- 
racter of  the  piety  of  the  age  of  Diony- 
sius ; — which  was  sincere,  but  mixed 
with  superstition.* 

The  celebration  of  the  feast  of  Easter 
and  of  other  holy  days,  forms  the  subject 
of  another  of  Dionysius's  epistles. 

Dionysius,  now  returned  from  exile  to 
Alexandria,  found  it  involved  in  the  hor- 
rors of  a  civil  war.  On  the  feast  of  Eas- 
ter, as  if  he  was  still  in  banishment,  he 
wrote  to  his  people,  who  were  in  another 
part  of  the  city,  with  which  he  could 
have  no  personal  intercourse.  In  a  letter 
to  Hierax,  an  Egyptian  bishop  at  some 
distance,  he  says,  "  It  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  that  it  is  difficult  for  me  to  con- 
verse by  epistles  with  those  at  a  distance, 


Euseb.  Book  7,  Chap.  8. — See  Greek. 


when  I  find  myself  here  precluded  from 
having  any  intercourse  with  my  most  in- 
timate friends  and  tenderest  connexions. 
— Even  with  them  I  have  no  intercourse 
but  by  writing,  though  they  are  citizens 
of  the  same  Church ;  and  I  find  it  very 
difficult  to  procure  a  safe  conveyance  of 
any  letters  which  I  would  send  to  them. 
A  man  may  more  easily  travel  from  the 
east  to  the  west  than  from  Alexandria  to 
Alexandria.  The  middle  road  of  this 
city  is  more  impassable  than  that  vast 
wilderness  which  the  Israelites  wan- 
dered through  in  two  generations." — He 
goes  on  to  describe  the  miseries  of  war 
and  bloodshed,  of  plagues  and  diseases, 
which,  at  that  time,  desolated  Alexan- 
dria;— and  he  complains  that  the  people 
still  repented  not  of  their  sins. 

To  the  brethren  he  says,  "  Now  every 
thing  is  full  of  lamentation; — every  one 
does  nothing  but  mourn  and  howl  through 
the  city,  because  of  the  multitude  of 
corpses  and  the  daily  deaths. — Many  of 
our  brethren,  through  their  great  love  and 
brotherly  affection,  spared  not  themselves, 
i)ut  clave  one  to  another,  and  attended 
upon  the  sick  most  diligently;  and,  in 
doing  so,  they  brought  the  sorrows  of 
others  upon  themselves  ;  they  caught  the 
infection,  and  lost  their  own  lives.  In 
this  manner  the  best  of  our  brethren  de- 
parted this  life ; — of  whom  some  were 
presbyters,  and  some  deacons, — highly 
reverenced  by  the  common  people."  He 
then  goes  on  to  observe  with  what  affec- 
tionate care  the  Christians  attended  the 
funerals  of  their  friends,  while  the  Pagans, 
in  the  same  city,  through  fear  of  receiv- 
ing the  contagion,  deserted  and  neglected 
theirs.  Undoubtedly  he  describes  here 
a  strong  picture  of  the  benevolence  of 
Christians,  and  of  the  selfishness  of  other 
men. — It  belongs  to  true  Christianity  to 
produce  such  fruits,  though,  in  some  re- 
spects, they  might  be  carried  farther  than 
real  Christian  prudence  would  vindicate. 
— But  every  lover  of  Jesus  is  refreshed 
to  find  the  certain  marks  of  his  Spirit 
and  HIS  presence  among  his  people. 

An  Egyptian  bishop,  named  Nepos, 
taught  that  the  Millemiium  was  to  come 
AFTER  the  resurrection ;  and  described 
the  happiness  of  saints  as  much  consist- 
ing in  corporeal  enjoyments.  Dionysius 
thought  the  notion  dangerous; — yet,  his 
candour  inclined  him  to  entertain  a  good 
opinionof  Nepos  on  the  whole.  He  com- 
mends his  faith,  his  diligence,  his  skill 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  and,  particularly, 


228 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.XVH. 


his  agreeable  psalmody,  with  which  many 
of  his  brethren  were  delighted  :  But,  as 
he  thought  his  opinions  not  safe,  he  op- 
posed them.  When  he  was  at  Arsenoita, 
he  spent  three  days  with  the  brethren  who 
had  been  infected  with  the  notions  of 
Nepos,  and  explained  the  subject.  He 
speaks  with  much  commendation  of  the 
candour  and  docility  of  the  people,  par- 
ticularly of  Coracion  their  leader,  who 
owned  himself  brought  over  to  the  senti- 
ments of  Dionysius. — The  authority  of 
Dionysius  seems  to  have  quashed  the 
opinions  of  Nepos  in  the  bud. — The  con- 
sequence of  an  injudicious  and  unscrip- 
tural  view  of  the  Millennium,  thus  re- 
jected and  refuted  by  a  bishop  of  candour, 
judgment  and  authority,  was, — that  the 
doctrine  itself,  for  ages,  continued  both 
much  out  of  sight,  and  out  of  repute. — 
The  learned  reader  need  not  be  told,  with 
how  much  clearer  light  it  has  been  re- 
vived and  confirmed  in  our  days. 

Dionysius  finding  how  much  use  had 
been  made  of  the  Revelation  of  St.  John 
in  supporting  the  doctrine  of  the  Millen- 
nium, gives  his  thoughts  on  that  sublime 
and  wonderful  book  :  With  much  modes- 
ty he  confesses,  that  though  he  rever- 
enced its  contents,  he  did  not  understand 
their  scope. 

The  subtilty  and  the  restless  spirit  of 
those,  who  corrupt  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity,  have  ever  had  this  advantage, — 
that  while  they,  without  fear  or  scruple, 
can  say  what  they  please,  its  defenders 
are  reduced  to  the  necessity  either  of  leav- 
ing the  field  to  them  entirely,  or  of  expos- 
ing themselves  to  the  specious  charge  of 
maintainino;  some  human  invention,  or 
even  heresy, — contrary  to  that  which  they 
are  opposing.  This  last  was  the  case  of 
Dionysius  in  his  attack  on  Sabellianism. 
The  scantiness  of  our  ideas,  and  the  ex- 
treme difficulty  of  clothing,  with  proper 
expressions,  those  very  inadequate  ones 
which  we  have  on  a  subject  so  profound, 
naturally  lay  us  open  to  such  imputation, 
from  which,  however,  faithful  zeal  will 
never  be  disposed  to  shrink  on  a  proper 
occasion ; — I  mean,  the  faithful  zeal  of 
those,  who  see  through  the  designs  of 
heretics,  and  who  prefer  truth,  tlaough 
veiled  in  an  unavoidable  mystery,  to  spe- 
cious error  disguised  in  an  affected  garb 
of  simplicity. — Sabellius  had  taken  pains 
to  confound  the  persons  of  the  Father  and 
the  Son.  Dionysius  showed,  by  an  un- 
equivocal testimony,  that  the  Father  was 
not  the  same  as  the  Son,  nor  the  Son  the 


same  as  the  Father. — Dionysius,  bishop 
of  Rome,  being  informed  of  these  things, 
assembled  a  council,  in  which  certain  ex- 
pressions attributed  to  his  namesake  of 
Alexandria  were  disapproved ;  and  he 
wrote  to  him  with  a  view  of  furnishing 
an  opportunity  for  explanation. 

The  bishop  of  Alexandria  with  great 
clearness,  candour,  and  moderation,  ex- 
plained himself  at  large  in  a  work  which 
he  entitled  a  Refutation  and  Apology.*  In 
the  small  remains  of  this  work,  it  appears 
that  he  held  the  consubstantiability  of  the 
Son  with  the  Father :  He  describes  the 
Trinity  in  Unity,  and  steers  equally  clear 
of  the  rock  of  Sabellianism,  which  con- 
founds the  persons,  and  that  of  Arianism, 
which  divides  the  substance.  His  testi- 
mony, therefore,  may  be  added  to  the 
uniform  judgment  of  the  primitive  fathers 
on  this  subject. 

"  The  Father,"  says  he,  "  cannot  be 
separated  from  the  Son,  as  he  is  the  Fa- 
ther ;  for  THAT  NAME,  at  the  same  time, 
establishes  the  relation.  Neither  can 
the  Son  be  separated  from  the  Father ;  for 
the  word  Father  implies  the  union  :  more- 
over, the  Spirit  is  united  with  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  because  it  cannot  exist  se- 
parate either  from  him  who  sends  it,  or 
from  HIM  who  brings  it.  Thus  we  under- 
stand the  indivisible  Unity  without  any 
diminution."  This  account  was  satis- 
factory to  the  whole  Church  ;  and  was 
allowed  to  contain  the  sense  of  Chris- 
tians on  the  doctrine. 

In  the  year  twojiundred  and  sixty-four, 
the  heresy  of  Paul  of  Samosata  began  to 
excite  the  general  attention  of  Christians; 
and,  about  the  same  time,  a  p^^^^j  ^j- 
degeneracy  both  in  principle  Samosata, 
and  practice,  hitherto  very  un-  .  j^  oqa 
common  within  the  pale  of  '  '  " 
Christianity,  attracted  the  particular  no- 
tice of  all  who  wished  well  to  the  souls 
of  men.  Paul  was  the  bishop  of  Antioch. 
It  gives  one  no  very  high  idea  of  the  state 
of  ecclesiastical  discipline  in  that  renown- 
ed Church,  that  such  a  man  should  ever 
have  been  placed  at  its  head  : — But  it  is 
no  new  thing  for  even  sincere  Christians 
to  be  dazzled  with  the  parts  and  eloquence 
of  corrupt  men.  The  ideas  of  this  man 
seem  to  have  been  perfectly  secular. 
Zenobia  of  Palmyra,  who,  at  that  time, 
styled  herself  Queen  of  the  East,  and 
reigned  over  a  large  part  of  the  empire 
which  had  been  torn  from  the  indolent 


*  Anth  de  Sent.— See  Fleury,  L.  iv.  Book  7. 


CsiTT.  in.] 


REIGN  OF  GALLIENUS. 


229 


hands  of  Gallienus,  desired  his  instruc- 
tions in  Christianity.*  It  does  not  ap- 
pear that  her  motives  had  anything  in 
them     beyond    philosophical    curiosity 


years,  Claudius  succeeded ;  and,  after  a 
rein"n  of  two  years,  in  which  he  continued 
the  protector  of  Christians,  Aurelian  be- 
came  emperor.      Under   him   a   second 


The  master  and  the  scholar  were 


well  council  was  convened  concerning  Paul  of 


suited  to  each  other;  and  Paul  taucrht 
her  his  own  conceptions  of  Jesus  Christ, 
— namely,  that  he  was,  by  nature,  a  com- 
mon man  like  others.  The  irregularities 
of  Paul's  life,  and  the  heterodoxy  of  his 
doctrines  could  no  longer  be  endured. 
There  is,  in  fact,  more  necessary  connex- 
ion between  principle  and  practice  than 
the  world  is  ready  to  believe ;  for  pure 
practical  holiness  can  only  be  the  effect 
of  Christian  truth. — The  bishops  met  at 
Antioch,  to  consider  his  case:  Among 
these,  were,  particularly,  Firmilian  of 
Caesarea  in  Cappadocia,  Gregoryf  Thau- 
maturgus,  and  Athenodorus,  who  were 
brethren  and  bishops  in  Pontus ;  and 
Theotecnes  of  Caesarea  in  Palestine.  A 
number  of  ministers  and  deacons  besides 
met  together  on  the  occasion.  In  several 
sessions  the  case  of  Paul  was  argued. 
Firmilian  seems  to  have  presided. — Paul 
was  induced  to  recant;  and  with  such 
appearances  of  sincerity  that  Firmilian  and 
tlie  council  believed  him.  The  matter 
slept,  therefore,  for  the  present,  and  Paul 
continued  in  his  bishopric. 

It  was  in  the  same  year  two  hundred 
and  sixty-four,  the  eleventh  of  Gallienus, 
•p.  ,  r  that  Dionysius  of  Alexandria 
Dionvsius.  f^ied,  after  having  held  the 
A  n'  T-l'  '*'*^°  seventeen  years.  He  had 
been  invited  to  the  council ; 
but  pleaded  in  excuse  his  great  age  and 
infirmities  :  he,  however,  sent  a  letter  to 
the  council,  containing  his  advice,  and 
addressed  the  Church  of  Antioch,  with- 
out taking  any  notice  of  her  bishop.  This 
was  the  last  service  of  this  great  and 
good  man  to  the  Church  of  Christ,  after 
having  gone  through  a  variety  of  hard- 
ships, and  distinguished  himself  by  his 
steady  piety  in  the  cause  of  religion.  His 
having  been  a  pupil  of  Origen  in  his 
younger  years  was  no  great  advantage  to 
his  theological  knowledge :  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  our  materials  concerning 
him  are  so  defective ;  but  the  few  frag- 
ments which  remain,  afford  the  strongest 
marks  of  unquestionable  good  sense  and 
moderation,  as  well  as  of  genuine  piety. 

Gallienus  having  reigned  about  fifteen 


Firmiliaa 
dies, 

A.  U.  269. 


*  Athan.  torn.  11.  p.  857. — Fleury,  Euseb. 
vii.  Chap.  0,  kc. 
t  See  his  Life  in  the  next  Chap. 
Vol.  I.  U 


Saraosata.  He  dissembled  egregiously; 
nevertheless,  the  intolerable  corruption 
both  of  his  doctrine  and  of  his  morals, 
was  proved  in  a  satisfactory  manner ;  in- 
somuch that  the  servants  of  Christ  felt 
themselves  called  upon  to  show  openly, 
that  all  regard  to  the  person  and  precepts 
of  their  divine  Master  was  not  lost  in 
the  Christian  world.* — Seventy  bishops 
appeared  at  the  synod,  among  whom 
Theotecnes  of  Caesarea  in  Palestine 
was  still  one  of  the  principal.  They 
waited  some  time  for  the  arrival  of  Fir- 
milian of  Cappadocia,  who  had  been 
invited,  and  was  on  his  way,  notwith- 
standing his  great  age;  but 
he  died  at  Tarsus  in  the  year 
two  hundred  and  sixty-nine. 
He  had  been  one  of  the  great- 
est luminaries  of  the  day,  and  so  had  Gre- 
gory Thaumaturgus  of  Pontus,  who  also 
died  in  the  interval  between  the  first  and 
second  council.  The  loss  of  these  great 
men  was,  no  doubt,  the  more  severely 
felt  on  this  occasion,  because  it  was  not 
in  the  power  of  ever)"^  one,  who  really  be- 
lieved and  loved  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus, 
to  confute  and  expose,  in  a  proper  manner, 
the  artifices  of  Paul. 

Whoever  has  seen  the  pains  taken  at 
this  day,  by  many  persons  of  Paul's  per- 
suasion, to  cover  their  ideas  unde*;  a 
cloud  of  ambiguous  expressions,  and  to 
represent  themselves,  when  attacked,  as 
meaning  the  same  thing  with  real  Chris- 
tians, while,  at  other  times,  they  take  all 
possible  pains,  and  in  the  most  open  way, 
to  undermine  the  fundamental  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel,  will  not  be  surprised  that 
Paul, — artful,  eloquent,  and  deceitful  as 
he  was, — should  be  able  to  give  a  spe- 
cious colour  to  his  ideas.  But,  there  was 
in  the  council  a  presbyter,  named  Mal- 
chion,  who  added  to  the  soundness  of 
Christian  faith  great  skill  in  the  art  of 
reasoning :  He  had  been,  a  long  time, 
governor^of  the  school  of  humanity  at  An- 
tioch: and  his  talents  and  experience 
were  of  great  service  in  this  business: — 
He  so  pressed  the  ambiguous,  equivo- 
cating Paul,  that  he  compelled  him  to 
declare  himself  and  to  disclose  his  most 
secret  meanings.     There  needed  no  more 

*  Athan.  de  Sjn.  Euseb.  28,  &c. 


230 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XVH. 


Paul  of 

Samosata 
deposed, 

A.  D. 269 

or  270. 


to  condemn  him.  All  the  bishops  agreed 
to  his  deposition  and  exclusion  from  the 
Christian  Church. — Malchion's  disputa- 
tion against  Paul  was  preserved  in  writing 
to  the  time  of  Eusebius. 

No  fact  in  Church  history  is  more  cer- 
tain than  the  deposition  and  exclusion  of 
Paul ; — and  the  inference  is,  thence,  de- 
monstratively clear, — that  So- 
cinianism  in  the  year  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-nine,  was  not 
suffered  to  exist  within  the 
pale  of  the  Christian  Church. 
— I  use  that  term,  because  it 
is  now  well  understood;  and  because  it 
fairly  expresses  the  ideas  of  Paul.  In 
truth; — no  injury  was  done  to  the  man: 
He  had  certainly  no  more  right  to  Chris- 
tian preferment  than  a  traitor  has  to  hold 
an  office  of  trust  under  a  legal  govern- 
ment; and  to  oblige  him  to  speak  out 
what  he  really  held,  was  no  more  than 
what  justice  required  :  Truth  and  open- 
ness are  essential  to  the  character  of  all 
teachers  :  He  who  is  void  of  them,  de- 
serves to  be  without  scholars  or  hearers. 
At  the  same  time  I  cannot  but  further 
conclude — that  the  doctrine,  usually  call- 
ed Trinitarian,  was  universal  in  the 
Church  in  those  times  : — Dionysius,  Fir- 
milian,    Gregory,    Theotecnes,    seventy 


"  For  the  purpose  of  healing  this  deadly 
and  poisonous  mischief,  we  have  called 
many  bishops  from  far,  as  Dionysius  of 
Alexandria,  and  Firmilian  of  Csesarea  in 
Cappadocia, — menblessed  in  the  Lord ; — 
the  former  of  whom,  writing  hither  to 
Antioch,  vouchsafed  not  so  much  as  once 
to  salute  the  author  of  the  heresy;  for  he 
wrote  not  specifically  to  him,  but  to  the 
whole  congregation; — the  copy  of  which 
we  have  annexed.    Firmilian  came  twice 
to  Antioch,  and   condemned   this   novel 
doctrine. — He  wished  to  have  come  the 
third  time,  for  the  same  purpose;  but  he 
only  reached  Tarsus;  and,  while  we  were 
assembling,  sending  for  him,  and  expect- 
ing his  coming,  he  departed  this  life. — 
This  man*  was  formerly  indigont:    He 
derived  no  property  from  his  parents,  nor 
acquired  any  either  by  a  trade  or  a  pro- 
fession ;  yet  he  is  grown  exceedingly  rich 
by  sacrilegious  practices  and   by  extor- 
tions.— He  deceived  the  brethren  and  im- 
posed on  their  easiness:    He  entangled 
them  in  law  suits :  pretended  to  assist  the 
injured  ;  took  bribes  on  all  sides,  and  thus 
turned  godliness  into  gain. — Vain,  and 
fond  of  secular  dignity,  he  preferred  the 
name  of  Judge  to  that  of  Bishop:    He 
erected  for  himself  a  tribunal  and  lofty 
throne,  after  the  manner  of  civil  magis- 


bishops,  the  whole  Christian  world,  were  trates,  and  not  like  a  disciple  of  Christ. — 


unanimous  on  this  head  ; — and  this  una- 
nimity may  satisfactorily  be  traced  up  to 
the  Apostles. 

Paul  being  deposed,  and  a  new  bishop 
being  chosen  in  his  room,  an  epistle  was 
dictated  by  the  council  and  sent  to  Dio- 
nysius of  Rome  and  to  Maximus  of  Alex- 
andria, and  also  dispersed  through  the 
Roman  world,  in  which  they  explained 
their  own  labours  in  this  matter, — the 
perverse  duplicity  of  Paul, — and  the  ob- 
jections against  him. — The  chief  part  of 
this  will  deserve  to  be  transcribed — from 
Eusebius — as  the  most  authentic  account 
of  the  whole  transaction.* 

"  To  Dionysius  and  Maximus,  and  all 
our  fellow  bishops,  elders,  and  deacons 
throughout  the  world,  and  to  the  whole 
universal  Church,^  Helenus,  Hymeufeus, 
Theophilus,  Theotecnes,  &c.,  with  all  the 
other  bishops  who  with  us  inhabit  and 
preside  over  the  neighbouring  cities  and 
provinces  ; — together  with  the  presbyters 
and  deacons  and  holy  Churches  of  God, — 
to  the  beloved  brethren  in  the  Lord,  send 
greeting : — 

*  Book  7.  chap.  29. 


He  was  accustomed  to  walk  through  the 
streets,  with  a  numerous  guard,  in  great 
state,  receiving  letters  and  dictating  an- 
swers ;  insomuch  that  great  scandal  has 
accrued  to  the  faith  through  his  pride  and 
haughtiness.     In   church   assemblies  he 
used  theatrical  artifices,  to  amaze,  sur- 
prise, and  procure  applause  from  weak 
people :— such  as,  striking  his  thigh  with 
his  hand,  and  stamping  with  his  feet. — 
Then,  if  there  were  any,  who  did  not  ap- 
plaud him,  nor  shake  their  handkerchiefs, 
nor  make  loud  acclamations  as  is  usual 
in  the  theatre, — nor  leap  up  and  down  as 
his  partizans  do, — but  behaved  with  de- 
cent and  reverent  attention  as  becomes 
the  house  of  God,  he  reproved— and  even 
reviled   such    persons. — He    openly   in- 
veighed against  the  deceased  expositors 
of  .Scripture  in  the  most  impudent  and 
scornful  terms;   and   magnified   himself 
exactly  in  the  manner  of  sophists  and 
impostors.     He   suppressed  the   psalms 
made   in   honour   of  Jesus   Christ,   and 
called  them  modern  compositions ; — and 


he   directed   others   to   be 


in 


the 


*  Paul  of  Samosata. 


CEinp.  in.] 


REIGN  OF  GALLIENUS. 


231 


Church  in  his  own  commendation, — 
which  very  much  shocked  the  hearers  : — 
He  also  encouraged  similar  practices,  as 
far  as  it  was  in  his  power,  among  the 
neighbouring  bishops. — He  refused  to  ac- 
knowledge the  Son  of  God  to  have  coine 
down  from  heaven;  and  affirmed  positive- 
ly that  he  was  of  the  eari  i. — These  are 
not  mere  assertions,  but  si  all  be  proved 
by  the  "public  records  of  the  Synod. — 
Moreover,  this  same  man  kept  women  m 
his  house  under  the  pretence  of  their  be- 
ing poor :  His  priests  and  deacons  did  the 
same;  but  he  tolerated  and  concealed  this 
and  many  other  of  their  crimes,  in  order 
that  they  might  remain  in  a  state  of  de- 
pendence; and  that,  standing  in  fear  on 
their  own  account,  they  might  not  dare 
to  bring  accusations  against  him  for  his 
Wicked  actions.  He  also  frequently  gave 
them  money ; — and  in  that  way,  he  en- 
gaged covetous  and  worldly  dispositions 
very  strongly  in  his  interest. — We  are 
persuaded,  brethren,  that  a  bishop  and 
all  his  clergj''  are  bound  to  give  the  peo- 
ple an  example  of  all  good  works ;  and 
we  are  not  ignorant,  that  many,  by  the 
dangerous  and  evil  custom  of  introducing 
single  and  unprotected  women  into  their 
houses,  have  fallen  into  sin; — and  how 
man)',  also,  are  subject  to  suspicion  and 
slander  on  the  same  account.  If,  there- 
fore, it  should  be  admitted,  that  he  hath 
committed  no  actual  crime,  yet  the  very 
suspicion  arising  from  such  a  conduct 
ought  to  be  guarded  against,  for  fear  of 
giving  offence  or  setting  a  bad  example 
to  any.  For  how  can  he  reprove  another, 
or  admonish  another — not  to  converse 
frequent!}'  and  privately  with  a  woman, — 
and  to  take  heed,  as  it  is  written,  lest  he 
fall, — HE  who,  though  he  has  sent  away 
one,  still  keeps  two  women  in  his  house; 
— both  of  them  handsome  and  in  the 
flower  of  their  age :  Besides,  wherever 
he  goes,  he  carries  them  about  with  him; 
and  at  the  same  time  indulges  himself  in 
high  living  and  luxuries. — On  account  of 
these  things  all  sighed  in  secret  indigna- 
tion, but  trembled  at  his  power,  and  did 
not  dare  to  accuse  him. 

"  Doubtless  he  would  deserve  severe 
censures,  even  if  he  were  our  dearest 
friend,  and  perfectly  orthodox  in  his  sen- 
timents ; — but  as  he  has  renounced  Chris- 
tian mysteries, — We  have  felt  ourselves 
under  the  necessity  of  expelling  from  the 
Church  this  contumacious  adversary  of 
God ;  we  have,  accordingly,  placed  in  his 
room  Donjnus— .a  person  adorned  with  all 


the  gifts  required  in  a  bishop  :  He  is  the 
son  of  Demetrian,  of  blessed  memory — 
the  predecessor  of  Paul." 

It  is  fashionable,  at  present,  to  despise 
all  religious  councils  whatever:  and  pro- 
bably, this  contempt  does  not  arise  from 
an  EXTRAORDINARY  regard  to  religion  it- 
self. For,  on  all  subjects,  which  are  es- 
teemed of  moment  and  of  general  concern, 
common  sense  hath  ever  dictated  to  man- 
kind the  propriety  and  advantage  of  hold- 
ing councils,  by  which  the  wisdom  of 
THE  MANY  might  be  collected,  concen- 
trated and  directed  to  beneficial  purposes. 
Let  the  reader  reflect,  how  much  this  has 
ever  been  the  case  in  regard  to  politics, 
agriculture,  commerce,  and  the  fine  arts. 
— Against  religious  councils,  however 
moulded,  or  however  conducted,  the  tor- 
rent of  the  present  times,  unquestionably, 
runs  violent:  And  the  mind  of  a  historian 
is  strongly  tempted  to  give  way  to  this 
torrent ;  for  by  so  doing,  he  much  more 
easily  acquires  a  reputation  for  good 
sense  and  discernment,  than  by  any  ex- 
ercises of  learning,  industry,  or  reflection, 
if  these  should  lead  him  to  oppose  opi- 
nions, which  happen  to  be  prevalent. 
But  it  is,  also,  to  be  remembered,  that  a 
temporary  reputation  which  neither  con- 
sists with  truth,  nor  with  the  deliberate 
judgment  of  the  writer,  is  of  very  little 
value  ; — and  with  this  sentiment  in  view, 
I  venture  to  affirm,  that  religious  coun- 
cils ought  not  to  be  universally  despised 
and  rejected,  because  some  of  them  have 
been  useless  or  hurtful. — The  council  at 
Jerusalem*  was  intrinsically  of  more  va- 
lue than  all  the  wealth  and  power  of  the 
Roman  empire :  It  was  by  a  council,  also, 
that  Cyprian  was  enabled  to  serve^  the 
Church  substantially,  though  in  one'  in- 
stance he  failed  :  And,  again,  the  council, 
which  dictated  the  letter  concerning  Paul 
of  Samosata,  will  deserve  the  thanks  of 
the  Church  of  Christ  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  Circumstanced  as  Paul  was, — 
superior  in  artifice,  eloquence,  and  capa- 
city;— supported  in  civil  power,  and  un- 
controlled in  his  own  tiiocese,  nothing 
seemed  so  likely  to  weaken  his  influence 
and  encourage  the  true  disciples  of  Christ 
as  the  concurrent  testimony  of  the  Chris- 
tian world  assembled  against  him.  And 
though  it  may  be  difficult  for  the  insin- 
cere mildness  of  polite  scepticism  to  re- 
lish the  blunt  tone  of  the  council,  there 
seem  to  me,  in  their  proceedings,  evident 


See  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 


232 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XYTi. 


marks  of  the  fear  of  God,  of  Christian 
gravity,  and  of  conscientious  regard  to 
truth.  No  doubt,  the  reports  of  Paul's 
actual  lewdness  must  have  been  very 
common  in  Antioch  ; — but,  for  want  of 
specific  proof, — the  hardest  thing  in  the 
world  to  be  obtained  in  such  cases, — they 
check  the  smallest  disposition  to  exag- 
gerate: they  assert  no  more  than  what 
they  positively  knew;  and  thus  they  con- 
vince posterity  that  they  w'ere,  in  no  way, 
under  the  dominion  of  intemperate  pas- 
sion or  resentment.  This  is  the  first  in- 
stance of  a  Christian  bishop  having  been 
proved  so  shamefully  secular; — and  that, 
on  the  most  authentic  evidence  ; — a  griev- 
ous fact  I — The  mind  is  however  con- 
siderably relieved  by  observing,  that 
there  existed  at  the  same  time  a  becom- 
ing zeal  for  truth  and  holiness. 

Dionysius  of  Rome  died,  also,  in  the 
year  270.  His  successor  Felix  wrote  an 
epistle  to  Maximus  of  Alexandria,  in 
which, — probably  on  account 
D.onysius  ^f  p^^pg  heresy,— he  speaks 
or  Kome         ,,  ,,  -..t    ,  ■',■         ^,  '  ^ 

jjjgg  thus : — "  VV  e  believe  that  our 

A.  D.  270.  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  was 
born  of  the  Virgin  Mary:  we 
believe  that  he  himself  is  the  eternal  God 
and  the  Word,  and  not  a  mere  man, 
whom  God  took  into  himself,  in  such  a 
manner,  as  that  the  man  should  be  dis- 
tinct from  him  :  For  the  Son  of  God  is 
perfect  God;  and  was  also  made  perfect 
man,  by  being  incarnate  of  the  Virgin."* 
By  the  favour  of  Zenobia,  Paul  for  the 
space  of  two  or  three  years  supported  iiim- 
self  in  the  possession  of  the  mother- 
church  of  Antioch,  and  of  the  episcopal 
house,  and,  of  course,  of  so  much  of  the 
revenues  as  depended  not  on  voluntary 
contributions  of  the  people.  A  party  he, 
doubtless,  had  among  the  people;  but  the 
horror,  which  Socinianism  tlien  excited 
liirough  the  Christian  world,  as  well  as 
the  flagitiousness  of  his  life,  render  it  im- 
possible that  he  should  have  had,  in  gene- 
ral, the  hearts  of  the  Christians  of  Anti- 
och. Zenobia.  was  conquered  by  the  em- 
peror Aurelian,  and  then  a  change  took 
place  :  The  Christians  complained  ;  and 
Aurelian,  considering  Rome  and  Italy  as, 
in  all  things,  a  guide  to  the  rest  of  the 
world,  ordered, — that  the  controversy 
should  be  decided  according  to  the  senti- 
ments of  the  bishops.  Oi'  course  Paul 
was  fully  and  effectually  expelled ;  and 
•we  hear  no  more  of  him  in  history. 

*  Cone.  Eph. — See  Fleury,  Book  8,  chap.  4. 


Aurelian,  hitherto,  had  been  the  friend 

of  Christians :    but  pagan    superstition 

and  its  abettors  drove  him  at     .       i- 
1        ,,    •    ^  ,,  Aurelian 

length  into  measures  ot  per-     beoins  a 

secution.  The  Christians  were     nfh  Per- 

in  full  expectation  of  sangui-     secution, 

nary    treatment,     when    his     A.  D.  272. 

death  prevented  his  designs,     Aurelian 

in  the  year  two  hundred  and     k'Hed, 

seventy-five.  ■^-  ^-  ^'''" 

Tacitus,  the  successor  of  Aurelian,  after 
a  short  reign,  left  the  empire  to  Probus; 
in  whose  second  year,  and  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  two  hundred  and  se-  „  „_ 
venty-seven,  appeared  the  '  '  * 
monstrous  heresy  of  Manes,  of  which  the 
fundamental  principle  was  the  admission 
of  two  first  causes  independent  of  each 
other,  for  the  purpose  of  explaining  the 
origin,  of  evil.  But  I  write  not  the  history 
of  heresies:  That  has  been  peribrmed 
with  sufficient  accuracy  by  many,  while 
we  have  very  scanty  information  of  the 
progress  of  true  religion. — This  heresy 
continued  long  to  infest  the  Church;  and 
necessity  will  oblige  me  hereafter,  if  this 
work  be  continued,  to  take  notice  of  it 
more  distinctly. 

After  Probus,  Carus  and  his  two  sons, 
Dioclesian  beo-an  to  reio-n  in  the  year  two 
hundred  and  eighty-four.  For  the  space 
of  eighteen  years  this  emperor  was  ex- 
tremely indulgent  to  theChris- 
tians.  His  wife  Prisca  and  °'i"*;[f '^'^ 
his  daughter  Valeria  were  ^'i)'  234 
Christians,  in  some  sense,  se- 
cretly. The  eunuchs  of  his  palace  and 
his  most  important  olhcers  were  also 
Christians;  and  their  wives  and  families 
opely  professed  the  Gospel.  Christians 
held  honourable  offices  in  various  parts  of 
the  empire  ;  innumerable  crowds  attended 
Christian  worship :  the  old  buildings 
could  no  longer  receive  them  ;  and  in  all 
cities,  wide  and  large  edifices  were 
erected.* 

If  Christ's  kingdom  had  been  of  this 
world  ;  and,  if  its  strength  and  beauty 
were  to  be  measured  by  secular  pros- 
perity, we  should  here  fix  the  ajra  of  its 
greatness.  But,  on  the  contrary,  the  rera 
of  its  actual  declension  must  be  dated  in 
the  pacific  part  of  Dioclesian's  reign. 
During  this  whole  century  the  work  of 
God,  in  purity  and  power,  had  been  tend- 
ing to  decay:  The  connexion  with  philo- 
sophers was  one  of  the  principal  causes  : 
Outward  peace  and  secular  advantages 


*  Euseb.  Book  8.  Chap.  1. 


Ckjtt.  nr.] 


REIGN  OF  GALLIENUS. 


233 


completed  the  corruption  :•  Ecclesiastical 
discipline,  which  had  been  too  strict,  was 
now  relaxed  exceedingly :  bishops  and 
people  were  in  a  state  of  malice  :  End- 
less quarrels  were  fomented  among  con- 
tending parties  ;  and  ambition  and  covet- 
ousness  had,  in  general,  gained  the  as- 
cendency in  the  Christian  Church.  Some 
there,  doubtless,  wee,  who  mourned  in 
secret,  and  strove  in  vain  to  stop  the 
abounding  torrent  of  the  evil.  The  truth 
of  this  account  seems  much  confirmed  by 
the  extreme  dearth  of  real  Christian  ex- 
cellencies after  the  death  of  Dionysius. 
For  the  space  of  thirty  years,  no  one 
seems  to  have  arisen  like  Cyprian,  Firmi- 
lian,  Gregory,  or  Dionysius  : — No  bishop 
or  pastor,  eminent  for  piety,  zeal,  and  la- 
bour.— Eusebius,  indeed,  mentions  the 
names  and  characters  of  several  bishops  ; 
but  he  extols  only  their.learning  and  phi- 
losophy, or  their  moral  qualities.  He 
speaks  with  all  the  ardour  of  affection 
concerninsf  a  minister  in  Caesarea  of  Pa- 
lestine,  named  Pamphilus, — but,  in  this 
case  also,  the  best  thing  he  asserts  of 
him  is,  "  that  he  suffered  much  persecu- 
tion and  was  martyred  at  last." — This 
event  must  have  happened  in  the  time  of 
the  persecution  by  Dioclesian,  which  be- 
gins just  after  the  limits  prescribed  to  this 
volume. — Notwithstanding  this  decline 
both  of  zeal  and  of  principle  ; — notwith- 
standing this  scarcity  of  evangelical  graces 
and  fruits,  still  Christian  worship  was 
constantly  attended ;  and  the  number  of 
nominal  converts  was  increasing; — but 
the  faith  of  Christ  itself  appeared  now  an 
ordinary  business  ;  and  here  terminated, 
or  nearly  so,  as  far  as  appears,  that  great 
first  Effusion  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  which 
began  at  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Human 
depravity  effected  throughout  a  general 
decay  of  godliness ;  and  one  generation 
of  men  elapsed  with  very  slender  proofs 
of  the  spiritual  presence  of  Christ  with 
his  Church. 

The  observation  of  Eusebius,  who 
honestly  confesses  this  declension,  is  ju- 
dicious :  "  The  heavy  hand  of  God's 
judgments  began  softly,  by  little  and  lit- 
tle, to  visit  us  after  his  wonted  manner: 
The  persecution,  which  was  raised  against 
us,  took  place  first  among  the  Christians 
who  were  in  military  service ;  but,  we 
were  not  at  all  moved  with  his  hand,  nor 
took  any  pains  to  return  to  God  :  We 
heaped  sin  upon  sin,  judging,  like  care- 
less Epicureans,  that  God  cared  not  for 
our  sins,  nor  would  ever  visit  us  on  ac- 
u2 


count  of  them.  And  our  pretended  shep- 
herds, laying  aside  the  rule  of  godliness, 
practised  among  themselves  contention 
and  division." — He  goes  on  to  observe, — 
that  the  "  dreadful  persecution  of  Diocle- 
sian was  then  inflicted  on  the  Church,  as 
a  just  punishment  and  as  the  most  proper 
chastisement  for  their  iniquities." 

Toward  the  end  of  the  century,  while 
Dioclesian  was  practising  the  supersti- 
tious rites  of  divination,  he  became  per- 
suaded that  the  ill  success  of  his  attempts 
to  pry  into  futurity,  were  owing  to  the 
presence  of  a  Christian  servant,  who  had 
made,  on  his  forehead,  the  sign  of  the 
cross  :  and  he  immediately,  in  great  an- 
ger, ordered  not  only  those  who  were 
present,  but  all  in  his  palace,  to  sacrifice 
to  the  gods,  or,  in  case  of  refusal,  to  be 
scourged  with  whips.*  He  commanded 
also  the  officers  of  his  armies  to  constrain 
all  the  soldiers  to  do  the  same,  or  to  dis- 
charge the  disobedient  from  the  service. 
Eusebius  alludes  to  this  in  the  foregoing 
passage. — Christian  truth,  however,  had 
not  so  universally  decayed,  but  that  many 
chose  rather  to  resign  their  commissions, 
than  to  do  violence  to  their  consciences. 
— Very  few  were  put  to  death  on  this  ac- 
count.— The  story  of  iMarcellus  is  remark- 
able."(•  Mr.  Gibbon  has  undertaken  to 
justify  his  execution,  by  representing  him 
as  punished  purely  for  desertion  and  mi- 
litary disobedience.  But,  it  is  no  unusual 
thing-  for  this  historian  to  suppress  or  to 
disguise  facts,  when  the  credit  of  religion 
is  concerned :  and  I  might  have  added 
this  instance  to  the  list  of  his  perversions, 
which  I  formerly  submitted  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  public. :j:  The  truth  is,  the 
death  of  Marcellus  was  the  effect  of  a 
PARTIAL  PERSECUTION :  Ncw  military 
rules,  subversive  of  Christianity,  were 
introduced  :  Christian  soldiers  were  or- 
dered to  sacrifice  to  the  gods ;  and  they 
could  not  do  this  without  renouncing 
their  religion : — Otherwise,  it  was,  in 
those  times,  not  uncommon  for  tlie  follow- 
ers of  .lesus  to  serve  in  the  armies. 

It  was  in  the  year  two  hundred  and 
ninety-eight,  at  Tangier  in  Mauritania, 
while  every  one  was  employed  in  feasting 
and  sacrifices,  that  Marcellus  the  centu- 
rion took  off  his  belt,  threw  ]\ia,.gel- 
down  his  vine-branch  and  his  jug  called 
arms,  and  added,  "  I  will  not     St.  Mar- 


*  Lactantius,  de  morte  persecut. 

f  Acta  siiicera,  Fleury,  Book  8.  Chap.  27. 

^  See  Milner's  Gibbon. 


234 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XVHL 


celliis,  be-  fight  any  longer  iindor  the 
headed,  banner  of  your  emperor,  or 
A.  D.  298.  serve  your  gods  of  wood  and 
stone.  If  the  condition  of  a  soldier  be 
such  that  he  is  obliged  to  sacrifice  to  gods 
and  emjierors,  I  abandon  the  vine-branch 
and  the  belt,  and  quit  the  service."  "  We 
plainly  see  the  cause,"  says  Fleury,  "that 
forced  the  Christians  to  desert : — They 
■were  compelled  to  partake  of  idolatrous 
worship."  The  centurion  was  ordered  to 
be  beheaded:  And  Cassianus,  the  regis- 
ter, whose  business  it  was  to  take  down 
the  sentence,  cried  out  aloud  that  he  was 
shocked  at  its  injustice,  Marcellus  smiled 
for  joy,  foreseeing  that  Cassi-anus  would 
be  his  fellow-martyr :  In  fact,  he  was 
actually  martyred  about  a  month  after. 

When  I  first  read  Mr.  Gibbon's  account 
of  this  transaction,  I  concluded  that  Mar- 
cellus had  suffered  on  mere  principles  of 
modern  Quakerism. — Quite  unnecessary 
are  any  further  remarks,  on  a  suliject, 
which  is  not  in  the  smallest  degree  ob- 
scure or  uncertain. 

These  preliminaries  to  the  persecution, 
with  which  the  next  century  opens,  did 
not,  it  seems,  duly  affect  the  minds  of 
Christians  in  general ;  nor  was  the  spirit 
of  prayer  stirred  up  among  them;  a  cer- 
tain sign  of  long  and  obstinate  decay  in 
godliness !    There   must  have  been,    in 
secret,  a  lamentable  departure  from  the 
lively  faith  of  the  Gospel.     Origenism, 
and  the  learning  and  philosophy  connect- 
ed with  it,  were  extremely  fashionable  ; 
And  we  conjecture,  that  the  sermons  of 
Christian  pastors  had  more,  in  general 
of  a  merely  moral  and  philosophical  cast, 
than  of  any  thing  purely  evangelical.    In 
truth,  justification  by  faith, — hearty  con 
viction  of  sin, — and  the  Spirit's  influen- 
ces,  are  scarcely  mentioned  in  all  this 
season.     Moral  duties,  I  doubt  not,  were 
inculcated, — but  professors  of  Christian! 
ty  continued  immoral  and  scandalous  in 
their  lives.     The  state  of  the  Church  of 
England  from   the   time  of  Charles    II 
down  to  the  middle  of  the  last  reign, — 
full   of   party   faction   and    animosities, 
and  love  of  the  world,  yet  in  its  public  mi- 
nistrations   adorned   with  learning,  and 
abounding  in  external  morality, — seems 
very  much  to  resemble  that  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  in  manners  and  in  piety,  from 
the  death  of  Dionysius  to  the  end  of  the 
century. — In   one   instance  there  was  a 
great  difference  :  Superstition  was  much 
stronger  in  the  ancient  Church  ;  hut  as  it 
was  enlisted  in  the  service  of  self-right- 


eousness, and  as  the  faith  of  Christ  and 
the  love  of  God  was,  in  a  great  measure, 
buried  under  it,  such  a  diversity  does  not 
affect  the  general  likeness. 

God,  who  had  exercised  long  patience, 
declared  at  length  in  tire  course  of  his 
providence,  "  Because  I  have  purged 
thee,  and  thou  wast  not  purged,  thou 
shalt  not  be  ]nirged  from  thy  filthiness 
any  more,  till  I  have  caused  my  fury  to 

REST  UPON  THEE.* 

But  this  scene,  which  introduces  quite 
a  new  face  on  the  Church,  and  was  quick- 
ly followed  by  several  surprising  revolu- 
tions, belongs  to  the  next  century. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

SOME  ACCOUNT  OF  GREGORY  THAUMA- 
TURGIIS,  TIIEOGNOSTUS,  AND  DIONY- 
SIUS OF  ROME. 

These  three  persons  are  all,  whom  I 
can  find  belonging  to  the  third  century, 
to  whom,  according  to  my  plan,  suffici- 
ent justice  has  not  been  done  already. 
Of  the  two  last,  indeed,  I  have  little  to 
say.  Of  the  first  more  is  recorded.  Eu- 
sebiusj"  has  given  a  short  account  of  him ; 
and  his  life  is  written  at  length,  by  Gre- 
gory of  Nyssen.  Cave  and  Fleury  have 
collected  the  most  material  things  con- 
cerning him ;  but  the  former  is  more  to 
be  depended  on. — I  wish  to 'furnish  the 
reader  witli  every  information  that  may 
appear  valuable  concerning  this  great 
man :  I  wish  to  separate  truth  from  fiction. 
Considerable  allowance,  no  doubt,  must 
be  made  for  the  growth  of  superstitious 
credulity  : — I  dare  not,  however,  reject  all 
that  part  of  Gregory's  narrative,  in  which 
miraculous  powers  are  ascribed  to  Thau- 
maturgus. — His  very  name:j:  admonishes 
the  historian  to  be  cautious  in  this  mat- 
ter :  and  though  no  great  stress,  perhaps, 
ought  to  he  laid  on  such  a  circumstance 
alone,  it  behooves  us  to  remember  that  the 
same  idea  is  supported  by  the  concurrent 
testimony  of  antiquity. 

He  was  born  at  Neocfesarea,  the  me- 
tropolis of  Cappadocia.  His  father,  zeal- 
ous for  paganism,  took  care  to  educate 
him  in  idolatry,  and  in  the  learning  of  the 
Gentile  world. — He  died  when  his  son 
was  only  fourteen  years  of  age. — The 
mother  of  Thaumaturgus  took  care,  how- 
ever, to  complete  his  education  and  that 


*  F.zek.  xxiv.  13.         f  Book  6.  Chap.  29. 
^  Wonderworker. 


Cest.  III.] 


THAUMATURGUS,  ETC. 


235 


of  his  brother  Athenodorus,  who  was  af- 
terwards a  Christian  bishop,  as  well  as 
himself. — He  travelled  to  Alexandria  to 
learn  the  Platonic  philosophy,  where  he 
was  equally  remarkable  for  strictness  of 
life  and  for  close  attention  to  his  studies. 
The  renowned  Origen,  at  that  time,  gave 
lectures  in  religion  and  philosophy,  at 
Csesarea  in  Palestine.     Thaumaturgus, 
his  brother  Athenodorus,  and  Firmilian, 
a  Cappadocian  gentleman,   with  whom 
he  had  contracted  an  intimate  friendship, 
put  themselves  under  his  tuition.     This 
same  Firmilian  is  the  Cappadocian  bish- 
op, whom  we  have,  repeatedly,  had  occa- 
sion to  mention.     The  two  brothers  con- 
tinued five  years  with  Origen,  and  v/ere 
persuaded  by  him  to  study  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures ;  and  no  doubt  is  to  be  made,  but 
that  the  most  assiduous  pains  were  exert- 
ed by  that  zealous  teacher  to  ground  them 
in  the  belief  of  Christianity — On  his  de- 
parture he  delivered  an  eloquent  speech 
in  praise  of  Origen,  before  a  numerous 
auditory : — a  testimony  at  once  of  his 
gratitude  and  of  his  powers  of  rhetoric. 

There  is  still  extant  a  letter  written  by 
Origen  to  Gregory  Thaumaturgus,*  in 
which  he  exhorts  him  to  apply  his  know- 
ledge to  the  promotion  of  Christianity 
The  best  thing  in  it  is,  that  he  advises 
him  to  pray  fervently  and  seriously  for  the 
illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Being  now  returned  to  Neoca^sarea,  he 
gave  himself  much  to  prayer  and  retire- 
ment; and,  doubtless,  was,  in  secret, 
prepared  and  disciplined  for  the  important 
■work  to  which  he  was  soon  after  called. 
Neoc3Bsarea  was  a  large  and  populous 
city, — full  of  idolatry, — the  very  seat  of 
Satan  ;  so  that  Christianity  could  scarce- 
ly gain  any  entrance  into  it.  Phcsdimus, 
bishop  of  Amasea,  a  neighbouring  city, 
was  grieved  to  see  its  profaneness ;  and 
hoping  much  from  the  piety  and  capacity 
of  young  Gregory,  he  took  pains  to  en- 
gage him  there  in  the  work  of  the  minis- 
try. Gregory,  from  pure  modesty,  en- 
deavoured to  elude  his  designs ;  but 
was  at  length  prevailed  on  to  accept  the 
charge. 

The  scene  was  arduous.  He  had  a 
Church  to  found,  before  he  could  govern 
it.  There  were  not  above  seventeen  pro- 
fessors of  Christianity  in  the  place.  His 
name-sake  of  Nyssen  seems  to  have  been 
imposed  on  by  the  superstitious  spirit 
then  too  prevalent,  when  he  tells  us  that 


Gregory  Thaumaturgus  received,  in  a 
vision,  a  creed  from  John  the  Evangelist 
and  the  Virgin  Mary.  But,  as  he  assures 
us,  that  the  original,  written  with  his  own 
hand,  was  preserved  in  the  Church  of 
NeocEesarea  in  his  time;  and, — as  this 
is  a  matter  of  fact  of  which  any  person 


might  judge  ; — as  the  creed  itself  contains 
nothing  but  what  is  very  agreeable  to  the 
language  of  the  fathers  of  the  third  cen- 
tury ; — and,  as  we  have  already  seen  the 
exact  and  steady  pains  with  which  they 
guarded  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  against 
heresies, — I  do  not  hesitate  to  conclude 
that  he  either  actually  composed  the  creed 
in  question,  or  received  it  as  his  own ; — 
at  the  same  time  the  intelligent  reader, 
when  he  has  considered  its  contents,  and 
the  consequences  deducible  from  them, 
need  not  be  in  the  least  surprised  at' the 
industry*  with  which,  in  our  times,  its 
credit  has  been  impeached.     The  whole 
creed   is  as  follows,  and  merits  our  at- 
tention the  more, — because  the  orthodoxy 
of  Gregory  has  been  unreasonably  sus- 
pected against  the  express  testimony  of 
Eusebius, — who,  we  have  seen  above, — 
represents  him  as  one  of  the  opposers  of 
Paul  of  Samosata,  at  the  first  council. 

"There  is  one  God. — The  Father  of 
the  living  Word,  of  the  subsisting  wis- 
dom  and   power,   and   of  him,   who   is 
his  eternal  express  Image :  The  perfect 
Father  of  Him  that  is  perfect :  The  Fa- 
ther of  the  only-begotten  Son.     There  is 
One  Lord,  the  only  Son  of  the  only  Fa- 
ther ;   God  of  God  ;  the   Character  and 
Image   of  the   Godhead ;   the   energetic 
Word  ;   the  comprehensive  Wisdom  by 
which  all  things  were  made;   and  the 
Power  that  gave  Being  to  all  creation : 
The  true  Son  of  the  true  Father  :  The  In- 
visible of  the  Invisible  :  The  Incorrupti- 
ble of  the  Incorruptible  :  The  Immortal 
of  the   Immortal :    The    Eternal   of  the 
Eternal.     There  is  one  Holy  Ghost,  hav- 
ing his  subsistence  of  God;    who  was 
manifested    through    the    Son   to   men: 
The  perfect  Image  of  the  perfect  Son : 
The  Life,  and  the  Source  of  Life  :  The 
Holy  Fountain  :  Sanctity,  and  the  Author 
of  Sanctification ;  by  whom  is  made  mani- 
fest God  the  Father,  who  is  above  all  and 
in  all,  and  God  tlio  Son,  who  is  through 
all.     A  perfect  Trinity,  which,  neither  in 
Glory,  Eternity,  or  Dominion,  is  sepa- 
rated or  divided." 

Notwithstanding  the  prejudices,  which 


*  Origen  Philocal.  C.  13. 


*  See  Lardner's  Credibility. 


236 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[CHAP.XVm. 


his  idolatrous  countrymen  must  have  had 
against  him,  he  was  received  by  Muso- 
nius,  a  person  of  consequence  in  the  city; 
and,  in  a  very  little  time,  his  preaching- 
was  so  successful  that  he  was  attended 
by  a  numerous  congregation.  The  situa- 
tion of  Gregory,  so  like  that  of  the  primi- 
tive Christian  preachers,  in  the  midst  of 
idolatry,  renders  it  exceedingly  probable 
that  he  was,  as  they  were,  favoured  with 
miraculous  gifts  :  for  these  the  Lord  be- 
stowed in  abundance,  where  the  name  of 
Jesus  had  as  yet  gained  no  admission; 
and  it  is  certain  that  miracles  had  not 
then  ceased  in  the  Church. 

Gregory  Nyssen  himself  lived  within 
less  than  a  hundred  years  after  Gregory 
Thaumaturgus ;  and  both  he  and  his 
brother, — the  famous  Basil, — speak  of 
his  miracles  without  the  least  doubt. 
Their  aged  grandmother,  Macrina,  who 
taught  them  in  their  youth,  had,  in  her 
younger  years,  been  a  hearer  of  Gregory. 
Basil  particularly  observes,  that  she  told 
them  the  very  words  which  she  had  heard 
from  him ;  and  assures  us  that  the  Gen- 
tiles, on  account  of  the  miracles  which 
he  performed,  used  to  call  him  a  second 
Moses.  The  existence  of  his  miraculous 
powers,  with  reasonable  persons,  seems 
then  unquestionable.  It  is  only  to  be  re- 
gretted that  the  few  particular  instances 
which  have  come  down  to  us  are  not  the 
best  chosen : — but,  that  he  cured  the  sick, 
—healed  the  diseased, — and  expelled 
devils  ;  and, — that  thus  God  wrought  by 
him  for  the  good  of  souls,  and  paved  the 
way  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel, — 
as  it  is,  in  itself,  very  credible,  so  has  it 
the  testimony  of  men  worthy  to  be  be- 
lieved. 

Gregory  continued  successfully  em- 
ployed at  Neocaesarea  till  the  persecution 
of  Decius.  Swords  and  axes,  fire,  wild 
beasts,  stakes,  and  engines  for  distending 
the  limbs,  iron  chairs  made  red-hot,  frames 
of  timber  set  up  straight,  in  which  the 
bodies  of  the  tortured  were  racked  with 
nails  that  tore  off  the  flesh ;  these,  and  a 
variety  of  other  inventions,  were  used. — 
But  the  Decian  persecution,  in  general, 
was  before  described. — Pontus  and  Cap- 
padocia  seem  to  have  had  their  full  share. 
Near  relatives,  in  the  most  unnatural 
manner,  betrayed  one  another :  the  woods 
W€re  full  of  vagabonds  :  the  towns  were 
empty :  the  public  prisons  were  found 
too  small ;  and  the  private  houses,  de- 
prived of  their  Christian  inhabitants,  be- 
came gaols  for  the  reception  of  prisoners. 


In  this  terrible  situation  of  things, 
Gregory  considered,  that  his  new  con- 
verts could  scarcely  be  strong  enough  to 
stand  their  ground  and  be  faithful :  He, 
therefore,  advised  them  to  flee ;  and  he 
encouraged  them  to  that  step  by  his  ex- 
ample. Many  of  his  people  endured  much 
affliction,  but  God  restored  them  at  length 
to  peace:  Their  bishop  returned  again, 
and  refreshed  and  exhilarated  their  minds 
with  his  pastoral  labours. 

In  the  reign  of  Gallienus,  the  Chris- 
tians suffered  extremely  from  the  ravages 
of  barbarous  nations,  which  gave  occa- 
sion to  Gregory's  Canonical  Epistle,  still 
extant, — in  which,  rules  of  a  wholesome, 
penitential,  and  disciplinarian  nature  are 
delivered. 

The  last  service  which  is  recorded  of 
him,  is  the  part  which  lie  took  in  the  first 
council  concerning  Paul  of  Samosata.  He 
died  not  long  after.  A  little  before  his 
death  he  made  a  strict  inquiry,  whether 
there  were  any  persons  in  the  city  and 
neighbourhood  still  strangers  to  Chris- 
tianity :  And  being  told  there  were  about 
seventeen  in  all,  he  sighed;  and,  lifting 
up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  appealed  to  God, 
how  much  it  troubled  him  that  any  of  his 
fellow-townsmen  should  still  remain  un- 
acquainted with  salvation :  At  the  same 
time  he  ex])ressed  great  thankfulness — 
that,  whereas  at  first,  he  had  found  only 
seventeen  Christians,  he  should  now  only 
leave  that  same  number  of  idolaters. — 
Having  prayed  for  the  conversion  of  in- 
fidels and  for  the  edification  of  the  faith- 
ful, he  peaceably  gave  up  his  soul  to  the 
Almighty. 

He  was  an  evangelical  man,  says  Ba- 
sil, in  his  whole  life :  In  his  devotion  he 
showed  the  greatest  reverence :  Yea  and 
NAY — were  the  usual  measures  of  his 
communication. — How  desirable  is  it 
that  those  who  profess  to  love  Jesus, 
should  uniformly  practise  the  same  !  He 
never  allowed  himself  to  call  his  brother 
fool:  No  anger  or  bitterness  proceeded 
out  of  his  mouth:  Slander  and  calumny, 
as  directly  opposite  to  Christianity,  he 
peculiarly  hated  and  avoided.  Lies  and 
falsehood,  envy  and  pride,  he  abhorred. 
He  was  zealous  against  all  corruptions; 
and  Sabellianism,  which  long  after,  in 
Basil's  time,  reared  up  its  head,  was  si- 
lenced by  the  remembrance  of  what  he 
had  taught  and  left  among  them. — So 
Basil  tells  us. 

On  the  whole,  the  reader  will  with  me 
regret,  that  antiquity  has  left  us  such 


Ce5t.  in.] 


THAUMATURGUS,  ETC. 


237 


scanty  memorials  of  a  man  so  much  ho- 
noured of  God,  so  eminently  holy,  and 
so  little  inferior,  in  utility  among  man- 
kind, to  any,  with  which  the  Church  of 
Christ  was  blessed,  from  the  Apostles' 
days  to  his  own  times.  For  it  is  not  to 
be  conceived,  that  so  great  and  almost 
universal  a  change  in  the  religious  pro- 
fession of  the  citizens  of  Neoceesarea 
could  have  taken  place  without  a  marvel- 
lous EFFUSION  of  tiie  Holy  Spirit  in  that 
place.  And  how  instru(^tive  and  editying 
would  the  narrative  be,  if  we  were  dis- 
tinctly informed  of  its  rise  and  progress  ! 
Certainly, — the  essentials  of  the  Gospel 
must  have  been  preached  in  much  clear- 
ness and  purity.  In  no  particular  instance 
was  the  Divine  influence  ever  more  appa- 
rent since  the  apostolic  age. 

It  is  not  easy  to  fix  with  precision,  the 
time  when  Theognostus  of  Alexandria 
lived;  though  it  is  certain  that  he  is  later 
than  Origen;  and,  that  he  must  belong  to 
the  third  century.  He  platonizes,  alter 
the  manner  of  Origen,  in  some  parts  of 
his  writings ;  yet,  he  is  cited  by  Athana- 
sius  as  a  witness  of  the  Son's  consub- 
stantiality  with  the  Father.  "  For,  as 
the  Sun  is  not  diminished,"  says  he, 
"  though  it  produces  rays  continually,  so 
likewise  the  Father  is  not  diminished  in 
befettinjj  the  Son,  who  is  his  imao-e."  It 
IS  certain  that  this  is  Trinitarian  lan- 
guage ;  and,  though  neither  Theognostus 
nor  Gregory,  nor  some  others  of  the  an- 
cient fathers,  spake  always  of  the  Per- 
sons of  the  blessed  Trinity,  with  so  much 
exactness  as  afterwards  was  done,  it 
"would  be  an  extreme  want  of  candour  to 
rank  tlicm  with  Arians,  Sabellians,  or  the 
like,  when  there  is  the  clearest  proof  that 
the  foundation  of  their  doctrine  was  really 
Trinitarian.  Before  this  important  article 
of  faith  had  been  contradicted,  men  did 
not  perceive  the  necessity  of  being  con- 
stantly on  their  guard  respecting  it :  but 
when  the  heresies  were  formed,  they  felt 
themselves,  urgently,  called  upon  to  ex- 
press themselves  with  the  most  diligent 
precision.  The  want  of  attending  to  this 
just  distinction  has  nursed  several  unrea- 
sonable cavils  in  the  minds  of  those  who 
eagerly  catch  at  every  straw  to  support 
heretical  notions. — Nothing  is  known  of 
the  life  of  Theognostus. — The  proofs  of 
his  eloquence  and  capacity  are  clear  and 
strong.* 

The  injustice  of  the  late  attempts  made 


to  invalidate  the  evidences  of  the  an- 
tiquity and  of  the  uninterrupted  preserva- 
tion of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  within 
the  three  first  centuries,  requires  me  to 
mention  one  instance  more,  which,  added 
to  the  many  already  mentioned,  will,  I 
think,  authorize  me  to  draw  this  conclu- 
sion,— that  during  the  first  three  hundred 
years  after  Christ,  though  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity  in  Unity  was  variously  op- 
posed, yet  the  whole  Christian  Church 
constantly  united  in  preserving  and  main- 
taining it,  even  from  the  Apostles'  days, 
as  the  proper  sphere,  within  which  all 
the  truth,  and  holiness,  and  consolation 
of  genuine  Christianity  lie ;  and,  one  may 
defy  its  boldest  enemies  to  produce  a  sin- 
gle instance  of  any  real  progress  in  Chris- 
tian piety,  made  in  any  place,  where  this 
doctrine  was  excluded. 

We  have  before  observed,  that  Dio- 
nysius  of  Alexandria,  through  his  zeal 
against  the  sentiments  of  Sabellius,  be- 
came suspected  of  Arianism;  and,  that 
he  fully  exculpated  himself.  A  Roman 
synod  had  been  convened  on  that  account ; 
and  Dionysius  of  Rome,*  in  the  name  of 
the  Synod,  wrote  a  letter,  in  which  he 
proves,  that  the  Word  was  not  created, 
but  begotten  of  the  Father  from  all  eter- 
nity; and  distinctly  explains  the  mystery 
of  the  Trinity.  Such  extreme  nicety  of 
caution  in  steering  clear  of  two  rocks  like 
those  of  Sabellianism  and  Arianism,  be- 
tween which,  it  must  be  confessed,  the 
passage  is  narrow  and  straight,  demon- 
strates,— that  the  true  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity  in  Unity,  which,  with  so  much 
clearness,  as  to  the  existence  of  the  thing 
itself,  though,  necessarily,  with  perfect 
obscurity  as  to  the  manner  of  the  exist- 
ence, discovers  itself  every  where  in  the 
Scriptures,  was  even  then  understood 
with  precision,  and  ^naintained  with  firm- 
ness throuohout  the  Church  of  Christ. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

THE  FURTHER  ZXTENSIOX  OF  THE  GOS- 
PEL IN  THIS  CENTURY. 

The  power  of  real  Christianity  is  al- 
ways the  strongest  and  the  clearest  in  its 
beginnings  or  in  its  revivals. — Exactly 
contrary  to  the  process  in  secular  arts 
and  sciences,  the  improvements  of  follow- 
ing ages,  unless  thoy  be  favoured  with 


•  Du  Pin,  3d  Century. 


*  Du  Pin,  3d  Cent. 


238 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XX. 


Extension 
of  the 
Gospel, 

A.  D.  250. 


fresh  effusions  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  are,  in 
reality,  so  many  depravations  of  what 
•was  excellent  in  its  infancy.  For  these 
reasons,  the  object  of  this  chapter  would 
fall  exactly  within  the  design  of  the  au- 
thor of  this  History;  and  it  would  be  a 
great  satisfaction  to  his  mind,  to  be  able 
to  explain,  at  large,  the  extension  of  the 
Gospel  in  the  third  century. — But  we 
must  be  content  with  such  materials  as 
we  have;  and  let  the  reader  supply,  from 
his  own  meditations,  as  much  as  he  can, 
whatever  he  may  think  defective  in  the 
following  scanty  account.  • 

In  the  reign  of  Decius,  and  in  the 
midst  of  his  persecution,  about  the  year 
two  hundred  and  fifty,  the  Gospel,  which 
had  hitherto  been  chiefly  con- 
fined to  the  neighbourhood  of 
Lyons  and  Vienne,  was  con- 
siderably extended  in  France 
Saturninus  was  the  first  bish' 
op  of  Toulouse,  and  at  the  sametime  se 
veral  other  Churches  were  founded; — as 
at  Tours,  Aries,  Narbonne,  and  Paris. 
The  bishops  of  Toulouse  and  Paris  after- 
wards suffered  for  the  faith  of  Christ;  but 
they  left  Churches,  in  all  probal)ility, 
very  flourishing  in  piety.*  And  France, 
in  general,  was  blessed  wnth  the  light  of 
salvation. 

Germany  was  also,  in  the  course  of 
this  century,  favoured  with  the  same 
blessing,  especially  those  parts  of  it  which 
are  in  the  neighbourhood  of  France.  Co- 
logne, Treves,  and  Metz,  particularly, 
were  evangel ized.f 

Of  the  British  Isles  little  is  recorded; 
and  that  little  is  obscure  and  uncertain : 
It  is  rather  from  the  natural  course  of 
things  and  from  analogy,  than  from  any 
positive  unexceptionable  testimony,  that 
we  are  induced  to  conclude  that  the  Di- 
vine Light  must  have  penetrated  into  our 
country. 

During  the  miserable  confusions  of  this 
century,  some  teachers  from  Asia  went  to 
preach  the  Gospel  among  the  Goths  who 
were  settled  in  Thrace.  Their  holy  lives 
and  miraculous  powers  were  much  re- 
spected by  these  barbarians  ;  and,  many 
of  them,  from  a  state  perfectly  savage, 
were  brought  into  the  light  and  comfort 
of  Christianity.:}: 

The  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  so 


•  Book  I.   Greg.  Tours,  France,   C.   30. 
Fleury,  13,  B.  6, 

t  See  Mosh.  3d  Century, 
i  Sozomen,  B.  13.  11. 


ordered  events,  that  the  temporal  miseries, 
which  afflicted  mankind  in  the  reign  of 
Gallienus,  were  made  subservient  to  the 
eternal  interests  of  his  cruel,  blind,  and 
infatuated  creatures.  The  barbarians, 
who  ravaged  Asia,  carried  away  with 
them  into  captivity  several  bishops,  who 
healed  diseases,  expelled  evil  spirits  in 
the  name  of  Christ,  and  preached  Chris- 
tianity.— They  were  heard,  in  some 
places,  with  respect  and  attention;  and 
became  the  instruments  of  the  conver- 
sion of  numbers.*  That  is  all  that  I  can 
collect  of  the  extension  of  the  Gospel 
amonof  the  barbarian  ravagers. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A  SHORT  VIEW  OF  THE  EXTERNAL,  STATE 
OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  THIRD  CEN- 
TURY. 

It  is  the  duty  of  Christians  to  shine  as 
lights  in  the  world,  in  the   midst   of  a 

CROOKED  AND  PERVERSE  NATION.    That  this 

was  actually  the  case,  even  in  the  third 
century, — though  much  less  so  than  in 
the  two  former,  and  toward  the  latter  end 
of  it  with  a  very  rapid  diminution  of  the 
glorious  brightness  of  the  Gospel, — the 
course  of  the  foregoing  narrative  has,  I 
trust,  made  apparent. 

Those,  with  whom  the  real  condition 
of  the  rest  of  mankind  in  those  times,  is 
familiar,  will  see  this  in  the  strongest 
light.  For  three  centuries,  luxury,  attend- 
ed by  every  abominable  vice  that  can  be 
conceived,  had  been  increasing  in  the 
Roman  empire.  There  want  not  lament- 
able proofs  that  the  severe  satires  of  Ju- 
venal were  but  too  well  founded.     All 

FLESH  HAD  CORRUPTED  THEIR  WAY.    With 

the  loss  of  civil  liberty,  even  the  old  Ro- 
man virtues,  of  public  spirit  and  magna- 
nimity,—though  no  better,  as  Augustine 
says,  than  splendid  sins  in  their  nature, — 
had  vanished.  Civil  broils  and  distrac- 
tions continually  prevailed  for  the  great- 
est part  of  this  period,  and  increased  the 
quantity  of  vice  and  misery.  The  best 
time  was,  doubtless,  during  the  reigns  of 
Trajan,  Adrian,  and  the  Antonines :  But, 
even  under  those  princes,  the  standard  of 
virtue  was  extremely  low.  The  most 
scandalous  and  unnatural  vices  were 
practised  without  remorse.  Men  of  rank 
either  lived  atheistically,  or  were  sunk 


*   Sozomen,  B.  2.  C.  3. 


Cbwt.  III.] 


IN  THE  THIRD  CENTURY. 


239 


in  the  deepest  superstition.  The  vulgar 
were  perfectly  ignorant :  The  rich  domi- 
neered over  the  poor,  and  wallowed  in 
immense  opulence;  while  the  provinces 
groaned  under  their  tyranny  :  Philoso- 
phers, with  incessant  loquacity,  amused 
their  scholars  with  harangues  concerning 
virtue, — but  they  neither  practised  it 
themselves,  nor  understood  its  real  na- 
ture :  By  far  the  largest  part  of  mankind, 
— namely,  the  slaves  and  the  poor,  were 
in  remediless  indigence:  No  methods 
whatever  were  devised  for  their  conve- 
nience or  relief:  In  the  mean  time,  the 
pleasurable  amusements  of  men — as  the 
stage  and  the  amphitheatre, — were  full 
of  obscenity,  savageness,  and  cruelty. 

This  was  the  Roman  world.  We  know 
much  less  of  the  rest  of  the  globe :  which, 
however,  in  ferocious  wickedness  and  ig- 
norance, was  sunk  much  deeper  than  the 
nations  that  bowed  under  the  yoke  of  the 
Caesars. 

Behold ! — In  the  midst  of  all  this  chaos, 
this  corruption,  and  this  ignorance,  arose 
out  of  Judea  a  light  of  doctrine  and  of 
practice  singularly  distinct  from  any  thing 
that  was  then  in  existence! — A  number 
of  persons, — chiefly  of  low  life, — the  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  live  as  men 
ought  to  do, — with  a  proper  contempt  of 
this  vain  life, — with  the  sincerest  and 
most  steady  ambition  for  another  :  They 
prove  themselves  to  be  true  philosophers, 
if  real  love  of  wisdom  be  allowed  to  con- 
sist in  the  justest  views  and  worship  of 
their  Maker,  and  in  actual  acquaintance 
with  his  character, — in  real  moderation  of 
their  passions  and  desires, — and  in  un- 
feio"ned  benevolence  to  all  mankind,  even 
to  their  enemies. 

No  sound  rules  of  philosophizing  will 
direct  us  to  conclude  all  this  to  have  been 
of  MAX. — The  WORK  was  of  God:  and 
this  effusion  of  his  Holy  Spirit  lasted  for 
three  centuries,  debased  indeed  toward 
the  end  of  that  period,  but  not  entirely  ex- 
tinguished. 

It  was  necessary,  that  this  people, — 
diverse  from  all  others, — the  followers  of 
the  same  Jesus  of  Nazareth, — should 
have  amonof  themselves  some  external  or- 
der, — or,  in  other  words,  some  ecclesias- 
tical government. — An  endless  maze  of 
controversy  presents  itself  here ;  nor 
does  there  appear  to  be  any  certain  di- 
vine rule  on  this  subject.  Men  may  serve 
God  acceptably  under  very  different 
modes  of  Church-government;  and,  in 
point  of  fact,  these  modes  were  different 


in  different  places  during  the  primitive 
ages  of  Christianity.  This  variety,  how- 
ever, does  not  appear  to  have  been  either 
so  great,  or  so  extreme,  as  to  have  ex- 
cluded all  general  principles  in  the  reo-u- 
lation  of  the  external  Church :  History 
enables  us  to  discover, — at  least  the  rude 
outlines  of  a  usual — of  a  prevailing 
PRACTICE, — which  materially  differed  from 
most,  if  not  from  all  the  ecclesiastical 
forms  of  government,  which  now  exist  in 
the  Christian  world. 

The  Apostles,  who  were  the  first  teach- 
ers, and,  who  planted  the  first  Churches, 
ordained  successors, — as  fai  as  appears, 
— without  any  consultation  of  the  res- 
pective flocks  over  which  they  were  about 
to  preside.  But,  ai?  it  was  neither  rea- 
sonable nor  probable  thac  any  set  of  per- 
sons after  them  should  be  regarded  as 
their  equals,  this  method  of  appointing 
ecclesiastical  rulers  did  not  continue  ; — 
and,  undoubtedly,  the  election  of  bishops 
devolved  on  the  people.*  Their  appear- 
ance to  vote  on  these  occasions,  their 
constraining  of  persons  sometimes  to  ac- 
cept the  oflice  against  their  will,  and  the 
determination  of  Pope  Leo,  long  after, 
against  forcing  a  bishop  on  a  people 
against  their  consent,  demonstrate  this. 
The  characters  of  men  to  be  elected  to 
this  office  vrere  very  strictly  examined. 
Public  notice  was  given,  that  any  one 
might  inform  against  them,  if  they  were 
vicious  and  immoral.  The  decision  on 
their  moral  conduct  was  left  to  the  peo- 
ple;— that  on  their  doctrine  belonged 
chiefly  to  the  bishops  who  ordained  them. 
For  the  power  of  ordination  belonged 
properly  to  bishops  alone,  though  pres- 
bj^ters — a  second  order  of  men,  who  ap- 
pear to  me  all  along  distinct  from  them, 
— concurred  with  them  and  with  the  body 
of  the  people.  The  same  power  of  elect- 
inof  was,  in  some  deoree  and  in  some  in- 
stances,  exercised  by  the  people  in  the 
appointment  of  these  very  presbyters; 
but  the  case  is  by  no  means  so  uniformly 
clear :  and,  in  filling  up  the  lower  of- 
fices of  the  Church  the  bishop  acted  still 
more  according  to  his  discretion. 

The  use  of  deacons,  the  third  order  in 
the  Church,  is  well  known.  These  three 
orders  obtained  very  early  in  the  primi- 
tive Churches.  The  epistles  of  Igna- 
tius,— I  build  on  those  parts  only  that  are 
undoubtedly  genuine, — demonstrate  this : 


*  Biiigliam,  Book  4.  Cliap.  11.   Antiquities. 
— Du  Pill,  end  of  third  Century. 


240 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Ghaf.  XIV. 


and,  in  general,  the  distinction  of  these 
offices  was  admitted  through  the  Chris- 
tian world. 

Yet,  if  a  Christian  people  were  grown 
very  heretical,  the  bishops  thought  them- 
selves bound  in  duty  to  provide  for  the 
instruction  of  the  smaller  number,  who, 
in  their  judgment,  loved  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus;  and  for  this  peculiar  service 
they  were  accustomed  both  to  elect  and 
consecrate  a  bishop.  Likewise  in  send- 
ing missionaries  to  the  barbarous  nations, 
it  would  be  absurd  to  suppose  that  they 
waited  for  the  choice  of  the  people. — 
They  deputed  and  ordained  whom  they 
approved  of  for  that  end. 

Besides  those,  which  have  been  men- 
tioned, there  appear,  in  the  third  century, 
a  number  of  lower  officers,  as  doorkeep- 
ers, sub-deacons,  acolyths  or  attendants, 
who,  by  degrees,  had  grown  up  in  the 
Christian  Church.     A  much  more  candid 
and  true  account  of  them  may  be  given, 
than  what  has  been  imposed  on  us,  with 
sufficient  malignity.     It  could  not  be  to 
administer  to  the  pride  and  sloth  of  the 
higher  clergy,  that  such  offices  were  in- 
stituted.    Christians  increased  in  num- 
ber, and  more  labourers  were  required: 
Besides,  as  thry  had  not  then  any  semi- 
naries of  learning,   the   serving  of   the 
Church  in  these  lower  offices  was  made 
an  introductory  step  to  the  higher  ones. 
And  this  was  their  most  important  use.* 
The  authority  of  the  bishop  was  by  no 
means  unlimited; — but  it  was  very  great. 
Nothing  could   be   done  in  the  Church 
without  his  consent.     The  extent  of  his 
diocese  was  called   Uu^omtA.     Some   of 
these  DIOCESES  had  a  greater,  others  a  less 
number  of  Churches  which  belonged  to 
them.     The  diocese  of  Rome,  before  the 
end  of  the  third  century,  had  above  forty 
Churches, — as  Optatus    observes; — and 
this  agrees  very  well  with  the  account 
before  stated,  namely, — that  under  Cor- 
nelius the  bishop,  there  were  forty-six 
priests. f — Cornelius,   according    to   the 
usual  practice  in  those  times,  must,  him- 
self, have  ministered— particularly  at  the 
chief  or  mother-church  :  and  the  priests 
of  course,  must  have  taken  care  of  the 
other  Churches.     But,  distinct  parishes, 
with  presbyters  allotted  to  them,  were  not 
yet  known  in  cities.:):— It  appears  that  the 

*  Bing.  Books.  Chap.  1. — Calv.  Institutes, 
Book  the  last. 

f  See  Chap.  IX.  of  this  volume— towards 
the  end. 

i  Bing.  Book  9.  Chap.  8. 


bishop  sent  them  successively  to  minister 
according  to  his  discretion.  The  neigh- 
bouring villages,  however,  which  were 
annexed  to  bishoprics,  could  not  be  sup- 
plied in  that  manner :  And  they  had, — 
even  then, — stated  parish  priests, — who 
acted  under  the  authority  of  the  bishop. 

That  bishops  were  not  merely  congre- 
gational pastors,  seems  evident  from  the 
nature  of  things,  as  well  as  from  the  con- 
current testimony  of  all  antiquity.  There 
were  seven  bishops  who  belonged  to  the 
sev-en  churches  of  Asia,  called  Angels  in 
the  Book  of  the  Revelaiion.  It  is  absurd 
to  suppose  that  the  great  Church  of  Ephe- 
sus,  in  the  decline  of  St.  John's  life, 
should  be  only  a  single  congregation ; 
and,  most  probably,  the  same  is  true  of 
all  the  rest.  Supposing  the  Christian 
brethren  to  consist  of  only  five  hundred 
men  ;  these,  with  their  families  and  ser- 
vants, and  occasional  hearers,  would  make 
an  assembly  large  enough  for  any  human 
voice.  But,  it  is  more  probable  that  the 
number  of  Christians  at  Ephesus  amount- 
ed to  many  thousands.  This  was  the 
case  at  Jerusalem  :*  And,  in  Chrysos- 
tom's  time,  the  Church  of  Antioch  con- 
sisted of  a  hundred  thousand.  Perhaps 
it  might  comprise  half  that  number  in  the 
latter  end  of  the  third  century. — Never- 
theless, it  is  still  certain,  that  dioceses 
were  then  much  smaller  than  in  after 
times  :  and  the  vast  extension  of  them 
proved  very  inconvenient  to  the  cause  of 
godliness.  Archbishop  Cranmer  wished 
to  correct  this  evil  in  our  national  Church  : 
and  HE  wanted  neither  zeal  nor  judgment. 
But  that  and  many  other  good  things 
slept  with  the  English  Reformers. 

The  choice  of  bishops,  and — in  part  at 
least — of  presbyters,  by  the  people,  is  a 
custom  which  seems  to  have  grown  na- 
turally out  of  the  circumstances  of  the 
Church  at  that  time.  The  first  bishops 
and  presbyters  were  appointed  by  the 
Apostles  themselves;!  nor  could  I  ever 
discover  the  least  vestige  in  Scripture  of 
their  appointment  by  the  people.  There 
was  not  a  sufficient  judgment  in  any  of 
them  for  this  trust ;  the  world  being,  at 
that  time.  Pagan  or  Jewish,  or  at  least, 
infant  in  Christianity.  Apostolical  wis- 
dom and  authority,  under  God,  supplied 
the  want  in  the  next  succession  of  bish- 
ops. As  the  judgment  of  the  people  ma- 
tured, and,  especially,  as  the  grace  of  God 
was   powerful   among  them,  they  were 


*Actsxxi.  20. 


t  Acta  xiv.  23. 


Cent,  in.] 


IN  THE  THIRD  CENTURY. 


241 


rendered  better  qualified  to  be  the  electors 
of  their  ecclesiastical  governors.  Pre- 
cedents, not  Scriptural  indeed,  but  of  very 
high  antiquity,  were  set ;  and  the  prac- 
tice continued  during  at  least  the  three 
first  centuries.  On  the  other  hand  I  do 
not  find  that  the  people  had  any  power  in 
deposing  a  bishop :  The  cognizance  of 
the  crimes  of  bishops  was  left  to  a  coun- 
cil or  synod  of  neighbouring  bishops  and 
presbyters;  and  in  that,  as  well  as  all 
material  affairs  which  concerned  the 
Church  in  general,  the  authority  of  such 
councils  was  held  very  great,  from  early 
times  ;  nor  does  it  appear  that  the  Chris- 
tian laity  had  any  direction  in  them. — 
The  wetl-authenticated  case  of  Paul  of 
Samosata  is  very  instructive  here. 

In  furnishing  this  rough  sketch  of  jtri- 
mitive  ecclesiastical  government,  I  would 
be  understood,  neither  to  provoke  nor  to 
invite  any  controversy  on  this  contentious 
subject.     I   have   given   my  own  senti- 
ments,— but,  at  the  same  time,  I  confess 
that  I  feel  no  surprise  that  controversies 
should   have  been  started   in  a  matter, 
where  something  may  be  said — for  epis- 
copac}'^, — for  presbytery, — and  for  inde- 
pendency.    To  me  it  seems  an  unhappy 
prejudice,  to  look  on  any  one  of  the  forms 
as  of  Divine  right,  or  of  Scriptural  au- 
thority.— Circumstances  will  make  dif- 
ferent modes  more  proper,  in  one  place, 
and  at  one  time,  than  at  another. — And, 
whoever  rests  in  this  conclusion,  will  be 
in   no  danger  of  bigotry, — but,   on   the 
contrary,  will  see  much  reason  for  moder- 
ation  and   latitudinarian   indifference  in 
judging  of  various  methods,  which  have 
been  proposed  or  made  use  of  for  the  ex- 
ternal regulation  of  the  Church. — Let 
zeal  be  employed  by  all  sincere  Christians 
in  what  is  really  divine  and  scriptural ; — 
in  what  is  internal,  and  truly  essential  to 
the  immortal  interests  of  mankind. — The 
arguments  for  the  three  forms  of  Church 
government,  as  supported  by  experience, 
may  be  briefly  stated  thus : — In  no  one 
instance  does  the  independent   plan  ap- 
pear to  have  a  solid  foundation  either  in 
Scripture   or   antiquity ;    yet,    the  inter- 
ference of  the  people,  and  the  share  of 
authority  exercised  by  them, —  though 
never  on  the  plan  of  independent  congre- 
gations,— gives  some  plausible  colour  to 
INDEPENDENCY.     The    presbytcrian   sys- 
tem seems  to  be  scriptural  and  primitive, 
so  far  as  the  institution  of  the  clergy  is 
concerned,  but  defective   for  want  of  a 
bishop.     The  episcopal  form,  no  doubt, 
Vol.  I.  X 


obtained  in  all  the  primitive  Churches 
without  exception ;  but — what  effectually 
checks  the  pride  of  those  who  are  fond  of 
the  pomp  of  hierarchy, — it  must  be  con- 
fessed, that  ANCIENT  episcopacy  had  no 
secular  mixtures  and  appendages :  and, 
further,  the  pastoral  character  of  bishops, 
together  with  the  smallness  of  their  dio- 
ceses, always  adapted  to  pastoral  inspec- 
tion, made  them  more  similar  to  the 
presbyterian  hierarchy. — When  facts  are 
actually  balanced  in  this  way,  or  nearly 
so,  though  violent  party  or  prejudice  may 
lead  men  to  view  even  historical  evidence 
in  opposite  lights ;  nevertheless,  men  of 
cool  and  sedate  judgment  will  not  differ 
much  in  their  opinions. 

The  discipline  of  the  primitive  Church, 
was  very  strict;  it  even  degenerated,  as 
has  been  observed,  into  excessive  severity. 
A  clergyman  once  deposed  for  flagitious- 
ness,  was  never  restored  to  his  order. 
This  MIGHT  be  right. — Another  custom, 
which  prevailed  at  length,  cannot  be  vin- 
dicated. A  person  once  ejected  for  his 
vices  from  the  Church  might  be  restored  ;* 
— on  a  relapse,  being  again  ejected,  he 
could  never  be  favoured  with  Church- 
communion, — though  by  no  means  sup- 
posed to  be  necessarily  excluded  from  the 
mercy  of  God  in  Christ. — Their  jealous 
care  against  heresies  has  been  abundantly 
shown;  and  their  zeal  against  vicious- 
ness  of  practice  was  equal  to  this.  Sup- 
pose it  be  allowed,  that  this  zeal  was 
carried  to  too  great  a  length  ;  and,  even, 
that  it  was  mixed  with  superstition  ;  yet, 
— in  comparison  of  the  licentiousness  of 
our  times, — how  beautiful  does  it  appear ! 
— and  how  demonstrative  of  the  power 
and  reality  of  godliness  among  them ! 

Christian  assemblies  were  then  fre- 
quented with  great  constancy,  and  the 
Eucharist  was  generally  administered 
whenever  they  met  for  public  worship. 
But  still  gTeater  proofs  of  their  superior 
regard  to  God  and  to  every  thing  that  is 
really  good,  remain  yet  to  be  mentioned. 

Their  liberality  to  the  indigent  was 
wonderful :  there  was  nothing  like  it  at 
that  time  in  the  world.  The  Jews  were 
a  very  selfish,  hard-hearted  people :  the 
Gentiles  lived  in  luxury  and  splendour, 
if  they  could ; — but,  care  for  the  poor 
seems  to  have  made  no  part  of  their  ju- 
risprudence, nor  to  have  been  at  all  a 
fashionable  virtue.  I  never  could  learn 
that  philosophers,  though  they  harangued 


*  Du  Pin. 


242 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XX. 


incessantly  concerning  virtue,  either  much 
recommended,  or  practised  any  kindness 
to  the  bulk  of  mankind, — that  is,  the 
slaves  and  the  vulgar.  Indeed  their  pre- 
cepts are  particularly  directed  to  the 
higher  ranks,  and  they  seem  to  forget  that 
the  lower  orders  belonged  to  the  human 
species.  A  hospital,  an  almshouse,  or 
any  similar  provision  for  the  poor,  was 
unknown  in  the  pagan  and  philosophic 
world.  But,  when  the  religion  of  him, 
who  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  began  to 
gain  ground,  the  barbarous  spirit  of  aris- 
tocracy lost  its  dominion  among  Chris- 
tians, though  it  still  prevailed  in  the 
manners  of  the  rest  of  mankind.  Chris- 
tians felt  themselves  all  sinners:  all, 
in  the  sight  of  God,  on  a  level. — Thus 
the  Christian  master,  though  bound  to 
preserve  a  due  subordination  of  ranks,  and 
whatever  is  wholesome  in  government, 
considered  his  slave  as  his  equal  in  the 
sight  of  God,  and  as  redeemed  by  the 
same  atoning  blood  of  his  Saviour.  The 
pride  of  birth,  station,  and  quality,  was 
crushed  :  The  obedient  disciple  of  Christ, 
followed  the  example  of  his  compassion- 
ate Lord,  and  made  it  his  business  to  re- 
lieve the  miserable. — We  have  seen  above 
a  thousand  and  fifty  widows  and  impo- 
tent persons  maintained  by  the  liberality 
of  the  Roman  Church  under  Cornelius; 
we  have  seen  also  the  active  charity  of 
the  archdeacon  Laurentius,  in  finding  out 
and  assisting  miserable  objects,  punished 
with  a  fiery  death :  The  very  spirit  and 
taste  of  Christians,  with  the  frugality  and 
simplicity  of  their  lives  and  manners,  en- 
abled them  abundantly  to  help  the  neces- 
sitous ;  while  the  rest  of  the  world  per- 
secuted them,  and  while  philosophers 
themselves,  dependent  on  the  great,  and 
despising  the  poor,  vainly  babbled  against 
them. 

"0  God  of  all  grace,  whose  tender 
mercies  are  over  all  thy  works, — this 
must  be  thy  religion, — which  humbled 
and  sweetened  the  hearts  of  men,  which 
taught  them  practically  to  regard  all  men 
as  brethren,  and  to  delight  in  doing  good 
to  all  without  distinction  of  persons  !" — 
The  pagans  themselves  admired  this  bro- 
therly love. 

But  the  most  singularly  striking  cha- 
racteristic of  this  people  has  not  yet  been 
noticed. — Though  they  had  a  regular  po- 
lity, guarded  by  great  strictness  of  disci- 
pline, distinguished  into  a  number  of  com- 
munities, each  administered  by  a  bishop, 
presbyters,    and  deacons;    and   concen- 


trated by  general  councils  held  from  time 
to  time ;  they  neither  had,  nor  strove  to 
obtain  the  least  secular  support  of  any 
kind.     They  lay  exposed  to  the  rage  of 
the  whole  world  around  them,  incited  by 
its  natural  enmity  against  God  and   by 
the  love  of  sin  ;  and  exasperated  on  find- 
ing itself  condemned  by  these  upstarts  as 
deservedly  obnoxious  to  the  Divine  dis- 
pleasure.    The  whole  Roman  world  com- 
prehended thousands  of  discordant  sects 
and  parties, — which  all  tolerated  one  an- 
other, because  all  agreed  to  treat  sin  with 
lenity,  and  to  allow  one  another's  religion 
to  be  right.     It  was  impossible  for  Chris- 
tians to  do  this  :  Hence  the  spirit  of  per- 
secution was  excited ;    and,  whoever  at 
this  day  lives  in  the  same  sincere  hosti- 
lity against  all  sin,  and  in  the  exercise 
of  the  same  charity,  patience,  and  hea- 
venly-mindedness  as  they  did,  will  unde- 
signedly, yet  assuredly,  excite,  in  a  suni- 
lar  manner,  the  displeasure  of  the  rest  of 
mankind. — Now,  it  is  very  easy  to  un- 
derstand, how  precarious,  on  this  account, 
their  situation  in  society  must  have  been ! 
— They  had  not  the  least  legal  or  secular 
aid  against  persecution.     Obliged,   like 
the  rest  of  the  subjects  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire, to  contribute  to  the  general  defence, 
and  to  serve  in  the  Roman  armies,  when 
called  on,  they  had  no  civil  privileges : 
— If  an  emperor  chose  to  persecute  them, 
they  were  perfectly  defenceless  ;  they  had 
no  political  resource  against  oppression. 
What  could  be  the  reason  of  this]  Shall 
we  say,  "  their  circumstances,  during  the 
first  three  hundred  years,  were  too  low, 
and  their  means  too  weak,  to  encourage 
them  to  attempt  resistance  or  innovation 
of  any  kind!" — This  has  been  said — in- 
considerately, it  should  seem — by  those 
who  are  not  willing  to  allow  that  their 
passiveness  under  injuries  proceeded  from 
principle.     Let  us  suppose,  therefore,  for 
a  moment,  that  they  had  thought  it  right 
to  resist  the  powers  that  be,  and  that 
those  who   resist    do    not   receive   to 
themselves  damnation,  but  merit   the 
tribute   of  applause   for   supporting  the 
natural  rights  of  man ;  then,  as  no  people 
on  earth  were  ever  more  unjustly  treated, 
they  would  naturally  feel  their  injuries  as 
other  men  do ;  and  admitting  them  to  have 
been  too  weak  and  inconsiderable,  in  the 
first  century,  to  have  resisted  with  effect; 
— surely,  in  the  second,  and  much  more  in 
the   tliird,   thousands  and  tens  of  thou- 
sands must  have  been  capable  of  shaking 
the  very  foundations  of  the  empire. — So 


Cest.  III.] 


IN  THE  THIRD  CENTURY. 


243 


fer  from  being  without  means,  they  seem 
to  have  had  much  greater  than  many  who 
have  disturbed  the  repose  of  kingdoms. 

Here  is,  "  impkrium  in  imperio," — a 
regular  well  united  phalanx  of  men,  inur- 
ed to  frugal  habits  and  to  a  variety  of 
hardships  ;  not  a  mere  mob  of  levellers, 
but  men  taught  to  obey  their  religious 
governors,  and  submitting  to  great  strict- 
ness of  discipline.  Among  their  gover- 
nors, if  history  had  not  informed  us  so, 
we  are  sure  there  must  have  been  some 
men  of  genius,  fortitude,  and  capacity, 
who  already  had  exercised  their  talents 
in  the  art  of  government,  and  who  possess- 
ed that  eloquence  which  can  inflame  the 
passions,  especially  of  the  lower  sort. 
Cyprian  of  Carthage  is  undoubtedly  one 
of  these.  The  same  courage,  capacity, 
discretion  and  activity,  which  made  him 
an  oracle  over  half  the  Roman  empire 
among  the  Christians,  would, — if  it  had 
been  exerted  in  a  military  line, — have 
been  formidable  to  the  throne  of  the  Cee- 
sars.  Their  brethren  in  the  Roman  armies 
could  have  taught  them  military  discip- 
line :  The  riches,  which  a  number  of 
them  possessed,  might  have  purchased 
arms  and  military  stores  :  Those  captive 
bishops,  who  gained  au  birong  an  ascen- 
dant over  the  ignorant  and  barbarous  na- 
tions, might  have  easily  etfected  alliances 
between  them  and  others  of  the  Chris- 
tian name. 

Let  the  reader  mark  the  inference  to 
t)e  drawn  from  these  considerations. — 
We  pretend  not  to  say,  who  would  have 
prevailed  in  the  end  of  such  a  contest,  be- 
cause nothing  is  more  uncertain  than  the 
issue  of  arms :  but  supposing  the  Chris- 
tians to  have  thought  resistance  lawful, 
we  maintain  that,  amidst  the  distractions 
of  the  Roman  empire  from  within  and 
from  witliout,  they  had  both  temptations 
and  probabilities  sufficiently  strong  to 
have  induced  them  to  excite  seditions  and 
rebellions  against  their  persecutors  and 
oppressors. — In  knowledge  and  civiliza- 
tion they  were  not  inferior  to  those  among 
whom  they  lived  :  It  cannot  be  denied 
that  they  were  very  unjustly  treated,  and 
that  they  possessed  the  probable  mean 
of  redressing  themselves  by  force:  and 
further, — we  are  now  arguing  on  the  sup 
position  that  they  thought  it  lawful  to  use 
those  means, — I  affirm  then,  that  which- 
ever way  we  turn,  we  must  be  present- 
ed with  the  same  conclusion,^-namely, 
that,  under  such  circumstances,  resistance 
woqld    infallibly    have   taken  place;— 


whereas,  on  the  contrary,  it  appears — not  - 
from  a  few  scattered  passages,  but  from  the 
whole  tenour  of  the  writings  of  the  Chris- 
tians— and,  what  is  still  more,  from  their 
uniform  practice,  without  any  exception, 
that  they  thought  it  unchristian  to  seek 
this  mode  of  relief.  Patience,  and  prayer, 
and  charity,  were  their  only  arms :  Nor 
is  it  possible  to  find  a  single  instance  of 
a  Christian  intermeddling  with  the  poli- 
tics of  HIS  time. 

Must  we  not  then  conclude — ^That  they 
understood  the  rules  laid  down  in  the 
thirteenth  chapter  to  the  Romans,  and 
other  parts  of  the  New  Testament  of  like 
import,  in  their  plain  and  literal  sense? — 
That  they  thought  it  wrong  to  revenge 
injuries,  public  as  well  as  private,  and  re- 
ferred themselves  wholly  to  Him  who 
hath  said,  "Vengeance  is  mine!" — I  be- 
lieve we  have  no  other  alternative  :  This 
was  the  sum  of  Christian  politics ;  and 
in  this  way  of  understanding  the  Gospel- 
rules  of  submission  and  of  suffering, — it 
is  not  hard  to  conceive,  what  an  advan- 
tage such  a  spirit  of  patience  and  of  ab- 
straction from  secular  politics  proved  to 
them,  in  making  them  feel  themselves 
strangers  and  pilgrims  on  earth,  in  caus- 
ing them  to  long  for  the  heavenly  state, 
in  deadening  their  affections  to  the  world, 
and  in  exercising  them  in  faith  and  cha- 
rity: And,  whenever  real  Christians,  in 
our  times,  shall  more  fully  emancipate 
themselves  from  the  ambitious  notions, 
with  which  the  present  habits  and  preju- 
dices of  men  infect  them,  and  through 
Divine  Grace,  shall  catch  this  same  spirit 
of  the  primitive  Believers,  they  will  then 
see  a  beauty  in  the  New  Testament  prin- 
ciples on  this  subject,  of  which  they  have 
now  little  idea. — The  love  of  the  world 
will  then  cease  to  entangle  them  so 
strongly;  and  primitive  apostolic  faith 
and  practice  will  again  visit  the  earth  in 
its  genuine  simplicity. 

The  monastic  spirit,  I  have  already  ob- 
served, had  begun  to  appear  during  the 
Decian  persecution.  About  the  year  two 
hundred  and  seventy  lived 
Anthony  the  Egyptian,  the 
first  founder  of  these  commu- 
nities. Athanasius  has  writ- 
ten his  Life;  and,  I  doubt  not, 
but  many  moderns  may  j  udge  the  employ- 
ment to  be  a  proof  of  weakness  of  mind. 
Posterity  will,  probably,  requite  them  by 
being  equally  rash  and  uncan^id  in  pass- 
ing a  similar  censure  on  present  charac- 
ters.— In  truth,  Athanasius  was  a  man  of 


Anthony 
the  Egyp- 
tian, 

A.  D.  270. 


244 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XXL 


solid  sense  and  great  capacity ;  but  these 
endowments  are  not  always  a  defence 
against  fashionable  errors;  and  unhappi- 
ly, the  Monkish  superstition  was,  in  his 
time,  growing  up  into  high  admiration. — 
It  is  much  to  be  wished,  "that  men  ad- 
verted more  closely  to  the  "  sins  which 
easily  beset  themselves "  in  their  own 
days  ;  for  then,  they  would  be  less  quick- 
sighted  in  discovering  the  absurdities  of 
former  ages,  and  also  less  disposed  to 
form  ostentatious  and  pharisaical  compar- 
isons between  what  they  term  modern 
excellencies  and  ancient  defects. — An- 
thony, it  seems,  perverting  a  few  texts 
of  Scripture,  took  upon  himself  to  live  in 
solitude.  His  austerities  were  excessive, 
and  the  most  ridiculous  stories  are  told  of 
his  contests  with  the  devil :  They  merit 
not  the  least  attention :  I  observe  in  them, 
however,  a  dangerous  spirit  of  self-right- 
eous pride  and  vain-glory,  by  which  this 
same  Anthony  was  encouraged  in  his 
progress,  and  which  W4II  lead  a  man  very 
far' in  external  shows  of  holiness,  while 
there  is  little  of  the  reality.  It  is  proba- 
ble that  his  life,  as  it  is  recorded  by  Atha- 
nasius,  might,  as  superstition  grew  more 
and  more  reputable,  appear  admirable  in 
the  eyes  of  many  persons,  who  were 
much  better  men  than  this  celebrated 
monk  himself. 

We  shall,  for  the  present,  leave  An- 
thony propagating  the  monastic  disposi- 
tion, and  extending  its  influence  not  only 
into  the  next  century,  but  for  many  ages 
after,  and  conclude  this  view  of  the  state 
of  the  third  century,  with  expressing  our 
regret— "that  the  faith  and  love  of  the 
Gospel  received,  toward  the  close  of  it,  a 
dreadful  blow  from  the  encouragement  of 
this  unchristian  practice." 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

TESTIMONIES  TO  THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
FROM  ITS  ENEMIES. 

The  fastidious  indifference  at  least,  if 
not  the  virulent  enmity,  shown  to  the 
Gospel  by  the  great  men  of  Greece  and 
Rome,  during  the  three  first  centuries, 
leaves  one  little  reason  to  expect  much 
account  of  Christians  through  the  chan- 
nel of  THEIR  writings.  Nor  is  the  case 
materially  different  in  our  own  days. — A 
few  cursory,  sarcastic,  and  ill-informed 
reflections  are  all  that,  in  writers  of  po- 
lite estimation,  can  be  found,  concerning 


more  modern  revivals  and  propagation  of 
evangelical  truth  and  godliness.  Some- 
thing, however,  which  may  throw  light 
on  the  state  of  religion  in  the  second  and 
third  centuries,  is  to  be  gleaned  from  the 
hostile  contemporary  writers,  and,  per- 
haps, Celsus  will  be  more  to  our  purpose 
than  all  the  other  authors  together;  par- 
ticularly, if  we  attend  to  the  extracts  from 
his  writings  preserved  by  Origen. — My 
views  in  presenting  the  reader  with  the 
following  few  quotations  from  heathen 
authors,  is,  not  merely  to  establish  the 
general  credibility  of  the  Gospel,  but 
rather,  to  illustrate  the  character  of  real 
Christians,  and  to  point  out  some  of  the 
effects  of  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
upon  their  minds. 

In  the  former  part  of  the  second  century 
flourished  the  Stoic  Philosopher  Epicte- 
tus.* — Arrian  has  published  his  dis- 
courses. In  one  passage  he  occasionally 
speaks  of  "  the  Galilceans,  as  indifferent 
to  sufferings, — from  madness  or  from 
habit." 

These  Galileans  are  obviously  Chris- 
tians.— Through  the  operation  of  what 
cause  they  were  indifferent  to  sufferings, 
Ave  shall  be  willing  to  learn  from  those 
who  blotter  understnuJ  the  subject.  In- 
deed they  took  joyfully  the  spoiling  of 
their  goods,  because  they  were  convinced 
that  tliey  had  in  heaven  a  better  and  an 
enduring  substance.  Christian  faith  and 
hope  afford  motives  truly  deserving  a  bet- 
ter name  than  madness  or  habit.  But  the 
fact  is  attested  by  this  prejudiced  philoso- 
pher,— namely,  that  Christians  were  then 
exposed  to  singular  sufferings,  and  that 
they  bore  them  with  a  composure  and  se- 
renity so  astonishing,  that  philosophers 
knew  not  how  to  account  for  their  pa- 
tience  They  did    not  understand,  that 

ihey  were  strengthened  with  might,  by 
the  glorious  power  of  their  God,  to  all 
patience  and  long-suffering  with  joyful- 
ness. 

In  the  same  century,  Apuleius,  a  lu- 
dicrous author,  in  his  Metamorphosis, 
speaks  of  a  baker,  a  good  sort  of  man, 
troubled  with  a  bad  wife, — who  was  pos- 
sessed of  every  vice ; — perverse,  a  drunk- 
ard, lewd, — a  follower  of  vain  observ- 
ances,— and  a  woman,  who  pretended 
that  the  Deity  was  only  one. 

*  When  Uomitian  ban'shed  the  Philoso- 
phers from  Rome,  about  the  year  94,  Epicte- 
tus  retired  to  Nicopolis,  and  died  there  about 
the  J- ear  161. 


Cbst.  III.] 


TESTIMONIES,  ETC. 


245 


*  The  autheiUicity  of  St.  Matt.  2il  ehap. 
which  has  been  unreasonably  deDieil,  is  sup- 
ported by  tiiis  passage. 
x2 


I  conjecture  that  Apuleius  would  have 
taken  no  notice  of  her  other  crimes,  if 
she  had  not  been  guilty  of  this  last.  Mark 
the  revolution  in  sentiment,  which  Chris- 
tianity has  made  in  the  world.  Through- 
out Europe  the  character  of  any  man's 
understanding  would,  at  present,  be  much 
impeached,  who  should  seriously  assert 
a  plurality  of  Gods. — In  the  second  cen- 
tury, the  belief  of  the  Divine  Unity  is,  by 
a  polite  author  classed  with  an  assem- 
blage of  vices. — What  have  ye  been  do- 
ing, philosophers,  that  ye  never  could  rid 
mankind  of  that  polytheism,  which  every 
philosopher  now  despises] — Open  the 
eyes  of  your  understandings,  and  learn 
that  God  has  effected  this  mighty  change 
by  the  Gospel. — This  woman  was,  doubt- 
less, a  Christian  by  profession;  but  we 
cannot  now  tell,  whether  she  merited  the 
reproaches  with  which  her  memory  is 
loaded ;  nor  can  we  say,  in  what  sense 
her  husband,  who  was  plainly  a  pagan, 
deserved  the  appellation  of  a  good  sort  of 
man ; — but  we  know  that  the  world,  with- 
out much  scruple,  denominates  its  fol- 
lowers to  be  good  sort  of  men ; — and  we 
also  know  who  said, — "  If  ye  were  of  the 
world,  the  world  would  love  its  own." 

The  extracts  from  Celsus, — who  wrote 
in  the  latter  end  of  the  second  century, — 
preserved  in  Origen's  work  against  him, 
are  very  valuable  in  the  light  which  I 
have  stated.  I  shall  select  a  few  pas- 
sages, partly  from  the  collections  of 
others,  and  partly  from  such  as  I  have 
noticed  myself. — The  reader  must  be 
prepared  to  hear  bitter  things.  A  more 
spiteful  calumniator  hardly  ever  existed ; 
but  he  may  serve  a  purpose  which  he 
never  intended: — When'  the  following 
extracts  have  been  seriously  considered, 
the  just  inferences  to  be  drawn  from 
them,  concerning  the  nature  of  the  Gos- 
pel, and  the  characters  of  its  professors, 
cannot  fail  to  present  themselves  to  the 
mind  of  every  candid  inquirer  after  truth. 

"  When  they  say, — Do  not  examine, 
and  the  like,  in  their  usual  manner,  sure- 
ly, it  is  incumbent  on  them  to  teach  what 
those  things  are  which  they  assert,  and 
whence  they  are  derived." 

_"  They  say, — Wisdom  in  life  is  a  bad 
thing,  but  folly  is  good." 

"  Christ  was  privately  educated,  and 
served  for  hire  in  Egypt  :*  he  got  acquaint- 


ed with  miraculous  arts  there;  he  re- 
turned; and,  relying  on  his  power  of 
working  miracles,  declared  himself  God." 

"  The  Apostles  were  infamous  men, 
publicans,  and  abandoned  mariners." 

"  Why  should  you,  when  an  infant,  be 
carried  into  Egypt,  lest  you  should  be 
murdered]  God  should  not  fear  being 
put  to  death." 

"  Ye  say  that  God  was  sent  to  sinners ; 
but  why  not  to  those  who  were  free  from 
sin;  What  harm  is  it,  not  to  have 
sinned  1" 

"  Ye  encourage  sinners,  because  ye 
are  not  able  to  persuade  any  really  good 
men ;  therefore  ye  open  the  doors  to  the 
most  wicked  and  abandoned." 

"  Some  of  thera  say,  do  not  examine, 
but  BELIEVE,  and  thy  faith  shall  save 
thee." 

With  a  sneer  he  makes  the  Christians 
say, — "These  are  our  institutions:  Let 
not  any  man  of  learning  come  here,  nor 
any  wise  man,  nor  any  man  of  prudence ; 
for  these  things  are  reckoned  evil  by  us. 
But  whoever  is  unlearned,  ignorant,  and 
silly,  let  him  come  without  fear." — 
"  Thus,  they  own  that  they  can  gain  only 
the  foolish,  the  vulgar,  the  stupid  slaves, 
women  and  children. — They,  who  con- 
versed with  him  when  alive,  and  heard 
his  voice,  and  followed  him  as  their  mas- 
ter, when  they  saw  him  under  punish- 
ment and  dying,  were  so  far  from  dying 
with  him  or  for  him,  or  from  being  in- 
duced to  despise  sufferings,  that  they  de- 
nied that  they  were  his  disciples: — but 
now  YE  die  with  him." 

"  He  had  no  reason  to  fear  any  mortal 
now,  after  he  had  died,  and,  as  ye  say, 
was  a  God ; — therefore,  he  should  have 
shown  himself  to  all,  and  particularly,  to 
him  that  condemned  him. 

"  He  persuaded  only  twelve  abandoned 
sailors  and  publicans,  and  did  not  per- 
suade even  all  these." 

"  At  first,  when  they  were  but  few, 
they  agreed;  But  when  they  became  a 
multitude  they  were  rent  again  and  again ; 
and  each  will  have  their  own  factions ; 
for  they  had  factious  spirits  from  the  be- 
ginnino-." 

"  They  are  now  so  split  into  different 
sects,  that  they  have  only  the  name  left 
them  in  common." 

"  All  wise  men  are  excluded  from  the 
doctrine  of  their  faith:  They  call  to  it 
only  fools  and  men  of  a  servile  spirit." 

He  frequently  upbraids  Christians  for 
reckoning  him,  who  had  a  mortal  body, 


246 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chaf.  XXI, 


to  be  God  ;  and  looking  on  themselves  as 
pious  on  that  account. 

"  The  preachers  of  their  Divine  Word 
only  attempt  to  persuade  fools, — mean 
and  senseless  persons, — slaves, — women 
and  children. — What  harm  can  there  be 
in  learning-,  or, — in  appearing  a  man  of 
knowledge  1 — What  obstacle  can  this  be 
to  the  knowledge  of  God  I" 

*'  We  see  these  itinerants  showing  rea- 
dily their  tricks  to  the  vulgar,  but  not 
approaching  the  assemblies  of  wise  men; 
not  daring  to  show  themselves  there  :  but 
where  they  see  boys, — a  crowd  of  slaves, 
— and  ignorant  men, — there  they  thrust 
in  themselves  and  puff  off  their  doctrine." 

"  You  may  see  weavers,  tailors,  and 
fullers,  illiterate  and  rustic  men,  in  their 
houses, — but  not  daring  to  utter  a  word 
before  persons  of  age,  experience,  and 
respectability :  it  is,  when  they  get  hold 
of  boys,  and  of  silly  women,  privately, 
that  they  recount  their  wonderful  stories  ; 
it  is  then  that  they  teach  their  young  dis- 
ciples that  they  must  not  mind  their 
fathers  or  their  tutors,  but  obey  them  : 
Their  fathers  and  guardians,  they  tell 
them,  are  quite  ignorant  and  in  the  dark, 
but  themselves  alone  have  the  true  wis- 
dom. And  if  the  children  take  this  ad- 
vice, they  pronounce  them  happy;  and 
direct  them  to  leave  their  fathers  and  tu- 
tors, and  to  go,  with  the  women  and  their 
play-fellows,  into  the  chambers  of  the  fe- 
males, or  into  a  tailor's  or  fuller's  shop, 
that  they  may  learn  perfection." 

"  In  other  mysteries,  the  cryer  used  to 
say,  Whoever  has  clean  hands,  and  a  good 

ife,  let  him  come 
hear  whom  they  call, 
a  fool,  an  infant, 
a  lost  wretch, — the  kingdom  of  God  will 
receive  him.' — An  unjust  man,  if  he 
humble  himself  for  his  crimes,  God  will 
receive  him;  but  a  just  man,  who  has 
proceeded  in  a  course  of  virtue  from  the 
beginning,  if  he  look  up  to  him,  he  will 
not  be  received." 

He  compares  a  Christian  teacher  to  a 
quack,  who  promises  to  heal  the  sick,  on 
condition  that  they  keep  from  intelligent 
practitioners,  lest  his  ignorance  be  de- 
tected. 

"  Ye  will  hear  them, — though  differing 
so  widely  from  one  another,  and  abusing 
one  another  so  foully, — making  that  boast 
— the  world  is  crucified  to  me,  and  I  to 
the  world."* 


conscience,  and  a  good 
in.     But  let  us 
'Whoever  is  a  sinner- 


Gal. 


VI. 


"  The  same  things  are  better  said  by 
the  Greeks,  and  without  the  imperious 
denunciation  of  God,  or  the  Son  of 
God." 

"If  one  sort  introduce  one  doctrine, 
another  another,  and  all  join  in  saying, 
'  Believe,  if  ye  would  be  saved,  or  de- 
part;' what  are  they  to  do,  who  desire 
really  to  be  saved  1  Are  they  to  deter- 
mine by  the  throw  of  a  die  ?  Where  are 
they  to  turn  themselves,  or  whom  to  be- 
lieve ?" 

"  Do  ye  not  see,  that  any  man  that 
will,  may  carry  you  away  and  crucify 
you  and  your  demon  : — Tlie  Son  of  God 
gives  you  no  help." 

But  enoug-h  of  Celsus. — He  would  not 
deserve  a  moment's  attention,  if  it  were 
not  for  the  light  which  he  throws  on  the 
history  of  the  Christians  of  his  own  times, 
— that  is, — of  the  second  century. 

It  appears  evident  that  there  was  then  a 
singular  sort  of  persons,  suliject  to  all 
manner  of  ill  treatment  from  the  rest  of  the 
world  ;  and  who  might  be  hunted  down 
at  pleasure  by  violence  or  by  calumny. 
— Celsus  insults  them  on  account  of  their 
defenceless  condition.  If  they  had  re- 
sisted evil  with  evil,  his  malignity  would 
have  induced  him  to  reproach  them  on 
account  of  their  turbulence  and  seditious- 
ness.  Undoubtedly  then,  they  were  a 
meek,  quiet,  peaceable,  inoifensive  peo- 
ple. It  appears  also, — that  they  ■  wor- 
shipped a  person  named  Jesus,  who  had 
been  crucified  at  Jerusalem,  and, — that 
they  worshipped  him  as  God  ;  and  Celsus 
derides  their  folly  in  so  doing :  In  his 
view  of  things,  that  the  same  person 
should  be  both  God  and  man,  was  the 
greatest  inconsistency.  Their  doctrine 
concerning  Christ  appears  to  him  foolish 
beyond  measure ;  fit  only  for  the  under- 
standing of  fools,  and  beneath  the  regard 
of  wise  men.  Even  from  his  loose  and 
sarcastic  views  of  it  one  may  conclude, 
that  they  laid  great  stress  on  faith  : — 
and  that  the  exercise  of  it  was  considered 
as  connected  with  salvation ;  but  that 
this  exercise,  in  its  whole  nature,  was 
contrary  to  all  that  is  esteemed  wise  and 
great  in  the  -world.  It  was  also  a  great 
stumbling-block  to  Celsus, — that  men  the 
most  wicked  and  abandoned  might  be 
saved  by  faith  in  Jesus,  and, — that  men's 
confidence  in  moral  virtues  was  a  bar  to 
their  salvation.  Nor  does  it  appear  that 
the  number  of  converts  among  the  learned 
or  the  great  was  considerable  : — The  low- 
er ranks  of  men  were  best  disposed  to 


Cewt.  hi.] 


TESTIMONIES,  ETC, 


247 


receive  it ;  and  the  bulk  of  Christian  pro- 
fessors consisted  of  these. 

From  these  premises,  with  a  careful 
study  of  the  sacred  volume,  any  man, 
possessed  of  a  humble  spirit,  may  see 

WHAT    THE    RELIGION   AVAS,  which    CclsUS 

so  vehemently  reprobates.  It  could  not 
be  the  doctrine  of  common  morality.  He 
owHS,  indeed,  they  taught  this,  though 
he  says  that  the  philosophers  taught  it 
better.  One  may  appeal  to  any  person 
almost  at  this  day,  whether  Christian 
morals  be  not  immensely  superior  to  any 
thing  that  is  to  be  learnt  from  Plato,  Tul- 
ly,  or  Seneca.  It  has  been  the  fashion 
to  extol  the  moral  part  of  Scripture, — I 
fear,  with  an  insidious  eye  to  the  doc- 
trinal. What  this  last  was  in  Celsus's 
days,  he  himself,  in  a  measure,  tells  us  ; 
Namely,  "Christ  crucified,  the  living 
and  true  God,  the  only  Saviour  of  sinful 
men ; — the  necessity  of  renouncing  our 
own  wisdom  and  righteousness; — salva- 
tion through  faith  alone  ; — dependence  on 
our  supposed  goodness,  ruinous  and  fa- 
tal."— It  is  certain,  that  mere  moral  truths, 
if  they  had  formed  the  main  part  of  the 
Christian  scheme,  would  not  so  much 
have  provoked  the  enmity  of  Celsus. 

In  other  words, — the  peculiar  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel,  man's  fallen  state,  justifi- 
cation by  Jesus  Christ  alone,  divine  il- 
lumination and  influence,  these,  which 
excite  the  ill-will  of  man  in  his  natural 
state  now  as  much  as  they  did  then  ;-^ 
THESE  were  plainly  the  doctrines  which 
occasioned  such  misrepresentation  and 
abuse  as  that,  which  we  have  seen. 

If  the  serious  reader  would  take  the 
trouble  to  examine  a  variety  of  controver- 
sial writings  published  against  the  re- 
vival of  godliness  in  our  own  times,  he 
could  not  fail  to  be  struck  with  a  remark- 
able conformity  of  taste  and  sentiment 
between  Celsus  and  many  who  call  them- 
selves Christian  pastors.  Circumstances 
vary :  The  dresses  of  religious  profession 
alter  according  to  the  course  of  things  in 
this  world  ;  and  hence,  the  undiscerning 
will  be  liable  to  form  a  wrong  estimate. 
But,  in  reality,  there  is  no  "  new  thing 
under  the  sun." — That  which,  in  our 
times,  has  been  derided  as  enthusiasm, 
was  treated  in  the  manner  we  have  just  de- 
scribed, by  Celsus  and  others,  in  the  third 
century ;  and  he,  who  pleases,  may  now 
see  in  England  the  same  sort  of  persons, 
living  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  and 
held  in  contempt  by  persons  of  the  same 
stamp  as  Celsus.— It  has  frequently  been 


Lucian 
died  at  the 
age  of  90, 

A.  D.  180, 
circiter. 


well  observed,  that  this  adversary  of  .Te- 
sus  Christ  gives  a  good  testimony  to  the 
miracles  and  facts  of  the  Gospel ; — and  I 
add,  with  much  satisfaction,  that  he  is 
also  an  excellent  witness  to  the  work  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  in  his  day,  by  showing 
us  what  sort  of  doctrine  was  preached  and 
professed  by  Christians  at  that  time. 

Lucian  of  Samosata  was  a  contempo- 
rary of  Celsus.  He  has  already  been 
mentioned,  as  throwing  considerable  light 
on  the  history  of  Christians, 
in  the  story  of  Peregrinus. 
The  delusion  into  which  this 
hypocritical  professor  was  suf- 
fered to  fall,  after  his  aposta- 
sy, deserves  to  be  noticed  as 
a  warning  to  those,  who  use  the  name  of 
Jesus  for  a  cloak  to  sinister  pursuits. 

He  publicly  burnt  himself  in  the  sight 
of  all  Greece,  soon  after  the  Olympic 
games  were  over.*  He  did  it  to  gain 
himself  a  name,  and  "  he  had  his  reward." 
—  Heathen  authors  speak  honourably  of 
him.  The  lustre  of  his  philosophic  life, 
and  his  ostentatious  suicide,  expiated,  in 
the  eyes  of  men  of  this  world,  the  guilt 
and  infamy  of  his  juvenile  profession  of 
the  Gospel. — A  statue  was  erected  to  him 
at  Parium  in  Mysia,  which  was  supposed 
to  be  oracular. 

That  which  in  a  Christian  view  is  the 
depth  of  iniquity,  may  seem,  to  misguided 
and  vain  philosophers,  the  perfection  of 
virtue.  "  The  Lord  seeth  not  as  man 
seeth." 

Lucian  tells  us  also  of  a  person,  named 
Alexander,  who  deluded  mankind  by 
oracular  falsehoods.  Some  Epicureans 
detected  and  exposed  his  fallacies,  which 
made  him  declare  that  Pontus  was  full  of 
Atheists  and  Christians,  who  had  the  as- 
surance to  raise  slanderous  stories  against 
him  :  And  he  excited  the  people  to  drive 
them  away  with  stones.  He  instituted 
mysterious  rites,  like  those  of  Athens ; 
and,  on  the  first  day  of  the  solemnity, 
proclamation  was  made, — as  at  Athens, — 
to  the  following  effect:  "  If  any  Epicu- 
rean, Christian,  or  Atheist,  be  come 
hither  as  a  spy  upon  these  mysteries,  let 
him  depart  with  all  speed  ;  but  I  promise 
a  happy  initiation  to  those  who  [believe 
in  God."  Then  they  thrust  the  people 
away, — he  going  before  and  sa)'ing, 
"Away  with  the  Christians!"  then  the 
multitude  cried  out  again,  "  Away  with 
the  Epicureans !" 


Lardner's  Collect,  chap.  six. 


248 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  XXI. 


We  see  here  again  that  there  is  nothing 
"new  under  the  sun."  A  fervent  or 
artful  supporter  of  old  Pagan  supersti- 
tions finds  himself  opposed  by  two  sorts 
of  people,  the  most  opposite  to  one  an- 
other, which  can  possibly  exist, — Epicu- 
rean sceptics  or  men  of  no  religious  prin- 
ciple,— and  Christian  believers.  So  at 
this  day, — Christians  and  Sceptics  will 
unite  in  discountenancing  Papal  supersti- 
tions ; — but  with  how  different  a  spirit  I — 
The  one  with  compassion  and  gravity, — 
the  other  with  carelessness  and  levity  : — 
and,  with  how  different  a  design ! — The 
former  to  establish  the  true  worship  of 
God, — the  latter  to  spread  universal  infi- 
delity. 

The  Greek  author,  Lucian,  was  himself 
an  Epicurean, — abounding  in  wit  and 
profaneness.  His  Dialogues  are  fall  of 
sarcastic  insinuations  against  the  fashion- 
able idolatry. — He  was  not  aware,  that 
he  was  co-operating  with  Christians  in 
subverting  the  abominations,  which  had 
subsisted  for  so  many  ages.  His  writings 
were,  doubtless,  of  use  in  this  respect: 
And,  who  can  foresee  how  serviceable, 
under  God,  the  present  fashionable  spirit 
of  depreciating  and  lowering  Popery  may 
be  to  the  future  sfeneral  establishment  of 
Christianity, — though  nothing  be  farther 
from  the  thoughts  or  wishes  of  our  pre- 
sent political  sceptics  and  infidels. 

There  is  a  dialogue,  called  Philopatris, 
ascribed  to  Lucian,  but  probably  written 
by  some  other  person  somewhat  later. 
No  doubt,  it  is  of  high  antiquity.  It  ridi- 
cules the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  "  One 
THREE,  THREE  ONE.  The  most  high  God; 
Son  of  the  Father ;  the  Spirit  proceeding 
from  the  Father."  Such  are  the  expres- 
sions in  the  dialogue.  The  author  speaks 
also  of  "  a  beggarly,  sorrowful  company 
of  people."  jfle  insinuates  their  disaffec- 
tion to  government; — that  they  wished 
for  bad  news,  and  delighted  in  public  ca- 
lamities ; — and  that  some  of  them  fasted 
ten  whole  days  without  eating,  and  spent 
whole  nights  in  singing  hymns. — Who 
does  not  see  in  all  this  the  misrepresen- 
tation of  an  enemy,  describing  men  of 
holy  lives  and  mortified  affections,  who 
worshipped  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost;  and  who,  in  their  desires 
and  temper,  were  elevated  above  the 
world. 

Aristides  the  Sophist,  another  contem- 
porary of  Celsus,  speaks  with  indignation 
against  certain  persons  of  his  day,  whom, 
he  observes,  in  manners  to  be  not  unlike  the 


Galen  died 
at  the  age 


impious  people  in  Palestine ;  for  they  ac- 
knowledged not  the  gods :  they  differ 
from  the  Greeks  and  all  good  men,  are 
dexterous  in  subverting  houses  and  dis- 
turbing families  :  they  contribute  nothing 
to  public  festivals,  but  dwell  in  comers, 
and  are  wonderfully  "  wise  in  their  own 
conceits."* 

Thus,  when  men  were  out  of  humour 
with  any  persons,  they  compared  them  to 
Christians,  who,  in  this  way,  were  made 
the  "  off-scouring  of  all  things". — By  such 
evidences  as  these,  however,  their  singu- 
lar abstinence  from  all  reigning  vices  and 
follies,  their  steady  adherence  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  living  God,  and  the  strength 
of  the  divine  operations  on  their  minds, 
are  proved  beyond  contradiction. 

Much  about  the  same  time,  Galen,  the 
famous  physician,  gave  testimony  to  the 
firmness  and  perseverance  of 
Christians.  "It  is  easier," 
says  he,  "  to  convince  the  dis-  of  jq 
ciples  of  Moses  and  Christ  •  jj'  jg„ 
than  physicians  and  philo- 
sophers who  are  addicted  to  particular 
sects."  Thus  it  appears  that  tlieir  forti- 
tude or  their  obstinacy  was  at  that  time 
PROVERBIAL :  and  moreover,  that  they 
were  a  people  then  well  known  in  the 
world. 

Plotinus  was,  in  this  century,  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  disciples  of  the  new 
Platonic  school,  the  genius  of  which,  as 
formed  by  Ammonius,  has  been  before 
described.  He  had  studied  under  Ammo- 
nius himself:  and,  by  the  strength  of  his 
parts,themultiplicity  of  his  literary  acqui- 
sitions, and  the  gravity  of  his  manners, 
he  attained  a  very  high  reputation  in  the 
world.  He  imitated  Socrates  in  his  pre- 
tensions to  a  communion  with  a  demon  ; 
and  was,  by  his  disciples,  looked  on  as 
somethino-  celestial.  Persons  of  the  grreat- 
est  quality  revered  him :  The  emperor 
Gallienus  was  once  on  the  point  of  giving 
him  a  ruined  city  in  Campania,  in  which 
he  might  settle  a  Platonic  republic. — The 
man  seems,  to  his  dying  day,  to  have  sup- 
ported his  philosophical  reveries. — When 
he  was  actually  dying,  he  said,  "  I  am 
endeavouring  to  rejoin  that,  which  is  di- 
vine in  us,  to  the  divine  part  of  the  uni- 
verse."! Undoubtedly  he  alluded  to  the 
NOTION  of  "  God  being  the  soul  of  the 
universe," — that  Pantheistic  compound 
of  pride  and  atheistic  absurdity,  which 
was  the  proper  creed  of  most  of  the  an- 


Lardner's  Collect,  ch.  xx.       f  Fleury. 


Ckwt.  III.] 


TESTIMONIES,  ETC. 


249 


cient  Philosophers,  and  was  even  more 
impious  than  all  the  fables  of  vulgar  Pa- 
ganism.* 

The  oracle  of  Apollo,  we  are  told,  after 
his  death,  informed  his  admirers  that  his 
soul  was  in  the  Elysian  fields  with  Plato 
and  Pythagoras, — Such  were  the  artifices 
by  which  .Satan  and  his  human  followers 
endeavoured  to  raise  up  rivals  to  the  Chris- 
tians. In  a  work  professedly  illustrating 
the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  it 
seemed  proper  to  take  notice  of  the  con- 
trasts, or  rather  of  tlie  counterfeits  by 
which  the  spirit  of  falsehood  endeavoured 
to  support  the  declining  cause  of  idolatry. 
-—Its  vulgar  and  gross  scenes  were,  in 
part,  abandoned,  and  a  more  refined  habit 
was  given  to  it  by  philosophy,  which 
pretended  to  wisdom  and  virtue  in  a  high 
degree.  But  human  philosophy  could 
not  produce  holiness,  because  humility 
and  the  faith  of  Jesus  were  not  there  : 
Pride  was  its  predominant  feature ;  and 
while  thousands  found,  even  in  this  life, 
the  salutary  benefits  of  Christianity,  vain 
philosophers  prated  concerning  virtue,  but 
effected  nothing  either  for  the  honour  of 
God,  or  the  good  of  mankind. 

One  of  the  most  studious  and  laborious 
disciples  of  Plotinus  was  Amelius.  It 
is  evident  from  a  passagef  of  Eusebins, 
that  he  made  attempts  to 
unite  something  of  Christiani- 
ty with  Platonism,  just  as  we 
have  seen  Origen, — who  was 
of  the  same  school, — mix 
something  of  the  latter  with  the  former, 
to  the  great  prejudice  of  the  Gospel. 
"This  was  the  Word,"  says  he,  "by 
whom,  he  being  himself  eternal,  all  things 
that  exist  were  made ; — the  same  whom 
the  barbarian  afl[irms  to  be  with  God.  and 
to  be  God  :  the  Word  by  whom  all  things 
were  made,  and  in  whom  every  thing 
that  was  made  has  its  life  and  being 
.who,  descending  into  body  and  putting 
on  flesh,  took  tlie  form  of  man;  though 
he  even  then  gave  proof  of  the  majesty  of 
his  nature  ;  nay,  and  after  his  dissolution 
he  was  deified  ao-ain,  and  is  God,  the 
same  he  was  before  he  descended  into 
body,  and  flesh,  and  man." 

This  may  be  called  no  mean  testimony 
to  the   Gospel  of  St.  John, — for  he  is. 


Plotinus 
died  at  the 
age  of  66, 

A.  D.  270. 


*  See  this  point  ably  discussed  in  AVarbur- 
ton's  Legation  of  Moses,  Book  III.  Sect.  4. 
[Vol.  iii.  8vo.  edit.  1811.] 

+  Euseb.  Pr.  Ev. — See  Lardner's  Collec- 
tions, chap,  xxxiii. 


doubtless,  the  barbarian  here  mentioned : 
— The  ideas  of  Christianity,  it  seems,  in 
some  loose  ambiguous  manner,  were  ad- 
mitted by  these  philosophers,  and  incor- 
porated into  their  system ;  and  so,  in 
modern  times,  Swedenburgh,  Rousseau, 
or  Bolingbroke,  have  not  been  unwilling 
to  ennoble  their  compositions  with  sub- 
lime sentiments  taken  from  the  sacred 
writings,  but  confusedly  understood  ; 
while  yet,  they  stood  aloof  from  the  so- 
ciety of  Christians,  affected  to  think  them 
little  better  than  barbarians,  and  made 
not,  in  their  own  case,  the  least  approach 
to  the  faith  and  love  of  Jesus. 

Thus  also  Longinus,  a  scholar  of  the 
same  school,  and  well  acquainted  with 
Plotinus,  in  his  treatise  on  the  Sublime, 
produces  a  fine  quotation  from  the  first 
chapter  of  Genesis,  and  calls  Moses  a 
man  of  no  mean  genius.*  Likewise,  a 
fragment  of  this  same  writer,  v/hich  has 
been  preserved  ; — and  of  which  I  see  no 
reason  to  doubt  the  authenticity, — speaks 
of  Paul  of  Tarsus,  as  one  of  the  greatest 
of  orators  ;  and  also,  as  the  first  supporter 
of  a  doctrine  by  no  means  proved  to  be 
true. 

This  passage  is  exactly  in  the  style  of 
Longinus, — rather  nervous  than  elegant. 
It  is  found  in  a  manuscript  of  the  Gospels 
of  very  good  authority  ;  and  no  sufficient 
reason  has  been  given  for  suspecting  its 
genuineness. — The  internal  evidence  is 
all  against  such  a  suspicion.  The  sup- 
posed author  was  a  most  judicious  critic, 
— if  ever  there  was  a  person  in  the  world, 
who  deserved  that  character; — and  there- 
fore he  was  very  capable,  by  the  excel- 
lency of  bis  taste,  of  seeing  and  relishing 
the  EE.A.UTIES  of  St.  Paul's  compositions  : 
He  possessed  a  very  candid  temper, — 
which  would  dispose  him  to  acknowledge 
them  ;  and  he  was  perfectly  indifferent 
in  regard  to  religion, — which  accounts 
for  his  overlooking  what  ought  principally 
to  have  fixed  his  attention.  For  these 
reasons,  I  reject  the  gratuitous  and  im- 
probable assertion,  which  has  been  made, 
— that  this  clause  concerning  St.  Paul 
was  forged  by  some  Christian. f 

We  see,  hence,  how  well  Christians 
were  known  in  the  third  century ; — and 
what  respect  their  doctrine,  even  then  ob- 
tained in  the  world  from  those,  who,  as 
far  as  their  own  personal  interests  might 

t  Longinus  is  said  to  have  been  put  to  death 
by  Aurelian,  a.  d.  273. 


250 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  XXI, 


Porphyry 
died  at  the 
age  of 
about  71, 
at  the  end 
of  Diocle- 
sian's 
reign. 


be  afFected,  were  either  averse  to  embrace 
the  Gospel,  or  at  least  quite  careless  con- 
cerning it. 

Porphyry  is  the  last  unwilling  witness 
for  Christians  whom  I  shall  mention 
within  the  third  century.  There  is  a 
work,  indeed,  bearing  his 
name,  entitled  the  Philoso- 
phy of  Oracles,  in  which 
there  are  very  strong  testi- 
monies in  favour  of  the  Gos- 
pel:  but,  as  it  appears  to 
have  been  written  in  the  time 
of  Constautine,  or  after  the 
civil  establishment  of  Christianity,  the 
consideration  of  it  properly  belongs  to 
the  history  of  the  next  century. 

_  This  man  was  born  at  Tyre  in  Phoe- 
nicia,—was  a  scholar  of  Plotinus,  and,— 
like  the  rest  of  that  school,— maintained 
a  gravity  of  manners,  and  entered  vigor- 
ously into  Platonic  refinements In  a'cri- 

mony  against  Christians  he  far  exceeded 
them  all.  He  took  much  pains  to  over- 
turn the  Gospel ;  and  it  must  be  confess- 
ed his  learning  and  acuteness  were  con- 
siderable. The  very  few  fragments  ex- 
tant of  his  works  afford  us  no  great  op- 
portunity to  judge  of  the  extent  of  his  ca- 
pacity, or  of  the  depth  of  his  judgment : 
but,  from  the  serious  pains  taken  by  the 
ancient  Christians  to  confute  him,  we 
may  conclude  that  his  abilities  were  of  a 
far  higher  order  than  those  of  Celsus. 

In  a  passage,  preserved  by  Eusebius,* 
he  censures  the  famous  Origen  for  leav- 
ing Gentilism  and  embracing  the  barba- 
rian temerity,— that  is,  the  Gospel.  That 
he  states  the  fact  erroneously  is  certain  : 
for  Origen  was  brought  up  under  Chris- 
tian parents  ;  but  I  had  almost  said,  that 
that  great  man  merited  such  a  reproach 
on  account  of  the  extravagant  respect, 
vphich  he  paid  to  the  enemies  of  Chris- 
tianity. Porphyry  allows  liim  to  have 
been  a  great  proficient  in  philosophy  ;  and 
says,  that  he  was  very  conversant  with 
Plato,  Longinus,  and  the  works  of  the 
Pythagoreans  and  Stoics;— and,  that  he 
learnt  from  these  the  allegorical  method 
of  explaining  the  Greek  mysteries,  and 
by  forced  interpretations,  inconsistent  in 
themselves,  andunsuitable  to  those  writ- 
ings, applied  it  to  the  Jewish  Scriptures. 
Fas  est  et  ab  hoste  doceri. — The  fan- 
ciful mode  of  Origen  in  interpreting  Scrip- 
ture is  here  justly  condemned  by  Por- 
phyry :  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,— the 


Ammonian  scheme  is  allowed  by  him  to 
be  unsuitable  to  those  writings.  Origen 
did  much  mischief  by  making  such  at- 
tempts: Let  the  word  of  God  stand  sim- 
ple and  alone;  and  let  philosophers  be 
left  to  their  own  inventions : — The  enmity 
of  Porphyry  was  not  abated  by  the  com- 
plaisance of  philosophizing  Christians; 
nor  did  their  concessions  make  any  con- 
verts to  evangelical  truth. 

His  captious  reasonings  against  the 
book  of  Daniel  show  him  to  be  a  bitter, 
but  ineffectual  adversary  to  Christianity: 
The  consideration  of  these,  however,  fall 
not  within  our  design. — The  same  may 
be  said  of  various  cavils  which  he  made 
to  many  passages  in  the  Gospel: — We 
have  seen  a  sufficient  specimen  of  the 
same  spirit  in  Celsus. 

Ingenuity  and  malevolence,  when 
united,  seldom  fail  in  forming  plausible 
objections,  wherever  opportunities  offer. 
The  censure  which  St.  Paul,  in  the  Epis- 
tle to  the  Galatians,  has  left  upon  St. 
Peter,  engaged  the  attention  of  Porphyry, 
and  induced  him,  from  an  occasional  dif- 
ference between  the  Apostles,  to  form  an* 
argument  against  the  whole  of  their  re- 
ligion. I  have,  already,  in  the  former 
part  of  this  volume,  stated  my  deliberate 
judgment  on  this  subject; — and,  I  may 
here  add, — that  the  very  clear  testimony 
which  St.  Peter,  toward  the  conclusion 
of  his  second  epistle,  gives  to  the  in- 
spired character  of  St.  Paul,  at  the  same 
time  that  it  demonstrates  the  harmony  of 
the  Apostles,  remains  one  of  the  fairest 
monuments  of  St.  Peter's  humility  and 
candour. — On  examination,  then,  it  ap- 
pears, that  these  attacks  of  enemies  are, 
in  fact,  so  many  evidences  of  the  virtues 
and  graces  of  the  Christians.  Surely 
truth,  and  wisdom,  and  goodness  may 
well  be  presumed  to  be  with  those,  whom 
their  adversaries  assault  with  such  frivo- 
lous objections. 

On  account  of  an  epidemical  disorder 
raging  in  a  certain  city,  Porphyry  ob- 
serves, "  Men  wonder  now  that  distem- 
pers have  seized  the  city  so  many  years : 
they  forget  that  ^Esculapius  and  the  other 
gods  no  longer  dwell  ainong  them :  for, 
since  Jesus  was  honoured,  no  one  has 
received  any  public  benefit  froraf  the 
gods." 

What  a  testimony  is  this  to  the  great 
progress  of  Christianity  in  his  day !  Ma- 


*  Euseb.  Book  6,  chap.  18. 


*  Lardner's  Collections,  chap,  xxxvii. 
t  Eusebius. 


Cest.  m.] 


PRIMITIVE  CHRISTIANS. 


251 


levolence  confesses,  at  the  very  time  that 
it  impiously  and  absurdly  complains. 

"  Matrons  and  women,"  says  Porphyry, 
"compose  their  senate,  and  rule  in  the 
churches ;  and  the  priestly  order  is  dis- 
posed of  according  to  their  good  plea- 


sure 


"* 


all  that  the  world  delights  in,  is  no  less 
manifest  than  the  malignity  of  our  de- 
praved nature  in  hating  and  opposing  it. 


The  falsity  of  all  this  is  notorious ;  but 
the  testimony  here  given,  by  the  mouth 
of  an  enemy,  to  the  piety  of  the  female 
Christians,  is  perfectly  agreeable  to  the 
accounts  of  the  New  Testament,  and  to 
the  history  of  all  revivals  of  godliness  in 
every  age ; — in  none  of  which  women 
had  the  government ;  but,  in  all  a  great 
personal  concern  by  their  pious  exertions 
"  There  is  neither  male  nor  female,  but 

YE  ARE  ALL  ONE  IN  ChRIST  JeSUS." 

"  If  Christ  be  the  way  of  salvation,  the 
truth,  and  the  life;  and  if  they  only,  who 
believe  in  him,  shall  be  saved,  what  be- 
came of  the  men  who  lived  before  his 
comingl"! 

The  reader  has  often  heard  similar  ob- 
jections made  in  our  days.  The  Chris- 
tians preached  then  the  same  doctrine  of 
salvation — only  by  Christ,  which  is 
now  stigmatized  as  uncharitable. 

"  A  person  asked  Apollo  how  to  make 
his  wife  relinquish  Christianity^  It  is 
easier  perhaps,  replied  the  oracle,  to 
write  on  water,  or  to  fly  into  the  air,  than 
to  reclaim  her.  Leave  her,  in  her  folly, 
to  hymn  in  a  faint  mournful  voice  the 
dead  God,  who  publicly  suffered  death 
from  judges  of  singular  wisdom.":^: 

This  story,  told  by  Porphyry,  is  a  me- 
morable testimony  of  the  constancy  of 
Christians. — It  also  hence  appears,  that 
they  were  accustomed  to  worship  Jesus 
as  God ;  and,  that  they  were  not  ashamed 
of  this,  notwithstanding  the  ignominy  of 
his  cross.  The  attestation,  however,  here 
given  of  the  wisdom  of  Caiphas  and  of 
Pontius  Pilate,  will  not  so  readily  be  ad' 
mitted. 

The  enemies  of  vital  godliness,  in  our 
days,  may  see  from  the  various  cavils 
and  misrepresentations  contained  in  these 
extracts,  that  their  ancient  brethren  in  in- 
fidelity have  been  beforehand  with  them 
in  all  their  most  material  objections.  The 
doctrine,  the  spirit,  and  the  conduct  of 
real  Christians,  appears  from  these  evi- 
dences :  And  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  on  the  hearts  of  men,  in  attaching 
them  to  Jesus,  and  in  divorcing  them  from 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

CONNEXION  BETWEEN  THE  DOCTRINE 
AND  PRACTICE  OF  PRIMITIVE  CHRIS- 
TIANS. 

I  AM  sensible,  that  many  parts  of  the 
foregoing  history  may  appear  to  several 
persons  defective  in  point  of  candour. — 
"  Why  such  solicitude  to  prove  men  Tri- 
nitarians in  opinion'? — Why  so  strict  an 
eye  kept,  all  along,  on  the  doctrines  com- 
monly called  Evangelical  by  enthusiasts 
and  sectaries'? — Of  what  importance  are 
opinions,  if  men's  practice  be  right'? — 
Why  is  not  all  the  stress  of  commenda- 
tion laid  on  holiness  of  life,  on  integrity, 
and  on  charity'?" 

This  language  is  specious,  but  is 
chargeable  with  the  following  erroneous 
notion  : — It  supposes  that  there  is  no  real 
connexion  between  doctrine  and  practice. 
Now,  a  sound  Christian  cannot  admit, — 
however  fashionable  the  sentiment  may 
be, — that  all  sorts  of  religious  opinions 
are  equally  influential,  or  equally  ineffec- 
tive in  the  production  of  virtuous  conduct. 
The  Scripture  connects  sanctification  with 
belief  of  the  truth.*  Our  Lord  himself 
prays  that  his  disciples  may  be  "  sancti- 
fied through  the  truth  :"t  "  The  blood  of 
Christ  purges  the  conscience  from  dead 
works  to  serve  the  living  God  :":{:  and  a 
right  faith  in  Jesus  "  overcomes  the 
world." — St.  John  challenges  men  to 
prove  that  they  can  overcome  the  world 
by  any  other  way  :§  and,  in  the  chapter 
now  alluded  to,  he  is  very  particular  in 
describing  what  that  faith  is.  In  fine, 
Christ  "  gave  himself  for  us,  that  he 
might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and 
purify  to  himself  a  peculiar  people, 
zealous  of  good  works. "|| — If  then  this 
zeal  for  good  works  be  the  effect  of 
HIS  redemption, — how  is  it  possible  that 
a  person,  who  disbelieves  the  important 
doctrines  essentially  concerned  in  that 
redemption,  should  have  any  true  zeal 
for  good  works.  By  the  supposition,  the 
man  never  uses,  but  has  an  aversion  to, 
the  means,  which  God  has  expressly  ap- 


*  Eusebius.  f  Ibid. 

^  Bullet's  History. 


*  John  xvii.  19. 
i  lleb.  i.e.  14. 
11  Titus  ii.  14. 


f  2Tliess.  ii.  13. 
§  1  John  V.  5. 


252 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XXH. 


pointed  and  made  necessary  for  the  at- 
tainment of  this  end. — Let  this  concise 
argument  be  well  considered. 

The  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Gospel 
are, — Original  sin, — Justification  by  the 
grace  of  Jesus  Christ, — His  Godhead 
and  atonement, — the  Divinity  and  the 
efficacious  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
We  appeal  to  the  Scriptures  for  the  proof 
of  this  assertion.  If  it  cannot  be  proved 
THENCE,  it  is  not  to  be  proved  at  all. 
The  tradition  of  the  Church,  if  it  were 
more  uniform  than  it  is,  can  never  suffi- 
ciently demonstrate  it.  But  still,  an  au- 
thentic history  of  the  character  of  the 
first  Christians,  is  very  instructive, — and 
as  such,  merits  our  most  serious  atten- 
tion. We  have  found  that  the  doctrines 
just  stated,  were,  in  the  primitive  times, 
constantly  held  by  men  allowed  to  be  the 
most  wise  and  upright.  Surely,  so  re- 
markable a  fact  might  well  induce  those, 
who,  in  our  times,  oppose  these  doctrines 
with  all  their  power, — to  hesitate  a  lit- 
tle,— to  entertain  doubts  whether  their 
own  sentiments  be  right ;  and  lastly — no 
longer  to  call  their  adversaries  zealots 
in  SPECULATIVE  religion. — One  would 
think,  that  when  the  Scripture  itself  af- 
firms the  existence  of  a  connexion  be- 
tween faith  and  practice,  and  Avhen  the 
history  of  Christian  antiquity  exemplifies 
that  connexion,  neither  the  articles  of  be- 
lief themselves  ought  to  be  coldly  deno- 
minated SPECULATIVE,  nor  the  zeal  used 
in  supporting  them  be  reproached  with 
the  contemptuous  name  of  enthusiasm. — 
Such  reflections  as  these,  it  is  hoped, 
may  remove  from  the  mind  of  the  reader 
any  unfavourable  idea  of  the  historian's 
disposition  in  regard  to  candour. — True 
candour  consists, — not  in  endeavouring 
to  render  an  adversary  contemptible  by 
using  the  hard  terms,  enthusiast,  fanatic, 
bigot,  and  such  like  ;  but  in  fairly  bring- 
ing forward  and  digesting  evidence,  and 
in  drawing  warrantable  inferences  from 
it. 

Two  things  have  been  shown  to  have 
uniformly  taken  place  during  the  three 
first  centuries  ; — first,  that  there  existed, 
all  along,  a  number  of  persons  bearing 
the  Christian  name,  whose  lives  proved 
them  to  be  the  "  excellent  of  the  earth." 
And  secondly,  that,  as  far  as  appears,  the 
character  of  genuine  virtue  belonged  ex- 
clusively to  men  who  espoused  the  pecu- 
liar doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  From  the 
Apostles  down  to  Ignatius,  Polycarp,  and 
Irenajus ;  and,  from  them,  to  the  age  of 


Origen,  both  these  assertions  are  demon- 
strable by  the  clearest  evidence. 

Origen  alone,  of  all  persons  of  supe- 
rior reputation  in  the  Church,  has  been 
suspected  as  deficient  in  point  of  ortho- 
doxy. If  the  suspicion  were  swelled 
into  a  certain  proof,  the  discredit,  which 
his  philosophic  mixtures  have  brought  on 
his  character,  and  the  censures,  which  so 
many  wise  and  good  men  have  so  freely 
passed  on  him,  as  unsound  in  the  faith, 
would  rather  prove  our  assertion  of  the 
uniformity  of  Christian  belief  in  these 
articles  than  the  contrary.  But,  that  Ori- 
gen, on  the  whole,  believed  these  doc- 
trines, is  sufficiently  proved  by  express 
passages  of  his  works  : — and  his  well- 
known  curious  and  adventurous  spirit  of 
inquiry  in  subjects  on  which  he  never 
meant  to  be  positive,  will  account  for  his 
ambiguities. 

I  cannot  allow  Dionysius  of  Alexan- 
dria, merely  because  he  was  once  sus- 
pected to  be  heretical,  to  be  an  exception 
to  my  position.  His  well-known  expla- 
nation of  himself  sufficiently  confutes  the 
surmise.  The  age  of  Cyprian  is  full  of 
the  most  luminous  proofs.  Even  the 
treatise  of  Novatian  on  the  Trinity  is  it- 
self a  strong  argument  on  the  same  side 
of  the  question.  An  elaborate,  copious, 
and  distinct  treatise  on  such  a  subject 
written  by  an  innovator, — and  the  first 
DISSENTER, — against  whom  I  have  freely 
owned  the  best  men  of  those  times  were 
much  too  censorious, — would  doubtless 
have  been  branded  with  peculiar  infamy 
in  the  Church,  if  it  had  contained  any 
sentiments  contrary  to  the  apostolic  faith. 
Its  deviation  from  truth  would  have  been 
marked  with  peculiar  asperity.  But  it  is 
universally  allowed,  that  the  Novatians 
held  the  same  doctrines  as  the  general 
Church,  and  differed  only  in  point  of  dis- 
cipline. What  greater  proof  can  be  de- 
sired than  such  an  uniformity? 

Perhaps  the  cause  of  Paul  of  Samo- 
sata  may  illustrate  the  subject  still  more 
forcibly. — A  bishop  was,  by  the  concur- 
rent voice  of  the  whole  Christian  Church, 
degraded  and  expelled,  because  he  op- 
posed these  doctrines. — The  excellent 
lives  of  men  of  orthodox  views  are  evi- 
dent in  these  times  of  true  goodness.  I 
cannot  find  any  proofs  of  such  excellence 
in  other  persons  who  called  themselves 
Christians.  I  acknowledge  the  scanti- 
ness of  historical  materials :  I  make  al- 
lowance for  the  prejudices  of  writers; 
and,  I  do  not  forget,  that  the  compositions 


Cent.  III.] 


PRIMITIVE  CHRISTIANS. 


253 


of  none,  but  of  the  orthodox  of  those 
times,  have  come  down  to  us.  But,  after 
all,  it  seems  inipossil)le  to  reject  the  re- 
peated testimony  of  such  a  man  as  Ire- 
naeus  ;  to  the  wickedness  of  the  heretics. 
— The  immoral  character  of  Paul  of  Sa- 
Inosata  is  well  known  ;  and  men  of  real 
holiness  and  virtue  can  scarcely  be  en- 
tirely hid  in  any  age  in  which  they  exist. 

We  have  been  told  indeed  great  things 
of  the  Ebionites;  and  they  have  been  set 
up  as  the  true  standard  of  primitive  or- 
thodoxy. But  it  seems  scarcely  possible 
for  any  man  of  learning,  who  has  a  dispo- 
sition to  examine  things  fairly  and  can- 
didly, to  lay  weight  on  such  a  wild  and 
groundless  opinion. — Who  is  this  Ebion  ] 
— "  Who  is  this  uncircumcised  Philis- 
tine, that  he  should  defy  the  armies  of 
the  living  God  V — Let  it  be  admitted  that 
he  and  his  party  believed  and  thought  of 
St.  Paul  and  of  Christian  doctrines,  and 
of  Christ  himself,  exactly  as  some  per- 
sons do,  who  at  this  day  call  themselves 
RATIONAL  Christians. — Will  it  thence 
follow  that  the  holy  Scriptures  will  be 
best  interpreted  by  consulting  the  opi- 
nions of  an  obscure  person,  of  whom  all 
we  know  is  contained  in  only  a  few  lines, 
and  whose  very  existence  is  but  faintly 
proved ;  and  whose  sect  also,  though  it 
had  certainly  an  early,  if  any,  existence, 
was  condemned  in  the  Christian  churches, 
and  even  by  Origen  himself,  as  heretical?* 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  Ebionites, 
in  not  receiving  St.  Paul's  Epistles,  as 
Origen  tells  us,  acted  consistently. 
Their  sentiments,  and  those  of  St.  Paul, 
are  in  direct  opposition  to  each  other. — 
But,  what  are  we  to  think  of  men  who 
rejected  thirteen  epistles  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament, of  whose  divine  authority  there 
never  was  any  doubt  among  real  Chris- 
tians 1 

And,  though  the  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brews has  abundant  proofs  of  Divine  in- 
spiration, yet,  if  one  were  to  allow,  for  a 
moment,  that  it  was  only  the  work  of  some 
pious  person  of  very  high  antiquity  in  the 
Church,  and  held  in  very  great  estima- 
tion, who,  that  soberly  examines  the  ba- 
lance of  evidences,  would  hesitate  to  de- 
cide that  its  authority  greatly  exceeded 
any  possible  respect  due  to  the  opinions 
of  the  Ebionites?  Then, — in  this  regu- 
lar argumentative  composition  we  find 
certain  doctrines  enlarged  on  very  much. 


and  supported  by  the  united  voices  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testament, — which  doc- 
trines, by  an  obscure  sect,  of  whom  we, 
literally,  know  next  to  nothing,  are  barely 
denied.— A  chain  of  close  reasoning  on 
the  one  hand  ; — mere  positive  assertions 
on  the  other ! 

In  judging  of  historical  evidence,  no 
rule  can  be  better  founded,  than  that  the 
concurrent  testimony  of  the  best  writers 
ought  always  to  outweigh  the  single  af- 
firmation of  any  particular  person. — It  is 
on  this  ground  that  the  relation  of  Per- 
sian affairs  by  Ctesias  is  looked  on  as 
romantic.  The  account  of  the  death  of 
Cyrus  also,  as  slain  by  Tomyris,  the  Scy- 
thian Queen,  has  no  credit,  because  of  the 
superior  credibility  of  Xenophon,  and  of 
other  historians.  And  he  would  be  thought 
a  weak  critic  in  history,  who  should  in 
our  days  assert,  that 

"  Charlemagne,  -with  all  his  peerage,  fell  by 
Foiitaiabia." 

Milton,  as  a  poet,  may  be  allowed  to 
say  this  on  the  evidence  of  romances : 
But  sober  history,  which  asserts  in  gene- 
ral the  contrary,  must  be  believed. — On 
such  weak  foundations  seems  to  me  to 
stand  the  authority  of  the  Ebionites  in 
matters  of  Christian  doctrine. 

Let  not  the  reader  forget,  that  the  ob- 
ject of  this  whole  argument  is  to  esta- 
blish the  indissoluble  connexion,  which 
subsists  between  principle  and  practice. 
— For  this  purpose  it  may  be  useful  to 
attend  a  little  to  the  internal  nature  of 
Christian  principles. 

If  there  be  a  favourite  point  in  Scrip- 
ture, it  is  the  recommendation  of  humi- 
lity. The  truly  humble,  with  all  their  im- 
perfections, will  be  admitted  into  heaven ; 
the  proud,  with  all  the  virtue  compatible 
with  pride,  will  be  excluded.  Those  doc- 
trines, therefore,  which  support  humility 
must  be  divine :  those  which  nourish  pride 
must  be  "earthly,  sensual,  devilish."* 
Now  the  evangelical  doctrines,  just  men- 
tioned, are  all  of  the  former  sort.  The  more 
they  are  relished  and  admired,  the  more  do 
they  direct  the  mind  to  honour  God,  to 
feel  even  infinite  obligation  to  him,  to  en- 
tertain the  lowest  ideas  of  ourselves,  to 
confound  the  pride  of  intellect,  of  riches, 
of  virtue,  of  every  thing  human.  To 
sing  salvation  to  God  and  the  Lamb,  to 
confess  our  desert  of  destruction,  and  to 
ascribe   our  deliverance   from   it  to  the 


*   See  Origen  ad  Celsum,  Book  5,  towards 
the  end. 

Vol.  I.  Y 


*  James  ili.  15. 


254 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH  : 


[Chap.  XXH. 


atoning  blood  of  Jesus, — this  is  the  em- 
ployment of  heaven.  The  tastes  and 
tempers  adapted  to  such  employment 
must  be  formed  here  on  earth  by  grace  ; 
and  the  whole  work  of  the  Spirit,  which 
we  have  seen  exemplified  in  three  centu- 
ries, is  to  produce  and  support  these  dis- 
positions :  And,  in  the  words  and  actions 
of  holy  men,  we  have  seen  this  effect. 
They  believed  heartily  the  truth  of  doc- 
trines the  most  humiliating-.  They  were 
poor  in  spirit,  and  patient  under  the  se- 
verest treatment  and  the  most  cruel  inju- 
ries, because  they  were  conscious  of  de- 
serving much  worse  :  they  were  contented 
in  the  meanest  circumstances,  because 
they  felt  the  beauty  of  his  condescension, 
who  though  HE  was  rich  became  poor  for 
their  sakes,  and  who  has  provided  for 
them  sure  and  eternal  riches.  They  were 
serene  and  confident  in  God,  because  they 
viewed  him  as  their  Father  through  the 
grace  of  Christ ;  they  were  full  of  cha- 
rity, because  they  knew  the  love  of  God 
in  Christ:  and,  in  honour  they  preferred 
others  to  themselves,  because  they  were 
ever  conscious  of  their  own  depravity  : — 
in  fine, — they  gladly  endured  reproach 
for  Christ's  sake,  because  they  knew  his 
kingdom  was  not  of  this  world. 

Now  take  from  these  men  the  peculiar 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  all  the  mo- 
tives and  springs  within  them  of  those 
actions  which  are  peculiarly  christian,  are 
annihilated. — Mere  morals,  as  taught  by 
sensible  heathens,  and  whatever  was  b}- 
them  esteemed  reputable  in  social  life, 
may  remain ;  but  that,  which  is  properly 
of  a  pious  and  humble  nature  is  no  more. 

For,  whoever  daily  feels  himself  to  be 
helpless,  corrupt,  and  unworthy ;  the  man, 
whose  hope  of  divine  favour  cannot  ex- 
ist for  a  moment,  but  under  the  belief  of 
the  most  stupendous  grace ;  the  man,  who 
is  compelled  to  pray  by  the  sense  of  his 
constant  wants,  and  who  experiences  the 
answer  of  prayer  by  repeated  supernatu- 
ral aids,  such  a  one  must  be  habituated 
to  the  perpetual  exercise  of  cultivating 
humblinof  reflections  concerninn-  himself, 
and  GRATEFUL  feelings  towards  his  Ma- 
ker. It  is  easy  to  see  what  a  foundation 
is  here  laid  of  meekness,  gentleness, 
modesty,  submission  to  the  will  of  God, 
and  of  genuine  compassion  for  the  most 
wicked  and  most  injurious, — the  truly 
humbled  Christian  always  remembering 
that  he  himself,  by  nature,  is  a  child  of 
wrath,  as  well  as  others. — Nor  is  there 
one    among  the  numerous    virtues,   for 


which  the  primitive  Christians  were  so 
much  renowned,  but  it  may  be  traced  up 
to  these  principles. 

It  has  been  said,  indeed,  that  the  sense 
of  gratitude  to  God  may  be  as  strong  in  the 
minds  of  those  who  think  better  of  hu- 
man nature,  in  its  present  state,  because 
they  must  own  they  are  indebted  to  God 
for  their  natural  powers  and  faculties. 
But  the  very  feelings  of  the  same  human 
nature  itselfcontradict  the  position.  Some- 
thing like  gratitude  and  humility  may  be 
produced,  where  men  are  every  moment, 
by  experience,  made  sensible  of  their  de- 
pendent condition:  not  so,  where  they 
only  admit  it  in  general  theory,  bpt  are 
not  led,  experimentally,  to  an  habitual 
sense  of  their  real  state.  Do  parents  ex- 
pect to  find  a  more  grateful  and  more 
humble  conduct  in  their  children,  by 
making  them  completely  independent  at 
once,  or,  by  supplying  them  liberally  in- 
deed, but  still  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep 
them  continually  sensible  of  their  depen- 
dence] 

The  influence  of  anti-evangelical  doc- 
trines on  the  practice  is  but  too  evident. 

— Those,  who  espouse  them,  if  pre- 
served, by  Providence,  in  the  practice  of 
a  decent  moral  conduct,  are,  among  our- 
selves at  this  day,  the  proudest  of  men. 
Even  when  they  attempt  to  be  humble, 
the  power  of  pride  breaks  forth  and  bears 
down  all  before  it.  They  feel  and  dis- 
cover great  self-sufficiency :  No  subject 
of  religfion  is  too  hard  for  their  understand- 
ings :  and  in  all  disputable  questions, 
they  are  sure  to  decide  in  that  way  which 
most  gratifies  vain-glory  and  self-conceit. 
The  teachers  of  this  stamp,  however  low 
and  limited  in  capacity  and  education, 
are  continually  exercising  the  most  un- 
bounded, and  often  the  most  ridiculous 
arrogance.  They  are  apt  to  wonder  that 
the  common  people  have  no  ears  for 
them  :  They  do  not  consider  that  they 
themselves  have  no  voice  for  the  people. 
The  views  of  God,  of  Christ,  and  of  hu- 
man nature,  which  they  exhibit,  suit  not 
the  unsophisticated  taste  of  the  common 
people,  but  rather  accord  with  the  pert 
and  vain  notions  of  dabblers  in  theology 
and  metaphysics.  In  a  word,  they  con- 
tradict experience  ;  and  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  that  those  of  their  hearers, 
who  have  any  reasonable  modesty,  and 
the  least  tincture  of  humility,  cannot  re- 
lish their  discourses,  because  the  only 
food  which  is  adapted  to  the  taste  of  a 
miserable  sinner  is  not  ministered  to  them. 


Cewt.  III.] 


PRIMITIVE  CHRISTIANS. 


255 


Deserted  by  the  populace,  such  ministers 
as  these  usually  betake  themselves  to  the 
higher  classes  :  The  favour  of  a  few  per- 
sons of  rank  compensates  to  them  the 
want  of  regard  from  the  multitude;  and 
if  they  cannot  boast  of  numerous  congre- 
gations, they  console  themselves  at  least 
with  the  thought,  that  theirs  are  genteel. 
— Their  own  account  of  them  is  "  that 
they  are  both  genteel  and  rational." 

Politics, — the  affairs  of  nations, — the 
reformation  of  states ;  these  are  to  them 
the  grand  scenes  which  agitate  their  pas- 
sions. To  instruct  ministers  of  states 
is  their  ambition :  To  bring  souls  to 
Christ  is  left  to  those,  whom  they,  con- 
temptuously, denominate  Enthusiasts. 
Nor  does  the  least  true  pathos  appear  in 
in  any  of  their  writings  and  orations,  ex- 
cept in  the  support  of  civil  liberty, — a 
subject,  most  important  and  most  valua- 
ble, no  doubt;  but,  with  them,  ever  car- 
ried to  excess,  and,  even  when  treated  in 
its  best  manner,  belonaingr  rather  to  the 
province  of  statesmen  and  of  legislators 
than  to  that  of  divines. — Whoever  has 
attended  to  the  demeanour  of  these  men, 
cannot  fail  to  have  marked  them,  as  evi- 
dently haughty,  over-bearing,  impatient 
of  contradiction ;  and,  of  all  others,  the 
least  fitted,  in  their  tempers,  to  suffer  for 
the  cross  of  Christ :  They  are,  however, 
exceedingly  prone, — to  represent  them- 
selves as  actually  persecuted  ; — to  en- 
large on  the  iniquity  of  all  restraining  or 


excluding  laws  in  ecclesiastical  concerns ; 
— and,  lastly,  with  much  arrogance,  to 
boast  of  their  sincerity  and  soundness  in 
matters  of  religion, — in  an  age,  whea 
every  one  knows  that  there  is  not  the 
least  probability  of  their  being  compelled 
to  undergo  any  fiery  trial  that  might  be 
the  test  of  true  Christian  zeal,  fortitude, 
and  patience. 

Are  THESE  the  Christians  of  the  three 
first  centuries  ■? — Or,  were  those,  whom 
Celsus  scorned,  such  men  as  these  ? — 
The  facts  presented  to  the  reader,  in  this 

volume,    forbid  the   conclusion For  if 

indeed  they  were  men  of  this  class,  their 
worldly  and  ambitious  spirit  might  easi- 
ly have  found  some  of  the  many  pretend- 
ers to  the  Roman  empire,  with  whom 
they  might  have  united.  We  should 
have  seen  Christians  active  in  politics, 
bargaining  with  different  competitors  for 
the  empire,  and  insisting  on  some  com- 
munication of  temporal  powers  and  pri- 
vileges to  themselves.  Men,  so  void  of 
heavenly  ambition,  would  have  displayed 
that  which  is  of  the  earth  ;  and  if  Ebion's 
religious  sentiments  had  been  then  as 
prevalent  as  they  are  now,  the  humble, 
meek,  charitable,  passive  Christians 
would  not  have  adorned  the  historic 
page;  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  predomi- 
nant characters  of  the  foregoing  narrative, 
must  have  much  more  resembled  the  tur- 
bulent, aspiring,  political  sons  of  Arius 
and  Socinus  in  our  own  times. 


256 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


CENTURY  IV. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    PERSECUTION    OF    DIOCLESIAN. 

The  last  century  concluded  with  some 
symptoms  of  a  storm  ready  to  burst  on 
the  Church,  which  had  long  been  in  a 
state  of  ease  and  prosperity,  and  was  at 
the  same  time  deeply  declined  from  the 
purity  and  simplicity  of  the  Gospel.  Be- 
sides the  martyrdom  of  Marcellus  in  Afri- 
ca,* an  attempt  had  been  made  in  a  more 
general,  and  yet  in  a  covert  manner,  to 
corrupt  the  army.  It  was  put  to  the  op- 
tion of  Christian  officers,  whether  they 
would  offer  sacrifice,  and  enjny  their  dig- 
nit)'^,  or  refuse  and  be  deprived.  .  Many 
were  desirous  of  retiring  into  private  life, 
to  avoid  the  trial.  Many  however  show- 
ed a  sincere  regard  to  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  and  contentedly  lost  their  prefer- 
ment. Some  few  were  put  to  death  for  a 
terror  to  the  rest.  But  the  general  perse- 
cution, which  afterwards  destroyed  such 
numbers,  was  withheld  for  some  time.f 
In  this  prelude,  which  has  been  mention- 
ed above,  and  of  which  we  have  only  a 
dark  and  imperfect  account,  something  of 
the  political  manoeuvres  of  Dioclesian 
seems  conspicuous.  It  is  evident  that 
after  he  had  so  lonjr  favoured  the  Chris- 
tians,  he  had  now  contracted  a  prejudice 
against  them,  though  at  first  he  made  use 
of  artifice  rather  than  violence. 

This  emperor  had  an  associate  called 
Maximian,  and  they  had  under  them  two 
Offisars,  Galerius  and  Constantius.  The 
„  ,    .  last-mentioned  only  of  the  four 

and  Coti-       ^^^^  ^  person  of  probity  and 
stanlius.         humanity.     The   other    three 

were  tyrants,  though  the  sa- 
Tageness  of  Galerius  was  the  most  re- 
markable. He  met  Dioclesian  at  Nico- 
media,  where  he  usually  kept  his  court, 
in  the  winter,  in  the  nineteeth  year  of 
A  D  302      ^^^  reign,  and  in  the  year  of 

our  Lord  302,  and  determin- 
ed, if  possible,  to  instigate  him  to  mea- 
sures against  the  Christians,  still  more 
sanguinary  and  decisive. :^:  This  man 
had  a   mother  extremely  bigoted  to  pa- 


*  See  Ch.  XVII.  of  preceding  Century. 
f  Euseb.  B.  VIII.  C.  IV. 
i  LactaiUius  de  M.  P. 


ganism,  who  almost  every  day  employed 
herself  in  sacrifices.  The  Christians 
about  her  refused  to  partake  of  the  idola- 
trous feasts,  and  gave  themselves  up  to 
fasting  and  prayer.  Hence  her  mind  was 
incensed  against  the  whole  body,  and  she 
stimulated  her  son,  who  was  as  supersti- 
tious as  herself,  to  seek  their  destruction. 
— A  whole  winter  Dioclesian  and  Gale- 
rius were  engaged  in  secret  counsels. 
The  latter  proposed  a  general  persecu- 
tion ;  the  former  remonstrated  against  the 
impolicy  of  such  sanguinary  measures,  and 
was  for  limiting  the  persecution  to  the 
officers  of  the  court  and  the  soldiers. 
Finding  himself  unable  to  stem  the  fury 
of  Galerius,  he  called  a  council  of  a  few 
judges  and  otHcers.  Some  gave  it  as 
their  opinion,  that  the  Christians  should 
in  general  be  put  to  death  ;  and  others,  in- 
duced by  fear  or  flattery,  assented.  Still 
Dioclesian  was  averse,  and  through  poli- 
cy or  superstition  determined  to  consult 
the  oracle  of  Apollo  at  Miletus.  Apollo 
answered,  as  it  might  be  expected,  in  a 
manner  friendly  to  the  views  of  Galerius. 
Staggered  with  repeated  importunities, 
the  old  emperor  still  hesitated,  and  could 
not  be  persuaded  to  attempt  the  demoli- 
tion of  Christianity  by  bloodshed ;  where- 
as Galerius  was  desirous  to  burn  alive 
those  who  refused  to  sacrifice  to  the  hea- 
then gods. 

The  feast  of  the  Terminalia  was  the 
day  appointed  to  commence  the  opera- 
tions against  the  Christians.  Early  in 
the  morning,  an  officer  with  guards  came 
to  the  great  church  at  Nicomedia,  and 
bursting  open  the  doors,  sought  for  the 
image  of  God.  So  says  my  author; 
though  if  this  be  not  a  mere  flourish  of 
rhetoric,  they  must  have  been  strangely 
ignorant  of  the  sentiments  of  the  follow- 
I  ers  of  Jesus.  The  Scriptures  which  were 
found  were  burnt;  every  thing  was  given 
to  plunder.  While  all  things  were  in 
this  confusion,  the  two  emperors,  looking 
at  the  scene  from  the  palace,  were  long  in 
doubt  whether  they  should  order  the  edi- 
fice to  be  burnt.  The  prudent  opinion  of 
Dioclesian  at  length  prevailed,  who  fear- 
ed the  effect  of  a  conflagration  on  the 
neio-hbourinff  buildings.  The  Pretorian 
soldiers  were  therefore  sent  with  axes  and 


Cent.  IV.] 


DIOCLESIAN. 


257 


other  iron  tools,  and  in  a  few  hours 
levelled  the  whole  building  with  the 
ground. 

The  next  day  an  Edict  appeared,  by 

which  men  of  the  Christian  religion,  of 

whatever     rank     or    degree, 

."^^  ^  ,       were  deprived  of  all  honour 
against  the  j  j-      -^  i  * 

Christians.  ^"°  dignity  ;  were  exposed  to 
torture;  and  every  one  might 
have  justice  against  them ;  whilst  they 
were  debarred  the  benefit  of  the  laws  in 
all  cases  without  exception.*  Thus  was 
the  Christian  world  at  once  exposed  to 
all  possible  insults  without  redress.  The 
spirit  of  man  naturally  revolts  against  in- 
justice so  flagrant,  and  a  Christian  was 
found  hardy  enough,  under  the  transports 
of  indignation,  to  pull  down  and  tear  the 
Edict.  He  was  burned  alive  for  his  in- 
discretion, and  bore  his  sufferings  with 
admirable,  and,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  with 
Christian  patience. 

Sometime  after,  a  part  of  the  palace 
was  found  to  be  on  fire :  the  Christians 
were  charged  with  the  fact ;  and  the 
eunuchs  of  the  house  were  accused.  Dio- 
clesian  himself  was  present,  and  saw  his 
servants  burnt  in  the  flames.  It  is  re- 
markable, that  the  servants  of  Galerius 
Avere  not  put  to  the  torture  :  while  he 
himself  took  much  pains  to  keep  up  the 
indignation  of  the  old  emperor.  After 
fifteen  days  a  second  fire  brake  out,  and 
Galerius  left  the  palace  in  a  hurry,  ex- 
pressing his  fear  of  being  burnt  alive. 
Lactantius,  without  hesitation,  charges 
all  this  to  the  artifices  of  Galerius. 

Dioclesian  now  thoroughly  in  earnest, 
raged  against  all  sorts  of  men  who  bore 
the  Christian  name,  and  obliged  amonar 


The  Per- 
secution of 
Dioclesiaa 
began 

A.  D.  303, 

in  the  20lh 
j'earofthis 
Emperor  ; 
and  is  the 
10th  Per- 
secution of 
the  Chris- 
tians. 


others  his  wife  and  dausfhter  to  sacrifice. 


*  In  a  passage,  which  seems  to  be  mis- 
placed by  some  mistake,  Eusebius  observes, 
that  in  the  19lh  year  of  Dioclesian,  edicts 
were  every  wliere  suddenly  published,  bv 
■which  it  was  ordered,  that  churches  should  be 
levelled  with  the  ground,  the  sacred  books 
consumed  by  fire,  persons  of  dignity  disgraced, 
common  people  made  slaves  if  they  persisted 
in  Christianity.  Not  long  after,  says  he,  other 
letters  were  published,  by  which  it  was  enact- 
ed, that  all  the  bishops  every  wiiere  should 
first  be  cast  into  bonds,  and  afterwards  be  com- 
pelled by  every  metiiod  to  sacrifice.  These 
measures  of  the  court  increasing  gradually  in 
asperity  and  horror,  show  that  it  was  not  with- 
out reluctance,  that  Dioclesian  was  induced  to 
consent  to  an  universal  carnage,  thougii  he 
too  well  agreed  with  Galerius  in  forming  a 
system  for  the  extinction  of  the  Christian 
name. 

y2 


Doubtless  he  suspected  them 
at  least  of  a  secret  regard  for 
Christianity.  Presbyters  and 
deacons  were  seized  and  con- 
demned in  a  summary  way  to 
death.  Eunuchs  of  the  great- 
est power  in  the  palace  were 
slain,  and  persons  of  every 
age  and  sex  were  burnt.  It 
was  tedious  to  destroy  men 
singly ;  fires  were  made  to 
burn  numbers  together,  and 
men  with  mill-stones  fastened 
about  their  necks  were  thrown  into  the 
sea.  Judges  were  every  where  at  work 
in  compelling  men  to  sacrifice.  The  pri- 
sons were  full.  Unheard-of  tortures  were 
invented  ;  and,  to  prevent  the  possibility 
of  Christians  obtaining  justice,  altars 
were  placed  in  courts,  at  which  plaintiffs 
were  obliged  to  sacrifice,  before  their 
cause  could  be  heard.  The  other  two 
emperors  were  directed  by  letters  to  pro- 
ceed in  the  same  violent  course.  Max- 
imian,  who  governed  in  Italy,  obeyed 
with  savage  alacrity.  Constantius  with 
reluctance  demolished  the  churches,  while 
he  preserved  the  persons  of  Christians. 

The  persecution  pervaded  the  whole 
Roman  world,  except  France,  where  the 
the  mild  Constantius  ruled;  and  from 
east  to  west,  to  use  the  language  of  Lac- 
tantius, three  monsters  of  horrible  ferocity 
raged. 

I  am  aware  that  a  laborious  attempt 
has  been  made  to  depreciate  the  accounts 
of  this  persecution.     If  I  think  it  need- 
less to  relate  distinctly  all  the  suflferings 
of  Christians  under  it,  I  must  not  how- 
ever be  supposed  to  countenance  such  at- 
tempts.     The  agreement  of  Lactantius 
and  Eusebius,  both  contemporary  authors 
of  credit,  is  apparent.     That  such  edicts 
were  published,  that  they  were  strictly 
enforced,  that  a  systematical  and  serious 
design  of  extinguishing  the  Gospel  was 
formed,  these  things  are  certain.    Even  if 
we  had  no  particular  martyrologies  extant, 
we  might  be  assured,  from  circumstances, 
that  much  blood  must  have  been  spilt, 
and  much  misery  endured,  not  only  in  a 
regular  and  legal  way,  but  also  by  tumul- 
tuary violence,  and  by  the  malice  of  men 
combined  against  a  set  of  persons  de- 
prived universally  of  the  protection  of  the 
laws.     There  wanted  not  some  instances 
of  humanity  and  generosity  in  Pagans  to- 
wards their  Christian  friends  and  rela- 
tions.    But  whoever  knows  what  the  pas- 
sions of  men  are  capable  of,  when  set 


258 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  I. 


afloat  and  suffered  to  act  without  check  or 
control,  will  not  doubt  that  the  sufferings 
of  Christians  in  this  period  must  have 
been  far  greater  than  can  be  related  by 
any  historian.     Thus  did   God  at  once 
punish  their  sins,  revive  his  work  in  their 
hearts  by  sanctified  affliction,  evidence  the 
extreme  depravity  of  mankind,  and  above 
all,  illustrate  his  own  power  and  wisdom 
in  baffling  the  rage  of  Satan,*  and  in  de- 
fending and  delivering  his  Church,  when 
every  thing  seemed  combined  for  its  de- 
struction.   Should  any  be  inclined  to  pay 
more  regard  to  the  testimon};^  of  heathens 
than  of  Christians,  let  them  hear  Libani- 
us,  the  friend  of  Julian  the  apostate,  who 
thus  speaks  in  his  funeral  oration  on  that 
emperor.     "  They  who  adhered  to  a  cor- 
rupt religion  (he  means  the  Christian) 
were  in  great  terrors,  and  expected  that 
their  eyes  would  be  plucked   out,  that 
their  heads  would  be  cut  off,  and  that 
rivers  of  their  blood  would  flow  from  the 
multitude  of  slaughters.      They  appre- 
hended their  new  Master  would  invent 
new  kinds  of  torments,  in  comparison  of 
which,  mutilation,  sword,  fire,  drowning, 
being    buried    alive,    would   appear   but 
slight  pains.     For  the  pieceding  empe- 
rors had  employed  against  them  all  these 
kinds  of  punishments."     He  goes  on  to 
commend  Julian  for  using  milder  methods. 
Two  pillars  in  Spain  were  also  monu- 
ments of  the  systematic  cruelty  of  this 
persecution,  on   one  of  which  was  this 
inscription:    "  Dioclesian,  Jovian,  Max- 
imian  Herculeus,  Casares  Augusti,  for 
having  extended  the  Roman  empire  in 
the  East  and  West,  and  for  having  ex- 
tinguished the  name  of  Christians,  who 
brought  the  Republic  to  ruin."     On  the 
other  this:  "Dioclesian,  &c.  for  having 
adopted  Galerius  in  the  East,  for  having 
every  where  abolished  the  superstition  of 
Christ,  for  having  extended  the  worship 
of  the  gods."     And  to  name  only  one 


*  Let  not  the  reader  startle,  because  I  as- 
cribe the  persecutions  of  the  Church  to  Satanic 
influence.  The  following  Scriptures  caieful- 
ly  compared  together,  seem  abundantly  to 
■warrant  such  a  sentiment.  John  viii.  38 — 44. 
1  Tliess.  ii.  18.  1  Pet.  v.  8,  9.  1  John  iii.  8 
— 13.  Revel,  throughout.  To  these  the  evan- 
}jelical  reader  may  easily  add  many  more. 
Moreover,  as  the  description  oft  he  influences 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  form  an  essential  part  of 
this  History,  it  seems  to  fall  in  with  my  plan, 
to  bi'ing  into  view  from  time  to  time,  the  coun- 
terpart of  the  said  influences,  which  is  un- 
doubtedly the  agency  of  Satan. 


more  evidence,  the  cruelty  must  have  beeii 
egregious,  which  could  have  induced  the 
persecutors  to  strike  the  medal  of  Diocle- 
sian, which  still  remains,  with  this  in- 
scription, "  The  name  of  Christians  being 
extinguished."* 

Supported  by  such  authorities  against 
the  unreasonableness  of  modern   scepti- 
cism, we  may  proceed  in  the  detail  of 
facts.    There  were  soine  ministers  of  the 
palace  of  the  highest  rank  and  nobility, 
who  were  yet  found  to  prefer  the  reproach 
of  Christ  to  all  worldly  grandeur.     The 
martyrdom  of  Peter,  one  of  the  emperor's 
household,  is  very  remarkable.     He  Avas 
brought  before  the  emperor  in  Nicomedia, 
and  was  scourged  with  excessive  sever- 
ity.    As  he  refused  to  sacrifice,  though 
his  bones  were  made  bare  by  the  stripes, 
a  mixture  of  vinegar  and  salt  was  poured 
on  his  limbs;  and  this  being  still  to  no 
purpose,  he  was  gradually  burnt  to  death. 
Dorotheas,  Gorgonius,  and  many  others, 
who  served  in  the  palace,  after  a  variety 
of  sufferings,  were  strangled.  Anthimus, 
the  bishop  of  Nicomedia,  was  beheaded, 
and  with  him  a  great  multitude  of  mar- 
tyrs suffered.  IMen  and  women  leaped  on 
the  funeral  piles  with  alacrity:  With  the 
persecution  the  spirit  of  martyrdom  was 
revived  in  the  church.  In  every  place  the 
prisons   were   filled   with    bishops    and 
other  Christian  ministers,  and  no  room 
was  reserved  for  felons.     Martyrs  were 
put  to  death  in  every  province.     Africa 
and    Mauritania,    Thebais,   and    Egypt 
throughout,  abounded  with  them.     Five 
persons   of  this   last   country    Eusebius 
speaks  of,  whom  he  had  known  in  Pales- 
tine and  Phoenicia.  He  hiiuself  saw  them 
suffering  under  the  scourge,  or  exposed 
to   enraged  wild   beasts,  and  celebrates 
their  admirable  patience.     One  of  them, 
scarcely  twenty  years  of  age,  stood  with- 
out bonds,  with  his  hands  stretched  out 
in  a  praying  posture,  exposed  to  bears 
and  leopards,  which  were  backward  to 
perform  the  bloody  task  assigned  them. 
A  bull  which  had  been  stimulated  by  hot 
iron  applied  to  him,  tossed  with  his  horns 
and  tore  his  employers ;   and  it  was  with 
some  ditficulty  that  beasts  were  found  to 
execute  the  purposes  of  the  persectition. 

Egypt  suffered  extremely.  Whole  fa- 
milies were  put  to  various  kinds  of  death; 
some  by  fire,  others  by  water,  others  by 


*  Nomine  Christianorum  deleto.     See  Bul- 
let's Establishment,  &c.    Euseb.  B.  VIII. 


Cest.  IV.] 


DIOCLESIAN. 


259 


Persecu 
tions  in 
Egypt. 


decollation,  after  horrible  tor- 
tures. Some  perished  by  fa- 
mine, others  by  erucifixioii, 
and  of  these,  some  in  the  fom- 
mon  manner,  others  were  fastened  with 
their  heads  downward,  and  preserved 
alive,  that  they  mig-ht  die  by  hunger. 
But  the  torments  in  Thebais  exceed  all 
description.  Women  tied  by  one  foot, 
■were  raised  up  on  high,  and  exposed 
naked,  monuments  at  once  of  the  inhu- 
nianit)'  and  indecency  of  the  persecution. 
Others  were  torn  by  the  distorted  boughs 
of  trees  ;  and  these  scenes  continued  some 
years.  Sometimes  ten,  at  other  times 
thirty,  and  sixty,  and  once  a  hundred 
men  and  women  with  their  little  ones,  in 
one  day,  were  murdered  by  various  tor- 
ments. 

Our  author  himself,  while  in  Egypt, 
saw  many  executed*  in  one  day,  some 
beheaded,  others  burnt;  so  that  both  the 
executioners  were  quite  fatigued,  and 
their  weapons  were  blunted.  The  Chris- 
tians suffered  (he  speaks  what  he  saw 
himself)  with  the  greatest  faith  and  pa- 
tience. There  was  even  the  strongest 
appearance  of  joy  and  triumph  among 
them,  and  to  their  last  breath  they  em- 
ployed themselves  in  psalms  and  thanks- 
giving. Philoromus,  a  person  of  great 
dignity  at  Alexandria,  and  a  man  of 
wealth  and  eloquence,  is  recorded  as  one, 
who  died  cheerfully  for  Christ  at  this 
time.  Phileas  also,  bishop  of  the  Thmu- 
titae,  a  man  of  eminence  in  his  country, 
suffered  in  Thebais.  In  vain  did  relations, 
friends,  magistrates,  even  the  judge  him- 
self, exhort  them  to  pity  themselves,  their 
wives  and  children.  They  loved  Christ 
above  all,  and  were  beheaded. f 


*  Euseb.  B.  IX.  C.  yill. 

t  Phileas  beiiig  asked,  How  he  was  per- 
suaded lliat  Jesus  Clifist  was  God.'  n  plied, 
He  made  ihe  blind  to  see,  and  tlie  deaf  to 
hear,  cleansed  the  ltpers,and  raised  the  dead. 
Being  asked.  Is  a  crucified  person  God  '  lie 
answered,  He  was  ci-ucified  tor  our  salvation. 
Tlie  Governor  said,  You  are  rich,  and  able  to 
maintain  almost  all  the  province,  1  spare  vou, 
and  advise  you  to  sacrifice.  It  seems  the  liber- 
ality of  Phileas  was  great  toward  the  poor. 
The  Governor  added,  Thy  poor  wife  looks  on 
thee.  Phileas  answered,  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
Saviour  of  all  our  spirits,  he  bath  called  me  to 
the  inheritance  of  his  glory,  ami  lie  may  also 
call  her  to  it.  A  little  before  his  execution, 
!My  dear  children,  said  he,  ye  that  seek  God, 
vatch  over  your  hearts.  .My  dear  cliildren, 
stick  fast  to  the  iirecepts  of  Jesus  Christ. — 
Acta  Siucera.     Fleury. 


Undoubtedly  these  scenes  demonstrate 
in  the  highest  manner  the  strength  of 
"race,  and  the  reality  of  that  divine  in- 
rtuence  wiiich  attended  Christians.  And 
when  I  see  Mr.  Cibbon,  in  his  notes  to- 
ward the  conclusion  of  his  first  volume, 
quibbling  and  cavilling  against  the  text 
of  Eusehius,  though  any  reader  of  Plu- 
tarch could  have  told  him  that  the  Greek 
word  /rsgiij-iMsv.  signifies  we  saw,  and 
the  still  plainer  word  rrwiocsttusi  leaves  no 
room  for  doubt,  methinks  I  see  Stephen 
in  the  glory  of  his  martyrdom,  and  the 
Jews  gnashing  upon  him  with  their  teeth. 

Phileas,    some   time   before   his    own 
martyrdom,  being  at  Alexandria  in  pri- 
son, wrote  an  epistle  to  the  Thmutitae, 
his  own  church,  concerning 
the  sufferings  of  the   Chris-     Epistle  of 

lians   there.     A  fragment  of    H'«m»'-'3'r 

,  .   ,     ,,        ,  .      ,     ^  Phileas. 

which,  Eusebius  has  preserv- 
ed to  us,  which  may  not  only  illustrate 
the  nature  of  the  persecution,  but  also  the 
spirit  and  views  of  the  writer  and  other 
good  men  of  that  time.     "  The  martyrs 
fixing  sincerely  the  eye  of  their  mind  on 
the   supreme    God,  and   cheerfully   em- 
bracintr  death  for  the  sake  of  godliness, 
held  immoveably  their  calling,  knowing 
that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was   made 
man  for  us,  that  he  might  cut  down  all 
sin,  and   might  afford  us  the  necessary 
preparatives  for  an  entrance  into  eternal 
life."     (He  then  quotes  the  well-known 
passage  concerning  the  proper  Deity  and 
humiliation  of  Christ,  in  the  second  chap- 
ter to   the   Philippians.)     Coveting  the 
best  gifts,  the  martyrs,  who  carried  Christ 
within,  underwent  all  sorts   of  tortures 
once  and  again.     And  while  the   guards 
insulted   them  in  word   and   deed,  they 
were  preserved  serene  and  unbroken  in 
spirit,  because  "  perfect  love  casteth  out 
fear."     But  what  eloquence  can  do  jus- 
tice to  their  fortitude  ]     Free  leave  was 
given  to  any  to  injure  them;  some  beat 
them  with  clubs,  others  with  rods;  some 
scouroed   them   with  thongs  of  leather, 
others  v,-ith  ropes.     Some,  having  their 
hands  behind  them,  were  hung  about  a 
wooden  engine,  and  every  limb  of  their 
bodies   was    distended    by   certain   ma- 
chines.    The  torturers  rent  their  whole 
bodies  with  iron  nails,  which  were  ap- 
plied, not  only  to  the  sides,  as  in  the 
case  of  murderers,  but  also  to  their  bel- 
lies, their  legs,  and  their  cheeks  ;  others 
were  suspended  by  one  hand  to  a  portico, 
and  underwent  the  most  severe  distention 
of  all  their  joints;  others  were  bound  to 


260 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


pillars,  face  to  face,  their  feet  being 
raised  above  ground,  that  their  bonds  be- 
ing distended  by  the  weight  of  their  bo- 
dies, might  be  the  closer  drawn  together, 
and  this  they  endured  almost  a  whole 
day  without  intermission. — The  Gover- 
nor ordered  them  to  be  bound  with  the 
greatest  severity,  and  when  they  breathed 
their  last,  to  be  dragged  on  the  ground. 
No  care,  said  he,  ought  to  be  taken  of 
these  Christians;  let  all  treat  them  as 
unworthy  of  the  name  of  men.  Some,  af- 
ter they  had  been  scourged,  lay  in  the 
stocks,  both  their  feet  being  stretched  to 
the  fourth  hole  ;  so  that  they  were  obliged 
to  lie  with  their  faces  upward,  unable  to 
stand  on  account  of  the  wounds  caused 
by  the  stripes.  Some  expired  under  their 
tortures.  Others  having  been  recovered 
by  methods  taken  to  heal  them,  and  be- 
ing reduced  to  the  alternative  of  sacri- 
ficing or  dying,  cheerfully  preferred  the 
latter.  For  they  knew  what  was  written, 
"  Whosoever  sacrificeth  to  other  gods, 
shall  be  destroyed,"  and  "Thou  shalt 
have  none  other  gods  but  me." 

Such,  says  Eusebius,  are  the  words  of 
a  martyr,  a  true  lover  of  wisdom  and  of 
God,  which,  belbre  the  definitive  sentence 
of  his  execution,  he  sent  to  the  brethren 
of  his  own  Church. 

One  city  in  Phrygia,  being  generally 
Christian,  was  beseiged  by  armed  men, 
and  set  on  fire.  The  men  with  tlieir 
wives  and  children  were  burnt  to  death, 
calling  upon  Christ,  the  God  over  all.* 
All  the  inhabitants,  magistrates  and  peo- 
ple, nobles  and  plebeians,  professing 
Christianity,  were  ordered  to  sacrifice, 
and  for  refusing  suffered  in  this  manner.| 
One  Adauctus,  a  Christian,  of  the 
highest  dignity,  who  held  at  that  time  an 
office  of  great  importance,  was  honoured 
also  with  the  crown  of  mar- 
tyrdom. Some  were  slain  by 
axes,  as  in  Arabia;  some  by 
breaking  the  legs,  as  in  Cap- 
some  suspended  by  the  feet, 
head  downward,  over  a  slow 


Martyr- 
dom of 
Adauctus. 

padocia ; 
with  the 


fire,  were  suffocated,  as  in  Mesopotamia; 

*  Gibbon  observes,  Ihat  tliere  Mas  an  im- 
portant circumstance,  wliich  lias  been  noticed 
by  Ruftinus,  the  Latin  translator  of  Eusebius  ; 
lliat  the  gates  were  opened  to  permit  ibem  to 
depart,  it"  they  jjleased.  The  remark  is  worthy 
of  his  own  malignity.  Is  it  to  be  supposed, 
that  this  ))ermission  was  unconditional  r"  Eu- 
sebius tells  us,  that  it  was  expected  from  them, 
that  they  should  sacrifice. 

f  Euseb.  B.  VIII.  C.  XI. 


some  were  mutilated,  and  cut  in  pieces, 
as  at  Alexandria.  Some  M'ere  burnt  to 
death,  in  a  very  gradual  manner,  at  An- 
tioch.  Some,  to  avoid  falling  into  the 
hands  of  their  enemies,  committed  sui- 
cide, by  throwing  themselves  down  from 
the  tops  of  houses :  lamentable  instances 
of  impatience!  But  the  reader  will  re- 
member, that  the  decline  had  been  very 
great  from  Christian  purity:  that  so 
many  should  suffer  like  Christians  in  so 
dull  a  time,  can  scarcely  be  accounted 
for,  but  on  the  idea  of  the  Lord's  reviv- 
ing his  work  and  ministering  the  Holy 
Spirit  amidst  their  afflictions.  I  cannot 
commend  the  conduct  of  a  lady  of  An- 
tioch,  or  that  of  her  two  daughters,  who, 
to  avoid  the  licentious  brutality  of  the 
soldiers,  drowned  themselves.  Two  other 
virgins  in  the  same  city  of  Antioch,  per- 
sons of  quality,  and  of  great  piety,  died 
in  a  much  more  Christian  manner,  being 
thrown  into  the  sea  by  the  persecutors. 

In  Pontus,  sharp  reeds  were  thrust  un- 
der the  nails  into  the  fingers  of  some  ;  the 
backs  of  others  were  scorched  by  melt- 
ed lead  ;  some  in  their  bowels  and  privy 
parts  suffered  inexpressible  torments ;  the 
judges  exercising  ingenious  malice  in  the 
daily  invention  of  new  punishments. 

Wearied  at  length  with  murder,  and 
affecting  to  praise  the  clemency  of  the 
emperors,  who  were  desirous  to  save  life, 
they  contented  themselves  with  plucking 
out  eyes,  and  cutting  off  one  of  the  legs. 
The  number  of  those  who  suffered  in  this 
way  was  inexpressible ;  and  they  were 
afterwards  condemned  to  work  in  the 
mines. 

Lucian,  a  holy  and  exemplary  presby- 
ter of  Antioch,  had  the  honour  tq  apolo- 
gise for  Christianity  at  Nicomedia,  in  the 
presence  of  the  emperor,  and  afterwards 
to  suffer.     Tyrannio,  bishop 
of  Tyre,  was  thrown  into  the     Lucian 
sea.     Zenobius,   a   presbyter     ]yj3j,t    . 
of  Sidon,    and    an  excellent     ^^^^^' 
physician,  expired  serene  in     a.  D.  312. 
tortures.      Sylvanus,   bishop 
of  Emesa,  with  some  others,  was  expos- 
ed to  the  wild  beasts.     Pelcus  and  Nilus, 
Egyptian  bishops,  with  others  were  burnt 
to  death.     Peter,  bishop  of  Alexandria, 
suffered  also  together  with  Faustus,  Dius, 
and  Ammonius,  his   presbyters.     Other 
Egyptian  bishops  are  mentioned  also  by 
Eusebius,  who  leaves  the  celebration  of 
the  rest  to  those  who  saw  their  sufferings, 
contenting  himself  with  a  more  particular 
account  of  those  whom  he  knew,  and  of 


Cest.  IV.] 


DIOCLESIAN. 


261 


those  facts  of  which  he  had  ocular  de- 
monstration. 

As  infidel  writers  have  taken  pains  to 
depreciate  the  authenticity  of  these  facts, 
it  seemed  proper  to  give  the  reader  a  just 
picture  of  them  from  Eusebius,  and  to 
submit  to  his  determination,  whether 
there  be  any  internal  evidences  of  false- 
hood in  his  narrative.  In  addition  to 
what  has  been  shown  already  from  Lac- 
tantius,  and  ancient  memorials,  it  may 
with  justice  be  said,  in  favour  of  the  cre- 
dibility of  the  writer,  whose  character  as 
a  historian  of  veracity  is  before  us,  that 
he  is  large  and  circumstantial  in  scenes 
of  which  he  was  a  spectator ;  succinct 
and  general,  where  he  had  no  opportuni- 
ty of  knowing  the  circumstances.  Of  the 
martyrs  of  Palestine,  his  own  country, 
he  has  given  us  a  copious  narrative,  a 
specimen  of  which  must  now  be  deliver- 
ed, containing  those  whose  martyrdom 
fell  within  the  period  of  Dioclesian's 
reign.  The  rest  must  be  considered  here- 
after. Procopius  was  the  first  of  these 
martyrs,  who  being  brought  before  ihe 
tribunal,  and  ordered  to  sacrifice  to  the 
gods,  declared  that  he  knew  only  one 
God,  to  whom  he  ought  to  sacrifice  in  the 
manner  which  he  has  appointed.  Being 
then  ordered  to  make  libations  to  the  four 
emperors,  he  repeated  a  verse  of  Homer, 
which  by  no  means  pleased  the  persecu- 
tors, as  implying  a  censure  of  the  present 
government.*  Upon  this,  he  was  be- 
headed immediately.  Whether  the  em 
pire  was  benefited  by  the  appointment  of 
four  emperors  instead  of  one,  is  a  ques 
tion  of  politics,  which  it  certainly  became 
not  the  martyr  to  enter  upon,  especially 
on  that  occasion.  And  it  is  the  only  in- 
stance of  deviation  into  secular  matters, 
which  I  remember  to  have  seen  in  primi- 
tive Christians  as  yet.  It  might  be  only 
a  sally  of  imprudent  vivacity,  but  even 
so  it  was  extremely  ill-timed.  Galerius, 
in  whose  dominions  l>e  said  this,  would 
probably  hear  of  it ;  and  this  fiercest  of 
all  the  persecutors,  needed  not  the  addi- 
tion of  such  an  incentive,  to  inflame  his 
wrath  against  the  Christians. 

After  him,  in  the  same  city,  Csesarea 
of  Palestine,  very  many  bishops  of  the 
neighbouring  churches,  suffered  grievous 
torments  :  others  through  fear  recanted  at 
the  first  onset.  The  rest  underwent  a 
variety  of  punishments.     Yet  some  pains 


*    Own  ctyxiav 


-o\uxoijan)|,  SIS  xoipaKOj    esT*    m 


were  taken  to  save  the  reputation  of  the 
gods,  and  to  preserve  the  lives  of  Chris- 
tians at  the  same  time. 

One  was  dismissed,  as  if  he  had  sacri- 
ficed, though  he  was  dragged  to  the  altar, 
and  a  sacrifice  was  put  into  his  hand  by 
violence.  Another  went  away  in  silence, 
some  persons,  with  a  humane  falsehood, 
testifying  that  he  had  complied.  One 
was  thrown  out  as  dead,  after  he  had 
been  tortured,  though  yet  alive.  Another 
protesting  against  what  was  exacted  of 
him,  many  beating  him  in  the  mouth, 
with  a  view  to  compel  him  to  silence, 
was  thrust  out  of  the  court.  Alpheus 
and  Zacchaeus  alone  of  all  these  bishops 
of  Palestina,  suffered  death  at  this  time. 
Tortured  for  twenty-tour  hours,  after  hav- 
ing undergone  excessive  severities  before, 
they  manfully  confessed  one  only  God, 
and  one  only  Saviour  Christ,  and  were  at 
last  beheaded. 

On  the  same  day  at  Antioch,  Romanus, 
a  deacon  of  the  Church  of  Coesarea,  was 
martyred.     Happening  to  enter  Antioch 
at  the  very  time  when  the  churches  were 
demolished,    he     saw    many 
men   and  women  with    their     Martyr- 
little    ones,  crowding   to  the     it^ol^anus. 
temples  and  sacrifices,  most 
probably  Christian  apostates.*  The  same 
spirit  which  moved  Mattalhias,  the  father 
of  the  Maccabees,  on  a  like  occasion,  was 
felt  by  Romanus,  but  exerted  in  a  manner 
more  agreeable  to  the  Christian  dispensa- 
tion.    He  cried  aloud  and  rebuked  their 
cowardice  and  perfidy.     But  being  seiz- 
ed immediately,   and  condemned  to  the 
flames,  and  tastened  to  the  stake,  while 
the  executioners  expected  the  definitive 
order  from  the  emperor  then  present,  (Ga- 
lerius most  probably)  he  asked  cheerful- 
ly. Where  is  the  fire  for  me?     Caesar, 
provoked  at   his   boldness,    ordered  his 
tongue  to  be  cut  out.  He  put  out  his  tongue 
with  great  readiness.     After  this  punish- 
ment he  was  thrown  into  prison,  and  suf- 
fered there  a  considerable  time.     His  feet 
were  exposed  to  an  unnatural  distention, 
and  in  the  end  he  was  dismissed  out  of 
life  by  strangling.    This  happened  during 
the  first  year  of  the  persecution,  while  it 
raged  only  against  the  governors  of  the 
church. 

In  the  second  year,  when  the  persecu- 
tion grew   hotter.  Imperial  letters  were 

*  So  a  discourse  of  Eusebius  on  the  Resur- 
rection teaches  us.  See  B.  on  the  Martyrs  of 
Palestine,  C.  II.  Valesius  ia  the  notes. 


262 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


sent  into  Palestine,  commanding  all 
men,  without  exception,  to  sacrifice.  At 
Gaza,  Timotheus,  after  many  suffering's, 
was  consumed  by  a  slow  fire  ;  Agapius 
and  Thecla  were  condemned  to  the  wild 
beasts.  At  this  time,  when  many  apos- 
tatized to  save  their  lives,  there  wanted 
not  also  some  instances  of  an  excessive 
forwardness.  Six  persons  at  Caesarea, 
with  their  hands  bound,  ran  to  Urbanus 
the  Judge,  and  offered  themselves  for 
martyrdom.  They  suffered  in  conjunc- 
tion with  two  others,  whose  spirit  and 
circumstances  in  the  manner  of  their  de- 
parture out  of  life,  were  more  conforma- 
ble to  the  rules  of  the  Gospel. 

Power  being  now  communicated  to  the 
governors  of  the  different  provinces  to 
punish  the  Christians  freely,  each  exer- 
cised it,  as  his  particular  temper  dictated. 
Some,  for  fear  of  displeasing,  did  even 
more  than  they  were  ordered.  Some  felt 
the  impulse  of  their  own  enmity  against 
godliness;  others  indulged  a  natural  sa- 
vageness  of  disposition  :  there  were  who 
saw,  that  to  shed  blood  profusely,  was 
the  high  road  to  preferment.  There  were 
those,  (and  Lactantius*  look?  on  them  as 
of  the  worst  sort),  who  determined  to 
torment,  and  not  to  kill.  Such  persons 
studied  those  arts  of  torture,  which  might 
keep  life  still  in  being  amidst  the  keenest 
sensations  of  pain.  Eusebius  tells  us, 
that  he  himself  heard  some  of  this  sort 
boasting,  that  their  administration  was 
not  polluted  with  blood,  and  that  he  saw 
a  Bithynian  governor  exultinor,  as  if  he 
had  subdued  a  nation  of  Barbarians,  be- 
cause one  person,  after  two  years'  resis- 
tance, had  yielded  to  the  force  of  tor- 
ments. Much  pains  were  taken  also  with 
the  tortured,  to  recover  them,  that  they 
miffht  be  strengthened  to  endure  new 
punishments.  A  considerable  part  of 
Roman  jurisprudence  was  now  employed 
on  this  subject.  The  constitutions  of  the 
law  on  this  head  had  been  published  and 
commented  on  by  the  famous  lawyer  Ul- 
pian,  and  were  considered  as  serious  ob- 
jects of  study  by  civilians. 

At  no  time  since  the  beginninof  of 
Christianity,  was  so  systematical  and  so 
laboured  an  effort  made  to  extinguish  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.  Satan  had  great  wrath, 
as  if  he  had  foreseen  that  he  should  have 
but  short  time ;  and  when  we  consider 
how  poorly  provided  the  Church  was  for 
this  fiercest  of  all  the  invasions  she  had 


•B.  V.  C.  11. 


ever  met  with,  we  shall  see  cause  to  ad- 
mire the  grace  of  God,  who  yet  furnished 
out  a  noble  army  of  martyrs  in  a  time  of  so 
great  Evangelical  declension  ;  and  in  the 
end,  more  effectually  than  ever,  baffled 
the  designs  of  Satan. 

In  addition  to  other  methods  of  perse- 
cution, the  powers  of  genius  and  the  arts 
of  eloquence  were  introduced.  Cyprian 
alone  of  the  Latin  writers  was  capable  of 
pleasing  the  taste  of  the  learned  among 
the  Pagans.  A  certain  person  of  taste 
among  them  w^as  heard  by  Lactantius,  to 
call  him  Coprianus,*  because  he  employ- 
ed an  elegant  genius,  adapted  to  better 
things,  in  the  support  of  old  wives'  fa- 
bles. In  so  contemptible  a  light  did  the 
Gospel  appear  to  the  learned  of  that  day, 
even  when  clothed  in  the  dress  of  the  elo- 
quent Cyprian  !  but  how  much  more  con- 
temptible in  the  hands  of  the  generality 
of  Christian  teachers,  who  were  destitute 
of  the  powers  of  argument  and  of  lan- 
guas^e. 

Encouraged  by  the  favour  of  the  empe- 
rors, and  the  apparently  ruined  state  of 
Christendom,  at  the  very  time  when  the 
persecution  rasfed  in  Bithynia,  two  wri- 
ters appeared  who  insulted  the  Christians. 
One,  whose  name  Lactantius  does  not 
give  us,  was  a  philosopher,  and  like 
many  preachers  of  morality  in  all  ages, 
a  defender  of  virtue,  and  a  practitioner  of 
vice,  a  flatterer  of  the  court,  very  rich, 
and  very  corrupt,  one  who  condemned 
his  own  practice  by  his  moral  Avritings, 
and  who  dealt  largely  in  the  praises  of 
the  emperors,  on  account  of  their  great 
piety  in  supporting  the  religion  of  the 
gods.  Yet  all  men  condemned  his  mean- 
ness in  choosing  that  time  particularly  to 
write  against  Christians,  nor  did  he  ob- 
tain the  favour  at  court  which  he  expected. 

The  other  writer,  Hierocles,  was  doubt- 
less a  man  of  parts  and  talents.  He  was 
a  virulent  enemy  of  the  Gospel,  had  great 
influence  in  promoting  the  persecution; 
and  from  being  a  judge  in  Nicomedia  was 
promoted  to  the  government  of  Alexan- 
dria. He  attempted  to  compare  the  feign- 
ed miracles  of  ApoUonius  Tyanasus  with 
those  of  Jesus  Christ.  This  man  wrote 
with  an  air  of  candour  and  humanity  to 
the  Christians,  while  his  actions  against 
them  were  fierce  and  bloody. 

In  France  alone,  and  its  neghbourhood, 
the  people  of  God  found  some  shelter. 

*  Lactan.  B.  V.  1,  2.     The  allusion  is  to 

X37$lx,  duDg. 


Cent.  IV.] 


DIOCLESIAN. 


263 


Yet  was  the  mild  Constantius,  to  save 
appearances  with  his  superior  Maximian, 
induced  to  persecute,  not  only  by  destroy- 
ingr  the  temples,  as  was  mentioned,  but 
also  by  dismissinor  those  of  his  own 
household  who  would  not  renounce  Chris- 
tianity. The  Christians  of  his  family 
were  tried  by  such  means.  But  the 
event  was  contrary  to  their  expectations. 
Constantius  retained  the  faithful,  and 
dismissed  the  apostates,  judging  that 
those  who  were  unfaithful  to  their  God 
would  also  be  disloyal  to  their  prince. 

At  Cirta  in  Numidia,  Paul,  the  bishop, 
ordered  a  sub-deacon  to  deliver  up  the 
treasures  of  the  church  to  a  Roman  officer. 
The  Holy  Scriptures  and  the  moveables 
of  this  society  of  Christians  were  surren- 
dered by  the  perfidy  or  cowardice  of  those 
who  ought  to  have  protected  them.     But 
God  reserved  some,  who  were  endowed 
with  courage  and  zeal,  at  the  hazard  of 
their   lives,   to  take  care  of  the   sacred 
writing,  and  baffle  the  intention  of  the 
persecutors,  which  doubtless  was  to  de- 
stroy all  records  of  Christianity  among 
men.     Felix  of  Tibiura,  in  Africa,  being 
asked  to  deliver  up   the   Scriptures,  an- 
swered, I  have  them,  but  will  not  part 
with  them.     He  was  condemned  to  be 
beheaded.     "  I  thank  thee,  O  Lord,"  says 
this  honest  martyr,   "  that  I  have  lived 
fift}'-six  years,  have  kept  my  virginity, 
have    preserved    the   Gospel,   and   have 
preached  faith  and   truth.     O  my  Lord 
Jesus    Christ,   the   God   of  heaven   and 
earth,  I  bow  my  head  to  be  sacrificed  to 
thee,  who  livest  to  all  etevnity."    I  judge 
it  not  amiss  to  distinguish  this  man  in 
the  narrative.     The  preservation  of  civil 
liberty  is  valuable,  and  the  names  of  men 
who  have  suffered  for  it  with  integrity 
are  recorded  with  honour.  But  how  much 
below  the  name  of  Felix  of  Tibiura  should 
these  be  accounted  !    He  is  one  of  those 
heroes  who  have  preserved  to  us  the  pre- 
cious  word  of  God   itself.     In   Abitina, 
in  Africa,  forty-nine   manfully  perished 
through  hunger  and  ill  treatment.     In  Si- 
cily,*   Euplius   a   martyr   being   asked, 
"  \\  by  do  you  keep  the  Scriptures,  for- 
bidden by  the  emperors  ?"  answered,  "Be- 
cause I  am  a  Christian.     Life  eternal  is 
in  them ;  he  that  gives  them  up  loses  life 
eternal."     Let  his  name  be  remembered 
with  honour,  together  with  that  of  Felix. 
He  suffered  also  in  the  same  cause.     Va- 
rious martyrs  suffered  in  Italy,    For  Max- 


imian was  to  the  full  as  much  disposed 
to  persecute  as  Dioclesian. 

In  the  year  304  or  305,  a  civil  change 
took  place  in  the  empire,  which  paved 
the  way  for  very  important  changes  in 
the  Church,  though  the  persecution  con- 

Dioclesian 


Resigna- 
tion of 
Dioclesian 

A.  D. 

304  or  305. 


Martyr- 
dom of 
Apphian. 


*  Acta  Siiicera.    I'leury. 


tinned  still  for  some  time, 
resigned  the  empire,  and  Max- 
imian followed  his  example, 
though  with  no  great  cordial- 
ity. They  were  succeeded  by 
Galerius  in  the  East,  (who 
ruled  in  the  room  of  Diocle- 
sian, and  put  Maximin  his  nephew,  in 
his  own  place,)  and  in  the  West  by  Con- 
stantius. 

Maximin  inherited  the  savageness  and 
the  prejudices  of  his  uncle;  and  in  Pales- 
tine and  in  the  more  eastern  parts,  over 
which  Galerius  had  ruled,  he  still  con- 
tinued the  horrors  of  the  persecution.  Let 
us  now  attend  to  the  remaining  part  of 
Eusebius's  account  of  the  martyrs  of 
Palestine,  who  suffered  under  the  author- 
ity of  this  tyrant  at  different  times. 

Apphian,  a  young  person  under  twen- 
ty, who  had  received  a  very  polite  educa- 
tion at  Berytus,  and  could  not  bear  to  live 
with  his  father  and  relations 
at  PagK  in  Lycia,  because  of 
their  aversion  to  the  Gospel, 
left  all  his  secular  emoluments 
and  hopes  for  the  love  of  Christ,  and  came 
to  Cffisarea;  where  he  was  so  transport- 
ed with  zeal  as  to  run  up  to  Urbanus  the 
governor  then  making  a  libation,  to  seize 
him  by  the  right  hand,  to  stop  his  religi- 
ous employment,  and  exhort  him  to  forsake 
idolatry  and  turn  to  the  true  God.  The 
consequence  was,  what  might  be  expect- 
ed in  the  natural  course  of  things.  He 
was  arrested,  ordered  to  sacrifice;  and 
after  he  had  sustained  most  dreadful  tor- 
tures by  fire  and  otherwise,  which  Eu- 
sebius*  describes  with  an  exactness  of 
detail  that  needs  not  be  repeated,  he  was 
thrown  into  the  sea.  His  imprudence 
was  great,  and  his  zeal  very  irregular 
and  extravagant;  but  who  will  not  ad- 
mire the  sincerity  of  that  love  of  Christ, 
which  carried  this  ardent  youth  through 
all  hardships  :  who  would  not  prefer 
his  disposition,  Avith  all  his  faults,  to  the 
cowardice  and  love  of  the  world,  which 
in  our  times  prevent  such  numbers  from 
daring  to  show  true  regard  for  the  divine 
Saviour  1 

This  Apphian  had   a  brother  called 


C.  IV. 


264 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


.^desius,  who  had  advanced  farther  in 
the  philosophical  studies  than  himself, 
and  who  likewise  embraced  the  faith  of 
Christ.  Prisons,  bonds,  and  the  drudgery 
of  the  mines  of  Palestine,  he  endured 
with  great  patience  and  fortitude ;  at  length 
he  came  to  Alexandria,  and  there  saw  the 
judge  raging  with  frantic  fury  against 
Christians,  treating  the  men  with  various 
abuses,  and  giving  up  chaste  virgins, 
who  had  devoted  themselves  to  a  single 
life,  to  pimps  to  be  treated  in  the  vilest 
manner.  Fired  at  the  sight,  he  lost  all 
patience,  rebuked  the  magistrate,  and 
struck  him.  Upon  which  he  was  ex- 
posed to  a  variety  of  torture,  and  thrown 
into  the  sea.  He  seems  to  have  possess- 
ed both  the  excellencies  and  the  faults  of 
his  brother.  It  is  proper  to  add,*  that 
the  inhuman  magistrate  was  no  other  than 
the  philosophical  Hierocles,  whose  affect- 
ed humanity  and  candour  we  have  cele- 
brated above.  A  remark  or  two  may  be 
proper  in  this  place,  before  we  proceed. 

1.  The  persecution  we  are  reviewing 
found  the  Church  in  the  lowest  state  of 
Christian  wisdom  and  piety.  In  addi- 
tion to  what  I  have  saidf  on  the  ungene- 
rous remarks  of  Mr.  Gibbon,  concerning 
the  behaviour  of  ^Edesius,  it  should  be 
observed,  that  amidst  the  great  dearth  of 
instruction  in  which  he  had  learned  Chris- 
tianity, it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
he  should  know  his  duty  so  imperfectly. 
I  compare  the  piety  of  him  and  of  Ap- 
phian  to  that  of  .lephthah  and  of  Samp- 
son; sincere,  but  irregular  and  injudici- 
ous. They  lived  under  similar  circum- 
stances, in  times  of  great  ignorance.  The 
Spirit  of  God,  when  he  creates  a  new 
heart,  and  a  new  spirit,  and  furnishes  a 
man  with  dispositions  for  obedience,  su- 
persedes not  the  use  of  pastoral  instruc- 
tion. Where  this  is  much  wanted,  even 
divine  love  itself,  though  strong,  is  blind, 
comparatively  speaking,  and  will  mistake 
the  rule  of  duty  continually.  It  is  in  vain 
that  I  look  out  in  all  this  period  for  judi- 
cious and  discreet  pastors,  and  for  clear 
evangelical  views.  No  Cyprian  or  Dio- 
nysius  now  appeared  to  check,  to  regu- 
late, to  control  the  spirits  of  Christians, 
and  to  discipline  them  by  Scripture  rules. 
The  persecution  found  vast  numbers  per- 
fidious and  cowardly ;  some  chosen  spi. 
rits,  humble  and  faithful  to  death,  but  of 
these  many,  it  is  to  be  feared,  poorly  in. 


*  See  Valesius's  notes  on  Enseb. 
t  Milner's  Itemarks  on  Gibbon. 


formed  of  their  duty  both  to  God  and 
man,  and  mixing  with  the  love  of  Christ 
the  intemperance  and  precipitation  of 
blind  self-will.  The  best  use  to  be  made 
of  this  observation,  after  teaching  us  to 
be  candid  to  the  faults  of  these  good  men, 
is  tliis,  that  those  who  enjoy  the  advan- 
tage of  better  instruction  and  of  wise 
pastors,  should  thankfully  improve  their 
privileges,  and  not  by  the  want  of  just 
subordination  deprive  themselves  of  the 
opportunity  of  exhibiting  more  regular 
and  edifying  examples  of  holiness.  That 
knowledge  was  thus  low  among  Chris- 
tians, is  evident  from  Eusebius,  one  of 
the  most  learned  of  those  times,  who  ex- 
tols a  conduct  in  these  brethren,  which 
every  Christian  of  common  light  and  ca- 
pacity now  would  condemn. 

2.  I  see  also  the  prevalence  both  of  the 
monastic  and  of  the  philosophic  spirit. 
Devotees  were  increasing  in  numbers 
among  serious  persons  ;  and  Origenism 
had  made  philosophy  more  and  more  re- 
putable. tJnder  this  influence,  the  two 
brothers,  whose  story  we  have  seen,  im- 
bibed too  much  of  Platonism,  knew  too 
little  of  Christianity,  and  though  sincere 
enough  to  become  martyrs  for  Christ,  at- 
tained not  the  praise  of  Christian  simpli- 
city. The  doctrines  of  Christ  had  ceased 
to  be  explicitly  unfolded ;  and  it  was  in 
sufferings  chiefly,  endured  with  patient 
faith  and  cheerful  hope,  that  we  can  now 
see,  that  Christ  had  yet  a  church  in  the 
world.  The  bush  was  burning  indeed  in 
a  fire  the  most  dreadful,  yet  it  was  not 
consumed. 

In  the  fourth  year  of  the  persecution 
happened  the  martyrdom  of  Agapius  at 
Ca^sarea.      Maximin    Ca'sar  was   there 
exhibiting   spectacles   in   honour  of  his 
birthday.     The  ferociousness 
of  pagans  was  doubtless  much     Martyr- 
augmented  by  the  usual  bar-     AnTp^us 
barous  sports  ;  and  the  native        " 
enmity  of  the  mind  against  godliness  met 
not  with  so  many  checks  of  humanitjr,  in 
times  of  persecution,  as  it  would  in  our 
days  of  civilization.     But   it   should  be 
remembered,  that  it  was  not  philosophy, 
but  the  Gospel,  which  improved,  in  this 
as  well  as  other  respects,  the  morality  of 
the  Roman  empire.     Agapius,  who  had 
been  thrice  before  brought  on  the  stage, 
and  had  thrice  been  respited  by  the  com- 
passion of  the  judge,  was   now  brought 
before  the  emperor,  to  fulfil,  says  Euse- 
bius, that  word  of  Christ,  "  ye  shall  be 
brought  before  kings  for  my  name's  sake." 


Cext.IV.] 


DIOCLESIAN. 


265 


A  slave  who  had  murdered  his  master 
was  produced  at  the  same  time,  and  con- 
demned to  the  wild  beasts.  The  emperor, 
with  a  view  to  distinguish  his  l)irthday 
by  an  act  of  trenerosity,  both  pardoned 
and  o;ave  freedom  to  the  murderer.  The 
whole  amphitheatre  ran^  with  acclama- 
tions in  praise  of  his  clemency.  But  it 
was  perfectly  to  act  in  character  for  Max- 
imin  to  punish  the  innocent  and  to  spare 
the  fjuilty.  He  asked  Agapius  if  he 
would  renounce  Christianity,  promising- 
him  liberty  on  that  condition.  The  mar- 
tyr expressed  his  cheerful  readiness  to 
undergo  any  punishment,  not  for  any 
crime  committed  by  him,  but  fur  piety 
toward  the  Lord  of  the  universe.  He  was 
condemned  to  be  torn  by  a  bear,  and  stili 
breathing,  was  carried  back  to  prison  ; 
where  after  he  had  lived  a  day,  he  was 
sunk  in  the  sea  with  weights  laslcned  to 
his  feet.  The  exclamation  of  the  Jews, 
in  the  history  of  our  Saviour,  '•  Not  this 
man,  but  Barabbas,"  naturally  occurs  to 
Eusebius  on  this  occasion. 

In  the  fifth  year  of  the  persecution,  a 

Tyrian    virgin,     Theodosia,    not     quite 

eighteen  years  old,  was  put 

Also  or         |.Q  (jgatj^  fyj-  owning  and  coun- 

sia^°  °'  tenancing  some  Christian  pri- 
soners. The  judge,  Urbanus, 
afterwards  condemned  them  to  the  mines 
of  Palestine.  Silvanus  a  presbyter,  af- 
terwards a  bishop,  with  some  others,  was 
doomed  to  the  labour  of  the  brass  mines 
the  joints  of  their  feet  being  first  weaken- 
ed by  the  application  of  hot  iron. 

Few  persecutors  exceeded  Urbanus  in 
malice  and  activity.  He  doomed  three 
to  fight  with  one  another ;  Auxentius,  a 
venerable  old  saint,  he  condemned  to  th 
beasts.  Some  of  them  he  condemned  to 
the  mines,  after  he  had  made  tliem 
eunuchs.  Others,  after  bitter  torments, 
he  threw  into  prison  again. 

If  any  be  still  inclined  to  regard  the 
calculation  of  those,  who  represent  the 
number  of  the  mart)'rs  as  small,  let  him 
consider,  that  it  was  evidently  very  much 
the  policy  of  this,  and  most  probably  of 
the  former  persecutions,  to  torment  Chris 
tians  without  destroying  them.  The  em 
perors  did  not  wish  to  rob  themselves  of 
such  a  number  of  subjects,  but  to  subdue 
them  to  their  will.  Yet  in  many  instances 
the  human  frame  must  have  sunk  under 
these  hardships;  and  the  multitude  of 
Christian  sufferers  on  this  account,  in 
addition  to  the  evils  of  poverty  and  flight, 
must  exceed  all  powers  of  calculation. 

Vol.  I.  Z 


Urbanus  tortured,  among  others,  the 
famous  Pamphilus,  the  friend  of  Euse- 
bius ;  but  lived  not  to  see  his  martyrdom. 
Being  himself  convicted  of  crimes,  Ur- 
banus was  capitally  punished  in  Ceesarea, 
the  scene  of  his  cruelties,  and  by  the 
same  Maximin,  of  whose  imperial  sa- 
vageness  he  had  been  the  minister. 

In  the  sixth  year  of  the  persecution,  of 
the  great  multitude  of  Christian  sufferers 
in  Thebais,  near  a  hundred  were  selected 
to  be  sent  to  Palestine,  and 
were  adiiido-ed  bv  Firmilian,  Cruel  per- 
.1  r   ri  1  i         secutions. 

the  successor  oi  LJrbaaus,  to 
be  lamed  in  the  left  foot,  and  to  lose  the 
right  eye,  and  in  that  state  to  be  con- 
demned to  the  mines.  The  three  persons 
also,  who  had  been  condemned  to  fight 
with  one  another,  for  refusing  to  learn  the 
new  business  of  a  gladiator  imposed  on 
them,  were  doomed  by  Maximin  himself, 
with  some  others,  to  the  same  punish; 
ments  as  the  persons  transported  from 
Thebais.  Some  persons  were  apprehend- 
ed at  Gaza  for  meeting  together  to  hear 
the  Scripture  read,  and  were  punished 
with  the  loss  of  a  limb,  and  an  eye,  or  in 
a  still  more  cruel  manner.  Two  women, 
after  sustaining  horrible  torments,  were 
put  to  death.  The  former  being  menaced 
with  the  loss  of  chastity,  burst  out  into 
expressions  of  indignation  against  the 
tyrant  Maximin,  for  employing  such 
judges.  The  latter  being  dragged  by 
force  to  an  altar,  threw  it  down.  What 
was  said  before  of  ^desius  and  Apphian 
may  be  applied  to  these.  But  there  were 
Christians  of  a  higher  class,  better  in- 
formed in  their  duty,  and  more  possessed 
of  the  mind  of  Christ.  A  person,  named 
Paul,  being  sentenced  to  lose  his  head, 
begged  to  be  allowed  a  short  space  of 
time.  His  request  being  granted,  he 
prayed  with  a  loud  voice  for  the  whole 
Christian  world,  that  God  would  forgive 
them,  remove  the  present  heavy  scourge 
of  their  iniquities,  and  restore  them  to 
peace  and  liberty  :  he  then  prayed  for  the 
Jews,  that  they  might  come  to  God  and 
find  access  to  him  through  Christ.  In 
the  next  place,  he  prayed  that  the  same 
blessings  might  he  vouchsafed  to  the  Sa- 
maritans. The  Gentiles,  who  lived  in 
error  and  in  ignorance  of  God,  were  the 
next  objects  of  his  charitable  petitions, 
that  they  migiit  be  brought  to  know  God 
and  to  serve  him :  nor  did  he  omit  to 
mention  the  crowd  about  him,  the  judge 
who  had  sentenced  him,  the  emperors 
and  the  executioner,  and  in  the  hearing 


266 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


of  all  he  prayed  that  their  sins  might  not 
be  laid  to  their  charge.  The  whole  com- 
pany was  moved,  and  tears  were  shed. 
The  martyr  composed  himself  to  suffer, 
and  offering  his  neck  to  the  sword,  he 
was  beheaded:  An  admirable  Christian 
hero  !  in  whom  divine  love  breathed  in 
conjunction  with  resignation  and  serenity. 
The  Lord's  hand  was  not  shortened  :  His 
grace  appeared  in  him  in  a  manner  wor- 
thy of  the  Apostolic  age.  Soon  after  a 
hundred  and  thirty  Egyptian  chieftains, 
suffering  the  same  mutilations  Avhich 
have  been  mentioned  above,  were  sen- 
tenced by  Maximin  to  the  mines  of  Pa- 
lestine and  Cilicia. 

After  the  persecution  had  paused  some 
time,  it  was  renewed  with  fresh  violence 

by  the  Edicts  of  Maximin.* 
K(licts  of      rpj^g  temples  were   repaired  ; 

men  were  compelled  to  sacri- 
fice every  where ;  all  things  sold  in  the 
markets   were   polluted   with  libations; 
and  persons  were  placed  at  the  public 
baths  to  force  men  to  idolatrous  compli- 
ances.    Three  believers,  Antoninus,  Ze- 
binus,  and  Germanus,  threw  themselves 
into   the   hands  of  Firmilian,  and   were 
capitally   punished.      Eusebius,    in    his 
usual   manner,  commends  their  over- for- 
ward zeal.     With  them  a  virgin   called 
Ennathus  was  dragged  by  violence  to  the 
judge,  whipped,    and   burned    to   death. 
Their   bodies  were   left   exposed  to  the 
beasts  of  prey,  and  particular  care  was 
taken  to  prevent  their  interment.     Some- 
time after,  certain  Egyptians,  coming  to 
minister  to  the  confessors  of  their  own 
country,  who  had  been  condemned  to  the 
mines  in  Cilicia,  one  of  them  was  burn- 
ed, two  were  beheaded,  and  several  were 
associated   with  the  confessors  in  their 
afflictions,  mutilation,  and  the  drudgery 
of  the  mines.     Peter  the  monk,  having 
in  vain  been  solicited  by  the  judge  to 
save  his  life,  gave  it  up  cheerfully  for 
the  sake  of  Christ.     With  him  suffered 
Asclepius,    bishop   of  the   Marcionites, 
being  burned  on  the  same  funeral  pile, 
"animated  with  zeal,"  says  my  author, 
"but  not  according  to  knowledge."!  This 
however  might  be  more  than  Eusebius 
knew.     The  heretical  form,  in  which  he 
appeared,  might  be  consistent  willi  the 
pure  love  of  Christ;  in  a  history,  which 
undertakes   impartially  to   celebrate  the 
people  of  God,  it  does  not  become  us  to 
be  blinded  by  the  idea  of  a  rigorous   and 
exclusive  uniformity  of  denomination. 


*  C.  IX.  de  Martyr.  Pal. 


fC.X. 


Pamphilus  the  presbyter  and  friend  of 
Eusebius,  is  highly  commended  by  him 
for  his  contempt  of  secular  grandeur,  to 
which  he  might  have  aspired ; 
for  his  great  liberality  to  the  IZldl' 
poor ;  for  that  which  may  seem 
more  likely  to  cloud  than  to  adorn  his 
Christian  excellencies,  his  philosophic 
life  ;  above  all,  for  his  knowledge  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  in  which  his  panegyrist 
tiiinks  he  excelled  all  men  of  that  time; 
and  for  his  benevolence  to  all  who  came 
to  him.  An  excellent  Christian  he  un- 
doubtedly was,  though  a  moderate  de- 
o-ree  of  Evangelical  knowledg-e  in  that 
age  would  easily  be  esteemed  prodigious. 
Firmilian  asking  him  when  brought  be- 
fore him,  what  was  his  country,  received 
for  answer,  "  Jerusalem."  Not  under- 
standing what  he  meant  by  this,  he  tor- 
tured him  lor  an  explanation.  Pamphilus 
persisted  that  he  had  spoken  truth. 
"  Where  is  this  country  of  yours  ■?"  "It 
belongs  to  those  who  alone  worship  the 
true  God."  The  judge,  at  once  incensed 
and  perplexed,  after  various  torments,  or- 
dered him  to  be  beheaded.  Twelve  mar- 
tyrs suffered  with  him.  One  of  them, 
Porphyrins,  a  servant  of  Pamphilus,  beg- 
ging the  favour  of  interment  for  the  de- 
ceased,  was  ordered  to  be  burned;  and 
was  heard  for  the  last  time  when  the 
flame  began  to  reach  him,  calling  upon 
Jesus  the  Son  of  God  as  his  helper.  It  is 
remarkable,  that  Firmilian  also  himself, 
after  having  trodden  in  the  steps  of  Urba- 
nus  in  shedding  Christian  blood,  like 
him  also  suffered  capitally  by  the  sen- 
tence of  the  emperor. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  seventh  year  the 
persecution  relaxing  in  some  degree,  the 
multitude  of  the  confessors  in  the  mines 
of  Palestine  enjoyed  some  liberty,  and 
even  erected  some  places  of  public  wor- 
ship. The  president  of  the  province  com- 
ing among  them,  envied  them  the  small 
cessation  of  their  miseries,  and  wrote  to 
the  emperor  in  their  prejudice.  After- 
wards the  master  of  the  mines  coming 
thither,  as  if  by  an  imperial  rescript,  di- 
vided the  sufferers  into  classes.  Some  he 
ordered  to  dwell  in  Cyprus,  others  in  Li- 
banus ;  the  rest  he  dispersed  and  harassed 
with  various  drudgeries  in  different  parts 
of  Palestine.  Four  he  singled  out  for  the 
examination  of  the  military  commander, 
who  burnt  them  to  death.  Silvanus,  a 
bishop  of  great  piety,  John,  an  Egyptian, 
and  thirty-seven  others,  were  the  same 
day  beheaded  by  the  order  of  Maximin. 


Ce^t.  IV.] 


DIOCLESIAN. 


267 


Of  John  it  is  remarked,  that  thoutrh  hlind, 
he  had  been,  like  the  rest,  cauterized  and 
debilitated  in  one  leg  by  a  hot  iron.  The 
strength  of  his  memory  was  admired 
among  the  Christians:  he  could  at  plea- 
sure repeat  from  the  Old  or  New  Testa- 
ment many  passages  in  Christian  assem- 
blies. But  the  fact  proves  something 
more  than  what  Eusebius  mentions, 
namely,  that  he  had  made  the  best  use 
of  his  eyes  while  he  was  possessed  of 
them. 

And  here  we  close  the  account  from 
Eusebius,  of  the  martyrs  of  Palestine. 
For  eight  years  the  East,  with  little  in- 
termission, groaned  under  the  most  heavy 
persecution.     In  the  West,  their  suffer- 
ings abated  after  two  years.     The  politi- 
cal changes  of  the  empire  account  for  the 
difference.  But,  both  in  the  East  and  the 
West,  Satan  was  permitted  to  exert  his 
malice  in  the  keenest  manner  during  this 
last  of  the  Pagan  persecutions.    And  the 
Divine  power  and  wisdom,  in  still  pre- 
serving  a   real   Church   on    earth,   was 
never    more     conspicuously    displayed, 
since   the   days   of  the   Apostles.     The 
lime    of   an    external    triumph    of   the 
Church,  under  Constantine,  was  at  hand. 
Those,  who  look  at  outward  things  alone, 
may   be    tempted   to    think   how   much 
more    crlorious  would    the  Church   have 
appeared  at  that  time,  without  the  pre- 
vious desolations  of  Dioclesian's  perse- 
cution.    But  when  it  is  considered  how 
much    Christian   doctrine   had    decayed, 
and  how  low  holy   practice  had  fallen, 
the  necessity  of  so  sharp  a  trial  to  purify 
the  Church,  and  fit  her  at  all  for  a  state 
of  prosperity,  is  evident.    Otherwise,  the 


many  precious  children  of  God  suffered 
in  much  patience  and  charity.    But  those 
who  siifTered  with  very  much  of  a  differ- 
ent spirit  found  no  pastor  to  discounte- 
nance their  self-will  and  false  zeal;   a 
sure  sign  that  the  true  spirit  of  martyr- 
dom was  loss  pure  than  it  had  formerly 
been.  Moreover,  the  prevalence  of  super- 
stition on  the  one  hand,  and  the  decay  of 
ICvangelical  knowledge  on  the  other,  are 
equal fy  apparent.    Christ  crucified,  justi- 
fication purely  by  fnith,  and  the  effectual 
influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  together 
with  humbling  views  of  man's  total  apos- 
tasy and  corruption,  these  were  ideas  at 
least  very  faintly  impressed  at  that  day 
on  Christian  minds.    It  is  vain  to  expect 
Christian  faith  to  abound  without  Chris- 
tian doctrine.     Moral,  and  philosophical, 
and  monastical  instructions,  will  not  ef- 
fect for  men  what  is  to  be  expected  from 
Evangelical  doctrine.  And  if  the  faith  of 
Christ  was  so  much  declined,  (and  its 
decayed   state   ought   to   be  dated  from 
about  the  year  270),  we  need 
not  wonder  that  such  scenes 
as  Eusebius  hints  at  without 
any    circumstantial     details, 
took   place   in  the  Christian 
world.*     He   observes,   that 
pastors  of  Churches  were  condemned  to 
take  care  of  camels,  and  to  feed  the  em- 
peror's horses.     Even  he,  who  was  far 
from  seeing  in  a  due  light  the  cause  of 
the  declension  of  piety  in  their  departure 
from  the  faiih,  was  struck  with  the  moral 
effects,  and  could  not  but  revere  the  Di- 


Decay  of 
pure 

Christian- 
ity. 
A.  D.  270. 


difference   between    Christians  and 
gans   might   probably   have    been 


Pa 

little 


more  than  a  name 

I  know  it  is  common  for  authors  to  re- 
present the  great  declension  of  Christian- 
ity to  have  taken  place  only  after  its  ex- 
ternal establishment  under  Constantine. 
But  the  evidence  of  history  has  compelled 
me  to  dissent  from  this  view  of  things. 
In  fact  we  have  seen,  ihat  for  a  whole 
generation  previous  to  the   persecution, 
few  marks   of  superior   piety  appeared. 
Scarce  a  luminary  of  godliness  existed  ; 
and   it  is  not  common  in  any  age  for  a 
great  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  be  ex- 
hibited, but  under  the  conduct  of  some 
remarkable  Saints,  Pastors,  and  Reform- 
ers.    This  whole  period,  as  well   as  the 
whole  scene  of  the  persecution,  is  very 
barren  of  such  characters.     Not  but  that 


vine  justice,  in  giving  unworthy  minis- 
ters a  punishment  adapted  to  their  crimes. 
He  speaks  also  of  the  ambitious  spirit  of 
many,  in  aspiring  to  the  ofl[ices   of  the 
Church,  the  ill-judged  and  unlawful  or- 
dinations, the  quarrels  among  confessors 
themselves,  and  the  contentions  excited 
by  young  demagogues  in  the  very  relics 
of  the  persecuted  Church,  and  the  multi- 
plied  evils    v;hich   their  vices    excited 
among  Christians.    How  sadly  must  the 
Christian   world   have   declined,   which 
co\ild  thus  conduct  itself  under  the  very 
rod  of  Divine  vengeance  ]  Yet  let  not  the 
infidel  or  profane  world  triumph.    It  was 
not  Christianity,  but  the  departure  from 
it,  which  brought   on   these  evils;  and 
even    in   this   low  state   of  the  Church 
there  was  much  more  moral  virtue  than 
could  be  found  any  where  else ;  and  the 
charitable   spirit   of  many  in   suffering, 

*  C.  XII.  Martyr,  of  Pal. 


268 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


showed  that  God  had  yet  a  Church  upon 
earth.  The  reader  is  however  now  pre- 
pared to  conceive  aright  of  the  state  of 
the  Church,  when  Constantine  took  it 
under  his  protection,  and  to  judge  how 
far  a  national  establishment  was  bene- 
ficial or  prejudicial  to  it  in  future.  Of 
this  he  could  scarcely  judge  with  any 
propriety,  unless  well  informed  of  its 
previous  spiritual  condition.  But  before 
we  enter  upon  this,  some  facts,  more  or 
less  connected  with  the  persecution,  with 
the  civil  state  of  the  Empire,  so  far  as  it 
may  throw  light  on  the  history  of  the 
Church,  and  with  the  manner  how  the 
persccuiion  closed,  will  call  for  our  at- 
tention. 

Of  all  the  martyrologies  of  this  perse- 
cution, none  are  more  replete  with  horror 
than  those  which  describe  the  sufferings 
.of  Taracus,  Probus,  and  An- 
MHriyism     jironipug  at  Tarsus  in  Cilicia. 

Bnt  1  suppose  b}"^  this  time, 
the  reader  has  seen  a  sufficient  specimen 
of  scenes  which  admit  of  no  entertain- 
ment, no  colouring,  no  embellishment. 
One  of  the  best  lessons  to  be  h  arnt  from 
them  is,  that  here  human  nature  is  dis- 
covered in  the  height  of  its  enmity  against 
God  :  and  any  man  may  see  of  what  ma- 
lignity he  is  capable,  if  left  at  large  to 
his  own  dark  designs.  I  looked  over 
the  acts  of  these  martyrdoms,  which  are 
rather  tedious;*  I  suppose  Mr.  Gibbon 
also  did  the  same,  and  his  remark  on 
what  he  had  read,  is  this,  that  there  was 
an  asperity  of  behaviour  in  the  martyrs, 
which  might  irritate  the  magistrates.  But 
are  words  to  be  compared  to  deeds'? 
What  if  torments  so  terrible,  so  unpro- 
voked, inflicted  on  innocent  and  worthy 
citizens,  did  extort  a  few  passionate  com- 
plaints and  indignant  speeches?  This 
was  ihe  case  I  see  with  Andronicus,  and 
it  is  the  only  thing  blameworthy  which 
appears  on  the  face  of  the  narrative :  Is 
this  an  apology,  or  even  an  extenuation 
for  such  barbarous  persecutions  ]  Taracus 
firmly  owned  the  truth.  On  being  asked, 
whetber  he  did  not  worship  two  gods, 
because  he  worshipped  Christ,  he  con- 
fessed that  "Christ  was  God,  being  the 
Son  of  the  living  God  ;  he  is  the  hope  of 
Christians;  he  saves  us  by  his  suffer- 
ings." Probus,  on  being  required  to  sa- 
crifice to  Jupiter,  says,  "  What  to  him 
who  married  his  sister,  that  adulterer, 
that  unchaste  person,  as  all   the   poets 


♦  See  Fleui-y,  B.  IX. 


testify  ■?"  In  such  testimonies  as  these, 
truth  was  delivered  without  violation  of 
decorum.  It  was  not  so  in  the  whole  of 
these  scenes.  Brit  enmity  knows  not 
what  candour  means ;  and  lest  such  bi- 
gots to  infidelity  as  Mr.  Gibbon  should 
misconstrue  what  I  have  said  of  the  great 
decline  of  godliness  in  the  Christians  of 
these  times,  it  ought  in  justice  to  be 
owned  in  their  favour,  that  a  persecution, 
which  intended  their  total  destruction, 
v/as  carried  on  against  a  race  of  men, 
who  were  even  then,  with  all  their  faults, 
the  most  loyal,  peaceable,  and  worthy 
citizens  in  the  whole  Empire. 

But  Providence  was  raising  up  a  Pro- 
tector for  the  Church.  The  emperor 
Constantius  lying  at  the  point  of  death, 
desired  his  partner  in  the  East,  Galerius, 
to  send  him  home  his  son  Constantine. 
The  Eastern  emperor,  having  delayed  as 
long  as  possible,  sent  him  at  last,  and  the 
son  arrived  in  Britain  just  in  time  to  see 
his  father  alive,  who  was  interred  at 
Eboracum.*  Constantine  sue- 
ceeding,  gave  the  most  per-  [^°"^j|^"' 
feet  toleration  to  Christians,  Q,.gJ^t  sug. 
through  the  whole  extent  of  ceedsCon- 
his  dominions.  Providence  stantius, 
was  still  with  him  in  enlarg-  ^  jy  306. 
ing  his  kingdom,  that,  like 
another  Cyrus,  he  might  give  peace  and 
liberty  to  the  Church.  Rome  and  Italy 
were  for  sometime  under  the  power  of 
Maxentius,  the  son  of  Dioclesian's  col- 
league Maximian.  This  prince  attempted 
the  chastity  of  a  Roman  matron,  who  by 
suicide  prevented  his  base  designs.  Had 
she  been  a  Pagan,  as  Lucretia,  her  impa- 
tience under  the  hand  of  God  was  not  to  be 
wondered  at ;  but  she  professed  Chris- 
tianity ;  yet  her  action  is  highly  praised 
by  Eusebius ; — fresh  proof  of  the  taste  of 
the  times  in  religion.  But  Maxentius, 
though  a  tyrant  of  the  basest  character, 
never  seems  to  have  been,  strictly  speak- 
ing, a  persecutor  of  the  Christians.  Con- 
stantine, however,  at  length  coming  from 
France  into  Italy,  subverted  his  kingdom, 
and  became  sole  master  of  the  Western 
world.  It  was  in  his  expedition  against 
Maxentius  that  he  is  said  to  have  seen 
the  miracle  of  the  Cross,  the  considera- 
tion of  which  will  more  properly  excite 
our  attention  when  we  come  to  consider 
the  religious  character  and  proceedings 
of  this  emperor.  Maximian  also,  whose 
daughter  Constantine  had  married,  after 


*  Now  York. 


Cext.  IV.] 


DIOCLESIAN. 


269 


various  attempts  to  recover  the  power 
which,  hy  the  influence  ofDioclesian,  he 
had  resigned,  was  put  to  death  by  his 
son-in-law  for  attempting  his  destruc- 
tion. 

Galerius  himself  in  the  year  310  was 
smitten  with  an  incurable  disease  :    all 
.  his  lower  parts  were  corrupt- 

Sufferings  gj  .  physicians  and  idols  were 
01  Gale-  1-    1  .    •         ■  •    .^  1 

j,jyg  applied  to  in  vain:  an  intoler- 

A  D  310  ^^  stench  overspread  itself 
over  the  palace  of  Sardis, 
where  he  resided  :  he  was  devoured  by 
worms :  and  in  a  situation  the  mobt  dread- 
ful he  continued  a  whole  year.  Softened 
p  ,.  .  J.  at  length  by  his  sufferings,  he 
Galerius  published,  in  the  year  311, 
A  D  311  ^^  Edict,  by  which  he  took 
off  the  persecution  from  the 
Christians,  allowed  them  to  rebuild  their 
places  of  worship,  and  entreated  them  to 
pray  for  his  health.  Thus  did  God  him- 
self subdue  this  haughty  tyrant.  Prisons 
were  opened,  and  among  others  Donatus, 
the  friend  of  Lactautius,*  who  had  been 
confined  six  years,  recovered  his  liberty. 

Galerius  had  exceeded  all  emperors  in 
hostility  to  Christ;  but  who  can  fix  the 
limit  of  human  passions]  His  nephew 
Maximin,  who  reigned  in  a  subordi- 
nate capacity  in  the  East,  was  even  su- 
perior in  the  arts  of  persecution.  Pagan- 
ism was  expiring,  and  it  behooved  the 
prince  of  darkness  to  find  or  qualify  an 
agent,  who  should  dispute  every  inch  of 
ground  with  persevering  assiduity. 

Maximin,  equally  unmoved  by  the  ex- 
ample of  Constantine  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  extorted  clemency  of  Galerius  on 
the  other,  suppressed  the  Edict  of  the  lat- 
ter, and  contented  himself  with  giving 
verbal  orders  to  stop  the  persecution.  The 
prajtorian  prefect  .Sabinus,  however,  de- 
clared the  will  of  the  emperor  in  favour 
of  toleration,  which  had  all  the  effect  his 
humanity  wished.  The  prisoners  were 
released,  the  confessors  were  freed  from 
the  mines,  the  highways  were  full  of 
Christians,  singing  psalms  and  hymns  to 
(iod,  as  they  returned  to  their  friends, 
and  Christendom  at  length  wore  a  cheer- 
ful aspect.  Even  Pagans  were  melted; 
and  man)'  who  had  joined  in  the  attempt 
to  extinguish  the  Christian  name,  began 
to  be  convinced,  that  a  religion  which  had 
sustained  such  repeated  and  such  formi- 
dable attacks,  was  divine  and  invinci- 
ble. 

*  De  Mort.  persecut. 
Z2 


But  this  calm  lasted  not  six  whole 
months.*  Galerius,  a  few  days  after  his 
edict,  expired,  his  body  being  altogether 
corrupted.  Without  entering  into  a  minute 
description  of  his  sufferings,  which  are  par- 
ticularized by  Eusebius  and  Lactantius,  it 
is  perfectly  right  to  observe,  that  he  who 
delighted  so  long  to  make  men  feel  the 
most  exquisite  misery,  might  say  at  last 
with  Adoni-bezek,")"  "  As  I  have  done,  so 
God  hath  requited  me."  Maximin  at- 
tempted to  succeed  him  in  all  his  eastern 
dominions;  but  was  prevented  by  Licini- 
us,  whom  Galerius  had  nominated  Au- 
gustus, who  took  possession  of  Asia  Mi- 
nor. But  Syria  and  Egypt  with  their  de- 
pendencies remained  still  under  Maximin. 
Here  he  renewed  the  persecution  with 
much  malevolence  and  artifice.  Under 
certain  pretences,  he  forbade  Christians 
to  assemble  in  their  church-yards,  and 
then  he  privately  procured  petitions  from 
various  cities,  which  desired  that  the 
Christians  might  not  be  encouraged  in 
their  precincts.  This  was  a  refined  spe- 
cies of  policy,  in  which  he  was  assisted 
by  Theotecnus,  the  governor  of  Antioch. 
This  man  had  hunted  the  Christians  from 
their  places  of  confinement,  and  had  caused 
the  deaths  of  many.  He  now  set  up  an 
oracle  of  Jupiter,  and  consecrated  the  idol 
at  Antioch  with  new  ceremonies.  Jupiter 
gave  out,  that  the  Christians  ought  to  be 
banished  from  the  city,  and  Maximin  was 
informed,  that  it  was  his  duty,  both  on 
motives  of  piety  and  policy,  to  persecute 
the  Christians.  All  the  other  magistrates 
of  tlie  cities  subject  to  Maximin,  acted 
the  same  part  as  Theotecnus,  and  peti- 
tions were  sent  by  the  Paofan  inhabitants 
begging  the  expulsion  of  Christians. 

Maximin,  furnished  with  plausible  pre- 
tences for  renewing  the  persecution,  com- 
menced it  again.  Through  every  city 
and  village,  idolatrous  priests  were  ap- 
pointed, and  over  them  high-priests  of  a 
new  institution,  who  applied  themselves 
with  great  diligence  to  the  support  of  de- 
clining paganism.  They  offered  sacrifices 
with  great  assiduity.  Persons  of  quality 
filled  the  highest  offices  of  idolatry;  and 
pains  were  taken  to  prevent  Christians 
from  building  places  of  worship,  or  from 
following  their  religion  in  public  or  pri- 
vate ;  and  the  former  method  of  compel- 
ling them  to  sacrifice  was  renewed.  To 
render  his  new  priests  more  respectable. 


♦  Enseb.  B.  IX.  C.  II,  &c. 

t  Judges  i.  7, 


270 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


Maximin  clothed  them  with  white  raan- 
tlos,  such  as  were  worn  by  the  ministers 
of  the  palace.  Incited  by  the  example  of 
the  tyrant,  all  the  Pagans  in  his  domi- 
nions exerted  themselves  to  contrive  the 
ruin  of  Christians  ;  and  human  ingenuity 
was  put  to  the  stretch,  to  invent  calum- 
nies in  support  of  the  kingdom  of  dark- 
ness. 

When  falsehood  and  slanders  are  paid 
for  by  governments,  they  will  not  want 
employers. 

Certain  fictitious  acts  of  Pilate  and  our 
Saviour,  full  of  blasphemy,  were,  by  Maxi- 
min's  approbation,  circulated  through  his 
dominions,  with  orders  to  facilitate  the 
publication  of  them  in  all  places,  and  to 
direct  schoolmasters  to  deliver  them  to 
youth,  that  they  might  commit  them  to 
memory.     A  certain  officer  at  Damascus 
also  engaged  some  infamous  women  to 
confess,  that  they  had  been  Christians, 
and    privy    to    the    lascivious    practices 
which  were  committed  on  the  Lord's  day 
in   their  assemblies.      These  and   other 
slanders  were  registered,  copied,  and  sent 
to  the  emperor,  as  the  authenticated  con- 
fession of  these  women,  and  he  circulated 
them  through  his  dominions.    The  officer 
who    invented    this    calumny,  destroj'cd 
himself  sometime  after  by  his  own  hand. 
But  a  specious  pretence  was  now  given  for 
augmenting  the  persecution.     Maximin, 
affecting  still  the  praise  of  clemency,  gave 
orders  to  the  prefects  not  to  take  away 
the   lives  of  Christians,  but   to  punish 
them  with  loss  of  eyes,  and  various  am- 
putations.     The  other   abominations   of 
this  tyrant,  dreadful  and   uncommon  af 
they  were,  come  not  within  our  province 
His  lubovirs  against  Christianity  only  be- 
long to  our  subject.     Nor  did  he  strictly 
abstain  from  shedding  blood  at  this  sea- 
son, though  one  would  think  the  expe- 
rience  of  so   many   years   should   have 
taught  him,  as  well  as  the  other  tyrants, 
that  the  '•  blood  of  the  martyrs  was  the 
seed  of  the  church." 

There  appears,  however,  a  plan  of  po- 
lite refinement  in  this  renewed  persecu- 
tion, beyond  anything  which  had  yet 
been  practised.  Maximin  did  not  now 
as  he  had  done  formerly  un- 
der Galerius,  slay  indiscrimi- 
nately, or  put  to  death  num- 
bers with  exquisite  torture. 
A  few  bishops  and  persons  of  Christian 
renown  were  deprived  of  life,  the  rest 
■were  harassed  by  every  other  kind  of  suf- 
fering short  of  death,  and  no  arts  were 


left  unemployed  to  root  Christianity  out 
of  the  mind,  and  educate  the  next  gene- 
ration in  a  confirmed  aversion  to  it.  The 
decrees  of  cities  against  Christians,  and 
besides  these,  the  copies  of  imperial 
edicts  engraved  in  brazen  tables,  were 
nailed  up  and  seen  in  every  town.  No- 
thinp-  like  this  had  been  done  before.  The 


Cruelties 
of  Max- 
imii). 


persecution,  in  this  its  last  stage,  had 
arrived  at  the  perfection  of  di-abolical  in- 
genuity. Children  in  their  schools  daily 
sounded  Jesus  and  Pilate,  and  other 
things,  invented  to  asperse  the  Gospel. 

A  rescript  of  the  emperor's,  nailed  to 
a  post  at  Tyre,  manifests  with  what  plea- 
sure and  joy  he  had  received  the  petition 
of  that  city  against  the  Christians.  It 
venerates  Jupiter  and  the  rest  of  the  gods, 
as  the  authors  of  all  good  ;  appeals  to  the 
experience  of  the  inhabitants  liow  happily 
their  affairs  had  proceeded  since  the  wor- 
ship of  the  ancients  had  been  restored, 
how  they  were  now  blest  with  good  har- 
vests, had  no  plagues,  earthquakes  and 
tempests,  and  enjoyed  peace  through  the 
empire,  and  how  opposite  to  all  this  the 
case  had  been,  while  Christendom  pre- 
vailed. He  desires  that  such  as  persisted 
still  in  their  error  should  be  banished  from 
Tyre,  according  to  the  prayer  of  the  pe- 
tition. This  rescript  was  a  specimen  of 
the  rest,  and  it  cannot  be  denied,  that 
either  Maximin,  or  some  persons  about 
him,  were  men  of  capacity,  industry, 
and  activity,  though  surely  a  worse  cause 
Vv-as  never  found  for  the  exertion  of  these 
talents. 

Never  were  Christian  minds  so  clouded 
and  dispirited.  Thus  low  did  God  suffer 
his  Church  to  fall,  to  try  its  faith,  and  to 
purify  it  in  the  furnace.  Art  was  more 
poisonous  than  rage,  and  the  deceptions 
seemed  calculated  to  impose  (if  it  were 
possible)  even  on  the  elect.  Very  re- 
markable, however,  was  the  Divine  tes- 
timony to  his  Church ;  at  this  tinie,  man's 
extremity  was  the  opportunity  in  which 
the  truth  and  goodness  of  God  appeared 
most  conspicuous.  There  were  doubtless 
many  true  Christians  at  that  time  wrest- 
ling with  their  God,  to  appear  for  his 
Clmrch,  and  ke  did  so,  in  this  manner. 
Wliile  the  messengers  were  on  the  road 
with  rescripts  similar  to  that  at  Tyre,  a 
drought  commenced,  famine  unexpected 
oppressed  the  dominions  of  Maximin  ; 
then  followed  a  plague  with  inflamed 
ulcers.  The  sores  spread  over  the  body, 
l)ut  chiefly  affected  the  eyes  and  blinded 
many.     And   the  Armenians,  the   allies 


Cext.  IV,] 


DIOCLESIAN. 


271 


and  neighbours  of  the  Eastern  empire, 
entered  into  a  war  with  Maximin  ;  the}' 
were  disposed  to  favour  the  Gospel,  and 
Maximin,  by  extending  his  persecution 
to  them,  drew  on  their  hostility.  Thus 
were  the  boasts  of  Maximin  confounded. 
The  plague  and  famine  raged  in  the  most 
dreadful  manner,  and  multitudes  lay  un- 
buried.  The  Christians,  whose  piety  and 
fear  of  God  were  stirred  up  on  this  occa- 
sion, were  the  only  persons  who  employ- 
ed themselves  in  doing  good,  every  day 
busying  themselves  in  taking  care  of  the 
sick,  and  burying  the  dead,  whereas 
numbers  of  Pagans  were  neglected  by 
their  own  friends  ;  they  gathered  together 
also  multitudes  of  the  famished  poor,  and 
distributed  bread  to  all ;  thus  imitating 
their  heavenly  Father,  who  sendeth  rain 
on  the  just  and  the  unjust.  Christians  still 
appeared  to  be  superior  to  all  others  ;  and 
the  Church  was  known  still  to  exist,  by 
fruits  peculiarly  her  own,  to  the  praise  of 
her  God  and  Saviour. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  year  312,  died 
the  emperor  Dioclesian,  who  had  reigned 
prosperously  for  twenty  j'ears ;  in  the  lat- 

T-,  ,  c  ter  part  of  which  time  he  corn- 
Death  of  J  .1  .■  1 
Dioclesian  iri^ncpd  the  persecution,  and 
.  T^  ^-^  abdicatinor  the  throne  not  lono- 
A.  D.  312.       jv        u    7-     J 

alter,  he  lived  seven  years  a 

private  life :  happy,  had  he  done  so  on 
motives  of  piety.  But  the  mischiefs 
which  his  authority  introduced  continued 
under  tyrants  more  ferocious  than  him- 
self; and  he  lived  not  onl}^  to  see  these 
mischiefs,  without  power  to  check  them, 
had  he  been  so  disposed,  but  also,  what 
probably  more  afflicted  his  mind,  to  find 
his  daughter  Valeria,  the  widow  of  Ga- 
lerius,  and  her  mother,  his  own  wife 
Prisca,  treated  with  great  injustice  by  his 
successors,  and  to  solicit  their  release  in 
vain.  Worn  out  with  grief  and  vexation, 
he  ended  his  days  at  length,  a  monument 
of  the  instability  of  all  human  greatness. 
He  lived  not  to  see  the  catastrophe  of  liis 
wife  and  daughter,  who,  after  a  long 
course  of  sufferings,  were  put  to  death 
by  Licinius.  It  is  foreign  to  the  design 
of  this  history  to  particularize  their  story, 
which,  after  all,  is  very  mysterious.  Why 
they  should  be  so  much  persecuted,  first 
by  Maximin  and  then  by  Licinius,  we 
know  not,  A  conjecture  may  he  made, 
but  it  must  be  considered  only  as  a  con- 
jecture. The  two  princesses  had  doubt- 
less favoured  the  Gospel  in  the  days  of 
their  grandeur,  and  had  defiled  themselves 
with    sacrifices  to  appease    Dioclesian. 


Might  they  not  afterwards  suffer  for  the 
sake  of  the  Gospel  itself,  though  their 
persecutors  might  not  choose  to  represent 
them  as  suffering  on  account  of  Christi- 
anity'? If  so,  the  princesses  sustained 
the  cross  with  more  fidelity  than  formerly. 
Maximin  was  surely  capable  of  all  this 
inhumanity,  and  that  Licinius  also  was 
so,  though  for  some  time  a  friend  of 
Christians,  will  appear  hereafter. 

In  the  year  313,  there  was  a  war  be- 
tween Licinius  and  Maximin,  who  con- 
tended each  for  the  complete  sovereignty 
of  the  East.  Before  the  de-  *  rj  <-,<> 
cisive  battle,  Maximin  vowed  *  '  •  "^  ■'• 
to  Jupiter,  that  if  he  obtained  the  victory, 
Ije  would  abolish  the  Christian  name. 
Licinius,  in  a  dream,*  was  directed  to 
supplicate,  with  all  his  army,  the  supreme 
God,  in  a  solemn  manner.  He  gave  di- 
rections to  his  soldiers  to  do  so,  and  they 
prayed  in  the  field  of  battle,  using  the 
very  words  which  he  had  received  in  his 
dream.  In  all  this  the  reader  will  see 
nothing  suspicious,  nothing  but  what  is 
in  its  own  nature  very  credible,  when  he 
considers  that  the  contest  between  Jeho- 
vah and  Jupiter  was  now  at  its  height, 
and  drawing  to  a  crisis.  Victory  decided 
in  favour  of  Licinius.  Maximin,  in  con- 
sequence of  this,f  published  a  cautious 
decree,  in  which  he  forbad  the  molestation 
of  Christians,  but  did  not  allow  them  the 
liberty  of  public  worship.  Warned  by 
former  experience  of  his  enmity,  the 
Christians  in  his  dominions  dared  not  to 
assemble  themselves  together.  Whilst 
the  rest  of  the  Christian  world,  under 
the  auspices  of  Constantine 
and  Licinius,  who  published  |"[J  "^^8^^ 
a  complete  toleration  of  Chris-  cation 
tianity,  together  with  that 
of  all  other  religions,  enjoyed  peace  and 
tranquillity. 

It  was  the  will' of  God  to  lay  his  hand 
still  more  heavily  on  the  tyrant.     Struck 
with  rage  at  his  disappointments,  in  the 
sad  reverse  of  his  affairs  he 
slew   many  priests  and  pro-     Jv"'*  .    . 
pnets  ot  his  gods,  by  whose 
enchantments  he  had  been  seduced  with 
false   hopes   of  universal   empire  in  the 
East ;  and  finding  most  probably  that  he 
gained    no  friends  among  Christians  by 
his  late  edict,  he   published   another  in 
their  favour  as  full  and  complete  as  that 
of  Constantine  and  Licinius,     So  amaz- 
ingly were  affairs  now  changed,  that  con- 
tending emnerors  courted  the  favour  of 


*  Lact.  de  .M.  P.        f  Euseb.  B.  X.  C.  IX. 


272 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  II. 


the  poor  persecuted  Christians.  After 
this  he  was  struck  with  a  sudden  plague 
over  his  whole  body,  pined  away  with 
hunger,  fell  down  from  his  bed,  his  flesh 
being  so  wasted  away  by  a  secret  fire, 
that  it  consumed  and  dropped  off  from  his 
bones  ;  his  eyes  started  out  of  their  sock- 
ets ;  and  in  his  distress  he  began  to  see 
God  passing  judgment  on  him.*  Frantic 
in  his  agonies,  he  cried  out,  "  It  was  not 
1,  but  others  who  did  it."  At  length,  by 
the  increasing  force  of  torment,  he  owned 
his  guilt,  and  every  now  and  then  im- 
plored Christ,  that  he  would  compassion- 
ate his  misery.  He  confessed  himself 
vanquished,  and  gave  up  the  ghost,  j 

Thus  closed  the  most  memorable  of  all. 
the  attacks  of  Satan  on  the  Christian 
Church.  Since  that  time  he  has  never 
been  able  to  persecute  Christians,  as  such, 
within  the  limits  of  Roman  civilization  in 
Europe.  I  thought  the  account  of  the 
most  violent  attempt  to  eradicate  the 
Gospel,  ever  known,  deserved  to  be  dis- 
tinctly related.  If  some  things  happened 
more  approaching  to  the  nature  of  mira- 
cles, than  ordinary  history  knows,  the 
greatness  of  the  contest  shows  at  once 
the  propriety  of  such  signal  divine  inter- 
positions, and  renders  them  more  credi- 
ble. The  present  age  affects  a  scepticism 
more  daring  than  any  preceding  one;  but 
in  every  age  before  this,  all  pious  and 
considerate  persons  have  agreed  that  the 
arm  of  God  was  lifted  up  in  a  wonderful 
manner,  at  once  to  chastise  and  to  purify 
his  Church,  and  also  to  demonstrate  the 
truth  of  Christian  religion  to  the  proudest 
and  the  fiercest  of  his  enemies,  till  they 
were  obliged  to  confess  that  the  Gospel 
was  divine,  and  must  stand  in  the  earth 
invincible  ;  that  the  most  High  ruleth, 
and  that  he  will  have  a  Church  in  the 
world,  which  will  glorify  him,  in  spite 
of  earth  and  hell  united,  and  that  this 
Church  contains  in  it  all  that  deserves 
the  name  of  true  wisdom  and  true  virtue. 


*  Lactaiitius  tells  us,  tliat  the  immedifite 
cause  of  his  death  was  poison,  wliich  he  (iianii 
in  his  fury.  But  I  tiiiiik  Kusehius's  account 
more  probable,  because  Lactantius  allows  tliat 
he  lived  four  days  under  torture. 

+  It  is  remarkable,  that  all  ihe  associates  of 
Maximin  in  his  crimes,  partook  also  of  his 
punishments.  Among  these  Culcian,  tlie 
bloody  governor  of  Theliais,and  Tlieotecnus, 
are  distinguished.  His  enchanters  were,  by 
torments  under  the  auliiority  of  Licinius,  com- 
pelled to  lay  open  the  frauds  of  tlieir  employ- 
ers, and  he  and  they,  willi  all  the  children 
and  relations  of  the  tyrant,  were  destroyed. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  VIEW  OF  THE  STATE  OF  THE  CHRIS- 
TIAN RELIGION,  ON  ITS  ESTABLISH- 
MENT UNDER  CONSTANTINE. 

This  emperor  from  early  life  had  some 
predilection   in   favour   of    Christianity. 
His  father  Constantius,  like  Agrippa,  had 
been  almost  persuaded  to  be  a  Christian, 
and  probably  the  same  fear  of  man  and 
the  same  love  of  the  world  operated  as  a 
check  upon  both.     This,  however,*  we 
are  informed  concerning  him,  that  he  con- 
demned the  polytheism  of  the  times,  and 
worshipped   one  God,  the  maker  of  all 
things,  that  he  had  multitudes  of  Chris- 
tians   in   his   palace,  and   among   these, 
ministers  of  the  Gospel,  who  openly  pray- 
ed for  the  emperor.     The  knowledge  of 
these   things,  joined   to  the  remarkable 
contrast  between  the  moral  character  of 
his  father,  and  that  of  the  other  emperors, 
must  have  made  some  impression  in  fa- 
vour of  the  phristian  religion  on  the  in- 
telligent  spirit   of  Constantine,   though 
more  pungent  views  of  internal  depravity 
and  guilt  be  needful  to  induce  the  mind 
to  enter  fully  into  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel. 
But  even  a  worldly  mind  may  feel  the 
need  of  divine  assistance,  when  dubious 
under  the  prospect  of  important  secular 
events:   And  Constantine  marching  from 
France  into  Italy  against  Maxentius,  on 
an  expedition,  which  was  like  either  to 
exalt  or  to  ruin  liirn,  was  oppressed  with 
anxiety.     Some  god  he  thought  needful 
to  protect  him.     The  God  of  the  Chris- 
tians he  was  most  inclined  to  respect; 
but  he  wanted  some  satisfactory  proof  of 
his   real    existence  and    power ;   and  he 
neither  understood  the  means  of  acquiring 
this,  nor  could  he  be  content  with  the 
atheistical  indifference,  in  which  so  many 
generals  and  heroes  since  his  time  have 
acquiesced.    He  prayed,  he  implored  with 
much  vehemence  and  importunity ;  and 
God   left  him   not  unanswered.     While 
he    was   marching   with   his   forces,   in 
the  afternoon,   the  trophy  of  the   Cross 
appeared  very  luminous  in  the  heavens, 
higher  than  the  sun,  with  this   inscrip- 
tion,   "  Conquer  by   this."f       He   and 
his    soldiers    were    astonished     at    the 
sight.      But  he  continued  pondering  on 
the  event  till  night.     And  Christ  appear- 
ed to  him  when  asleep,  with  the  same 
sign  of  the  cross,  and  directed  him  to 


*  Euseb.  Life  of  Constantine,  XVII. 


Cekt.  IV.] 


CONSTANTINE. 


273 


make  use  of  the  symbol  as  his  military 
ensign.  Constantine  obeyed,  and  the 
cross  was  henceforward  displayed  in  his 
armies.* 

Constantine,  who  hitherto  was  totally 
unacquainted  with  Christian  doctrine, 
asked  the  pastors  who  this  God  was,  or 
what  was  the  meaning  of  the  sign.  They 
told  him,  that  it  was  God,  the  only-be- 
gotten Son  of  the  only  true  God,f  that 
the  sign  was  the  trophy  of  the  victory, 
which  he,  when  on  earth,  had  gained  over 
death.  At  the  same  time  they  explained 
to  him  the  causes  of  his  coming,  and  the 
doctrine  of  his  incarnation.  From  that 
time  Constantine  firmly  believed  the  truth 
of  Christianity.  He  would  have  acted 
irrationally,  if  he  had  not;  and  it  were 
an  inexcusable  want  of  candour  to  ascribe 
to  motives  merely  political  a  course  of 
conduct  in  favour  of  Christianity,  in 
which  he  persevered  to  his  death ;  and 
which  he  began  at  a  time  when  the 
triumph  of  the  Christian  cause  and  the 
success  of  his  arms  as  connected  with  it 
were  extremely  dubious.  He  began  after 
this  to  read  the  Scriptures,  and  zealously 
patronized  the  pastors  of  the  Church  all 
his  days.  Whether  he  really  loved  the 
Gospel,  and  felt  its  influence  on  his  own 
heart,  is  a  doubtful  question  ;  but  that  he 
believed  it  to  be  divinely  true,  is  certain. 


•  I  give  the  narrative  of  Eusebius  as  concise- 
ly as  possible.  It  is  proper  to  add,  that  lie  tells 
us  that  he  had  ttie  story  of  the  miraculous  ap- 
pearance in  the  heavens  from  the  emperor  iiim- 
self  a  long'  lime  after,  and  that  confirmed  by 
an  oath.  He,  who  is  determined  not  to  believe 
Christianity  to  be  divine,  will  doubtless  disbe- 
lieve this  miracle,  from  the  same  spirit  which 
has  induced  him  to  harden  his  heart  against 
rauch  more  striking  evidence.  With  such  a 
one  I  would  not  converse  on  the  subject.  Rut 
to  those  who  admit  the  divine  origin  of  Chris- 
tianity, if  any  such  doubt  the  truth  of  the  mi- 
raole,  I  would  say,  that  it  seems  to  me  more 
reasonable  to  admit  a  divliie  interposition  in  a 
case  like  this,  especially  considering  the  im- 
portant consequences,  than  to  deny  the  vera- 
city of  Eusebius  or  of  Constantine.  On  the 
former  view  God  acts  like  himself,  conde- 
scending to  hear  praver,  leading  the  mind  by 
temporal  kindness  to  look  to  him  for  spiritual 
blessings,  and  confirming  the  truth  of  his  own 
religion  ;  on  the  latter,  two  men  not  of  the 
very  best,  but  surely  by  no  means  of  the  worst 
character,  are  imreasonably  suspected  of  de- 
liberate perjury  or  falsehood. 

f  I  suspect  Eusebius  expresses  here  his  own 
sense  of  the  doctrine  of  the  divinity  of  Christ, 
which  will  be  considered  hereafter  :  his  words 

fire,     '^'•'^    /**^      £*WXi      CS^V  J    ii)i      T«      *v3i      )tx*      ffCVt; 


if  a  consistent  and  long  course  of  actions 
be  admitted  as  evidence. 

It  belongs  to  civil  history  to  describe 
the  civil  and  military  transactions  of  this 
warlike  and  magnanimous  prince.  He 
was*  no  sooner  made  master  of  Rome  by 
the  destruction  of  Maxentius,  than  he 
honoured  the  cross  by  putting  a  spear  of 
that  form  into  the  hand  of  the  statue  erect- 
ed for  him  at  Rome.  He  now  built 
churches,  and  showed  great  beneficence 
to  the  poor..  He  encouraged  the  meeting 
of  bishops  in  synods,  he  honoured  them 
with  his  presence,  and  employed  himself 
in  continually  aggrandizing  the  Church. 
In  the  mean  time  his  associate  in  the 
East,  Licinius,  began  to  persecute  it. 

Notwithstanding  the  proofs  which  this 
man  had  had  of  the  divine  interposition  in 
favour  of  the  Gospel,  during  his  contest 
with  Maximin,  the  force  of  old  prejudices 
imbibed  under  Galerius  operated  at  length, 
in  conjunction  with  the  native  depravity 
of  the  human  heart,  to  induce  him  to  re- 
new the  persecution.  He  prohibited  Chris- 
tian synods  in  his  dominions,  expelled 
believers  from  his  court,  and  forbade  the 
women  to  attend  the  public  assemblies  of 
men,  and  ordered  them  to  furnish  them- 
selves with  separate  teachers  of  their  own 
sex.    He  dismissed  from  his  armies  those 
who  refused  to  sacrifice,  and  forbade  any 
supplies    to    be   afforded    them   in  their 
necessities.     He  proceeded  still  further. 
He    murdered    bishops,    and    destroyed 
churches.     At  Amasia,  in  Pontus,  his  cru- 
elty was  particularly  distinguished.     He 
used  enchantments,  and  once  more  Satan 
made   a  feeble  attempt  to  recover  by  his 
means  the  ground  he  had  lost.     It  was 
not  probable  that  Licinius  should  take 
these  steps  without  quarrelling  with  Con- 
stantine, and  a  war  soon  commenced  be- 
tween the  two  princes.     Licinius  put  the 
truth  or  falsehood  of  the  Gospel  on  the 
event  of  war.     It  was  an  unwarranted  ap- 
peal, but  God  answered  him  „ 
in  his  own  way.     He  lost  in     ^^  ^  ^^5, 
the  issue  both  his  empire  and 
his  life.     It  is  remarkable,  that  one  of 
Constantine's  soldiers,  who  parted  with 
the  banner  of  the  cross  in  battle  to  save 
his  life,  lost  it,  while  he,  who  in  his  room 
supported   and  upheld  the  banner,   was 

-  Flis  victory  over  the  tyrant  was  providen- 
tially striking  ;  and  the  credulity  of  Maxen- 
tius, and  the  failure  of  the  heathen  oracles, 
which  encouraged  him  to  proceed  against 
Conslanline,  are  no  less  remarkable.  But  this 
is  civil  history. 


274 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  II. 


preserved.  It  were  to  be  wished,  that 
there  had  been  as  much  zeal  at  this  time 
to  support  the  doctrines  and  realize  the 
power  of  the  cross,  as  there  was  to  honour 
its  formalities.  But  this  was  far  from 
being  the  case. 

For  neither  in  Constantine,  nor  in  his 
favourite  bishops,  nor  in  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  church,  can  we  see  much 
of  the  spirit  of  godliness.  Pompous  ap- 
paratus, augmented  superstitions  and  un- 
meaning forms  of  piety,  much  show  and 
little  substance  appears.  This  is  the  im- 
pression, which  the  account  given  by  Eu- 
sebius  has  left  on  my  mind.  As  the  mat- 
ter of  my  history  is  very  scanty  here,  I 
shall  endeavour  to  compress  it  into  a 
small  compass,  chiefly  with  a  view  to 
catch  the  face  of  Christianity  at  this  pe- 
riod, and  to  pave  the  way  for  a  more  com- 
plete understanding  of  the  great  contro- 
versy, which  must  soon  arrest  our  atten- 
tion. 

If  we  look  at  the.  external  appearance 
of  Christianity,  nothing  can  be  more 
splendid.  An  emperor,  full  of  zeal  for 
the  propagation  of  the  only  divine  religion, 
by  edicts  restores  to  the  Church  every 
thing  of  which  it  had  been  deprived,  in- 
demnifies those  who  had  suffered,  honours 
the  pastors  exceedingly,  recommends  to 
governors  of  provinces  to  promote  the 
Gospel ;  and  though  he  will  neither  oblige 
them  nor  any  others  to  profess  it,  yet  he 
forbids  them  to  make  use  of  the  sacrifices 
commonly  made  by  prefects ;  he  erects 
churches  exceedingly  sumptuous  and  or 
namental,  with  distinctions  of  the  parts 
corresponding  in  some  measure  to  those 
in  Solomon's  temple,  discovers  with 
much  zeal  the  Sepulchre  of  Christ  at  Je- 
rusalem, real  or  pretended,  and  honours 
it  with  a  most  expensive  sacred  edifice. 
His  mother  Helena  fills  the  whole  Ro- 
man world  with  her  munificent  acts  in 
support  of  religion ;  and  after  erecting 
churches,  and  travelling  from  place  to 
place  to  evidence  her  zeal,  dies  before  her 
son,  aged  eighty  years.  Nor  is  the  Chris- 
tian cause  neglected  even  out  of  the  bounds 
of  the  Roman  empire.  Constantine  zeal- 
ously pleads,  in  a  letter  to  Sapor  king  of 
Persia,  for  the  Christians  of  his  domi- 
nions :  he  destroys  idol  temples,  prohibits 
impious  pagan  rites,  puts  an  end  to  the 
savage  fights  of  gladiators,  stands  up 
with  respectful  silence  to  hear  the  sermon 
of  Eusebius,  bishop  of  Caesarea,  the  his- 
torian ;  furnishes  him  with  the  volumes 
of   the    Scriptures    for  the  use   of  the 


churches,  orders  the  observation  of  the 
festivals  of  martyrs,  has  prayers  and  read- 
ing of  the  Scripture  at  his  court,  dedicates 
churches  with  great  solemnity,  makes 
Christian  orations  himself,  one  of  which 
of  a  considerable  length  is  preserved  by 
the  historian  his  favourite  bishop,  directs 
the  sacred  observation  of  the  Lord's  day, 
to  which  he  adds  that  of  Friday  also,  the 
day  of  Christ's  crucifixion,  and  teaches 
the  soldiers  of  his  army  to  pray  by  a  short 
form  made  for  their  use. 

It  may  seem  invidious  to  throw  any 
shade  on  this  picture ;  but  though  the 
abolition  of  lewd,  impious,  and  inliuman 
customs  must  have  been  of  great  advan- 
tage to  society,  and  though  the  benefits 
of  Christianity,  compared  with  paganism, 
to  the  world,  appear  very  strong  by  these 
means;  yet  all  this,  if  sound  principle  be 
wanting,  is  but  form  and  shadow.  As  it 
was  difficult  to  clear  Origen  of  depreciat- 
ing the  divinity  of  Christ,  so  it  is  still 
more  difficult  to  exculpate  Eusebius, 
with  whom  he  was  a  favourite  author. 
Not  to  anticipate  what  will  more  proper- 
ly pass  under  examination  hereafter,  there 
seems  to  have  been  both  in  Eusebius  and 
some  of  his  friends,  and  probably  in  the 
emperor  himself,  a  disposition,  of  which 
perhaps  they  were  not  conscious,  to  les- 
sen the  honours  of  the  Son  of  God.  In 
his  oration  at  the  dedication  of  the  church 
at  Tyre,  he  distinguishes  between  the 
first  and  the  second  cause,  and  seems 
very  careful  to  give  the  supreme  title  ex- 
clusively to  the  Father.  His  sermons 
breathe  little  of  Christianity,  so  far  as  I 
have  seen  them.  He  largely  assigns  va- 
rious causes  for  the  coming  of  Christ  into 
the  world,  and  though  among  these  he 
gives  some  place  to  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion and  sacrifice  for  sin,  he  speaks  of 
them  slightly,  and  as  it  were  by  the  bye. 
I  have  observed  also,  that,  in  one  place 
of  his  writings,  he  speaks  in  a  very  sub- 
ordinate manner  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
though  it  must  be  confessed,  he  is  so 
rhetorical,  and  indistinct  in  his  theologi- 
cal discourses,  that  it  is  difficult  to  ex- 
tract any  determinate  propositions  from 
his  writings. 

It  was  to  be  expected  that  great  defec- 
tiveness of  doctrine  would  not  fail  to  in- 
fluence practice.  External  piety  flour- 
ished, monastic  societies  in  particular 
places  were  also  growing;  but  faith,  love, 
heaveply-mindedness,  appear  very  rare; 
yet,  among  the  poor  and  obscure  Chris- 
tians I  hope  there  was  far  more  godliness 


Cent.  IV.] 


CONSTANTINE. 


275 


than  could  be  seen  at  courts,  and  amontr 
bishops  and  persons  of  eminence.     The 
doctrine  of  real  coaversion  was  very  much 
lost,  or  external  baptism  was  placed  in 
its  stead;  and  the  true  doctrine  of  justifi- 
cation by  faith,  and  the  true  practical  use 
of  a  crucified  Saviour  for  troubled  con- 
sciences, were  scarcely  to  be  seen  at  this 
time.   There  was  much  outward  religion, 
but  this  could  not  make  men  saints  in 
heart  and  life.      The  worst  part  of  the 
character  of  Constantine  is,  that  as  he 
grew  older,  he  grew  more  culpable,  op- 
pressive in  his   own  family,  oppressive 
to   the  government,  oppressive  by  east- 
em    superfluous    magnificence;   and  the 
facts  to  be  displayed  will  show,  how  lit- 
tle true  humility  and  charity  were  now 
known  in  the  Christian  world,  while  su- 
perstition   and    self-righteousness    were 
making  vigorous  shoots,  and  the  real  Gos 
pel  of  "Christ  was  hidden  from  men  who 
.  professed  it. 

The  schism  of  the   Donatists,  as   its 
history  throws  some  light  on  the  manners 
of  Christians,  will  deserve  a  few  words 
■p.       .  ,        in  this  place.  During  the  ces- 
sation   01  the  persecution  in 
the  West,  while  it  raged  still  in  the  East, 
on  the  death  of  Mensurius  bishop  of  Car- 
thage, a  council  of  neighbouring  bishops 
was  called  for  the  appointment  of  his  suc- 
cessor.  The  council  was  thinner  than  had 
been  usual,  through  the  management  of 
Botrus  and   Celesius,  two  persons  who 
aspired  to  the  office,  whose  ambition  was 
however  disappointed,  the  election  fall- 
intr  on  Ccecilian  the  deacon.      All  that 
was   essential   in  the  appointment  of  a 
bishop  was  observed  in  this  transaction ; 
for  Cfficilian  had  confessedly  the  suffrage 
of  the  whole  church.      The  two  disap- 
pointed persons  protested  against  the  elec- 
tion, and  were  joined  by  Lucilla,  a  rich 
lady,   who  for  a  long   time  before   had 
been  too  haughty  to  submit  to  discipline. 
One  Donatus  of  Casae  nigras,  who  had 
been  a  schismatic  before  this  time,  offer- 
ed himself  as   the  chief  of  the  faction. 
A  number  of  bishops  co-operated   with 
him,  piqued  that  they  had  not  been  call- 
ed to  the  ordination  of  Ca;cilian.     Seven- 
ty bishops,  a  number  of  whom  had  been 
traditors,*  met  thus  together  at  Carthage, 
to  depose  Caecilian. 

The  reader  will  conceive  in  a  strong 


light,  how  corrupt  the  pastors  of  the  Afri- 
can church  must  have  been  at  that  time, 
when  such  a  number  met  to  impose  a 
bisliop  on  the  church  of  Carthage  against 


*  A  name  of  infamy  given  to  those  wlio  to 
save  their  lives  in  the  persepution,  had  ileliver- 
ed  the  Scriptures  or  goods  of  the  thurch  to 
the  persecuting  powers. 


the  general  sense  of  the  Christians  at 
that  place,  and  were  at  the  same  time  un- 
able to  object  any  one  crime,  or  support 
the  least  material  accusation  against  the 
pastor,  who  had  the  hearts  of  the  people. 
Yet  they  persevered,  and  ordained  one 
Majorinus,  a  servant  of  the  factious  lady, 
who,  to  support  the  ordination,  gave  large 
sums  of  money,  which  the  bishops  divided 
among  themselves. 

Such  is  the  origin  of  the  famous  Dona- 
tist  schism,  the  second  class  of  dissenters 
who  have  appeared  in  the  records  of  the 
Church;  but,  as  in  their  origin,  so  in 
their  manners  and  spirit  all  along,  they 
seem  unworthy  to  be  compared  with  the 
first  class,  the  Novatian,  which  still  ex- 
isted. With  these  a  degree  of  real  spi- 
rituality existed ;  whereas  with  the  Dona- 
tist,  there  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
any.* 

It  would  be  tedious  to  enter  into  a  de- 
tail of  Constantine's  proceedings  in  re- 
gard to  this  sect.  Undoubtedly  he  had  a 
great  respect  for  whatever  he  conceived 
to  be  Christian.  With  much  candour 
and  patience  he  examined  and  re-examin- 
ed the  case  of  the  Donatists ;  and  the 
issue  was  constantly  to  their  disgrace. 
They  stirred  up  magistrates  to  deprive 
the  Christian  pastors  of  the  benefit  of  the 
imperial  laws,  by  which  they  were  ex- 
empted from  public  offices,  and  endea- 
voured to  deprive  them  of  their  churches, 
till  the  emperor  was  at  last  provoked  to 
confiscate  the  places  of  their  assemblies. 
Sylvanus,  one  of  the  Donatist  bishops, 
being  convicted  of  having  delivered  up 
the  vessels  of  the  church,  and  of  being 
simoniacall}'^  ordained  a  bishop,  and  of 
hviving  deprived  the  Christians  of  their 
church,  was  sent  into  banishment,  with 
some  others  of  the  faction.  Yet  such 
was  the  kindness  of  Constantine  toward 
the  Christian  name,  that  he  recalled  them 
from  their  banishment,  and  granted  re- 
ligious toleration  to  the  party,  of  which 
lenity  they  continued  to  make  an  unwor- 
thy use. 

How  corrupt  is  human  nature  !  The 
Church  has  outward  peace,  and  even 
prosperity.  Yet  feuds,  contentions,  and 
the  most  unworthy  spirit  of  avarice  and 
ambition,  appear  very  prevalent.     So  un- 


*  Fleury,  B.  IX. 


276 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


grateful  were  men  for  that  admirable  ad- 
ministration of  Providence,  which  as  we 
have  seen  now  took  place  in  their  favour. 
Another  scourge  seemed  quickly  necessa- 
ry, a  scourge  generated  from  their  own 
vices  indeed,  though  evidently  of  divine 
appointment  for  the  chastisement  of  the 
Church.  wSatan  saw  his  time ;  pure  doc- 
trinal truth  was  now  too  commonly  mere 
speculation.  Men  were  ripe  for  a  per- 
version of  doctrine.  Lower  or  ambigu- 
ous views  of  Christ  were  secretly  rising 
amidst  the  platonic  studies  of  learned 
men.  Origen  gave  the  first  handle;  Eu- 
sebius  the  historian  with  cautious  pru- 
dence was  fomenting  the  evil.  And  at 
length  a  bold  and  open  assault  was  made 
against  the  Deity  of  the  Son  of  God,  and 
persecution  was  stirred  up  against  Chris- 
tians by  those  who  bore  the  Christian 
name.  The  people  of  God  were  exercis- 
ed, refined,  and  improved  ;  while  the 
Christian  world  at  large  was  torn  in 
pieces  with  violence,  intrigue,  and  scan- 
dalous animosities,  to  the  grief  of  all  who 
loved  the  Son  of  God,  and  walked  in  his 
ways  in  godly  simplicity. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE    ARTAN  CONTRO 
VERSY,  TILL  THE  DEATH  OF  CONSTAN- 
TINE.* 

Peter,  bishop  of  Alexandria,  had  suf- 
fered martyrdom  under  the  Dioclesian 
persecution.  Numbers  had  recanted  at 
that  time  to  save  their  lives,  and  among 
the  rest  Meletius,  an  Egj^ptian  bishop. 
This  man  was  of  a  schismatical  and  en- 
terprising spirit,  and  having  been  deposed 
by  Peter  before  his  martyrdom,  he  sepa- 
rated himself,  continued  bishop  on  his 
own  plan,  ordained  others,  and  gave  rise 
to  the  third  species  of  Dissenters :  Til  AT 
is  the  proper  name  of  the  Meletian  party; 
for  they  are  not  charged  with  corruption 
in  their  doctrine.  Nor  was  this  the  only 
person  who  disturbed  the  Church,  and 
exercised  the  patience  of  Peter.  Arius  of 
Alexandria,  in  his  beginnings,  was  a  pro- 
mising character,  but  on  the  appearance 
of  the  Meletian  party,  he  espoused  their 
cause.  Some  time  after,  he  left  it,  and  re- 
conciled himself  to  Peter,  and  was  by 
him   ordained  deacon :    but  condemning 

*  Socrates,  1.  6. 


the  bishop's  severity  in  rejecting  the  Me- 
letian baptism,  and  exhibiting  a  restless 
and  factious  spirit,  he  was  again  expelled 
from  the  Church.  After  which  Peter  was 
called  to  his  rest  by  martyrdom.  He  was, 
like  Cyprian,  too  severe  in  rejecting  the 
baptism  of  schismatics  and  heretics,  but 
his  zeal  was  doubtless  from  a  desire  of 
preserving  the  uniformity  of  Christian 
faith,  and  he  did  not  live  to  see  still 
stronger  proofs  of  that  turbulent  and  con- 
tentious spirit  in  his  deacon,  which  has 
rendered  the  name  of  Arius  so  famous  in 
history. 

Achillas  had  succeeded  to  the  bishop- 
ric :  and  from  him  Arius,  by  submissions, 
again  obtained  favour.  Understanding 
and  capacity  will   command 

respect,  and  these  were  un-     „f  .   •  ,„ 
1    r      11  1  1      »   •         01  Anus, 

doubtedly  possessed  by  Anus 

in  a  great  degree.  He  was  by  nature 
formed  to  deceive.  In  his  behaviour  and 
manner  of  life  he  was  severe  and  grave;  . 
in  his  person  tall  and  venerable;  and  in 
his  dress  almost  monastic.  He  was 
agreeable  and  captivating  in  conversa- 
tion, and  well  skilled  in  logic  and  all  the 
improvements  of  the  human  mind,  then 
fashionable  in  the  world.* 

Such  was  the  famous  Arius,  who  gave 
name  to  one  of  the  most  powerful  here- 
sies which  ever  afflicted  the  Church  of 
Christ,  and  of  whom  Cicero's  words, 
with  little  variation,  in  his  masterly  cha- 
racter of  Catiline, I  might  be  delivered ; 
"  had  he  not  possessed  some  apparent 
virtues,  he  would  not  have  been  able  to 
form  so  great  a  design,  nor  to  have  proved 
so  formidable  an  adversary."  He,  who 
does  much  mischief  in  deceiving  souls, 
must  at  least  have  a  fair  appearance  of 
morals.  Paul  cf  Samosata  wanted  this, 
and  he  glittered  only  as  the  insect  of  a 
day. 

Achillas  advanced  Arius  to  the  office 
of  presbyter,  which  in  that  church  was 
more  important  than  in  others,  because 
each  presbyter  had  a  distinct  congrega- 
tion of  his  own.  and  was  not  sent  up  and 
down  to  different  churches,  at  the  discre- 
tion of  the  bishop,  as  the  general  practice 
had  been  in  the  primitive  Church.  This 
practice,  however,  in  time  gave  way  to 
the  Alexandrian  custom.    Alexander,  the 


*  Sozomen,  B.  15. 

t  See  Ills  Oration  pro  Cselio. — Neque  un- 
quam  ex  illo  tarn  sceleratus  impetus  exlitisset, 
nisi  tot  vitiorum  tanta  inimanitas  quibusdam 
facilitatis  et  patienliee  radicibus  niteretur. 


Cent.  IV.] 


CONSTANTINE. 


277 


successor  of  Achillas,  under  Constantine, 
treated  Arius  with  respect,  and  appear- 
ed very  backward  to  censure  hiin  for 
his  dangerous  speculations  in  religion. 
The  pride  of  reasoning  seduced  the  pres- 
byter to  assert,*  that  there  was  a  time 
when  the  Son  of  God  was  not,  that  he 
was  capable  of  virtue  or  of  vice,  and  that 
he  was  a  creature,  and  mutable  as  crea- 
tures are.  Whilst  he  was  insinuating 
these  things,  the  easiness  of  Alexander 
in  tolerating  such  notions  was  found 
fault  with  in  the  church.  Necessity 
roused  him  at  length,  however  unwilling,. 
to  contend,  and  in  disputing  before  Arius 
and  the  rest  of  his  clergy,f  he  affirmed 
that  there  was  an  union  in  the  Trinit3^ 
Arius  thinking  that  the  bishop  introduced 
Sabellianism,  eagerly  maintained  the  ex- 
treme which  is  opposite  to  that  heresy, 
and  said,  "  if  the  Father  begat  the  Son, 
the  begotten  had  a  beginning  of  exist- 
ence ;  hence  it  was  evident  there  was  a 
time  when  he  was  not." 

I  have  given  the  narration  from  the 
two  historians  rather  with  a  view  to  con- 
nect and  reconcile  them,  than  from  a  con- 
viction that  this  dispute  arose  from  Alex- 
ander's zeal  to  withstand  the  growth  of 
Arianism.  For  it  might  have  originated 
from  his  orthodox  zeal  in  general,  before 
Arius  had  yet  distinctly  broached  his  no- 
tions. Be  that  as  it  maj%  Arius  evidently 
split  on  the  common  rock  of  all  heresies, 
a  desire  of  explaining  by  our  reason  the 
modes  of  things  which  we  are  required  to 
believe  on  divine  testimony  alone.  ^lany 
of  the  clergy  joined  the  disputatious  pres- 
byter, and  it  was  no  longer  in  Alexan- 
der's power  to  prevent  a  solemn  cog- 
nizance of  the  cause.  He  was  himself 
cautious  and  slow  in  his  proceedings;^ 
while  many  persons  of  a  grave  cast,  and 
able  and  eloquent,  like  Arius,  espoused 
and  fostered  the  infant  heresy.  Arius 
preached  diligently  at  his  church,  dif- 
fused his  opinions  in  all  companies,  and 
gained  over  many  of  the  common  people ; 
a  number  of  women  who  had  professed 
virginity  espoused  his  cause;  and  Alex- 
ander saw  the  ancient  doctrine  of  the 
Church  undermined  continually. §  Le- 
nient measures  and  argumentative  me- 
thods having  been  tried  in  vain,  he  sum- 
moned a  synod  of  bishops,  who  met  at 


*  Sozomen,  B.  I.  c.  15.        f  Socrates,  1.  5. 
t  Sozomen,  I.  5. 

§  TI.eod.  B.  I.  c.  2.     See  Cave's  Life  of 
Athanasius. 

Vol.  L  2  a 


Alexandria,  condemned  Arius's  doctrine, 
and  expelled  him  from  the  Church,  with 
nine  of  his  adherents. 

What  Arius  really  held  may  be  dis- 
tinctl}^  stated  from  the  concurrent  testi- 
mony of  friends  and  enemies.  Already 
some  secret  and  ambiguous  .  . 
attempts  had  been  made  to  ^.V,'""'/™ 
lessen  t.he  idea  oi  the  divinity 
of  the  Son  of  God.  While  his  eternity 
was  admitted  by  Etisebius  the  historian, 
he  yet  was  not  willing  to  own  him  co- 
equal with  the  Father.  Arius  w'ent  greater 
lengths  :  he  said,  That  the  Son  proceeded 
out  of  a  state  of  non-existence;  that  he 
was  not  before  he  was  made;  that  he, 
who  is  without  beginning,  has  set  his 
Son  as  the  beginning  of  things  that  are 
made,  and  that  God  made  one,  whom  he 
called  Word,  Son,  and  Wisdom,  by  whom 
he  did  create  us.  From  these,  and  such 
like  expressions,  it  is  evident  what  Arian- 
ism properly  is :  for  the  epistle  of  Ariu3 
himself,*  preserved  by  Theodoret,  repre- 
sents his  views  in  the  same  manner  as 
his  adversaries  have  done,  and  proves 
that  no  injustice  was  done  to  him  in  this 
respect.-j- 


*  Thfod.  B.  I.  c.  5. 

f  I  sh:tll  give  the  reader  the  epistle  at 
k-iigth,  that  lie  may  judge  for  liimseli,  ihough 
some  parts  of  it  are  of  no  consequence  with 
respect  to  ilie  controversy.  I  believe  it  is  the 
oidy  fragment  we  have  of  his  wi'itings,  and  it 
IS  therefore  liie  most  authentic  of  all  records, 
to  decide  tlje  question,  what  Arianism  is. 

The  Epistle  of  ^in'us  to  Kusebhis,  Bishop  of 
JYicomedia. 

"To  my  most  desirable  lord,  the  faithful 
man  of  God,  the  orthodox  Eusebins,  Arius  per- 
secuted by  father  Alexander  unjustlv,  for  the 
sake  of  truti],  wliich  conquers  all  tilings,  of 
which  you  are  tlie  defender;  joy  in  the  Lord! 
-My  father  Ammonius  coming  to  Nicomedia, 
it  appeared  to  me  my  duly  to  address  you 
by  him,  and  at  the  same  time  to  inform  your 
rooted  charity  and  kind  disposition,  which  you 
have  towards  tlie  brethren,  for  the  sake  of  God 
and  his  Christ,  that  the  bishop  harasses  and 
persecutes  us  greatly,  and  moves  every  ma- 
chine against  us,  so  as  even  to  expel  us  from 
the  city  as  Atheists,  because  we  agree  not  with 
bim  who  pid)Iicly  says,  'always  God,  always 
the  .Son  :  at  the  same  time  the  Father,  at  the 
same  time  the  Son  :  the  Son  co-exists  with 
God  without  being  begotten  :  he  is  always  be- 
gotten, yet  unbegotteii  :  God  does  not  [^recede 
the  Son  in  thought,  not  for  a  moment  :  always 
God,  always  the  Son  :  tiie  Son  exists  from  God 
himself.'  And  when  Eusebius  your  brother 
in  Cxsarea,  andXheodotus,  and  Paulinus,  and 


278 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHUKCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


It  is  an  easy  thing  to  say  here,  that  si- 
lence and  charity  would  have  been  the 
best  means  of  preserving  peace  on  all 
sides :  but  then  this  mode  of  speaking 
supposes  that  the  controversy  was  frivo- 
lous. No  real  Christian  can  think  it  un- 
important, whether  his  Saviour  be  be- 
lieved to  be  the  Creator  or  a  creature. 
The  soul  is  of  too  great  consequence  for 
men  to  hazard  its  salvation  on  they  know 
not  what.  And  it  then  appeared  to  all 
humble  and  charitable  Christians,  that  to 
persist  in  blaspheming  God,  was  at  least 
as  practical  an  evil  as  to  persist  in  drunk- 
enness and  theft.  All  these  found  them- 
selves obliged  to  join  with  Alexander 
against  Arius.  Silence  was  a  vice  in  this 
case  ;  though  it  can  never  be  enough  la- 
mented how  little  care  was  taken  of  hu- 
mility and  charity,  of  both  which  the  ex- 
ercise is  perfectly  consistent  with  the  sin- 
cere zeal  for  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity ; 
but  true  religion  itself  was  low ;  the  face 
of  the  Church  was  "  sullied  and  disho- 
noured, yet  still  divine."  And  amidst  the 
numbers  who,  from  fashion,  prejudice,  or 
worse  motives,  joined  with  the  Alexan- 
drian bishop,  we  must  look  for  those, 
though  they  are  hard  to  be  found,  who 
feared  God,  and  whose  history  alone  is 
the  subject  before  us.  The  principles  of 
Arius  exclude  him  and  his  followers,  and 
by  the  fullest  light  of  antiquity  their  ac- 

Athanasius,*  and  Gregory,  and  Aetius,  and 
all  the  bishops  in  the  East,  said,  that  God  who 
had  no  beginning,  existed  before  the  Son,  they 
were  condemned,  excejjt  only  Philogonius, 
and  Ellanicus,  and  Macarius,  heretical  un- 
learned men,  some  of  whom  call  the  Son  an 
eructation,  others  a  projection,  others  begot- 
ten together  with  him.  We  cannot  bear  to 
hear  these  impieties,  though  the  heretics 
should  threaten  us  with  ten  thousand  deaths. 
But  what  we  say  and  think,  we  have  both 
tau;,dit  and  do  teach  ;  That  the  Son  is  not  un- 
begolten,  noi-  a  part  of  the  unbegotten,  by  any 
means,  nor  of  any  suijject  matter  ;  but  that  by 
■will  and  counsel  he  existed  before  the  times 
and  the  ages,  full  God,  only  begotten,  not 
mixed  with  any  thing  heterogeneous,  and  be- 
fore he  was  begotten,  or  created,  or  defined, 
or  founded,  he  was  not  ;  for  he  was  not  un- 
begotten.    We  are  persecuted  because  we  say 

THE  SON  HATH  A  BKGINNING  ;  but  God  is  with- 
out beginning.  For  this  we  are  persecuted, 
and  because  we  say,  that  the  Son  is  from  non- 
r.TcisTKXci;,  and  thus  we  said,  because  he  is 
not  part  of  God,  nor  of  any  subject  matter  : 
tor  this  we  are  persecuted  ;  the  rest  you  know. 
I  pray  that  you  may  be  strong  in  the  Lord, — 
remembering  our  afflictions." 

*  Not  the  famous  Athanasius. 


tions  also  exclude  them  from  being  num- 
bered among  the  sound,  faithful,  intelli- 
ofent  followers  of  Jesus. 

The  Christian  world  now  became  the 
scene  of  animosity  and  contention.  The 
orthodox  and  heretical  did  each  their  ut- 
most to  support  their  several  pretensions : 
practical  religion  was  too  much  forgotten 
by  both  sides  ;  and  the  former,  from  the 
want,  or  at  least  from  the  very  low  state 
of  experimental  religion,  were  deprived 
of  the  very  best  method  of  supporting 
the  truth,  by  showing  its  necessary  con- 
nexion with  the  foundation  of  true  piety 
and  virtue.  The*  Gentiles  beheld  the 
contest  and  triumphed  ;  and  on  their  thea- 
tres they  ridiculed  the  contentions  of 
Christians,  to  which  their  long  and  griev- 
ous provocations  of  their  God  had  justly 
exposed  them.  Alexander  repeatedly,  in 
letters  and  appeals,  maintained  his  cause, 
and  so  far  as  speculative  argumentation 
can  do  it,  he  proved  his  point  from  the 
Scriptures ;  while  Arius  strengthened 
himself  by  forining  alliances  with  various 
bishops,  and  particularly  with  Eusebius 
of  Nicomedia,f  who  supported  Arianism 
with  all  his  might.  He  had  been  trans- 
lated from  Berytus  in  Syria,  and  by  living 
in  the  metropolis  (for  there  Constantine 
resided  much)  he  had  an  opportunity  of 
ingratiating  himself  with  the  emperor. 
Near  a  hundred  bishops  in  a  second 
synod  at  Alexandria  condemned  Arius, 
who  was  now  obliged  to  quit  that  place, 
and  try  to  gain  supporters  in  other  parts 
of  the  empire. 

In  the  year  324,  Constantine  being  at 
Nicomedia,  and  intending  to  make  a  far- 
ther progress  into  the  East,  was  prevent- 
ed by  the  news  of  these  contentions.  So 
important  were  Christian  affairs  now 
grov/n,  at  a  time  when  it  is  with  difficul- 
ty we  can  find  any  eminent  spirit  of  ge- 
nuine piety.  The  emperor  sincerely  strove 
to  make  up  the  breach  ;  for  his  regard  for 
Christianity  in  general  was  doubtless 
sincere ;  but  it  is  not  in  ecclesiastical 
proceedings  that  we  can  discover  any 
trace  of  that  penetration  and  discernment 
for  which  in  civil  story  he  is  so  justly 
renowned.  He  Avrote  both  to  Alexander 
and  Arius,  blamed  both,  expressed  his 
desire  for  their  agreement,  and  explained 
nothing.     He  sent  the  letter  by  Hosius 


*  I  use  the  language  of  the  times,  in  calling 
the  Pagan  world  Gentiles. 

f  He  must  not  be  confounded  with  Eusebius 
of  Csesarea,  the  historian. 


CONSTANTINE. 


Ceitt.  IV.] 

bishop  of  Corduba,  one  whose  faith  and 
piety  had  been  distinguished  in  the  late 
persecutions.  Hosius  endeavoured  to 
make  up  the  breach  ;  but  it  was  impossi- 
ble. The  two  parties  were  formed,  and 
were  determined  ;  worldly  motives  were 
too  predominant  in  both  to  admitof  an 
easy  compromise  ;  and  it  was  not  in  the 
power  of  those  who  loved  both  truth  and 
peace,  to  sacrifice  the  former  to  the  latter, 
consistently  with  a  good  conscience,  how- 
ever sincerely  desirous  they  must  have 
been  of  promoting  both.  For  the  object 
of  contention  was  not  a  trifle,  but  a  fun- 
damental in  religion. 

Constantine  now  took  the  resolution  of 
summoning  the  aid  of  the  whole  Chris- 
tian Church;  and  the  Nicene  Council 
calls  for  our  attention. 

The  bishops,  collected  from  all  parts 
of  the   Christian  world,  met  at  Nice  in 
Bithynia:  and   their   number,  according 
to  the  account  of  Athanasius,  who  was 
present,  amounted  to  three  hundred  and 
eighteen.     Of  these,  if  we  may  believe 
Philostorgius  the  Arian  historian,  twenty- 
two  espoused  the  cause  of  Arius  ;  others 
make  the  minority  still  less.     Be  that  as  I 
it  may,  since  many  presbyters  were  there 
besides    the  bishops,  it  is  not   probable 
that  the  whole  number  of  persons  assem- 
bled in  the  council  was  less  than  six  hun- 
dred. 

They  met  in  the  year  3-25,  being  trans- 
ported to  Nice  in  public  con- 
veyances at  the  emperor's  ex- 
pense, and  maintained  at  his 
cost,  while  they  resided  there, 
the  immediate  business  of  the 


279 


Nicene 
Council, 

A.  D,  325. 
Before 


synod  was  entered  upon,  their  attention 
was   engaged   by  the  attempts  of  some 
Gentile     philosophers,     who     appeared 
among  them  ;  some  with  a  design  to  sa- 
tisfy their  curiosity  concerning  Christi- 
anity itself,  others  wishing  to  involve  the 
Christians  in  a  cloud  of  verbal  subtilties, 
and  to  enjoy  the  mutual  contradictions  of 
the  followers  of  Christ.     One  of  them 
distinguished  himself  above  the  rest  by 
the  pomp  and  arrogancy  of  his  preten- 
sions, and  derided  the  clergy  as  ignorant 
and  illiterate.     On  this  occasion  an  old 
Christian,  who  had  suffered  with  magna- 
nimous constancy,  during  the  late  perse- 
cutions, though  unacquainted  with  logical 
forms,    undertook   to   contend   with  the 
philosopher.      Those    who    were    more 
earnest  to  gratify  curiosity  than  to  inves- 
tigate truth,  endeavoured  to  raise  a  laugh 
at  the  old  man's  expense;  while  serious  I 


spirits  were  distressed  to  see  a  contest 
apparently  so  unequal.     Respect  for  the 
man,  however,  induced  them  to  permit 
him  to  engage ;  and  he   immediately  ad- 
dressed the ''philosopher  in  these  terms: 
"  Hear,  philosopher,  says  he,  in  the  name 
of  .Tesus  Christ.     There  is  one  God,  the 
Maker  of  heaven  and    earth,  and  of  all 
things  visible  and  invisible,  who  made 
all   these   things   by   the    power  of  his 
Word,  and  confirmed  tliem  by  the  holi- 
ness of  his  Spirit.     This  Word,  whom 
we  call  the  Son  of  God,  compassionating 
the  sons  of  men  involved  in   error  and 
wickedness,  chose  to  be  born  of  a  wo- 
man, to  converse  with  men,  and  to  die 
for  them  ;  and  he  will  come  again  as  the 
Judge  of  all  things  which  men  have  done 
in  the  body.     That  these  things  are  so, 
we  believe  in  simplicity  :  do  not  then  la- 
bour in  vain,  investigating  the  manner  in 
which  these  things  may  or  may  not  be, 
and  seeking  to  confute  things  which  ought 
to  be  received  by  faith  ;  but  if  thou  be- 
lievest,  answer  me,  now  that  I  ask  thee." 
Struck  with  this  plain  authoritative  ad- 
dress, the  philosopher  said,  "I  do  be- 
lieve;"   with   pleasure    owned    himself 
vanquished,  confessed  that  he  embraced 
the  same  sentiments  with  the  old  man, 
and  advised  the  other  philosophers  to  do 
the  same,  swearing  that  he  was  changed 
by  a  divine  influence,  and  moved  by  an 
energy  which  he  could  not  explain.* 

Men  will  draw  their  conclusions  from 
this   story,    according   to  their  different 
tastes  and  views.     A  self-suihcient  rea- 
soner  will  despise  the  instruction  it  con- 
tains ;  but  he  who  thinks  with  St.  Paul, 
will  consider  the  whole  story  as  no  mean 
comment  on  his  words,  that  your  "  faith 
should  not  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men, 
but  in  the  power  of  God;"  nor  will  he 
much  regard  the  prudence  of  those  who 
labour  to  accommodate  Christian  ideas  to 
the  spirit  of  unbelievers,  by  which  they 
only  weaken  themselves,  and  abate  not 
in  the  least  the  enmity  of  their  opposers. 
They  will  think  it  better  to  go  forth  in 
simple  dependence  on  God,  trusting  that 
he  will  bless  his   own  word  with  victo- 
rious energy.     Such  know  that  even  in 
our  own  tunes,  there  want  no  instances 
of  conversions  of  a   similar  kind ;  and 
those  who   are  still  disposed  to  object, 
should  at  least  be  told,  that  the  story  has 
all  the  proper  marks  of  historical  credi- 
bility, whatever  inferences  they  may  be 
pleased  to  draw  from  it. 


*  Sozomen,  B.  I.  c.  18. 


280 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


I  fear  we  shall  not  find  in  the  transac- 
tions of  the  whole  Nicene  council  so  in- 
structing a  narrative.     The  emperor  him- 
self came    to  the    synod,    and    exhorted 
them  to  peace  and  unanimity.     A  number 
of  mutual   accusations  having  been  pre- 
sented to  him,  he  threw  ihem  all  into  the 
fire,  protesting  that  he  had  not  read  one 
of  them,  and  charged  them   to  forbear, 
and  forgive  one  another.     After  this  very 
candid  and  generous  procedure,  he  gave 
them  leave  to  enter  directly  on  the  busi- 
ness of  the  synod.     They  canvassed  the 
doctrine  of  Arius,  extracted  his  proposi- 
tions out  of  his  own  writings,  and  argued 
the  subject  with  great  vehemence  ;   Con- 
stantine  himself  acting  as  moderator,  and 
endeavouring-  to  bring   them  to   perfect 
agreement.     But  it  soon  fippeared,  that 
witliout   some   explanatorj^  terms,  deci- 
sively pointing  out  what  the   Scriptures 
had  revealed,  it  was  impossible  to  guard 
against  the  subtilties  of  the  Arians.    Did 
the  Trinitarians  assert  that  Christ  was 
God  ?  the  Arians  allowed   it,  but  in  the 
same  sense  as  holy  men  and  angels  are 
styled  gods  in  Scripture.     Did  they  affirm 
that  he  was  truly  God  ?  the  others  allow- 
ed, that  he  was  made  so  by  God.     Did 
they  affirm  that  the  Son  was  naturally  of 
God  ?  it  was  granted  ;  for  even  we,  said 
they,  are  of  God,  of  whom  are  all  things. 
Was  it  aflirmed,  that  the  Son  was  the 
power,  wisdom,    and    image  of  the  Fa- 
ther? we  admit  it,  replied  the  others,  for 
we  also  are  said  to  be  the  image  and  glory 
of  God.     Such   is   the   account*    Avhich 
Athanasius  gives  of  the  disputations.  He 
was  at  that  time  deacon  of  the  church  of 
Alexandria,    and   supported    his    bishop 
with  so  much  accuracy  and  strength   of 
argument,  as  to  lay  the  foundation  of  that 
fame,  which  he  afterwards  aci]uired  by 
his  zeal  in  this  controversy.     What  could 
the  Trinitarians  do  in  this  situation  1  to 
leave  the  matter  undecided,  was  to  do 
nothing  ;  to  confine  themselves  merely  to 
Scripture  terms,  was  to  suffer  the  Arians 
to  explain  the  doctrine  in  their  own  way, 
and  to  reply  nothing.     Undoubtedly  they 
had  a  right  to  comment  according  to  their 
own  judgment,  as  well  as   the  Arians; 
and  lliey  did  so  in  the  following  manner. 
They  collected  together  the  passages  of 
Scripture,  which   represent  the  Divinity 
of  the  Son  of  God,    and    observed   that 
taken  together  they  amounted  to  a  proof 
of  his  being  of  the  same  substance  with 


See  Cave's  Life  of  Athanasius. 


THE  FATHER,  ojuoao-io;.  That  crcatures 
were  indeed  said  to  be  of  God,  because, 
not  existing  of  themselves,  ttiey  had  their 
beginning  from  him  ;  but  that  the  Son 
was  peculiarly  of  the  Father,  being  of 
his  substance,  as  begotten  of  him. 

It  behooves  every  one  who  is  desirous 
of  knowing  simply  the  mind  of  God  from 
his  own  word,  to  determine  for  himself, 
how  far  their  interpretation  of  Scripture 
was  true.  The  Council  however  was, 
by  the  majority  before  stated,  convinced, 
that  this  was  a  fair  explanation,  and  that 
the  Arian  use  of  the  terms,  God,  true 
God,  and  the  like,  was  a  mere  deception, 
because  they  aflixed  to  them  ideas,  which 
the  Scriptures  would  by  no  means  admit. 
So  the  most  pious  Christians  have  thought 
in  all  ages  since.  But  to  censure  the 
council  for  introducing  a  new  term,  when 
all  that  was  meant  by  it  was  to  express 
their  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures,  ap- 
pears unreasonable  to  the  last  degree, 
however  fashionable.  To  say  that  they 
ought  to  have  confined  themselves  to  the 
very  words  of  Scripture,  when  the  Arians 
had  first  introduced  their  own  gloss, 
seems  much  the  same,  as  to  say  that 
the  Trinitarians  had  not  the  same  right 
with  the  Arians  to  express  their  own  in- 
terpretation of  Scripture,  and  in  their  own 
lanouaore. 

The  great  patron  of  the  Arians  was 
Eusebius  of  Nicomedia,  who  wrote  a  let- 
ter to  the  council,  in  which  he  found  fault 
with  the  idea  of  the  Son  of  God  being  un- 
created.    The  whole  Arian  party  present- 
ed also  their  confession  of  faith.     Both 
that  and  the  letter  of  Eusebius  were  con- 
demned as  heretical.     The  venerable  Ho- 
sius  of  Corduba  was  appointed  to  draw 
up    a   creed,  which    is  in  the   main   the 
same  that  is  called  the  Nicene  Creed  to 
this  day.     It  soon  received  the  sanction 
of  the  Council,  and  of  Constantine  him- 
self, who  declared,  that  whoever  refused 
to   comply   with   the  decree,  should   be 
banished.     Eusebius  of  Ca;sarea,  the  his- 
torian, expressed  for  some  time  his  doubts 
concerning  the  term  consubstantial.      He 
observed,  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote  on  this 
occasion  to  his  church,  that  all  the  mis- 
chief had  arisen  from  the  use  of  unscrip- 
tural  terms,  and  that  he  at  last  subscribed 
to  the  term  for  the  sake  of  peace.  It  would 
undoubtedly  be  unjust  to  accuse  this  great 
man  of  Arianism.     Yet  why  was  he  so 
much  disposed  to  favour  Arius,  by  writ- 
ing  to   Alexander,    as   if   he   had   been 
wronged?  why  so  disposed  to  join  after- 


Cejtt.  IV.] 


CONSTANTINE. 


281 


wadrs,  as  we  shall  see,  against  Athana- 
sius?  The  truth  is,  he  seems  to  have 
held  a  middle  notion,  that  the  Son  of 
God  was  from  eternity,  but  v/as  not  Je- 
hovah; the  very  same  notion,  if  I  mistake 
not,  which  was  revived  by  the  famous 
Dr.  Clark,  explained  in  his  Scripture  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity,  and  I  think  very 
solidly  confuted  by  Dr.  Waterland,  in 
his  reply.* 

From  the  opinion  of  Eusebius  thus  as- 
certained, one  may  form  an  idea  of  Con- 
stantine's  creed,  if  indeed  he  had  any 
distinct  one  in  his  mind.  Undoubtedly 
Eusebius  was  his  great  favourite,  and 
moulded  his  imperial  disciple  as  he  pleas- 
ed. But  let  his  opinions  have  been  what 
they  may,  he  seems  not  to  have  been 
very  zealous  for  any  thing,  except  peace 
and  uniformity.'  Never  was  a  council 
more  free  from  political  impediments. 
The  bishops  undoubtedly  spake  their  sen- 
timents without  reserve  in  general :  And 
Constantine  was  disposed  to  give  his 
sanction  to  any  creed,  to  which  the  ma- 
jority should  agree.  We  have  here  then 
the  testimony  of  nearly  the  whole  Chris- 
tian worldf  in  favour  of  the  doctrine  of 
the  proper  Deity  of  the  Son  of  God,  a 
testimony  free,  unbiassed,  and  unrestrain- 
ed. How  can  this  be  accounted  for  but 
hence,  that  they  followed  the  plain  sense 
of  Scripture,  and  of  the  Church  in  pre- 
ceding ages  1  As  to  the  connexion  be- 
tween church  and  state,  and  the  proprie- 
ty of  civil  penalties  in  matters  of  religion, 
I  may  find  a  more  proper  place  to  dwell 
upon  those  subjects  hereafter. 

Arius  was  deposed,  excommunicated, 
and  forbidden  to  enter  Alexandria.  The 
minority  at  first  refused  to  subscribe,  but 
being  advised  to  yield  at  length  by  Con- 


*  That  is  what  is  commonly  called  high 
Ariauisra,  and  secretly  grows  among  us  ;  the 
more  so,  because  not  distinctly  understood, 
and  because  it  is  consistent  with  some  sort  ot' 
Trinitarian  doctrine.  It  is  doubtless  the  most 
specious  of  all  heresies.  But  two  questions  its 
defenders  seem  incapable  of  answering:  1. 
Why  Christ  is  so  often  called  Jehovah,  the 
self-existent  God,  in  Scripture?  2.  How  they 
can  clear  themselves  of  tiie  charge  of  holding 
more  Gods  than  one  ? 

f  Not  a  few  of  the  Nicene  fathers  bore  on 
their  bodies  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
Paul,  bishop  of  Neocsesarea  at  the  banks  of 
J],uphrates,had  been  debilitated  by  the  applica- 
tion of  hot  iron  to  both  his  hands:  others  ap- 
peared there  deprived  of  their  right  eyes, 
others  deprived  of  their  legs.  A  crowd  of 
raartjTS  in  truth  were  seen  collected  into  one 
body. — Theodoret,  B.  I.  c.  7. 
2a2 


stantia    their    patroness,  the     a„:„„ 
,        .     •         ,  Anus 

emperor  s   sister,   they    con-     deposed. 

sented.  But  by  the  insertion 
of  a  single  letter  they  reserved  to  them- 
selves their  own  sense,  subscribing,  not 
that  the  Son  is  the  same,  but  only  of  like 
essence  with  the  Father.*  Honesty  is 
however  always  respectable.  Out  of 
twenty-two  Arian  bishops,  two  were  found 
who  persisted  in  refusing;  Secundus  of 
Ptolemais,  and  Theonas  of  Mannarica : 
the  former  of  whom  bluntly  rebuked  the 
courtly  Eusebius  of  Nicomedia  for  his 
dissimulation.  Arius  and  his  associates 
were  banished  into  lUyricum. 

The  INIeletian  controversy  was  also  set- 
tled. Meletius  was  permitted  to  live  in 
his  own  city,  with  the  title  of  bishop,  but 
without  authority.  His  sect  was  indulg- 
ed in  some  degree,  and  continued  a  long 
time  after  in  the  church.  The  dispute 
concerning  Easter  was  likewise  finally 
adjusted  in  this  council. 

The  canons  appointed  by  this  famous 
council  will  deserve  a  remark  or  two,  as 
at  least  they  may  give  us  some  idea  of 
the  state  and  spirit  of  Christian  religion 
at  that  time. 

One  of  them  forbids  clergymen  to 
make  themselves  eunuchs;  which  shows 
that  there  n-ere  then  instances  of  the 
same  misguided  zeal,  which  Origen  in 
early  life  had  exhibited.  Another  for- 
bids the  ordination  of  new  converts,  and 
supports  itself  by  that  well-known  canon 
of  still  higher  authority ;  "  Not  a  Novice, 
lest  being  lifted  up  wnth  pride,  he  fall 
into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil."  A 
third  provides  for  the  chastity  of  the  cler- 
gy. The  council  were  even  proceeding 
to  restrain  those  of  them  who  had  wives 
from  cohabiting  with  them,  after  their 
ordination;  but  were  checked  by  Paph- 
nutius,  a  bishop  of  Thebais,  who  4iad 
lost  an  eye  during  the  late  persecutions. 
He  had  himself  been  brought  up  in  a  mo- 
nastery from  his  childhood,  and  was  re- 
nowned for  the  purity  of  his  manners. 
He  observed  that  it  was  sufficient  for  a  man 
once  ordained  to  be  prohibited  to  marry, 
but  that  he  ought  not  to  be  separated  from 
the  wife  whom  he  had  married  when  a 
layman.  The  authority  of  a  person  so 
eminent  in  sanctity  was  decisive;  and 
this  species  of  superstition,  which  had 


*Notof<o8(ri=s,but  ;//i.K-r>5,-.  It  is  remarkable, 
that  this  duplicity  of  theirs  is  recorded  by 
Philostorgius  the  Arian  historian. — See  Cave's 
Life  of  Atiianasius. 


283 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  HI. 


already  made  considerable  advances,  was 
stopped  for  the  present  in  its  career. 
Moreover  some  care  was  taken  in  this 
council  against  the  progress  of  covetous- 
ness  in  the  clergy,  by  the  prohibition  of 
the  practice  of  usury.  Translations  also 
either  of  bishops,  priests,  or  deacons, 
from  one  city  to  another,  were  forbidden. 
Eusebius  of  Nicomedia  had  been  remov- 
ed from  Berytas,  and  the  abuse  began  to 
grow  into  a  custom.  In  all  these  cases, 
a  desire  of  preserving  purity  of  manners 
in  the  Church,  though  not  in  all  points 
regulated  with  discretion,  is  observable. 
The  same  remark  may  be  extended  to 
another  canon,  which  regulates  the  re- 
ception of  penitent  apostates,  by  direct- 
ing that  they  shall  continue  three  years 
among  the  auditors,  and  shall  prostrate 
themselves  seven  years.  A  distinction 
also  is  made  between  those,  who  evinced 
by  good  works  the  sincerity  of  repentance, 
and  those  who  appeared  indiiferent,  and 
were  merely  formal  in  compliance  with 
the  rules  of  the  church.  And  greater 
rigour  of  penance  is  prescribed  to  the 
latter.* 

These  things  show  that  the  fear  of  God 
was  by  no  means  extinct.  Discipline, 
which  had  been  relaxed  toward  the  close 
of  the  last  century,  was  revived,  and  the 
predominant  spirit  of  superstition  carried 
it,  as  formerly,  into  too  great  an  extreme. 
Our  age,  which  has  lost  almost  all  dis- 
cipline in  church  affairs,  can  scarcely  ap- 
preciate aright  the  merit  of  these  rules, 
on  account  of  the  strength  of  its  preju- 
dices against  all  restraints. 

Liberty  was  allowed  to  the  Novatians 
also  to  return  to  the  communion  of  the 
general  church,  nor  was  it  insisted  on, 
that   they   should  be   re-baptized,  since 
they  held  nothing  contrary  to  the  funda- 
mentals of  godliness.     With  respect  to 
the  followers  of  Paul  of  vSamosata,  called 
Paulianists,  some  of  whom  still  subsist- 
ed, it  was  required,  that  if  they  were  ad- 
mitted again  into  the  church,  they  should 
be  rebaptized,  because  they  did  not  bap- 
tize in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost.     So  accurately  did 
'   they  distinguish  between  a  heretic  and  a 
schismatic,  between  essentials  and   cir- 
cmnstantials.    Apostolic  discernment  and 
piety,   in  no   contemptible   degree,   ani- 
mated the  spirits  of  the  Nicene  fathers, 
notwithstanding  the  decline  of  piety  from 
the  primitive  times.     Constantine,  zeal 


ous  for  a  pacific  uniformity,  had  invited 
Acesius,  a  Novatian  bishop,  to  the  coun- 
cil, and  asked  him  whether  he  assented 
to  the  decrees  concerning  the  faith,  and 
the  observation  of  Easter.  The  council, 
says  he,  has  decreed  nothing  new  con- 
cerning these  things.  So  I  have  always 
understood  the  church  has  received,  even 
from  the  times  of  the  Apostles.  Why 
then,  says  the  emperor,  do  you  separate 
yourself  from  our  communion'?  Because, 
replied  Acesius,  we  think  that  to  aposta- 
tize is  the  "  sin  unto  death,"  and  that 
those  who  are  guilty  of  it  ought  never  to 
be  restored  to  the  communion  of  the 
Church,  though  they  are  to  be  invited  to 
repentance,  and  to  be  left  to  God,  who 
alone  has  the  power  of  forgiving  sins. 
Constantine,  who  saw  that  his  views 
were  impracticably  severe,  said,  "  Set  up 
a  ladder,  Acesius,  and  climb  up  to  heaven 
by  yourself." 

Socrates*  tells  us,  that  he  had  this 
from  a  very  credible  old  person,  who  had 
seen  these  things  done  in  the  council. 
He  means  most  probably  the  Novatian 
dissenter;  with  whom  he  was  intimately 
acquainted.  Candour  and  moderation  ap- 
pear very  visible  in  Socrates  as  an  histo- 
rian, and  render  him  as  credible  a  writer 
as  any  guide  of  those  times.  On  this  very 
respectable  evidence  then  it  is  manifest, 
that  a  Novatian  bishop,  whose  passions 
could  no  way  be  heated  by  the  internal 
contentions  of  the  general  Church,  be- 
lieved the  common  doctrine  of  the  Tri- 
nity, and  believed  that  it  had  always 
been  common.  The  narrowness  of  the 
Novatian  principle  of  dissent  prevented 
not  the  soundness  of  his  faith  and  the  ge- 
neral integrity  of  his  mind.  Nqr  is  there 
any  blemish  laid  to  the  charge  of  this 
people,  except  excessive  severity.  And  it 
ought  to  be  acknowledged  to  the  honour 
of  Constantine  and  the  Nicene  fathers, 
that  while  they  exercised  severity  in  civil 
matters  towards  heretical  members  of 
their  own  church,  they  allowed  and  con- 
tinued the  religious  toleration  of  the  No- 
vatians in  its  full  extent.  But  we  have 
suiely  in  this  case  an  additional  proof  of 
the  antiquity  of  the  Nicene  faith.  We 
see  in  what  light  the  matter  appeared  to 
a  plain  honest  man,  who  had  no  concern 
in  the  commotions  of  the  times,  who  had 
nothing  to  obtain  or  to  lose  for  himself  in 
the  contest,  whose  character  appears  un- 
sullied, and  who  most  probably  was  a 


Fleury,  B.  XI.  16. 


*  B,  I.  c.  10. 


Cent.  IV.] 


CONSTAXTINE. 


283 


pious  person.  He  has  no  doubt  respect- 
ing the  common  creed  of  the  church,  and 
though  a  separist,  he  affirms  that  she  had 
always  held  the  proper  Divinity  of  Jesus 
Christ.  I  do  not  find  that  the  second  set 
of  dissenters,  the  Donatists,  were  called 
into  this  council.  They  continued  still 
in  a  tolerable  state,  but  never  seem  to 
have  had  any  effusion  of  the  Divine 
Spirit  among  them.  The  third  sort,  the 
Melelians,  seemed  likely  to  be  broken  up 
by  the  death  of  their  founder ;  but  as  he 
named  to  himself  a  successor,  they  con- 
tinued still  in  a  state  of  separation,  thoriO-h 
a  number  of  them  returned  to  the  church. 
Three  months  after  the  dissolution  of 
the  synod,  Eusebius  of  Nicomedia  and 
Theognis  of  Nice  were  banished,  by  the 
emperor's  command,  for  attempting  still 
to  support  the  Arian  cause. 

Alexander  dying  five  months  after  his 
return  home,  had  desired  that  Athanasius 
might  be  appointed  his  successor.  Alex- 
andria  in  general  joined  in  the 
A  P  '  °  same  request,  which  the  mo- 
jg,.'  desty  of  Athanasius  resisted 

a  considerable  time.     His  in- 
tegrity and  his  abilities  however  pointed 
him  out  as  a  proper  successor  to  the  zea- 
lous Alexander.   And  he  was 
Athana-         ^^    j^^^   ordained,    with    the 

strongest  testimonies  of  ge- 
neral satisfaction.  He  was 
not  then  above  twenty-eight  years  of  age, 
and  he  held  the  see  fortj'-six  years,  and 
for  that  time  with  little  intermission  was 
exposed  to  persecution  on  account  of  his 
zeal  against  Arianism :  and  it  must  be 
owned,  that  constancy  and  firmness  in  a 
cause  were  never  better  tried  than  his 
were,  through  the  whole  course  of  this 
period. 

After  the  death  of  Helena,  Constantine 
showed  particular  kindness  to  Constantia 
his  sister,  who  was  nmch  led  by  a  pres- 
byter secretly  in  the  Arian  interest.  They 
persuaded  her  that  Arius  and  his  friends 
were  unjustly  condemned.  She  on  her 
death-bed  prevailed  by  her  intreaties  on 
Constantine  to  do  justice  to  these  men. 
The  emperor,  who  seemed  as  much  a 
child  in  religious  discernment  as  he  was 
a  man  in  political  sagacity,  suffered  him- 
self to  be  imposed  on  by  the  ambiguous 
craft  of  Arius  and  his  friend  Euzoius,  so 
as  to  write  in  their  favour  to  the 
Churches.*  Eusebius  also,  and  The- 
ognis, by   owning  the   Nicene   faith  in 


sius  suc- 
ceeds him 


*  Sozomen,  B.  II.  c.  27. 


words,  were  restored  to  their  sees.*  The 
former  wrote  to  Athanasius,  desirino-him 
to  receive  Arius,  now  returned  from  ba- 
nishment, to  communion;  but  in  vain. 
Athanasius  had  principle,  and  could  not 
sport  with  subscriptions  and  bonds,  as 
his  adversaries  did.  The  Nicene  creed 
had  still  all  the  sanction  which  church 
and  state  could  give  it.  It  was  not  at 
that  time  possible  by  all  the  artifices  of 
ingenious  and  unprincipled  men  to  per- 
suade the  Christian  world,  that  the  Scrip- 
ture held  what  it  did  not,  or  that  their 
fathers  had  all  along  thought  as  Arius 
did.  Even  the  chiefs  of  Arianism  had 
been  now  restored,  not  as  Arians,  but  as 
men  well  afiected  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity.  And  they  attempted  by  subtilty 
and  artifice  to  establish  at  length  what 
was  impossible  to  be  done  by  fair  argu- 
ment. Determined  to  ruin  Athanasius,  if 
possible,  they  united  themselves  closely 
with  the  Meletians,  and  infected  them 
with  their  heresy.  They. procured  the  de- 
position of  Eustathius  of  Antioch,  an  elo- 
quent and  learned  professor,  who  was,  on 
unjust  pretences,  banished  from  his  see  : 
This  person,  before  his  departure,  ex- 
horted his  flock  to  be  steadfast  in  the 
truth,  and  his  words  were  of  great  weight 
with  that  flourishing  church.  He  and  se- 
veral priests  and  deacons  were  banished. 
The  good  man  bore  the  will  of  God  with 
meekness  and  patience,  and  died  in  exile 
at  Philippi.  Eusebius  of  Csesarea  and 
Eustathius  had  opposed  each  other  in 
matters  of  doctrine.  The  vacant  see  was 
now  offered  to  the  former,  who  prudently 
declined  it.  Asclepas  of  Gaza,  and  Eu- 
tropius  of  Adrianople,  were  driven  also 
from  their  sees.  And  thus  while  the 
truth  was  supported  in  form,  its  friends 
by  a  variety  of  artifices  were  persecuted, 
and  its  enemies  triumphed.  A  case  not 
uncommon  in  our  own  times  !  Men  void 
of  principle  had  every  secular  advantage, 
while  those  who  feared  God,  chose  rather 
to  suffer  than  to  sin. 

Among  these  Athanasius  himself  was 
eminently  distinguished.  To  relate  the 
various  turns  and  changes  of  his  life,  by 
no  means  suits  the  design  of  this  history : 
yet  some  account  is  necessary,  that  the 
reader  may  see  by  facts,  what  sort  of 
fruit  was  produced  by  Trinitarian,  and 
what  by  Arian  principles. 

The  repeated  attempts  of  the  adversa- 
ries of  Athanasius  at  length  so  far  pre- 


•  Sozomen,  B.  II.  c.  16. 


284 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


vailed  in  prejudicing  the  mind  of  the  em- 
peror, that  he  ordered  a  synod  to  be  con- 
vened at  Tyre,  not  to  examine  the  princi- 
ples of  the  bishop,  which  even  his  adver- 
saries had  been  obliged  to  admit,  but  to 
institute  an  inquiry,  whether  various 
.  crimes,  with  which   he  was 

Council  of  charged,  had  been  really  com- 
jjj)'  335  mitted.  In  the  year  335,  the 
synod  met  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Eusebius  of  Caesarea,  and  some 
other  bishops ;  before  whom  the  bishop 
of  Alexandria,  attended  by  certain  Egyp- 
tian bishops,  was  obliged  to  appear. 
Here  Potamo,  bishop  of  Heraclea,  who 
had  been  in  prison  with  Eusebius  during 
the  Dioclesian  persecution,  enraged  to 
see  the  latter  on  the  bench,  rudely  ad- 
dressed him  thus :  "  Must  you,  Eusebius, 
sit  on  the  bench,  while  the  innocent 
Athanasius  stands  to  be  judged  at  your 
bar?  Who  can  bear  such  proceedings? 
Were  not  you  in  prison  with  me  in  the 
time  of  the  persecution  ?  I  lost  an  eye  in 
defence  of  the  truth;  you  have  no  wound 
to  show,  but  are  both  alive  and  whole. 
How  got  you  out  of  prison,  unless  you 
promised  to  sacrifice,  or  actually  did  so?" 
Eusebius  rose  up  and  dissolved  the  meet- 
ing for  that  time,  reproving  him  for  his 
insolence.  History  throws  no  light  on 
the  subject  of  Potamo's  aspersions;  nor 
does  he  seem  to  have  had  any  proof  to 
support  them.  Nevertheless  Eusebius, 
who  himself  so  much  supported  the  ca- 
lumnies vented  against  Athanasius,  had 
of  all  men  the  least  right  to  complain. 
He  suffered  the  same  things  which  he  in- 
liicted  on  others ;  and  Satan,  having  deep- 
ly embroiled  the  passions  of  men,  conti- 
nued thus  to  irritate  and  to  inflame  the 
Christian  world. 

The  heaviest  crimes  were  charged  upon 
Athanasius,  rebellion,  oppression,  rape 
and  murder.  But  every  thing  appeared 
to  be  the  result  of  malice.  One  case  alone 
shall  be  mentioned,  by  which 
a  judgment  may  be  formed  of 
all  the  rest.  He  was  said  to 
have  murdered  Arscnius,  a 
Meletian  bishop  ;  for  proof  of  which  the 
accusers  produced  a  box,  out  of  which 
they  took  a  dead  man's  hand,  dried  and 
salted,  which  they  affirmed  to  be  the  hand 
of  Arsenius,  and  that  it  was  preserved  by 
Athanasius  for  magical  purposes.  The 
Meletians  charged  Arsenius  to  conceal 
himself  till  they  had  effected  their  pur- 
pose. The  party  of  Eusebius  of  Nico- 
medm    spread    the  report    through  the 


The  story 
of  Arse- 


nius. 


Christian  world,  that  Arsenius  had  been 
privately  murdered  by  the  bishop  of  Alex- 
andria, and  Constantine  himself,  over- 
come by  incessant  importunities,  was  in- 
duced to  order  an  inquiry  to  be  made.* 

Athanasius  had  learned  by  his  own  ex- 
perience, that  any  accusation  against  him- 
self, however  improbable,  was  likely  to 
find  numerous  and  powerful 
supports.       But    Providence     4'^^°*" 

wonderfully  confuted  this  at-     f  "^  *^-^'   , 
,-'        .  ,     .  ,        lumniated. 

tempt.  Arsenius,  notwith- 
standing the  directions  of  the  accusers  to 
keep  close,  had  privately  conveyed  him- 
self to  Tyre,  intending  to  be  secreted 
there  during  the  whole  time  of  the  synod. 
It  happened,  that  some  servants  belong- 
ing to  Archelaus  the  governor,  heard  a 
rumour  whispered,  that  Arsenius  was  in 
town.  This  they  immediately  told  their 
master,  who  found  him  out,  apprehended 
him,  and  gave  notice  to  Athanasius.  The 
Meletian  tool,  unwilling  to  blast  his  em- 
ployers, and  feeling  the  awkwardness  of 
his  situation,  at  first  denied  himself  to  be 
Arsenius.  Happily,  Paul  the  bishop  of 
Tyre,  who  knew  the  man,  deprived  him 
of  that  refuge.  The  day  of  trial  being" 
come,  the  prosecutors  boasted  that  they 
should  give  ocular  demonstration  to  the 
court,  of  the  guilt  of  Athanasius,  and 
produced  the  dead  hand.  A  shout  of  vic- 
tory rung  through  the  synod.  Silence 
being  made,  Athanasius  asked  the  judges, 
if  any  of  them  knew  Arsenius  ?  Several 
affirming  that  they  did,  Athanasius  di- 
rects the  man  to  be  brought  into  the 
court,  and  asks,  Is  this  the  man  whom  I 
murdered,  and  whose  hand  I  cut  off? 
Athanasius  turns  back  the  man's  cloak, 
and  shows  one  of  his  hands  ;  after  a  little 
pause,  he  puts  back  the  other  side  of  the 
cloak,  and  shows  the  other  hand.  "  Gen- 
tlemen, you  see,"  said  he,  "  that  Arse- 
nius has  both  his  hands ;  how  the  accu- 
sers came  by  the  third  hand,  let  them 
explain."  Thus  ended  the  plot  to  the 
shame  of  the  contrivers. 

That  any  persons,  who  bear  the  name 
of  Christ,  should  deliberately  be  guilty 
of  such  villany,  is  deeply  to  be  regretted. 
But  let  it  be  remembered,  that  the  real 
faith  of  Christ  was  opposed  to  those  who 
were  concerned  in  this  base  act,  and  that 
enmity  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  pro- 
duced it.  The  story  itself  deserves  also 
to  be  preserved  as  a  memorable  instance 
of  the  interposition  of  Divine  Providence. 


Socrates,  B.  1.  c.  27. 


CZXT.  IV.] 


CONSTANTIXE. 


285 


Notwithstanding  the  clearest  proofs  of 
Athanasius's  innocence,  and  that  the 
whole  course  of  his  life  was  extremely 
opposite  to  such  crimes  as  he  was  charg- 
ed with,  his  enemies  prevailed  so  far, 
that  commissioners  were  despatched  into 
Eg'ypt,  to  examine  the  matters  of  which 
he  was  accused.  Yet  John,  the  Meletian 
bishop,  the  chief  contriver  of  the  plot, 
confessed  his  fault  to  Athanasius,  and 
beqfofed  his  forgiveness.  And  Arsenius 
himself  renounced  his  former  connexions, 
and  desired  to  be  received  into  commu- 
nion with  the  Alexandrian  prelate. 

Eg-ypt,  where  Athanasius  must  have 
been  best  known,  was  faithful  to  her  pre- 
late. Forty-seven  bishops  of  that  country 
entered  a  protest  against  the  injustice  of 
the  council,  but  iu  vain.  The  Arian 
commissioners  arrived  at  Alexandria,  and 
endeavoured  to  extort  evidence  against 
him  by  drawn  swords,  whips,  clubs,  and 
all  engines  of  cruelty.*  The  Alexandrian 
clerg)'  desired  to  be  admitted  to  give  evi- 
dence, but  were  refused.  To  the  number 
of  fifteen  presbyters  and  four  deacons 
they  remonstrated,  but  to  no  purpose. 
The  Mara?otic  clergy  took  the  same  steps, 
but  to  no  purpose.  The  delegates  return- 
ed with  extorted  evidence  to  Tyre,  whence 
Athanasius,  who  saw  no  justice  was  to 
be  had,  had  fled.  They  passed  sentence, 
and  deposed  him  from  his  bishopric. 

Yet  there  were  those  in  the  synod  of 
Tjrre,  who  were  willing  to  do  justice  to 
the  much-injured  prelate.  Paphnutius, 
who  has  been  before  mentioned,  took 
Maximus,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  by  the 
hand  ;  "  Let  us  be  gone,"  said  he,  "  it 
becomes  not  those  who  have  lost  their 
limbs  for  religion,  to  go  along  with  such 
pernicious  company."  But  the  majority 
were  very  differently  disposed. 

Athanasius  came  to  Constantinople, 
and  desired  justice  from  the  emperor,  and 
a  fair  trial.  Constantine  ordered  the  bi- 
shops of  the  synod  to  appear  before  him. 
and  to  give  an  account  of  what  they  had 
done.  The  greatest  part  of  them  return- 
ed home;  but  the  genius  of  Eusebius  of 
Nicomedia  was  not  exhausted,  and  as  he 
stuck  at  no  fraud,  and  was  ashamed  of 
no  villany,  he,  with  a  few  of  the  synod, 
went  to  Constantinople,  and  waving  the 
old  accusations,  he  brought  a  fresh  one, 
namely,  that  Athanasius  had  threatened 
to  stop  the  fleet  that  brought  corn  from 
Alexandria  to  Constantinople.     Constan- 


Banish- 
ment  of 
Athana- 
sius. 


*  Epist.  Synod.  Alexan.  Athan. 


tine  was  credulous  enough  to  be  moved 
by  the  report :  the  Arian  arts  prevailed  at 
court:  those  who  used  no  arms 
but  truth  and  honesty,  were 
foiled  for  the  present ;  and 
Athanasius  was  banished  to 
Treves  in  Gaul. 

Arius,  flushed  with  the  success  of  his 
party,     returned      to     Alexandria,     and 
strengthened  the  hands  of  the  heretics, 
who  had  long  languished  for  want  of  his 
abilities.     Tlie  city  being  torn  with  in- 
testine divisions,  the  emperor  ordered  the 
heresiarch  to  come  to  Constantinople,  and 
there  to  give  an  account  of  his  conduct. 
That  imperial  city  was  now  the  chief  seat 
of  the  contention.     But  Providence  had 
given  her  a  bishop  not  unequal  to  the 
contest.      This  was  Alexander  of  Con- 
stantinople, a  man  of  eminent  piety  and 
integrity,  whose  character  at  least  seems 
to  have  approached  as  near  to  that  of  a 
primitive   Christian  as  did  that  of  any 
persons  who  distinguished  themselves  at 
this   period.       Eusebius   of    Nicomedia 
menaced  him  with  deposition  and  exile, 
unless  he  consented  to  receive  Arius  into 
the  church.     On  the  one  hand,  the  pre- 
late  knew   too   well   the   power  of  the 
Arians  by  what  they  had  done  already ; 
and  the  Trinitarians  were  so  far  outmatch- 
ed by  them  in  subtilty  and  artifice,  that 
though  victorious  in  argument  in  the  face 
of  the  whole  world,  with  the  council  of 
Xice,  and  an   orthodox  emperor  on  their 
side,  they  yet  were  persecuted  and  op- 
pressed, and  their  enemies  prevailed  at 
court.  But  on  the  other  hand,  it  behooved 
not  a  Christian  bishop  to  consent  to  the 
admission  of  an  artful  sectarian  who  could 
agree  in  form  to  the  Nicene  faith,  and  yet 
gradually  insinuate   his   poisonous  doc- 
trines into  the  church.     What  were  this 
but  in  fact  to  allow  the  wolf  to  enter  the 
sheep-fold,   and   devour  the  flock?     The 
mind  of  Alexander  was  directed  aright  in 
this  conjuncture.     He  spent  several  days 
and  nights  in  prayer  alone  in  his  church; 
the  faithful  followed   his  example,  and 
prayer  was  made  by  the  Church  without 
ceasing,  that  God  would  interfere  on  this 
occasion.     Controversies  and  the  arts  of 
logic   were  omitted  ;  and  they,  who  be- 
lieved that  the  Nicene  faith  was  holy, 
and  of  most  interesting  concern  to  the 
souls  of  men,  sincerely  committed  their 
cause  to  God. 

But  Constantine  himself  was  not  to  be 
prevailed  on  to  admit  Arius  into  the 
church,  unless  he  could  be  convinced  of 


286 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


his  orthodoxy.    He  sent  for  him  there- 
fore to  the  palace,  and  asked  him  plainly, 
whether  he  agreed  to  the  Nicene  decrees. 
The  heresiarch,  without  hesitation,  sub- 
scribed :    the    emperor    ordered   him   to 
swear :  he  assented  to  this  also.     I  fol- 
low the  narrative  of  Socrates,  one  of  the 
most  candid  and  moderate  historians,  who 
tells  us  that  he  had  heard,  that  Arius  had 
under  his  arm  a  written  paper  of  his  real 
sentiments,  and  that  he  swore  that  he  be- 
lieved as  he  had  written.  Whether  he  used 
this  equivocation  or  not,  is  far  from  be- 
ing clear.     But  Socrates,  who  is  careful 
to  tell  us  that  he  heard  this  reported,  as- 
sures us  that  he  did  swear  in  addition  to 
his  subscriptions,  and  that  this  he  knew 
from  the  emperor's  epistles.*     Constan- 
tine,  whose  scruples  were  now  overcome, 
ordered  Alexander  to  receive  him  into  the 
church  the  next  day.     The  good  bishop 
had  given  himself  to  fasting  and  prayer, 
and  renewed  his  supplications  that  day 
with  great  fervour  in  the  church,  prostrate 
before  the  altar,  and  attended  by  Marcarius 
only,  who  was  a  presbyter  belonging  to 
Athanasius.      He  begged,  that  if  Arius 
was  in  the  right,  he  himself  might  not 
live  to  see  the  day  of  contest ;  but  if  the 
faith  was  true,  which  he  professed,  that 
Arius,  the  author  of  all  the  evils,  might 
suffer   the   punishment   of  his    impiety 
The  next  day  seemed  to  be  a  triumphant 
one  to  the  Arians :  the  heads  of  the  party 
paraded  through  the  city  with  Arius  in 
the  midst,  and  drew  the  attention  of  all 
toward  tliem.     When  they  came  nigh  the 
forum  of  Constantino,  a  sudden  terror, 
with  a  disorder  of  the   intestines,  seized 
Arius.     In  his  urgent  necessity,  he  re- 
quested to  be  directed  to  a  place  of  pri- 
Death  of       ^^^^  retirement.   Agreeably  to 
Arius  ^^®  information  he  received, 

A  n  '^V      he  hastened  behind  the  forum; 
and  there  he  poured  forth  his 
boM^els  with  a  vast  effusion  of  blood. 

Such  was  the  exit  of  the  famous  Arius. 
The  place  of  his  death  was  memorable  to 
posterity,  and  was  shown  in  the  times  of 
Socrates. f     The  united  testimony  of  an 


•  B.  I.  c.  8. 

_  +  Sozomoii  tells  us,  that  sometime  after 
rich  Arian  bought  the  place,  changed  its  form, 
and  built  there  a  house,  that  the  event  might 
gradually  sink  into  oblivion.  It  must  not  be 
denied,  however,  that  Arius  also  toolv  pains 
to  propagate  his  sentiments  by  methods  more 
honourable  than  those  of  duplicity  and  fraud, 
in  which  he  was  so  eminently  versed.  His 
historian  Philostorgius,  of  whom  some  frag- 


cient  historians  leaves  no  room  to  doubt  of 
the  fact.    The  reflections  to  be  made  upon 
it  will  vary,  as  men  believe  and  are  dis- 
posed.  That  it  is  usual  with  God  to  hear 
the  prayers  of  his  Church  and  to  answer 
them  remarkably  on  extraordinary  occa- 
sions, will  not  be  denied  by  those  who 
reverence  the  word  of  God,  and  who  re- 
member the  case  of  Hezekiah  in  the  Old 
Testament,*    and    Peter   in   the   New.f 
That  the  danger  of  the  Church  from  he- 
resy was  particularly  great  at  this  time, 
will  be  equally  admitted  by  all  who  be- 
lieve that  the  Trinitarian  doctrine  includes 
within  it  whatever  is  most  precious  and 
interesting  in  the  Gospel :  that  here  on 
one  side  an  appeal  was  made  to  God  in 
his  own  appointed  way,  in  faith,  prayer, 
patience,  and  sincerity  ;  while  the  other 
side  dealt  in  falsehood,  artifice,  ambition 
and  worldly  policy,  is  evident  from  the 
narrative.     From  these  premises  a  man 
who  fears  God  will  feel  it  his  duty  to  be- 
lieve that  God  interposed  to  comfort  his 
Church,  and  to  confound  its  adversaries. 
I  see  no  method  of  avoiding  this  conclu- 
sion.    The  translator  of  Mosheim  seems 
put  to  a  great  difficulty,  when  he  declares 
it  extremely  probable  that  he  was  poison- 
ed by  his  enemies.     A  more  absurd  and 
unwarranted   imagination   never  entered 
into  the  heart  of  man.     And,  surely,  such 
things  ought  not  to  have  been  said,  with- 
out some  proof  or  probable  circumstance. 
Certain  it  is,  that  the  fear  of  God  rested 
with  the  Trinitarians,  though  it  was  at 
too  low  an  ebb  among  all  parties.    Among 
these,  however,  nothing  like  such  wick- 
edness appears  :    while  the  Arians  evi- 
dently seem  to  have  been  given  up  to  the 
greatest  villanies  and  profligacy.     Great 
was  the  joy  of  the  aged  bishop,  to  find 
that  God  had  not  forsaken  his  Church. 
What  effect  the  event  had  on  Constan- 
tino, appears  not.     He  died 
soon  after,  about  the  sixty- 
fifth  year  of  his  age,  having 
first  received   baptism   from 
EusebiusofNicomedia.  This 
he  had  long  delayed,  and  the 
custom,  from  the  imperial  example  would 
naturally  gather  fresh  strength.     Super- 
stitition  had  by  this  time  taught  men  to 
connect  by  a  necessary  union  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins  with  the  administration  of 


Death  of 
the  Empe- 
ror Con- 
stantine, 

A.  D.  337. 


menfs  remain,  assures  us,  that  he  composed 
songs  for  sailors,  millers,  and  travellers,  tend- 
ing to  support  this  heresy. 
*  Isaiah  xxxvii.  f  Acts  xii. 


Cekt.  IV.] 


CONSTANTIUS. 


287 


the  rite  :  and  men  who  loved  to  continue 
in  sin  protracted  their  baptism  to  a  time 
when  they  imagined  it  might  be  of  the 
greatest  advantage  to  them.  I  have  no- 
thing more  to  say  of  Constantino's  re- 
ligious character,  than  that  it  appears  to 
have  been  much  of  the  same  sort  as  that 
of  his  panegyrist  Eusebiiis,  whose  pom- 
pous life  of  this  emperor  gives  no  very 
favourable  idea  of  the  writer's  own  views 
of  Christianity. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  ARIAN  CONTRO- 
VERSY DFRIXG  THE  REIGN  OF  CON- 
STANTIUS. 

The  subject  before  us  is  more  specu- 
lative and  more  secular  than  I  could  wish. 
I  shall  condense  it  as  much  as  possible 
into  a  narrow  compass,  keeping  more 
particularly  in  view  the  one  great  end  of 
this  history. 

The  great  Constantino  was  succeeded  by 
three  sons,  Constantino,  Constantius,  and 
Constans.  The  first  ruled  in  Spain  and 
Gaul,  the  second  in  the  East,  the  third 
in  Italy  and  Africa.  The  other  relations 
of  the  late  emperor  were  put  to  death  by 
the  soldiers.  Two  sons  alone  of  Julius 
his  brother  survived,  Gallus  and  Julian. 
These  were  spared,  privately  educated, 
placed  among  the  clergy,  and  appointed 
readers  in  the  church.  The  latter  was 
born  at  Constantinople,  was  only  eight 
years  old  at  the  time  of  his  uncle's  death, 
and  was  reserved  to  be  a  scourge  of  de- 
generate Christendom,  and  a  memorable 
instrument  of  Divine  Providence. 

Of  Constanline  the  eldest  we  know"  but 
little ;  and  that  little  is  laudable.  He 
sent  back  Athanasius  to  his  church  with 
great  respect,  and  declared,  that  his  fa- 
ther had  intended  to  do  the  same,  but  was 
prevented  by  death.  After  a  banishment 
of  two  years  and  four  months,  the  bishop 
returned  from  Treves  to  his  diocese, 
where  he  was  received  with  general  ac- 
clamations. Asclepas  of  Gaza  and  Mar- 
cellus  of  Ancyra,  who  had  been  deposed 
by  Arians,  with  others  likewise,  were  re- 
stored ;  but  Constantine  himself  was 
slain  by  the  troops  of  his  brother  Con- 
stans. He  was  undoubtedly  steady  in 
his  adherence  to  the  Nicene  faith,  but 
our  information  concerning  him  is  too 
small  to  enable  us  to  form  any  just  esti- 
mate of  his  character. 


His  nextbrother,  Constantius,  furnishes 
but  too  many  materials  to  illustrate  his 
disposition.     One  Eusebius,  an  eunuch, 
his  chamberlain,  had  great  influence  over 
him  ;  and  was  himself  the  convert  of  the 
Arian  priest  whom  Constantiahad  recom- 
mended to  her  brother,  and  to  whom  also 
the  dying  emperor  had  intrusted  his  will. 
The  empress  herself,  the  wife  of  Con- 
stantius, was  infected  with  Arianism.  By 
degrees  at  least  the  emperor,  a  man  of 
weak  understanding,  corrupted  with  the 
pride  of  power,  and  ill  informed  in  any 
thing  that  belonged  to  real  Christianity, 
was  confirmed  in  the  fashionable  heresy. 
There  was  then  during  this  whole  reign, 
which  reached  from  the  year  337  to  the 
year  361,  a  controversy  carried  on  between 
the  Church  and  the  heretics  by  arms  and 
resources  suited  to  the  genius  of  the  par- 
ties ;  those  of  the  former  were  prayers, 
treatises,  and  preaching;    of  the  latter. 


Death  of 
Eusebius 
of  Ciesa- 
rea, 

A.  D.  340. 


policy,  intrigue,  persecution,  and  the 
friendship  of  the  great.  The  most  zeal- 
ous supporters  of  anti-scriptural  senti- 
ments seem  far  more  disposed  to  culti- 
vate the  favour  of  men  of  rank,  than  to 
labour  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  among 
the  bulk  of  mankind. 

About  the  year  340  died  the  famous 
Eusebius  of  Cssarea.     He  was  the  most 
learned  of  all  the  Christians.   After  view- 
ing him  with  some  attention, 
I  can  put  no  other  interpreta- 
tion on  his  speculations  than 
that  which  has  been  mention- 
ed already.*     He  talks  of  a 
necessity   that  there  was   in 
God,  to  produce  a  middle  power  between 
himself  and  the  angels,  to  lessen  the  in- 
finite disproportion  Ijetween  him  and  the 
creature.     Of  the  Holy  Ghost  he  speaks 
still  more  explicitly,  and  represents  him 
as  one  of  the  things  made  by  the  Son.    Ne- 
vertheless, one  might  be  disposed  to  put 
a  favourable  construction  on  various  ex- 
pressions of  this  great  man,  were  it  not 
that  his  practice  is  a  strong  comment  on 
his  opinions.     He  frequented  the  court, 
he  associated  with  Arius,  he  joined  in  the 
condemnation  of  Athanasius.     It  really 
gives  pain  to  part  on  such  terms  with  the 
historian,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for 
the  preservation  of  so  many  valuable  mo- 
numents of  antiquity;  but  truth  must  be 
spoken,  and  his  case  is  one  of  the  many, 
which  show  that  learning  and  philosophy, 


*  IV. 
B.XII. 


Demonstr, 
:.  6. 


EvaiiG'.  I.  c.  6.   See  Fleurvj 


288 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


of  Con- 
stantino- 
ple. 


unless  duly  subordinate  to  the  revealed  will 
of  God,  are  no  friends  to  Christian  simpli- 
city :  however,  the  loud  noise  which  in 
our  times  has  been  made  concerning-  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity  being  derived  from 
Platonism,  should  be  silenced,  when  it  is 
known  that  it  was  by  admiration  of  Plato 
and  Origen  that  Eusebius  himself  was 
perverted. 

About  the  same  time  died  Alexander  of 
Constantinople,  aged  ninety-eight  years, 
who  had  been  bishop  twenty- 
Death  of       three  years.     His  clergy  ask- 
Alexander     ^^  j^jj^  j^  j^jg  dying  moments, 

whom  he  would  recommend 
as  his  successor.  If  you  seek 
a  man  of  exemplary  life,  and 
able  to  instruct  you,  says  he,  you  have 
Paul :  if  you  desire  a  man  of  secular  skill, 
and  one  who  knows  how  to  maintain  an 
interest  among  the  great,  and  to  preserve 
an  appearance  of  religion,  Macedonius  is 
preferable.  The  event  showed  in  what 
strength  of  discernment  the  aged  prelate 
was  still  preserved,  and  how  careful  to 
his  last  breath  he  was  of  the  propagation 
of  Evangelical  purity.  These  two  men 
were  just  such  as  he  described  them, 
Paul,  though  young,  was  at  once  pious 
and  discreet;  Macedonius  was  far  ad- 
vanced in  life,  but  yet  was  only  a  deacon. 
The  Arian  party  during  the  lifetime  of  the 
venerable  champion  was  unable  to  pre- 
dominate in  the  metropolis.  After  his 
death  they  endeavoured  to  prefer  Mace- 
donius; but  the  primitive  ideas  were  too 
prevalent  as  yet  among  the  populace, 
and  Paul  was  elected.  Constantius  ar- 
rivino-  afterwards  was  provoked  at  the 
election,  encouraged  an  Arian  council,  di- 
rected its  resolves,  and  Eusebius  of  Ni- 
comedia  was  translated  to  the  metropolitan 
see,  which  from  this  time  continued  under 
Arian  government  for  forty  years.  Thus 
the  ancient  usages  in  choosing  bishops 
were  altered,  and  a  precedent  was  set,  of 
fixinor  in  the  hands  of  princes  the  govern- 
ment of  the  church  in  capital  cities.  A 
council  of  a  hundred  bishops  of  Egypt, 
with  Athanasius  at  their  head,  protested 
against  these  proceedings  to  the  whole 
Christian  world. 

A  council  was  now  convened  at  Anti- 
och,  supported  by  the  presence  of  the 
emperor  and  by  the  manoeuvres  of  Euse- 
Council  bins.  Here  they  undertook  to 
Antioch.  depose  Athanasius,  and  or- 
dain Gregory,  a  Cappadocian, 
in  his  room;  prevailing  on  Constantius 
to  direct  Philagiius,  the  prefect  of  Egypt, 


to  support  their  proceedings  with  an  arm- 
ed force.  For,  the  integrity  and  probity 
of  Athanasius  had  gained  him  so  strong 
an  ascendant  in  Egypt,  that  while  the 
primitive  modes  of  church  government  re- 
mained, it  would  have  been  impossible 
to  expel  him.  Violence  was  found  ne- 
cessary to  support  iniquity,  and  an  Arian 
prince  was  obliged  to  tread  in  the  steps 
of  his  pagan  predecessors,  to  support 
what  he  called  the  Church. 

His  views  were  promoted  with  vigour. 
Virgins  and  monks  were  cruelly  treated 
at  Alexandria:  Jews  and  Pagans  were 
encouraged  to  murder  Christians.*  Gre- 
gory himself  entered  the  church  with  the 
governor  and  certain  Pagans,  and  caused 
a  number  of  the  friends  of  Athanasius  to 
be  scourged  and  imprisoned.  The  perse- 
cuted prelate  himself,  who  wanted  not 
courage  and  capacity  to  resist,  acted 
however  a  much  luore  Christian  part. 
He  fled  from  the  storm,  and 
made  his  escape  to  Rome.  g-^g^J's^." 
This  also  happened  about  ^^.,^5  to 
the  year  342.  It  was  a  me-  Rome, 
morable  season  for  the  church  j^  -q  g^g. 
of  God,  which  now  found  her 
livery  to  be  that  of  persecution,  even 
when  Pacrans  had  ceased  to  reign.  Gre- 
gory  would  not  suffer  the  Alhanasians, 
who  in  great  numbers  still  refused  to  own 
the  Arian  domination,  even  to  pray  in 
their  own  houses.  He  visited  Egypt  in 
company  with  Philagrius.  The  greatest 
severities  were  inflicted  on  those  bishops 
who  had  been  zealous  for  the  Nicene 
faith,  though  the  decrees  of  the  council 
had  never  been  reversed,  and  the  Arians 
as  yet  contented  themselves  with  am- 
biguous confessions  and  the  omission  of 
the  term  consubstantial.  Bishops  were 
scourged  and  put  in  irons.  Potamo, 
whom  we  have  before  celebrated,  was 
beaten  on  the  neck,  till  he  was  thought 
to  have  expired  ;  he  recovered  in  a  small 
degree,  but  died  some  time  after.  His 
crime,  in  the  eyes  of  the  Arians,  was 
doubtless  an  unvaried  attachment  to  the 
Nicene  faith. 

While  Gregory  dealt  in  violence,  his 
competitor  used  only  the  more  Christian 
arms  of  argument.  He  published  an 
epistle  to  the  Christian  world, f  exhort- 
ing all  the  bishops  to  unite  on  the  occa- 
sion. "The  faith  is  now  begun,"  says 
he,  "it  came  to  us  by  the  Lord  from  his 


*  Apolog.  Athan.  2.    Fleury,  13.  II.  14. 
t  Aihau.  VI.  p.  943. 


Ceitt.  IV.] 


CONSTANTIUS. 


289 


disciples.  Lest  what  has  been  preserved 
in  the  churches  until  now  perish  in  our 
days,  and  we  be  called  to  an  account  for 
**  our  stewardship,  exert  yourselves,  my 
brethren,  as  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of 
God,  and  as  beholding  3'our  rights  taken 
away^  by  strangers."  He  goes  on  to  in- 
form them  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
Ariaus,  observing  that  the  like  had  not 
happened  in  the  church  since  the  ascen- 
sion of  our  Saviour.  "  If  there  were  any 
complaint  against  me,  the  people  should 
have  besn  assembled  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  the  spirit  of  or- 
dination; all  things  should  have  been  ex- 
amined regularly,  and  in  the  presence  of 
the  clergy  and  people;  a  stranger  should 
not  have  been  intruded  by  force  and  the 
authority  of  secular  judges,  upon  a  people 
who  neither  require  nor  know  him."  He 
begs  the  bishops  "not to  receive  the  let- 
ters of  Gregory,  but  to  tear  them,  and 
treat  the  bearers  with  disdain  as  ministers 
of  iniquity."  It  cannot  be  denied,  that 
his  arguments  were  sound,  and  that  his 
cause  was  just.  The  Arians  must  bear 
the  infamy  of  being  the  first  who  secular- 
ized the  discipline  of  the  church.  But 
in  adding  the  close  of  the  letter,  I  mean 
the  reader  to  remark  the  decline  of  the 
spirit  of  the  Gospel  at  this  time.  As  on 
the  one  hand  it  were  very^  unfair  to  con- 
found the  Athanasians  and  the  Arians  as 
on  an  equal  footing  in  point  of  piety  and 
morality,  when  the  superiority  of  the  for- 
mer is  too  evident  to  admit  of  a  dispute ; 
so  on  the  other  hand  it  is  certain,  that 
the  experimental  use  of  the  Divinity  of 
Christ,  by  no  means  employed  an  equal 
degree  of  the  zeal  of  its  patrons  with  the 
abstract  doctrine  itself.  Hence  Athana- 
sius,  though  always  firm  and  constantly 
sincere,  fails  in  meekness  and  charit}^ 

This  great  man  continued  in  exile  at 
Rome  for  eighteen  months,  under  the 
protection  of  Julius  the  bishop.  Thither 
fled  many  others  whom  the  Arian  tyran- 
ny had  expelled  from  their  sees.     Euse- 

bius  of  Constantinople  died 
Death  of  soon  after  in  the  fulness  of 
EusLbms  ^j^jjf  prosperity,  which  his  in- 
ot  Con-  ■      ..'        "i        -         •       ,     J 

stantiiio-        ^^i^^y  and  oppression  had  pro- 
ple_  cured  him.    Human  depravity 

under  religious  appearances 
had  in  him  attained  a  rare  degree  of  ma- 
turity. And  the  only  lesson  which  his 
life  affords  seems  to  be  this,  to  warn  the 
clergy  to  beware  of  secular  ambition,  and 
the  spirit  of  the  world,  which  so  exceed- 
ingly depraved  this  dignitary,  that  he  at 
Vol.  I.  2  B 


length  became  one  of  the  most  memora- 
ble  villains  in  history.     A  double  elec- 
tion followed  his  death,  that  of  Paul  and 
that  of  Macedonius.     Herraogenes,  mas- 
ter of  tlie  militia,*  was  order-  . 
ed  by  the  emperor  to  banish     Bamsh- 
Paul.    He  did  so;  and  Paul's     p.^^^; 
friends,  exasperated  by^  a  se- 
ries of  persecutions,  forgot  the  character 
of  Christians,  and  killed  Her-     Hermoo-e- 
mogenes.    These  events  took     ,,^,5  killed. 
place  in  or  near  the  year  312. 
Paul    however   was   then   banished   the 
city,  and  his  holy  character  exempts  him 
from  all  suspicion  of  being  concerned  in 
the  outrage. 

At  Rome,  Julius,  in  a  council  of  the 
western  bishops,  justified  Athanasius  and 
his  fellow  sulferers.  Among  these  was 
Marcellus  of  Ancyra,  whose  zeal  against 
the  Arians  had  provoked  them  to  charge 
him  with  Sabellianism.  It  is  not  the 
desig-n  of  this  history  to  enlarge  on  these 
niceties.  But  it  is  easy  to  conceive  how 
such  a  charge  might  be  drawn  up  with 
specious  appearances.  Marcellus  explain- 
ed, and  was  cleared  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  council ;  but  whether  justly  or  not, 
is  not  so  evident.  The  progress  of  error 
is  easy,  where  the  heart  is  not  simply 
stayed  upon  God.  Athanasius  himself 
was  afterwards  far  from  being  convinced 
of  his  soundness  in  the  faith. 

Julius  wrote  a  public  letter  on  this  oc- 
casion, in  which,  after  doing  full  justice  fo 
the  sufferers,  he  concludes  in  a  manner 
not  unworthy  of  a  Christian  bishop,  not 
threatenino-,  but  advising  those  of  the 
East  not  to  do  the  like  for  the  luture, 
lest,  says  he,  we  be  exposed  to  the  laugh- 
ter of  Pagans,  and  above  all  to  the  wrath 
of  God,  to  whom  we  must  all  give  an  ac- 
count at  the  d^y  of  judgment. 

In  the  year  347,  a  council  was  held  at 
Sardica  by  the  joint  order  of  the  two  em- 
perors,   Constantius  and    Constans,   the 
latter  being  as  steady  in  the     Council  at 
support  ot   the  JNicene  laith     Sardica, 
as  the  former  was  in  opposi-     ^  ^^  347 
tion.     Sardica  was  in  Illyria, 
the  border  of  the  dominions  of  the  two 
emperors.     The  intention  was  to  unite, 
but  it  actually  separated  the  two  parties 
more  than  ever.     Prayer  and  holy  breath- 
ings of  soul,  and  judicious  and  affection- 
ate preaching  of  practical  religion,  were 
now   at  a  low  ebb.     Peaceable  spirits 
were  absorbed  in  superstition,  turbulent 


*Fleury,  B.  Xn.21. 


290 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


Ones  in  ecclesiastical  contentions.  The 
life  of  faith  was  little  known.  They 
treated  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  as  a 
mere  speculation,  and  the  result  of  their 
disputes  was,  that  each  party  retired  as 
they  entered  upon  them.  The  Easterns 
finding  that  it  was  likely  to  he  a  free  coun- 
cil, departed  from  it,  leaving  the  West- 
erns to  settle  matters  as  they  pleased. 
Hosius  of  Corduba,  the  venerable  presi- 
dent of  Nice,  presided  here  also,  and  the 
Athanasian  cause  was  decided  in  the  fa- 
vour of  the  Alexandrian  prelate.  They 
made  also  some  canons,  in  which  they 
condemned  the  translation  of  bishops. 
The  pious  and  zealous  spirit  of  Hosius 
was  chiefly  concerned  in  tliese  things. 
Remarkable  are  the  words  :  "  A  perni- 
cious custom  must  be  rooted  out.  None 
have  been  found  to  pass  from  a  greater 
bishopric  to  a  less.  Therefore  they  are 
induced  by  avarice  and  ambition."  So 
reasoned  and  so  ordained  this  council. 
But  where  the  religion  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  religion  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity, 
exist  not,  the  canons  of  councils  forbid  in 
vain.  There  are  several  canons  also 
which  enjoin  the  residence  of  bishops, 
and  which  forbid  their  journeys  to  courts. 
The  time  also  of  bishops  remaining  in 
another  diocese  was  fixed,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  surplanting  of  their  brethren. 
These  things  show  the  times :  rules  are 
not  made,  except  to  prevent  abuses,  which 
already  exist. 

The  Easterns  met  at  Philippopolis,  in 
Thrace,  and  excommunicated  their  breth- 
ren of  the  West ;  and  for  some  time  the 
two  parties  remained  distant  in  this  man- 
ner ;  while  in  Asia  and  Egypt  the  friends 
of  the  Nicene  faith  were  treated  witli 
great  cruelty.  Into  Europe,  the  subtil- 
ties  of  this  contention  had  not  yet  entered ; 
men  were  there  more  simple,  and  follow- 
ed the  primitive  faith  in  quietness  and 
peace.* 

In  Antioch  the  Arian  bishop  Stephen 
Avas  found,  even  by  his  own  party,  too 
corrupt  and  profligate  to  be  continued  in 
his  dignity.  Leontius,who  succeeded  him, 
supported  the  Arian  cause.  Diodorus,  an 
ascetic,  and  Flavian,  afterwards  bishop 
of  Antioch,  stirred  up  the  faithful  to  a 
zeal  for  religion,  and  passed  whole  nights 
with  them  at  the  tombs  of  the  martyrs. 
Leontius  finding  them  to  have  the  affec- 
tion of  the  people,  wished  them  to  do  this 
service  in  the  church.     And  here  I  ap- 


I'leury,  C.  43. 


prehend  was  a  nursery  of  real  godliness, 
but  the  account  is  very  imperfect. 

In  the  year  349  died  Gregory,  the  secu- 
lar bishop  of  Alexandria,  as  he  may  be 
justly  called.     Then  it  was  that  Constan- 
tius,intimidatedby  the  threats     ^     .     , 
of  his  brother  Constans,  wrote     q^*^^  ° 
repeatedly   to  Athanasius   to     i,ishop''of 
return  into  the  East,  and  to     Alexan- 
assure  him  of  his  favour  and     dria, 
protection.     The  exiled  pre-     j^  j)_  349^ 
late  could  not  easily  credit  a 
man  who  had  persecuted  him  so  unrighte- 
ously.     At   length  he   com- 
plied,  and  after  visiting  Julius     „f J"^"^/;; 
at  Rome,  who  sent  a  letter  full     Antioch. 
of  tenderness  to  the  church  of 
Alexandria  in  favour  of  Athanasius,  he 
travelled  to  Xntioch,  where  Constantius 
then  was,  by  whom  he  was  very  graci- 
ously received.     The  emperor  requested 
him  to  forget  the  past,  and  assured  him 
with  oaths,  that  he  would  receive  no  ca- 
lumnies against  him  for  the  future.  While 
Athanasius  was  at  Antioch,  he  communi- 
cated with  the  Eustathians,  who  under 
the  direction  of  Flavian  held  a  conventi- 
cle there.     This  same  Flavian  was  the 
first  who  composed  the  doxology,  "  Glory 
be  to  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost ;"  and  in  the  singing  of  the  Psalms, 
not  only  those  who  frequented  his  meet- 
ing made  use  of  it,  but  in  general  all  who 
favoured  the  Nicene  faith  in  the  church 
of  Leontius  did  the  same,  in  opposition 
to  the  Arian  doxology.  Glory  to  the  Fa- 
ther, by  the  Son,  in  the  Holy  Ghost.    So 
earnest  were  the  two  parties  against  each 
other.     Leontius  was  a  confirmed  Arian, 
but  of  a  milder  temper  than  the  rest  of 
his  party.     He  saw  that  it  was  by  force 
only  that  he  was  in  possession  of  his 
church ;  numbers  of  people  still  professing 
the  Nicene  faith.     He  dared  not  there- 
fore oppose  the  Trinitarian  hymns,  and 
laboured  to  preserve  peace  in  his  own 
time;   but  touching  his  white  hair,   he 
said  on  the  occasion,  "  When  this  snow 
shall   melt,   there   will   be  much   dirt," 
hinting  at  the  dissensions  which  he  im- 
agined would  arise  after  his  death. 

Constantius  observed  to  Athanasius, 
that  as  he  now  put  him  into  possession 
of  all  his  Egyptian  churches,  he  ought  to 
leave  one  for  the  Arians.  The  Alexan- 
drian prelate  confessed  it  would  be  just, 
on  condition  also  that  the  same  liberty 
was  allowed  to  the  Eustathians  at  An- 
tioch. The  Arian  party,  however,  sensi- 
ble of  the  superior  popularity  of  their  op- 


Ceitt.  IV.] 


CONSTANTIUS. 


291 


posers,  thought  it  most  prudent  to  wave 
the  proposal.* 

The  return  of  Athanasius  to  Alexandria 
was  a  triumph.     Religious  zeal  and  joy 

appeared  in  the  garb  of  the 
Athanasi-  ^  ^  ^  number  devoting 
to  Alexaii-  themselves  to  a  monastic  life, 
dria.  Acts  of  mercy  and  liberality 

were  also  abundantly  per- 
formed. Every  house  seemed  to  be  a 
church  set  apart  for  prayer.  Such  are 
the  views  which  Athanasius  himself  gives 
us  of  the  effects  of  his  restoration  if  a 
number  of  his  enemies  retracted,  and  jus- 
tified him  in  the  most  honourable  manner, 
and  among  these  the  recantation  of  Ursa- 
tius  and  Yalens  is  remarkable.  Asclepas 
was  also  restored  to  Gaza,  and  Marcellus 
to  Ancyra,  though  the  latter  was  not  un- 
molested. Tbe  suspicion  of  his  unsound- 
ness was  perhaps  justly  increased  by  the 
less  ambiguous  sentiments  of  Photinus 
bishop  of  vSirmium,  who  was  supposed  to 
tread  in  his  steps,  and  was  in  a  council 
at  that  place  deposed  ae  a  Sabellian  by 
universal  consent.  Germanius  an  Arian 
was  elected  in  his  stead,  and  then,  as 
well  as  at  this  day,  the  Sabellians  and 
the  Arians  in  opposing  each  other  assault- 
ed the  truth,  which  lay  between  them : 
the  former  removing  all  distinction  be- 
tween the  Father  and  the  Son,  the  latter 
establishing  a  distinction  which  took 
away  the  Trinity  of  the  Godhead.  Each 
desired  to  remove  the  mystery  from  the 
doctrine,  and  in  the  attempt  corrupted  it. 
While  those  who  were  taught  of  God, 
and  were  content  with  inadequate  ideas, 
sincerely  worshipped  the  Trinity  in  Unity, 
and  mourned  over  the  abominations  of  the 
times. 

A  great  change  in  civil  affairs  having 
taken  place  by  the  death  of  Constans,  and 
the  ruin  of  the  usurper  Magnentius,  Con- 

stantuis,  now  sole  master  of 
a  lartyr-        ^j^g  empire,  revived  the  per- 

•JOin   of  ^-  A  L  ..  .1,  .Vr, 

Paul  of  secution.  About  the  year  351, 
Constanli-  P^'^l  of  Constantinople  was 
nople,  sent  into  Mesopotamia,  loaded 

A.  D.  351.  with  irons,  and  at  length  to 
Cucusus  on  the  confines  of 
Cappadocia.  There,  after  suffering  cruel 
hardships,  he  was  strangled. :j:  Macedo- 
nius  by  an  armed  force,  attended  with 
much  effusion  of  blood,  took  possession  of 
the   see.      Paul   received   the  crown  of 


•  Socrates,  B.  III.  c.  20. 

+  Athan.  ad  Solit.  See  Fleury,  B.  XII.  c.  52. 

t  Theodoret,  B.  XI.  c.  5. 


martyrdom,  and  the  Arians  seemed  ambi- 
tions to  erpial  the  bloody  fame  of  Galerias. 
The  weak  mind   of  Constantius  was 
again   prejudiced   by   absurd   calumnies 
against  Athanasius,  and  a  council  at  Mi- 
lan was  convened  in  the  year 
355,  in   the  presence  of  the     m^i!^^'  * 
emperor,    who    proposed    to      .    j^  '„-- 
them  an  Arian  creed,  which 
he  recommended  by  this  argument,  that 
God  bad  declared  in  his  favour  by  his 
victories.     Prosperity,  it  seems,  had  not 
strengthened  his  reasoning  powers,  but, 
unhappily  had  increased  the  depravity  of 
his  heart.     Here  appeared  the  magnani- 
mous constancy  of  Lucifer,  bishop  of  Cag- 
liari  in  Sardinia,  and  the  pious  self-denial 
of  Eusebius,  bishop  of  Vercellae  in  Italy. 
These  prelates  were  animated  with  a  sin- 
cere spirit  of  piety  on  this  occasion,  and 
answered  that  the  Nicene  faith  had  always 
been  the  faith  of  the  Church.    "  I  ask  not 
your  advice,  says  tbp  emperor,  and  jou 
shall  not  hinder  me  from  following  Arius, 
if  I  think  fit."     The  emperor's  creed  was 
read  in  the  Church  ;  but  the  people,  more 
sincere  and  more  simple  than  the  great, 
and  more  willingly  attached   to  the  doc- 
trines ofthe  Trinity,  because  they  read  it  in 
their  Bibles,  rejected  the  faith  of  Constan- 
tius, and  it  was  not  pressed  any  farther. 
The   condemnation  of  Athanasius   was, 
however,  insisted  on,and  Dionysius  bishop 
of  Milan,  and  the  two  others  just  mention- 
ed,were  mostunreasonably  required  to  sub- 
scribe to  it.     "  Obey,  or  be  banished," 
was  the  imperious  mandate.   The  bishops 
lifted  up  their  hands  to  heaven,  and  told 
Constantino,  that  the  empire  was  not  his, 
but  God's,  and  reminded  him  of  the  day 
of  judgment.    He  drew  his  sword  on  them 
in   a  rage,  but  contented   himself  with 
ordering   their  banishment.     Hilary  the 
deacon  was  stripped  and  scourged,  and 
ridiculed  by  Ursatius  and  Valens,  who 
had    recanted    sometime    ago.      Hilary 
blessed  God,  and  bore  the  indignity  as  a 
Christian.     The  greatest  part  of  the  bish- 
ops  subscribed   to  the  condemnation  of 
Athanasius  :  a  few  only  testified  that  the 
grace  of  God  was  still  as  powerful  as 
ever,  in  supporting  his  people,  and  ia 
causing  them  to  sutler  gladly,  rather  thaa 
to  sin.     Others,  besides  the  three  men- 
tioned above,  joined  in  the  same  measure, 
particularly  Maximus,  bishop  of  Naples, 
who  was  tortured  in  hopes  of  forcing  his 
submission,  because  of  the  weakness  of 
his  body.     In  the  end  he  was  banished, 
and  died  in  exile. 


292 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


Eusebius  of  Vercellfe  was   sent  into 
Palestine,  Lucifer  into  Syria,  and  Diony- 
sius  into  Cappadocia,  where  lie  died  soon 
after.     Liberius  of  Rome  was  in  an  ad- 
vanced age,  when  the  storm  which  had 
murmured  at  a  distance,  burst  upon  him  : 
He  was  carried  before  Constantius  at  Mi- 
lan, where  the  eunuch  P^usebius,  the  se- 
cret and  prevalent  supporter  of  Arianism, 
assisted  the  emperor  in  oppressing  him. 
Liberius  said,  "Though  I  were  single, 
the  cause  of  the  faith  would  not  fail : 
there  was  a  time  when  three  persons  only 
were  found  who  resisted   a  regal   ordi- 
nance."    Eusebius  understanding  his  al- 
lusion to  Shadraoh,  Meshach,  and  Abed- 
iiego,  answered,  "  Do  you  make  the  em- 
peror a  Nebuchadnezzar]"     "No,  said 
the  bishop  of  Rome,  but  you  are  not  less 
unreasonable  than  he,  in  desiring  to  con- 
demn a  man  unheard."     In  the  conclu- 
sion Liberius  was  banished  into  Thrace. 
But  a  character  still  more  venerable  than 
his  was  yet  unsubdued,  and  the  Arians, 
fiercely  pursuing  their  victories,  procood- 
ed  to  the  attack.     Hosius,  bishop  of  Cor- 
duba  in  Spain,  was  now  a  hundred  years 
old.     He  was  looked  on  as  the  first  of 
bishops,  had  been  a  confessor  under  the 
Dioclesian  persecution,  had  presided  sixty 
years  in  the  Church,  had  guided  the  Ni- 
cene  council,  had  been  a  principle  person 
in  the  appointment  of  canons,  and    was 
held  in  universal  respect.     Constantius 
and  the  whole  Christian  party  were  sen- 
sible of  the  importance  of  such  a  charac- 
ter.   Flattery  and  menaces  were  both  em- 
ployed  to   prevail  on   him  to  condemn 
Aihanasius.     A  few  lines  of  his  answer 
to  an  imperious  letter  of  the  emperor's 
may  give  us  some  idea  of  his  spirit  :*  "  I 
confessed  the  first  time  in  the  persecution 


they  have   recanted   and   acknowledged 
their  calumny  in  writing?      Remember 
you  are  a  mortal  man  ;  be  afraid  of  the 
day  of  judgment.     God  hath  given  you 
the  empire,  and  hath  committed  the  church 
to  our  care.     I  write  thus  through   my 
concern   for   your   eternal   welfare ;   but 
with  respect  to  your  requisition,  I  cannot 
agree  with  Arians,  nor  write  against  Atha- 
nasius.     You  act  for  his  enemies,  but  in 
the  da)"-  of  judgment   you  must  defend 
yourself  alone."     Constantius  kept  him 
a  year  at  Sirmium,  without  respect  to  his 
age  and  infirmities.    His  orders  addressed 
to  the  bishops  were  to  condemn  Athana- 
sius,  and  to  communicate  with  the  Arians 
under  pain  of  banishment.     The  judges 
were  directed  to  see  to  the  execution  of 
these  things,   t^rsatius  and  Valens,  whose 
instability   should  have   destroyed   their 
credit,  assisted  the  persecution  by  infor- 
mations :    zealous   heretics   by   force   of 
arms  were  intruded   in  the  place  of  the 
exiled  :  and  Arianism  seemed  well  niofh  to 
have  avenged  the  cause  of  fallen  idolatry. 
The  adventures  of  Athanasius  himself 
in  his  sufferings  were  extraordinary.   He 
was  for  some  time  preserved  in  the  house 
of  a  pious  woman  with  great 
care   and    fidelity.     But   we 
must  not  enlarge  on  the  va- 
rious hardships  to  which  he 
Avas    exposed :    suffice    it    to 
mention  some  of  the  particu- 
lar  circumstances.     Syrianus,  a  secular 
officer,   came   at  night   to   his   principal 
church  at   Alexandria,  when  the  people 
were  intent  on  their  devotions.  Numbers 
were  murdered,  others  insulted  and  beaten. 
The  intre]nd  prelate  sat  still  in  his  chair, 
and    directed    the    deacon    to    sing    the 
cxxxvitli   Psalm,  the  people  answering, 


Athanasi- 
us com- 
pelled to 
leave 
Alexan- 
dria. 


under  Maximian,  your  great-grandfather,  according  to  the  custom  of  alternate  sing' 
If  you  likewise  desire  to  persecute  me,  I  .  tt.      i 

am  ready  still  to  suffer  any  thing  rather 
than  betray  the  truth.  It  is  not  so  mucii 
a  personal  malice  against  Athanasius,  as 
the  love  of  heresy  which  influences  these 
men.  I  myself  invited  them  to  come  to 
me,  and  declare  at  the  council  of  Sardica 
what  they  knew  against  him.  They 
dared  not;  they  all  refused.  Athanasius 
came  afterwaids  to  your  court  at  Antioch  : 
he  desired  his  enemies  might  be  sent  for, 
that  they  might  make  good  their  accusa- 
tions. Why  do  you  still  hearken  to  them 
"Who  refused  such  fair  proposals  1  How 
can  you  endure  Ursatius  and  Valens,  after 


Athan.  ad  Solit. 


ing,  "  For  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever." 
Which  being  finished,  he  bade  the  people 
return  to  their  houses.  As  the  soldiers 
advanced  toward  him,  his  clergy  and 
people  begged  him  to  depart,  which  he 
refused,  thinking  it  his  duty  to  stay  till 
they  had  all  left  the  churcii.  He  was  in 
a  manner  forced  out  by  the  clergy  and 
monks,  and  conveyed  safe  from  the 
guards.  An  unavailing  protest  was 
made  by  the  people  against  these  vio- 
lences. 

The  Pagans  took  courage,  and  assisted 
the  heretics  in  the  persecution,  saying, 
the  Arians  have  embraced  our  relio-ion.* 


Athan.  ad  Solit. 


Ceht.  IV.] 


CONST  ANTIUS. 


293 


of  Athana 
si  us. 


f  -^  bishop  was  found  worthy 

Caroado".  to  support  these  proceedings, 

cia  chosen  George  of  Cappadocia,  who 

bytheAri-  began  his  usurpation  in  the 

ans  to  be  year  356.     Through  his    in- 

bishop  in  fluence,  supported  by  the  se- 

the  place  ^^^^^^  ^^^^^  ^^^  friends  of  the 

Nicene    faith    were    cruelly 
beaten,  and  some  died  under 
A.  U.  356.     ^j^gjj.  gngjjjgh.    A  sub-deacon 

having  been  severely  scourged,  was  sent 
to  the  mines,  without  being  allowed  time 
to  dress  his  wounds,  and  he  died  on  the 
road.  Venerable,  aged  bishops  were  sent 
into  the  deserts  throughout  Egypt,  and 
Arianism  reigned  and  glutted  itself  in 
blood.  The  episcopal  office  was  sold 
to  unworthy  men ;  the  profession  of  Arian- 
ism being  the  only  requisite  for  the  of- 
fice. The  cruelties  of  George  provoked 
the  Alexandrians  to  retaliation,  but  mili- 
tary force  prevailed  ;  and  after  this  bishop 
had  been  once  expelled,  he  returned  still 
more  terrible  and  more  detested. 

So  deplorably  misinformed  was  Con- 
stantius,  that  in  a  letter  to  the  people  of 
Alexandria,  he  represents  this  same 
George  as  one  who  was  very  capable  of 
instructing  others  in  heavenly  things 
Athanasius  having  obtained  a  sight  of 
this  letter,  was  at  length  deterred  from 
his  intended  journey  to  the  emperor,  and 
betook  himself  to  the  deserts,  and  visited 
the  monks,  his  most  faithful  adherents, 
who  refused  to  discover  him  to  his  perse- 
cuting adversaries,  and  offered  their 
throats  to  the  sword,  being  ready  to  die 
for  the  Nicene  faith.  He  filled  up  another 
part  of  his  time  in  writing  his  own  apo- 
logy to  Constantius.  There  are  in  it 
strong  traces  of  that  rapid  eloquence  and 
clear  reasoning,  for  which  this  father  is 
renowned.  Integrity  and  fervour  appear 
throughout;  but  it  were  to  be  wished, 
that  less  zeal  on  his  own  account,  and 
more  on  account  of  his  Divine  Master, 
were  visible  in  this  as  well  as  in  his 
other  writings.  In  truth,  the  connexion 
of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  with  the  ho- 
nour of  Christ,  and  with  lively  faith  in 
his  mediation,  is  so  plain,  that  practical, 
serious,  humble  religion,  if  it  exist  at  all 
in  any  scene  of  controversy,  must  be 
found  on  that  side.  INIen,  who  degrade 
the  Divine  Saviour  into  a  creature,  will 
of  course  exalt  themselves,  and  cannot 
have  that  humility  and  faith  which  are 
the  essential  ingredients  of  a  holy  life.  I 
gladly  remind  my  readers,  and  myself, 
that  the  value  of  the  apostolical  doctrines, 
2b  2 


so  fiercely  persecuted  in  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, rests  not  on  speculation,  but  on  the 
holy  tendency  of  their  nature.  There  is 
sufficient  proof  of  the  existence  of  this 
holy  tendency  and  influence,  both  in  re- 
gard to  Athanasius  and  other  Trinitarians 
of  that  time;  and  there  is  also  more  than 
sufficient  proof  of  the  contrary  tendency 
of  the  doctrines  supported  by  the  Arians. 
But  it  must  be  allowed  that  the  evidence 
of  the  former  sort  is  scanty:  Christian 
godliness  continued  very  low  in  all  this 
period :  and  good  men  in  their  writings 
and  reflections  attended  too  little  to  the 
connexion  which  subsists  between  doc- 
trine and  practice. 

Eusebius  of  Vercellse,  one  of  the  most 
honest  and  pious  bishops  of  those  times, 
still  suffered  severely  in  Palestine  in  his 
banishment.  The  persecution  reached 
even  to  Gaul,  which  had  yet  happily  pre- 
served the  simplicity  of  apostolical  con- 
fession unmolested.  In  Constantinople, 
Macedonius,  by  the  terror  of  his  persecu- 
tions, drove  those  of  the  general  church 
and  the  Novatian  dissenters,  into  a  sym- 
pathy for  each  other,  which  their  mutual 
prejudices  had  long  prevented.  Both  sorts 
suffered  extremely,  being  obliged  to  com- 
municate, with  Arians,  or  to  undergo  a 
variety  of  hardships.  Agelius,  the  Nova- 
tian bishop,  fled.  A  priest  and  a  monk 
of  theirs  were  tortured,  and  the  latter  died 
by  this  usage.  Novatianism  still  retained 
a  measure  of  the  divine  Spirit,  and  was 
honoured  with  furnishing  those  who  suf- 
fered for  Jesus.  This*  people  had  three 
churches  in  Constantinople,  one  of  which 
was  thrown  down  by  the  emperor's  or- 
ders. The  Novatians  carried  away  the 
materials  to  the  other  side  of  the  sea:  the 
women  and  children  wrought  diligently, 
and  thus  it  was  rebuilt.  In  the  next 
reign,  by  the  emperor's  permission,  they 
carried  back  the  materials,  and  rebuilt 
their  church  at  Constantinople,  and  called 
it  ANASTATiA.f  An  attempt  was  now 
made  to  re-unite  those  of  the  general 
church  with  the  Novatians:  the  former 
were  the  more  ready,  because  they  had 
no  place  of  worship  at  all ;  but  the  narrow 
bigotry,  which  had  ever  been  the  great 
fault  of  Novatianism,  prevented  the  union. 
But  we  must  now  mention  a  remarkable 
instance  of  human  infirmity,  which  calls 
at  once  for  compassion  and  for  caution. 
Hosius  had  been  a  year  confined  at  Sir- 


•  Sozomen,  B.  IV.  c.  20. 
+  That  is,  "  Risen  again." 


394 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


miuni,  his  relations  were  persecuted,  and 
he  suffered  in  his  own  person  both 
scourges  and  tortures.  By  thus  afflict- 
ing him,  the  Arian  tyrant  thought  he 
served  the  cause ;  and  by  such  inhuman 
measures  were  the  patrons  of  the  heresy 
stimulated  to  seek  the  destruction  of 
Godline^^s!     Yet  so  infatuated  was  the 

along 


the  vener 
able  llo- 
sius. 


spirit  of  Constantius,  that  he  all 
was  liberally  supporting  the  most  expen- 
sive forms  and  ornaments  of  Christian 
worship,  while  he  was  labouring  with  all 
his  might  to  eradicate  Christian  doctrine. 
Hosius,  above  a  hundred  years 
Conduct  of  p1(3^  submitted  at  length  to 
subscribe  an  Arian  creed,  but 
the  condemnation  of  Athana- 
sins  he  would  not  vindicate. 
Permitted  at  length  to  return  into  Spain, 
he  lived,  however,  to  retract,  protesting 
against  the  violence  with  which  he  had 
been  treated,  and  with  his  last  breath  ex- 
horting all  men  to  reject  the  heresy  of 
Arius;  and  thus  we  have  s-jen  to  his  end 
the  most  venerable  character  of  that  age, 
still  in  his  heart  true  to  his  God.  The 
length  of  his  days  only  exposed  him  to  a 
greater  variety  of  suffering,  and  thouoh 
Satan's  malice  was  permitted  to  do  him 
much  mischief,  he  yet  was  enabled  to 
die  in  peace,  and  to  prove  that  the  Lord 
faileth  not  them  that  are  his. 

In   the   same   year,  357,   Liberius    of 
Rome,  after  two  years  exile,  was  not  only 
prevailed  on  to  receive  an  Arian  creed, 
but  even  to  reject  Athanasius. 
The  subscription  to  the  creed 
was  not  so  much  an  evidence 
of  insincerity,  as  was  the  con- 
demnation of  the  Alexandrian 
prelate,  because  the  Arians, 
fertile  in  expedients,  made  creeds  upon 
creeds,  expressed  in  artful  ambiguities,  to 
impose  on  the  unwary.  Liberius  by  these 
unworthy  means  recovered  his  bishopric. 
The  see  of  Rome  at  that  time  had  secular 
charms   sufficient  to   seduce   a   worldly 
mind.     Whether   Liberius   cordially  re- 
pented of  his  hypocrisy  or  not,  we  have 
no  evidence.     The  cruelty  of  the  Arians 
tried  to  the  utmost  the  hearts  of  men  in 
those  days,  and  now  the  proverb  was  ve- 
rified, "  All  the  world  against   Athana- 
sius,  and    Athanasius    against    all    the 
world." 

But  the  power  of  divine  grace  was  dis- 
played during  this  disastrous  season  in 
preserving  a  remnant,  and  particularly  in 
strengthening  the  mind  of  that  great  man, 
through  a  long  course  of  afflictions.     He 


Liberius 
of  Rome 
joins  the 
Ai'iaiis, 

A.  D.  357. 


composed  about  this  time  a  letter  to  the 
monks,  in  which  he  confesses  the  ex- 
treme difficulty  of  writing  concerning  the 
divinity  of  the  Son  of  God,  though  it  be 
easy  to  confute  the  heretics.  He  owns 
his  ignorance,  and  calls  himself  a  mere 
babbler,  and  beseeches  the  brethren  to  re- 
ceive what  he  wrote,  not  as  a  perfect  ex- 
planation of  the  divinity  of  the  Word,  but 
as  a  confutation  of  the  enemies  of  that 
doctrine. 

Two  councils  were   held,  the  one  at 
Rimini,  the  other  at  Seleucia,  both  with 
a  view  to  support  Arianism.  In  the  former 
a  number  of  good  men  were  artfully  se- 
duced, by  the  snares  of  the  Arians,  to 
agree  to  what  they  did  not  understand. 
This  sect,  now  victorious  every  where, 
began  to  show  itself  disunited,  and  to  se- 
parate into  two  parties.     But  it  is   not 
worth  while  to  trouble  the  reader  with 
idle   niceties,  in  which   proud   men   in- 
volved   themselves,   while   all   had   for- 
saken the  simple  faith  of  antiquity.     In 
these  confusions,  Macedonius 
lost  the  see  of  Constantinople, 
which  was  given  to  Eudoxius, 
translated   from   Antioch,  in 
the  year  360.      Constantius 
poorly  endeavoured  to  atone 
for   the   corruptions   both   of 
principle  and  practice,  with 
which  he  filled  the  church,  by  offering 
large  vessels  of  gold  and  silver,  carpets 
for  the  altar  of  gold  tissue,  adorned  with 
precious  stones,  curtains  of  gold  and  di- 
vers colours  for  the  doors  of  the  church, 
and  also  liberal  donatives  to  the  clergy, 


Eudoxius 
is  made 
patriarcli 
of  Con- 
stantino- 
ple, 
A.  D.  SCO. 


the  virgins,  and  the  widows.* 

In  the  meantime  Christendom  through- 
out groaned  under  the  weight  of  extorted 
Arian  subscriptions;  and  Macedonius,  the 
deposed  bishop  of  Constantinople,  formed 
another  sect  of  those  who  were  enemies 
to  the  divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  These, 
by  the  advantage  of  sober  manners, 
spread  themselves  among  the  monaster- 
ies, and  increased  the  corruption  which 
then  pervaded  the  Christian  world.  But 
the  vigilant  spirit  of  Athanasius  was 
stirred  up  to  oppose  this  heresy  also. 
"The  Father  cannot  be  Son,  nor  the  Son 
Father,  (says  he)  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
never  called  by  the  naine  of  Son,  but  is 
called  the  Spirit  of  the  Father  and  of  the 
Son.  The  holy  Trinity  is  but  one  divine 
nature,  and  one  God,  with  which  a  crea- 


Fleury,  B.  XIV.  33. 


Cejtt.  IV.] 


MONASTICISM,  ETC. 


295 


ture  cannot  be  joined.  This  is  sufficient 
for  the  faithful.  Human  knowledge  goes 
no  farther:  the  cherubiras  veil  the  rest 
with  their  wings." 

Tne  see  of  Antioch  being  vacant,  Me- 
letius,  bishop  of  Sebasta,  a  man  of  exem- 
plary meekness  and   piety,  was  chosen. 
The  Arians  supposed  him  to  be  of  their 
parly.      Constantias    ordered    the   new 
bishop  to  preach  before  him  on  the  con- 
troversial subject  of  the  Trinity  :  Meletius 
delivered  himself  with  Christian  sincerity, 
rebuked  the  rashness  of  men,  who  strove 
to  fathom  the  divine  nature,  and  exhorted 
his  audience  to  adhere  to  tlie  simplicity 
of  tiie  faith.     He  had  remained  only  a 
month  in  Antioch,  and  had  the  honour  to 
be  banished  by  the  emperor,  who  filled 
up  the  see  with  Euzoius,  the  old  friend 
of  Arius.     In  consequence  of  this,  the 
friends  of  Meletius  separated   from   the 
Arians,  and  held  their  assemblies  in  the 
ancient  church,  which  had  been  the  first 
at   Antioch.     Besides   ihe   Arians,   who 
were  in  possession  of  the  emperor's  fa- 
vour, there  were  two  parties  both  sound 
in  the  Nicene  faith,  the  Eustathians,  be- 
fore spoken  of,  and  the  Meletians,  who 
testified  in  the  strongest  manner  their  re- 
gard for  their  exiled  pastor.     In  the  year 
361,    however,     Constantius 
died   of  a  fever,  having   re- 
ceived baptism  a  little  before 
he   expired,   from    Euzoius ; 
for,  after  his  father's  example,  he  had  de- 
ferred it  till  this  time.*     His  character 
needs   no  detail :    it  appeared  from   his 
case,  that  a  weak  man,  armed  with  des- 
potic power,  was  capable  of  doing  incre 
dible  mischief  in  the  Church  of  Christ. 


Death  of 

Anthony 
the  IMonk, 

A.  D.  356. 


Constanti- 
us dies, 

A.  D.  361. 


CHAPTER   V. 

A  VIEW  OF  MONASTICISM  AND  OTHER  MIS- 
CELLANEOUS CIRCUMSTANCES,  FROM 
THE  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  CHRISTIANI- 
TY UNDER  CONST ANTINE,  TO  THE 
DEATH    OF    CONSTANTIUS. 

It  seemed  most  convenient  to  preserve 
the  connexion  of  the  Arian  controversy 
without  interruption.     If  the  evangelical 


*  A  fact  relateJ  of  him  by  Theotloret  ena- 
bles us  to  fix  the  religious  character  of  tliis 
prince.  Wiien  lie  was  p;oiiig  to  cany  on  war 
with  Magnenlius,  he  exhorted  all  his  soldiers 
to  receive  baptism,  observing  the  danger  ot 
dying  without  that  sacred  rite,  and  ordering 
those  to  return  home  who  refused  to  submit  to 


reader  has  not  gained  much  information 
concerning  the  spirit  of  true  religion,  dur- 
ing this  violent  contest,  the  times  and 
the  materials  must  bear  the  blame.  There 
were    probably,    in    that    whole   period, 
many  sincere  souls,  w^ho  mourned  in  se- 
cret over  the  abominations  of  the  age; 
but  history,  ever  partial  to  the  great,  and 
dazzled  with  the  splendour  of  kings  and 
bishops,  condescends  not  to  notice  them. 
The  people  of  God  were  in  lower  life, 
and    remain,  therefore,    unknown.      We 
left  Athanasius  in  the  desert,  where  he 
employed  the  leisure,  which  the  iniquity 
of  the  persecution  gave  him,  in  visiting 
the  monks.  He  had  been  acquainted  with 
their   most  renowned   leader 
Anthony,  but  had  not  the  sa- 
tisfaction to  meet  with  him 
again,  he  dying  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year  356.     Let  us 
leave  Athanasius  and  the  Arian  contro- 
versy awhile,  and  see  what  we  can  find 
concerning  the  monks,  and  other  particu- 
lars  of  the  dealings    of  God   with   his 
Church  in  the  mean  time. 

We  are  not  to  form  an  idea  of  ancient 
monks  from  modern  ones.  It  was  a  mis- 
taken thing  in  holy  men  of  old  to  retire 
altogether  from  the  world.  But  there  is 
every  reason  to  believe  the  mistake  ori- 
ginated in  piety.  We  often  hear  it  said, 
How  ridiculous  to  think  of  pleasing  God 
by  austerities  and  solitude !  Far  be  it 
from  me  to  vindicate  the  superstitions  of 
monks,  and  particularly  the  vows  of  celi- 
bacy. But  the  error  is  very  natural,  has 
been  reprehended  much  too  severely,  and 
the  profaneness  of  men  of  the  world  is 
abundantly  more  dangerous.  The  enor- 
mous evils  of  Monasticism  are  to  be  as- 
cribed to  its  degeneracy  in  after  times,  not 
to  its  first  institution.  What  could,  for 
instance,  be  better  intentioned,  than  the 
determination  of  Anthony  to  follow  liter- 
ally our  Lord's  rule,  "  Sell  what  thou 
hast,  and  give  to  the  poor"?"  Say  that 
he  was  ignorant  and  superstitious;  he 
was  both :  but  he  persevered  to  the  age 
of  a  hundred  and  five  years  in  volun- 
tary poverty  with  admirable  consisten- 
cy. Surely  it  could  be  no  slight  cause 
that  could  move  a  young  person  of  opu- 
lence to  part  with  all,  and  live  in  the  ab- 
stemiousness of  a  solitary  life  with  such 
unshaken  perseverance.    Let  us,  from  the 


it.  Not  infidelity,  but  superstition,  predomi- 
nated in  Ills  mind.  Yet  how  inconsistent,  to 
defer  his  own  baptism  so  long  ! 


296 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  V. 


memorials  of  his  life,  written  by  Athana- 
sius,  omitting  the  miracles  which  the 
then  fashionable  credulity  imposed  on 
men,  endeavour  to  collect,  as  far  as  we 
can,  a  just  idea  of  his  spirit. 

Athanasius  tells  us  that  he  had  often 
seen  him,  and  had  received  information 
concerning  him  from  his  servant.  It  was 
a  great  disadvantage  to  Anthony's  judg- 
ment, that  he  was  unwilling  to  be  in- 
structed in  literature.  There  is  a  me- 
dium in  all  things  secular.  We  have 
seen  numbers  corrupted  by  an  excess  of 
literary  attachments :  we  see  here  one 
misled  by  the  want  of  proper  cultivation. 
When  a  youth,  he  had  heard  read  in  the 
church  our  Lord's  words  to  the  rich  young 
man,  and  his  ignorance  led  him  to  sell 
all,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  enter  into 
the  monastic  life.  Monks,  as  yet,  had 
not  learned  to  live  in  perfect  deserts  un- 
connected with  mankind,  and  hitherto 
they  lived  at  a  small  distance  from  their 
own  village.  Anthony  endeavoured  to 
form  himself  on  the  severest  models, 
and  pushed  the  genius  of  solitude  to  ri- 
gours before  unknown.  His  fame  increas- 
ed ;  he  was  looked  on  as  a  mirror  of  per- 
fection, and  the  Egyptians  were  studious 
to  follow  his  example.  His  instructions 
to  those  who  listened  to  him  are  not,  in 
general,  worth  transcribing.  The  faith 
of  Christ  is  very  obscure,  at  least  in  the 
best  of  them;  yet  his  sincerity  is  evident; 
his  love  to  divine  things  must  have  been 
ardent;  his  conflicts  and  temptations, 
which  are  confusedly  written  by  Athana- 
sius, demonstrated  a  mind  too  humble, 
and  knowing  too  much  of  himself,  to 
trust  in  his  own  righteousness.  He  preach- 
ed well  by  his  life,  and  temper,  and  spi- 
rit, however  he  might  fail  in  doctrinal 
knowledge. 

In  the  persecution  by  Dioclesian  he 
left  his  beloved  solitude,  and  came  to 
Alexandria,  strengthening  the  minds  of 
Christian  sufferers,  exposing  himself  to 
danger  for  the  love  of  the  brethren,  and 
yet  not  guilty  of  the  excess  of  delivering 
up  himself  to  martyrdom.  In  all  this 
there  was  what  was  better  than  the  monk, 
— the  sincere  and  charitable  Christian. 
Nor  did  he  observe  to  perfection  the  rules 
of  solitude.  There  were  two  sorts  of 
monks,  the  solitary,  and  those  who  lived 
in  societies.  Anthony,  though  he  had  a 
strong  inclination  to  follow  the  first  sort 
altogether,  sometimes  joined  the  latter, 
and  even  on  some  occasions  appeared  in 
the  world. 


The  Arian  heresy  gave  him  another  op- 
portunity of  showing  his  zeal.  He  again 
entered  Alexandria  and  protested  against 
its  impiety,  which,  he  observed,  was  of 
a  piece  with  heathenism  itself.  "  Be  as- 
sured," said  he,  "all  nature  is  moved, 
with  indignation  against  those  who  reck- 
on the  Creator  of  all  things  to  be  a  crea- 
ture." And  this  is  one  circumstance, 
which  convinces  me,  that  genuine  godli- 
ness, the  offspring  of  Christian  principles, 
must  have  been  with  the  primitive  monks, 
because  they  generally  vindicated  the 
Nicene  faith,  and  could  not  endure  Arian- 
ism.  They  must,  many  of  them  at  least, 
have  felt  the  motions  of  the  divine  life, 
which  will  not  connect  itself  with  any 
principles  that  depreciate  the  dignity  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

In  conversing  with  Pagan  philosophers, 
he  observed,  Uiat  Christianity  held  the 
mystery,  not  in  the  wisdom  of  Grecian 
reasoning,  but  in  the  power  of  faith  sup- 
plied to  them  from  God  by  Jesus  Christ. 
"  Faith,"  says  he,  "  springs  from  the  af- 
fection of  the  mind  ;  Logic  from  artificial 
contrivance.  Those  who  have  the  ener- 
gy that  is  by  faith,  need  not  perhaps  the 
demonstration  that  comes  by  reasoning." 
He  very  justly  appealed  to  the  glorious 
fruits  of  Christianity  in  the  world,  and 
exhorted  the  philosophers  "to  believe 
and  know  that  the  Christian  art  is  not 
merely  verbal,  but  of  faith  which  work- 
eth  by  love,  with  which  ye  being  once 
endowed,  shall  not  need  demonstrations 
by  arguments,  but  shall  deem  these  words 
of  Anthony  sufficient  to  lead  you  to  the 
faith  of  Christ." 

The  evangelical  reader  will  see  here 
something  better  than  mere  monasticism.* 
But  he  sullied  all  this  by  a  foolish  at- 
tempt, to  make  mankind  believe,  that  he 
lived  without  food,  while  he  ate  in  secret, 
and  by  a  vain  parade  of  conversation  con- 
cerning temperance,  which  savoured  more 
of  Pythagorean  fanaticism  than  of  Chris- 
tian piety.  In  his  extreme  old  age  he 
gave  particular  directions,  that  his  body 
should  be  interred,  not  preserved  in  a 
house  after  the  Egyptian  manner  of  hon 
ouring  deceased  saints  and  martyrs,  and 
charged  his  two  attendants  to  let  no  man 
know  the  place  of  his  burial.  "At  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead  I  shall  receive 


*  Possibly  the  attentive  reader  may  observe, 
without  my  mentioning  it,  that  I  have  seen,  on 
a  closer  inspection,  reason  to  tiiiiik  better  of 
Anthony,  than  from  liie  siiort  account  of  him 
in  p.  243,  one  migiit  seem  to  conclude. 


Cext.  IV.] 


MONASTICISM,  ETC. 


297 


my  body,"  says  he,  "  from  the  Saviour  in- 
corruptible." He  guarded  his  friends 
against  the  Arian  heresy,  and  bade  them 
not  be  disturbed,  though  the  judicial  pow- 
er, an  imaginary  fading  domination,  should 
be  against  them.  "Do  ye  observe  what 
ye  have  received  from  the  fathers,  and 
particularly  the  pious  faith  in  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  which  ye  have  heard  from 
the  Scriptures,  and  of  which  I  have  often 
reminded  you.  Divide  my  clothes  in 
this  manner  :  Give  one  of  my  sheep-skins 
to  the  bishop  Athanasius,  together  with 
the  garment  which  I  received  from  him 
when  new,  and  now  return  him  when  old. 
And  give  the  other  sheep-skin  to  Sera- 
pion  the  bishop.  The  sackcloth  keep  for 
yourselves,"  says  he  to  his  two  attendants. 
"Farewell,  children,  Anthony  is  going, 
and  is  no  more  with  you."  He  stretched 
out  his  feet,  and  appearing  pleased  at  the 
sight  of  his  friends  coming  to  him,  he 
expired  with  evident  marks  of  cheerful- 
ness on  his  face.  His  last  will  was 
punctually  executed.  Such  was  the  death 
of  this  father  of  monasticism :  the  account 
is  taken  wholly  from  his  Life  by  Athana- 
sius, and  is  a  monument  of  the  genuine 
piety  and  deep  superstition  both  of  the 
monk  and  his  biographer.  Such  was  the 
state  of  godliness  in  those  times,  existing 
obscure  "in  hermitages;  while  abroad  in 
the  world  the  Gospel  was  almost  buried 
in  faction  and  ambition ;  yet  probably  in 
ordinary  life  it  thrived  the  best  in  some 
instances,  though  quite  unknown. 

By  the  assistance  of  Fleury,  it  would 
be  easy  to  enlarge  the  history  of  men  of 
this  sort.  There  were  others  of  great 
monastic  renown  in  the  time  of  Anthony. 
But  their  narratives,  if  true,  are  neither 
entertaining  nor  instructive,  and  a  great 
part  of  them  at  least  is  stuffed  with  ex- 
travagant fables.  Let  us  turn  to  other 
objects.  At  the  time  when  the  bishops 
were  travelling  to  the  council  of  Nice, 
Licinius,  bishop  of  Casarea  in  Cappado- 
cia,  in  his  way  thither,  arrived  at  a  small 
town  called  Nazianzum  in  Cappadocia. 
There  he  met  with  Gregory,  afterwards 
bishop  of  Nazianzum,  who  applied  for  bap- 
tism. This  man  had  led  a  life  of  great  mo- 
ral strictness,  belonging  to  a  particular 
sect,  who  observed  the  Sabbath  and  a  dis- 
tinction of  meats  like  the  Jews.  His  wife 
Nona  was  an  exemplary  Christian,  and 
was  very  instrumental  in  her  husband's 
conversion.  There  is  reason  to  hope  it 
was  a  conversion  from  self-righteous 
pride  to  the  humble  faith  of  Jesus.     Lici- 


nius instructed  him :  he  received  baptism, 
and  some  years  afterwards,  was  made 
bishop  of  the  place,  and  remained  in  that 
office  forty-five  years,  to  an  extreme  old 
age.  Though  advanced  in  years,  when 
he  applied  himself  to  Christian  learning, 
he  accjuired  a  just  discernment,  preserved 
his  flock  from  the  spreading  infection  of 
Arianisrn,  and  mollified  the  manners  of 
the  barbarous  people.  Possibly  the  me- 
moirs of  his  pastoral  labours,  if  we  had 
them,  might  be  found  more  instructive 
than  most'  of  the  subjects  which  engage 
our  attention  in  this  period.  Gregory's 
episcopal  character  commenced  about  the 
year  328.  And  this  tribute  seemed  due 
to  his  memory  and  to  that  of  his  wife,  not 
only  on  their  own  accounts,  but  also  be- 
cause they  were  the  parents  of  the  famous 
Gregory  of  Nazianzum,  who  in  an  oration 
celebrates  their  piety. 

If  we  look  to  the  situation  of  the  an- 
cient heretics,  we  find  them  in  a  dwind- 
ling state.  The  followers  of  Marcion, 
Valentinian,  and  the  rest,  still  subsisted 
indeed,  and  an  edict  of  Constantine  for- 
bade their  assembling  together.  Under 
this  act  of  Uniformity  the  Novatians  were 
condemned  also.  Thus  the  best  of  the 
Dissenters  were  not  permitted  to  worship 
in  their  own  way,  while  the  Donatists, 
the  worst,  were  in  a  manner  tolerated. 
But  in  vain  do  we  look  either  for  wisdom 
or  equity  in  the  ecclesiastical  proceed- 
ings of  Constantine  or  any  of  his  family 
in  general.  Two  only  of  the  persecuted 
sects,  the  INIeletians  and  the  Donatists, 
were  not  mentioned  in  the  edict,  as  far  as 
one  can  judge,  and,  in  consequence  of 
this  omission,  they  subsisted,and  weather- 
ed the  force  of  the  decree.  The  old  here- 
sies were  crushed,  while  the  enthusiastic 
Montanists  maintained  their  hold  in  their 
native  Phrygia,  and  the  Novatians  re- 
mained still  numerous,  retaining  narrow 
views  of  church  discipline,  and  with  these 
a  considerable  strictness  of  manners,  and 
it  is  hoped,  the  good  influence  of  the  Di- 
vine Spirit.  But  we  want  better  materi- 
als for  the  history  of  this  people. 

At  the  very  time,  when  Athanasius  was 
persecuted  at  Tyre,  and  was  thou  ^ht  un- 
worthy to  live  at  Alexandria,  the  bishops 
were  employed  also  in  dediciting  the 
church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at  Jerusa- 
lem. Its  magificence  was  a  monument 
of  the  ostentatious  superstition  of  Con- 
stantine. It  is  foreign  to  our  design  to 
describe  its  expensive  pomp.  On  this 
occasion,  Jerusalem,  which  from  the  time 


298 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VI. 


of  Adrian  had  been  called  in  ^lia,*  re 
covered  its  name,  became  the  resort  of 
Christian  pilgrims,  was  vainly  represent- 
edf  by  some  as  the  new  Jerusalem  de- 
scribed by  the  prophets,  and  was  held  in 
great  veneration  by  sermons,  acts  of  li- 
berality, and  panegyrics  on  the  emperor. 
In  these  things  the  historian  Eusebius 
was  signally  distinguished.  Here  Arius 
was  received ;  and  thus  that  scripture 
was  fulfilled  concerning  the  hypocrisy  of 
professors  of  religion  in  the  Christian 
times,  "Your  brethren,  that  hated  you, 
and  cast  you  out  for  my  name's  sake, 
said.  Let  the  Lord  be  glorified. "ij;  The 
enmity  against  real  godliness  was  var- 
nished with  a  parade  of  external  piety; 
pomp  supplied  the  room  of  sincerity,  and 
formality  usurped  the  place  of  spiritual 
understanding. 

Not  long  before  his  death,  Constantine 
wrote  to  Anthony  the  monk,  and  begged 
an  answer.  The  reflection  which  he  made 
an  the  occasion  showed  at  once  his  ig- 
norance of  secular  affairs,  and  his  know- 
ledge of  divine  things.  Bo  not  astonish- 
ed, says  he,  if  an  emperor  writes  to  us. 
He  is  but  a  man :  rather  be  astonished, 
that  God  should  write  a  book  for  man, 
and  deliver  it  to  us  by  his  own  Son.  He 
answered  the  emperor,  desiring  him  not 
to  esteem  present  things,  to  think  of  the 
future  judgment,  to  remember  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  true  and  eternal  king ;  to  be 
be  merciful,  to  do  justice,  and  particularly 
to  take  care  of  the  poor. 

Under  Constantius  an  attempt  was 
made  to  re-unite  the  Donatists  to  the  gen- 
eral church.  The  consequence  was,  that 
a  number  were  formally  recovered  to  it. 
The  body  of  them  remained,  what  they 
always  were,  an  unworthy  people,  and 
they  had  among  them  a  sort  of  wild  li- 
centious persons  called  Circumcelliones, 
who  were  very  violent  and  ferocious  in 
their  conduct. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  EXTENSION  OF  THE  GOSPEL,  FROM 
THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  CENTURY, 
TO  THE  DEATH  OF  CONSTANTIUS. 

This  should  be  the  favourite  object  of 
a  Christian  historian,  and  glad  should  I 
be  to  answer  the  most  sansruine  wishes  of 


•  ^lia  Capitolina,  because  rebuilt  by  JElius 
Adriaiius. 
t  Fleury,  B.  XI.  54.  *  Isaiah  Ixvi.  5. 


the  evangelical  reader.  But  the  period 
before  us  is  far  more  fruitful  in  ecclesiasti- 
cal contentions  than  remarkable  for  the 
extension  of  Christianity  itself;  and  even 
the  account  which  we  have  of  the  trophies 
of  the  Redeemer's  death  and  resurrection, 
in  the  barbarous  countries,  is  too  mean 
and  defective,  to  satisfy  the  laudable 
curiosity  of  those  who  love  the  progress 
of  vital  religion. 

About  the  beginning  of  the  century,  a 
Tyrian  philosopher,  named  Meropius, 
possessed  of  the  spirit  of  travelling,  ex- 
plored the  interior  parts  of  India.*  He 
took  with  him  two  boys,  his  relations, 
who  understood  the  Greek  tongue.  Ar- 
riving at  a  certain  harbour,  the  natives 
murdered  the  whole  company,  except  the 
two  boys,  who  were  presented  to  the 
king,  and  finding  favour  in  his  eyes, 
were  promoted  in  his  court.  Upon  the 
king's  death,  the  queen  dowager  engaged 
them  to  superintend  the  affairs  of  the 
realm,  and  the  education  of  the  young" 
prince.  Their  names  were  ^Edesius  and 
Frumentius.  But  the  latter  was  prime 
minister. f  The  man,  however,  had  his 
eyes  fixed  on  higher  objects  than  the  po- 
litics of  the  country.  He  met  with  some 
Roman  merchants,  who  traded  there,  and 
asked  them  if  they  found  any  Christians 
in  the  kingrdom.  Having  discovered  some 
by  their  means,  he  encouraged  them  to 
associate  for  the  purposes  of  religious 
worship,  and  at  length  erected  a  church 
for  their  use,  and  certain  natives,  instruct- 
ed in  the  Gospel,  were  converted  to  the 
faith.  On  the  king's  accession  to  the 
admmistration,  Frumentius  desired  leave 
to  return  to  his  own  country,  which  both 
the  king  and  his  mother  were  very  re- 
luctant to  allow.  He  left  the  country, 
however,  with  ^desius.  The  latter  re- 
turned to  his  relations  at  Tyre,  while  Fru- 
mentius, arriving  at  Alexandria,  commu- 
nicated his  adventures  to  Athanasius  the 


•  I  follow  the  narrative  of  Socrates,B.  I.  c.  19. 
But  what  he  calls  India,  seems  to  have  been 
tiie  kingdom  of  Abyssinia,  which  at  this  day 
calls  itself  Christian,  and  glories  in  the  evan- 
gelical labours  of  its  first  bisliop  Frumentius  ; 
ihough  it  appears,  from  the  account  of  Bruce, 
in  his  voyage  to  discover  tiie  source  of  tha 
Nile,  to  have  long  remained  in  the  deepest  ig- 
norance and  vice. 

t  Bruce  would  call  him  the  Ras.  The 
whole  story  carries  a  strong  air  of  probabili- 
ty, from  the  resemblance  of  the  customs  in  this 
Indian  kingdom  to  tliose  of  Abyssinia;  which 
seems  to  confirm  the  conjecture,  that  the  India 
of  Socrates  was  Abyssinia. 


Ckst.  IV.] 


EXTENSION  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 


299 


bishop,  and  informed  him  of  the  proba- 
bility of  evangelizing'  the  country,  if  mis- 
sionaries were  sent  thither.  On  mature 
consideration  Athanasius  told  him,  that 
none  was  so  fit  for  the  office  as  himself. 
He  consecreated  him,  therefore,  the  first 
bishop  of  the  Indians ;  and  this  active 
missionary,  returning  to  a  country  where 
his  integrity  and  capacity  had  already 
been  distinguished,  preached  the  Gospel 
with  much  success,  and  erected  many 
churches.  Thus  was  the  Gospel  planted 
in  a  barbarous  kingdom,  where  the  ex- 
treme ignorance  of  the  natives  would  much 
facilitate  its  external  progress  at  least, 
under  the  episcopal  labours  of  a  man  who 
had  educated  their  sovereign;  then  at 
least,  most  probably,  there  were  many 
real  conversions,  and  a  time  of  copious 
effusion  of  the  Spirit  of  God.*  And  the 
difficulty  of  access  to  this  region,  which 
has  since  proved  so  prejudicial  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  knowledge  among  its  in- 
habitants, was  at  that  time  a  happy  pre- 
servative to  the  infant  church.  It  was  in 
vain,  that  Constantius  laboured  to  poison 
it  with  his  beloved  Arianism.  He  gave 
orders  that  Frumentius  should  be  de- 
posed, and  that  an  Arian  successor  should 
be  appointed ;  but  the  country  was  hap- 
pily out  of  the  reach  of  his  imperial 
bigotry. 

The  Iberians  were  a  people  bordering 
on  the  Black  Sea,  who,  in  some  military 
excursion,  took  prisoner  a  pious  Christian 
woman,  whose  sanctity  of  manners  en- 
gaged the  respect  of  these  barbarians. 
Socrates  mentions  several  miracles  which 
God  wrought  by  her  means.|  The  credi- 
bility of  such  divine  interpositions  much 
depends  on  the  importance  of  circum- 
stances. "  Nee  Deus  intersit,  nisi  dignus 
vindice  nodus,"  is  a  rule  of  Horace  full  of 
good  sense,  and  as  applicable  to  theology 
as  to  poetry.  What  so  likely  to  affect  the 
minds  of  an  ignorant  people  as  miracles'? 
The  situation  of  things  rendered  it  proba- 
ble, that  such  divine  interpositions  might 
take  place;  but  I  shall  mention  only 
those,  which  may  seem  worthy  of  some 
credit.    A  child  of  the  kinof's  was  sent  to 


*  Theabsolute  despotism  of  the  Abyssinian 
princes, and  the  probability  that  tbe  Sovereign 
before  us  received  Christianity,  would  account 
for  the  establishment  of  the  Gospel  through 
the  M-hole  country.  And  the  inaccessible  si- 
tuation and  profound  ignorance  of  Abyssinia, 
will  account  for  the  continuance  of  nominal 
Christianity  to  this  day. 

t  B.  I.  c.  20. 


the  women  of  the  country  to  be  cured,  if 
any  of  them  knew  a  proper  method  of 
treating  it — a  well-known  ancient  custom. 
The  case  baffled  the  skill  of  them  all,  and 
the  child  was  committed  to  the  captive 
woman.  "  Christ,"  said  she,  "  who  heal- 
ed many,  will  also  heal  this  infant."  She 
prayed,  and  he  recovered.  In  the  same 
manner  the  queen  herself  was  healed  of  a 
distemper  some  time  after.  "  It  is  not  my 
work,"  said  she,  "  but  that  of  Christ  the 
Son  of  God,  the  maker  of  the  world." 
The  king  sent  her  presents  in  token  of 
his  gratitude.  But  she  sent  them  back, 
assuring  him,  that  "  godliness  was  her 
riches,  and  that  she  should  look  on  it,  as 
the  noblest  present,  if  he  would  worship 
the  God  whom  she  adored."  The  next 
day  the  king  was  lost  in  hunting  in  a 
thick  mist,  and  implored  in  vain  the  aid 
of  his  gods.  In  his  distress,  recollecting 
the  words  of  the  woman,  he  prayed  to  the 
God  whom  she  worshipped.  The  mist 
was  instantly  dispersed,  and  the  king 
found  his  way  home.  In  consequence  of 
this  event,  and  of  future  conferences  with 
the  woman,  both  the  king  and  queen  em- 
braced the  Gospel,  and  exhorted  their 
subjects  to  receive  it.  An  embassy  was 
sent  to  Constantine  to  desire  that  pastors 
might  be  commissioned  to  instruct  them. 
The  emperor  gave  the  ambassadors  a  very 
gracious  reception. 

It  is  proper  to  add  here,  on  the  autho- 
rity of  Philostorgius,  that  Constantius 
sent  ambassadors  to  the  Sabeans  of  Ara- 
bia Felix,  demanding  that  the  Roman  na- 
vigators and  inhabitants  might  build 
Christian  churches,  and  that  he  furnished 
them  with  money  for  the  purpose.  The- 
ophilus,  an  Indian,  who  had  long  been 
with  Constantine  in  the  capacity  of  a 
hostage,  was  ordained  bishop  by  Eus&- 
bius  of  Nicomedia,  and  sent  among  the 
Sabeans  ;  he  erected  churches,  and  spread 
at  least  the  name  of  Christianity  to  a  cer- 
tain degree. 

The  ecclesiastical  accounts  of  Britain 
are  so  fabulous,  or  at  best  so  scanty,  that 
it  is  a  pleasure  to  be  able  to  relate  any 
thing  that  has  the  marks  of  historical  au- 
thenticity. At  the  council  of  Ariminum, 
held  on  account  of  the  Arian  heresy,  the 
emperor  Constantius  gave  orders  to  sup- 
ply the  expenses  of  the  bishops  out  of  the 
public  treasury.  While  the  rest  accepted 
the  imperial  munificence,  the  bishops  of 
Gaul  and  Britain  thought  it  unbecoming 
the  ecclesiastical  character  to  receive  se- 
cular maintenance,  and  bore  their  own 


300 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VH. 


expenses.  Only  three  from  Britain  were 
so  poor,  that  they  were  unable  to  main- 
tain themselves.  Their  brethren  offered 
by  a  contribution  to  supply  their  wants; 
but  they  chose  rather  to  be  obliiffed  to  the 
emperor's  bounty,  than  to  burthen  their 
brethren.  Gavidius,  a  French  liishop,  re- 
proached them  for  this;  but  Severus,  the 
relater  of  the  story,  thinks  it  was  a  cir- 
cumstance much  redoundinor  to  their  cre- 
dit.* So  I  apprehend  it  will  appear  to  the 
reader,  and  we  regret  that  where  there 
are  such  evident  vestiges  of  primitive  and 
disinterested  simplicity,  Ave  should  know 
so  little  of  the  lives  and  characters  of 
men  quite  remote  from  the  scenes  of  ec- 
clesiastical turbulence  and  ambition.  Pro- 
bably in  our  island  the  Gospel  flourished 
at  this  time  in  humble  obscurity. 

Christianity  was  spreading  itself  be- 
yond the  Roman  empire.  The  nations 
bordering  on  the  Rhine,  with  the  remotest 
parts  of  France,  were  now  Christian ;  and 
the  Goths  near  the  Danube,  about  sixty 
jrears  before,  had  been  civilized  at  least, 
by  the  Christian  religion,  through  the 
bishops  whom  they  had  carried  captive 
under  Gallienus;  and  most  probably  the 
Spirit  of  God  was  with  their  labours. 
Armenia  under  its  king  Tiridates  had 
embraced  Christianity, f  and  by  means  of 
commerce  had  conveyed  it  into  Persia, 
where  Christians  began  to  be  numerous. 

But  there  they  sustained  a  very  griev- 
ous persecution  from  king  Sapor,  in  the 
time  of  Constantino;  a  long  account  of 
which  we  have  in  Sozomen.^  The  rea- 
der has  seen  many  things  of  the  same 
kind  in  former  persecutions;  I  shall  only 
observe  therefore  in  general,  that  thou- 
sands chose  rather  to  suffer  for  the  name 
of  Christ,  than  to  pollute  themselves  with 
the  worship  of  the  sun;  that  the  Magi 
and  the  Jews  were  peculiarly  instrumen- 
tal in  this  persecution ;  and  that  the  peo- 
ple of  God  suffered  here  with  so  much 
sincerity  and  fortitude,  as  to  evince  that 
the  Lord  had  many  people  belonging  to 
himself  in  Persia. 

*   Sulpit.  Scv.  B.  II.  c.  55. 

-j-  Armenia  had  probably  long  before  lieen 
in  some  measure  evangelized.  It  was  not, 
however,  till  the  conimeneement  of  ibis  <en- 
tui'v  tliat  Gregory,  surnamed  Tlie  Knligbtener, 
establistied  ibe  Gospel  there,  'riirougb  bis 
means  Tiridates  and  all  his  nobks  were 
brought  over  to  the  profession  of  Clu'istianity. 
He  was  consecrated  bisiiop  of  Armenia  by 
Leontius  bishop  of  Cappadocia.  Mosheim, 
Cent.  IV. 

t  B.  II.  c.  <J,  &c. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE  DECLINE  OF  IDOLATRY  IN  THIS 
CENTURY,  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  CON- 
STANTIUS. 

It  was  the  character  of  the  ancient 
Romans  to  be  excessively  superstitious. 
While  their  arms  prospered  through  Eu- 
rope and  Asia,  they  were  vigilant  and 
punctual  in  all  the  offices  of  their  religion, 
and  studious  of  adopting  the  gods  of  the 
nations  whom  they  conquered,  as  well  as 
their  improvements  in  arts  and  sciences. 
This  religious  spirit  was  the  nurse  at 
least,  if  not  the  parent,  of  many  social 
virtues;  industry,  frugality,  valour,  and 
patriotism,  coalesced  with  superstition. 
With  the  learning  of  Greece,  at  length, 
her  philosophical  scepticisin  and  Epicu- 
rean profaneness  were  incorporated  into 
the  Roman  commonwealth,  and  were  at- 
tended with  their  usual  vices  of  luxury 
and  dissipation.  The  vulgar  still  be- 
lieved, as  senators  and  equestrians  Avere 
wont  to  do;  the  college  of  Augurs,  the 
whole  apparatus  of  idolatry,  remained  in 
all  their  pomp  and  formality ;  and  the 
Sfreatest  noblemen  thou<jht  themselves 
dignified  by  the  priesthood,  while  they 
inwardly  despised  what  they  professed 
with  fictitious  reverence. 

Little  did  they  think,  when  a  few 
fishermen  and  mechanics  of  Judea  began 
to  preach  Christ  crucified,  that  the  Chris- 
tian religion  was  destined  to  overturn  the 
idolatrous  establishment  of  ages.  By  cur 
present  familiarity  with  Christian  usages, 
and  by  the  perfect, annihilation  of  Pagan 
phenomena,  we  are  not  prepared  to  ad- 
mire so  much  the  work  of  God  in  the  pro- 
pagation of  his  own  religion,  as  it  de- 
serves. Were  the  matter  fully  considered, 
it  would  strike  every  mind  with  convic- 
tion, that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath  done 
this.  That  zeal,  which  pliilosophy  had 
cooled,  revived  in  the  minds  of  polythe- 
Ists,  and  produced  persecution,  as  Chris- 
tianity spread  through  the  nations.  A  su- 
perstitious teinper  in  many  of  the  great 
and  the  learned  succeeded  to  the  scepti- 
cal turn  of  mind,  and  mere  philosophers 
themselves,  through  carnal  enmity  and 
political  selfishness,  aided  the  intolerant 
spirit  with  all  their  might.  We  have 
seen  how  the  Gospel  still  triumphed 
without  secular  support,  and  have  already 
taken  notice  of  one  strong  symptom  of 
the  decline  of  Paganism  toward  the  end 


Ckxt.  IV.] 


DECLINE  OF  IDOLATRY. 


301 


The  Pla- 
tonic 
School  of 
Ammo- 
nius. 


of  the  second  centurj-,  namely,  that  a  new 
race  of  philosophers  arose,  who  atternpt- 
ed  to  form  an  alliance  with  Christianity. 
These  new  Platonics  all  own- 
ed Ammonius  for  their  mas- 
ter, who,  as  Ensebius  tells 
us,  professed  the  Gospel  to 
the  end  of  his  life.  So  plainly 
did  Satan  feel  his  inability  to 
crush  the  Gospel,  that  he  was  contented 
now  with  labouring  to  adulterate  and  un- 
dermine it.  From  this  school  proceeded 
Porphyry,*  born  at  Tyre,  whose  life  is 
written  by  Eunapius.  He  studied  six 
j'-ears  at  Rome  under  Plotinus,  whose 
Life  he  published,  Socrates  tells  us,| 
that  in  his  early  days  he  was  a  Christian; 
but  having  been  beaten  by  some  Chris- 
tians at  CtBsarea,  through  disgust  he  re- 
linquished the  Gospel.  Its  hold  on  his 
mind  must  have  been  extremely  weak, 
when  he  could  be  induced  to  leave  it  be- 
cause of  the  unworthy  conduct  of  some 
nominal  believers.  But  let  Augustine's 
reflection  be  heard  on  this  occasion,  who 
thus  addresses  him:  "If  ever  you  had 
truly  and  cordially  loved  divine  wisdom, 
you  would  have  known  Christ  the  power 
of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God;  nor 
would  you  ever  have  revolted  from  his 
most  wholesome  humility,  through  the 
pride  of  vain  knowledge."  There  remain 
only  some  fragments  of  his  fifteen  books 
against  the  Christians.  He  shows  in 
them  the  same  malignant  spirit  which 
Celsus  did,  but  with  superior  abilities; 
for  his  capacity  and  learning  were  both 
very  eminent. 

In  his  old  age  he  published  a  work  on 
the  Philosophy  of  Oracles,  which  has 
been  denied  to  be  his,  because  he  speaks 
in  it  very  honourably  of  Christianity,  and 
utters  sentiments  which  one  would  not 
expect  from  a  man  Vv-ho  had  spent  a  long 
life  in  virulent  animosity  against  the  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus.  This  enmity  is  often 
as  strong  where  it  is  covered,  as  when  it 
is  open;  and  circumstances  will  dictate  a 
great  variety  in  men's  ways  of  showing  or 
concealing  it.  During  the  Dioclesian  per- 
secution, philosophers  were  not  ashamed 
to  persecute.  Hierocles  has  been  mention- 
ed, who  as  a  magistrate  tortured  the 
Christians,  and  rs  a  philosopher  wrote 
against  them.     If  he  lived  to  see  Chris- 


*  See  Laidner's  Collection,  under  the  arti- 
cle rorpliyry.  From  him  I  have  derived  in- 
i'orniation  on  this  subject,  tiioiigh  obliged  to 
dissent  entirely  from  his  opinion. 

+  13.111.0.23. 

Vol.  I.  2  0 


tianity  established  under  Constantine,  it 
is  not  improbable,  provided  he  wrote  at 
all  on  the  subject,  that  he  wrote  as  Por- 
phyry does  in  the  work  before  us.  World- 
ly men  are  moved  by  good  success  to  ad- 
mire, by  bad  to  contemn.      Even  their 
opinions  are  superficially  swayed  by  these 
external  things,  and  yet  the  latent  frame 
of  their  spirits  remains  the  same.     Por- 
phyry lived,  we  are  told,  to  an  advanced 
age  ;  and  as  his  work,  styled  the  Philoso- 
phy of  Oracles,  points  out  the  Gospel  to 
be  then  the  prevalent  religion,  it  was  pro- 
bably his  last  production;  and  Eunapius 
owns  he  left  sentiments  in  his  last  works 
different  from  the  former.     Yet  he  never 
seems  with  Ammonius  to  have  professed 
Christianity   since    his    early   apostasy. 
But   he   confesses   that   the    Barbarians 
were  much  in  the  right,  and  the  Greeks 
in  the  wrong.     He  tells  us  of  Apollo's 
oracular  answers  concerning  Christ,  that 
his  soul  after  death  was  immortal,  that 
he  was  pious  and  holy,  though  ignorant 
Christians   do   wrong   to   worship    him. 
Augustine    thinks,*    that  these    oracles 
were  invented  on   purpose  to  disparage 
the  Christians,  by  representing  them  as 
being  allied   with   Satan.     The   oracle, 
wherher  carried  on  by  Satanic  or  human 
fraud,  or  what  seems  nearest  the  truth, 
by  both,  would  doubtless  have  a  tenden- 
cy by  this  means  to  asperse  Christianity. 
At  the  same  time  to  praise  Christ  and  to 
blame  his  followers,  may  be  conceived  to 
be  the  natural  language  of  an  enemy  of 
God,  lying  under  some  restraint ;   and  it 
has  been  the  common  conduct  of  infidels 
in  our  days,  who,  had  they  lived  in  per- 
secuting times,  with  Celsus  would  have 
as   freely   expressed    their   contempt   of 
Christ  as  of  his  people.     Christians  are, 
however,  represented  by  Porphyry  as  cor- 
rupt and  erroneous,  while  their  master  is 
honoured  as  divine.     From  this  view  of 
Porphyry,  one  may  learn  something  of 
the   policy  of  Satan  and  his  embsaries 
in  the  support  of  a  dying  cause.     The  de- 
cay of  Paganism  is  evident,  and  the  arts 
of  philosophic  infidelity  were  then  what 
they  are  now.     Men  who  know  the  value 
of  divine  truth  should  guard  against  these 
devices,  and  not  suffer  themselves  to  be 
seduced  by  an  ambiguous  and  insiduous 
candour.     At  the  same  time  the  progress 
of  error  in  proud  men  is  strongly  illus- 
trated  in  the  case  of  Porphyry.     Men, 
who  have  no  real  experience  of  the  pow- 


■■  Civit.  Dei.  B.  XIX. 


302 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VIH. 


er  of  godliness,  are  easily  induced  to  give 
up  its  form  :  if  they  be  men  of  parts  and 
learning,  they  are  led  from  one  delusion 
to  another,  till  they  advance  to  the  far- 
thest limit  of  malevolence  and  enmity. 
Checked  they  may  be  by  circumstances, 
and  may  talk  respectfully  of  Christ  to 
the  last ;  but  unless  humbled  and  brought 
to  know  themselves,  they  will  live  and 
die  the  same. 

The  first  measures  of  Constantine,  af- 
ter this  success  in  Italy,  were  to  place 
Christianity  on  an  equal  footing  with  Pa- 
ganism by  the  laws,  while  he  gradually 
patronized  the  Church  more 
Policy  of      ^^^  more.     Among  other  im- 
tine.^"""       provements   in    the   political 
and  judiciary  state  of  the  em- 
pire, he  abolished  the  barbarous  punish- 
ment of  crucifixion.     After  he  was  be- 
come sole  master  of  the  empire,  he  for- 
bade the  private  exercise  of  divination, 
the  great  bulwark  of  false  religion,  still 
allowing  the  public  use  of  it  at  the  altars 
and  temples  ;  and  sometime  after  he  pro- 
hibited the  worst  branches  of  sorcery  and 
magic*     He  took  particular  care  to  se- 
cure the  observation  of  the  Lord's  day, 
and  ordered  it  to  be  set  apart  for  prayer 
and  holy  exercises.     He  openly  declared, 
that  he  would  not  oblige  men  to  be  Chris- 
tians, though  he  earnestly  desired  they 
would  become  so;  nor  did  he  abolish  the 
rites  of  the  temples.     Finding,  however, 
the   Pagans   extremely   obstinate  in  the 
preservation   of    their    superstitions,   he 
publicly   exposed   the   mysteries   which 
had    hitherto   been   kept  secret,   melted 
down  golden  statues,  and  caused  brazen 
ones  to  be  drawn  by  ropes  through  the 
streets  of  Constantinople.     And  some  of 
the  temples  which  had  been  scenes  of 
horrible  wickedness  he  destroyed. 

In  Egypt,  the  famous  cubit,  with  which 
the   priests   were  wont  to  measure   the 
height  of  the  Nile,  was  kept  in  the  tem- 
ple of  Serapis.     This  by  Constantine'sl 
order  was  removed  to  the  church  at  Alex- 
andria.    The  Pagans  beheld  the  removal 
with  indignation,  and  ventured  to  predict, 
that  the  Nile  would  no  longer  overflow 
its  banks.     Divine  Providence,  however, 
favoured    the   schemes   of    Constantine, 
and  the  Nile  the  next  year  overflowed 
the  country  in  an  uncommon  degree.     In 
this  gradual  manner  was  Paganism  over 
turned ;  sacrifices  in  a  partial  manner  still 


continued,  but  the  entire  destruction  of 
idolatry  seemed  to  be  at  hand.  The  tem- 
ples stood  for  the  most  part,  though  much 
defaced  and  deprived  of  their  former  dig- 
nity and  importance.  The  sons  of  Con- 
stantine trode  in  his  steps,  and  gradually 
proceeded  in  the  demolition  of  Paganism. 
Under  them  we  find  an  express  edict  for 
the  abolition  of  sacrifices. 

Magnentius,  the  usurper,  while  master 
of  Rome,  allowed  the  Gentiles  to  cele- 
brate their  sacrifices  in  the  night;  but 
Constantius  immediately  after  his  victory 
took  away  this  indulgence,  and  solemnly 
prohibited  magic  in  all  its  various  forms. 
He  also  took  away  the  altar  and  image 
of  Victory  which  stood  in  the  portico 
of  the  Capitol.  In  truth,  this  emperor 
was  by  no  means  wanting  in  zeal  against 
idolatry,  though  his  unhappy  controver- 
sial spirit  in  defence  of  Arianism  render- 
ed him  rather  an  enemy  than  a  friend  to 
vital  godliness. 

Such  was  the  state  of  Paganism  at  the 
death  of  Constantius.  Pagans  were, 
however,  exceedingly  numerous,  and  en- 
joyed with  silent  pleasure  the  long  and 
shameful  scenes  of  Arian  controversy 
in  the  church.  Nor  were  they  hopeless. 
The  eyes  of  the  votaries  of  the  gods  were 
all  directed  to  his  successor,  the  warlike, 
the  enterprising,  the  zealous  Julian,  a  de- 
termined foe  of  the  Gospel.  Great  things 
had  been  done  for  the  church ;  but  its 
rulers  of  the  house  of  Constantine  were 
weak,  and  void  of  true  piety.  In  the 
warm  imaginations  of  many  zealous  de- 
votees, even  Jupiter  himself  seemed  like- 
ly TO  GROW  TERRIBLE  AGAIN,  AND  BE  AGAIN 

ADORED.  Tliis  last  struggle  of  expiring 
Paganism,  marked  as  it  is  with  signal 
instances  of  Providence,  will  deserve  par- 
ticular attention. 


*  Cave's  State  of  Paganism  under  the  first 
Christian  Emperors. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Julian's  attempts  to  restore  idol- 
atry. 
A  GREATKR  zcalot  for  Paganism  than 
Julian  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  history  of 
mankind.  Temper,  talents,  power,  and 
resentment,  all  conspired  to  cherish  his 
superstitious  attachments.  It  may  serve 
to  illustrate  the  providential  care  of  God 
over  his  church,  and  by  way  of  contrast 
it  may  heighten  our  ideas  of  that  Gospel 
simplicity,  with  which  we  have  seen  di- 
vine truth  to  be  supported  and  advanced, 


CE!fT.  IV.] 


JULIAN. 


303 


to  behold  the  serpentine  arts  with  which 
the  prince  of  darkness  was  permitted  to 
attempt  the  restoration  of  his  kingdom 
by  the  hand  of  .lulian.  For  I  can  by  no 
means  subscribe  to  the  character,  which 
Mosheim*  gives  us  of  the  mediocrity  of 
his  genius.  Whoever  duly  attends  to  the 
plan  which  he  formed  to  subvert  Chris- 
tianity, will  see  the  union  of  a  solid  judg- 
ment with  indefatigable  assiduity.  Nei- 
ther address  nor  dexterity  was  wanted. 
All  that  the  wit  and  prudence  of  man 
could  do  was  attempted.  He  was  highly 
superstitious  indeed,  and  addicted  to  ma- 
gic beyond  all  bounds.  Nor  are  these, 
as  Mosheim  thinks,  any  tokens  of  natu- 
ral meanness   of  spirit.      Alexander  the 


read  the  New  Testament  with  attentioq, 
and  prayed  over  it  with  seriousness,  he 
might  have  seen  that  the  doctrines  there 
inculcated  led  to  a  conduct  very  opposite 
to  that  which  he  beheld  in  the  then  lead- 
ers of  the  Christian  world,  both  civil  and 
ecclesiastical.  A  tenth  part  of  the  study, 
which  he  employed  on  the  profane  clas- 
sics, might  have  sufficed  for  this.  But 
like  many  infidels  in  all  ages,  he  does  not 
seem  to  have  paid  any  attention  to  the 
Scriptures,  nor  even  to  have  known  what 
their  doctrines  really  are.  From  his  youth 
he  practised  dissimulation  with  consum- 
mate artifice.  One  Maximus,  a  noted 
philosopher  and  magician,  confirmed  him 
in  his  ])agan  views ;  he  secretly  held  cor- 


Great  was  as  magnanimous  by  nature  as  respondence   with   Libanius,  the   pagan 


any  of  the  sons  of  men ;  yet  was  he  as 
superstitious  as  Julian  himself.  The  de- 
sire of  weighing  characters  in  modern 
scales,  is  apt  to  betray  men  of  learning 
into  a  false  judgment  both  of  persons  and 
things.  Let  it  then  fairly  be  allowed, 
what  indeed  his  works  and  actions  in 
general,  as  well  as  his  artful  and  judicious 
opposition  to  the  Gospel,  evince,  that 
Julian  was  a  man  of  very  great  parts  and 
endowments.  He  died  about  the  same 
age  with  Alexander;  neither  of  them  had 
attained  that  maturity  of  judgment,  which 
full  experience  gives  to  the  human  mind. 
And  yet  in  them  both  the  world  beheld 
uncommon  exertions  of  genius  and  capa- 
city. If  Julian  failed,  let  it  be  remem- 
bered, that  his  arms  were  levelled  against 
Heaven;  and  it  is  of  no  service  to  Chris- 
tianity, to  depreciate  the  talents  of  its 
enemies. 

Constantius   ought  to   have   reflected, 
that  by  cruelty  and  injustice  in  sacrificing 
the  relations  of  Julian,  he  excited  his  ha- 
tred  against  Christianity.     The  case  of 
Julian  deserves  commiseration,  though  it 
cannot  admit  of  apology.     What  had  he 
seen  excellent  or  comely  in  the  eflfects  of 
the  Gospel  on  his  uncle  or  cousins'?  What 
a  prospect  did  he  behold  in  the  face  of  the 
Christian  church,  torn  with  factions,  and 
deformed  by  ambition !     The  same  vices 
under  which  the  heathen  world  groaned, 
appeared  but  too  visible  at  present  among 
Christians.      These  things,  joined  with 
the  resentment  of  family  wrongs,  deter- 
mined him  early  in  life  in  favour  of  the 
old  religion.  He  was  made  a  public  reader 
in  the  church  of  Nicomedia,  and  affected 
a  zeal  for  Christianity  during  the  greatest 
part  of  the  reign  of  Constantius.     Had  he 


Julian  suc- 
ceeds CoD- 
stantius, 
A.  D.  361. 


*  Mosli.  Ecclesiast.  Cent.  iv. 


sophist ;  and  openly  attempted  to  erect  a. 
church;  he  studied  all  day,  and  sacri- 
ficed at  night.  He  offered  up  his  prayers 
in  the  church  in  public,  and  at  midnight 
rose  to  perform  his  devotions  to  Mercury. 
His  residence  at  Athens  completed  his 
knowledge  of  the  fashionable  philosophy  ; 
in  fine,  no  person  was  ever  more  admira- 
bly qualified  to  act  the  part  which  he  did, 
when  he  succeeded  Constantius. 

This  happened  in  the  year  36L     He 
ordered  the  temples  to  be  set  open,  those 
that  were   decayed  to  be  repaired,  and 
new  ones  to  be  built,  where 
there   was  a  necessity.     He 
fined   the   persons   who   had 
made  use  of  the  materials  of 
the  temples  which  had  been 
demolished,  and  set  apart  the  money,  this 
way  collected,  for  the   erection  of  new 
ones.     Altars  were  every  where  set  up, 
and  the  whole  machinery  of  Paganism 
was  again  brought  into  use.     Altars  and 
fires,    blood,    perfumes,   and   priests  at- 
tending their  sacrifices,  were  every  where 
visible'^  and  the  imperial  palace  itself  had 
its  temple  and  furniture.     The  first  thing 
he  did  every  morning  was  to  sacrifice,  and 
by  his  presence  and  example  he  encour- 
aged the  practice  among  all  his  subjects. 
Heathenism  held  up  its  head,  and  Chris- 
tians were  every  where  insulted.  _  He  re- 
l)ealed  the  laws  made  against  idolatry, 
and   confirmed   its   ancient  honours  and 
privileges.     But  laws  are  the  least  part 
of  what  it  behooves  princes  to  do,  who 
mean  to  encourage  religion.     Apian  of 
conduct,  an  earnestness  of  principle,  and 
a  system  of  manners,  are  needful  to  sup- 
port any  religious  tenets.*     The  Author, 

*  Cave's  Slate  ot"  Paganism  under  Julian. 
This  writer  has  given  so  clear  and  masterly  a 


304 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VHI. 


mentioned  below,  has  with  great  clear- 
ness illustrated  the  methods  of  Julian. 
Change  the  object,  and  let  true  relisrion 
be  promoted,  instead  of  false,  and  Julian 
will  preach  usefully  to  Christian  princes, 
and  sharne  the  criminal  indifference  to  all 
piety,  which  clouds  the  crreatest  part  of 
the  political  hemisphere  of  Europe. 

I.  Philosophical  infidels,  in  our  own 
times,  when  they  have  found  themselves 
no  longer  able  to  support  a  perfect  scep- 
,  ,.     ,  ticism,  have  borrowed  some 

political        Christian  light,  called  it  na- 
measures.      tural. 


tural,    and   laboured   by   the 
help  of  that  to  subvert  Chris- 
tianity itself.     We  have  seen,  in  part,  the 
same  procedure  in  the  Amononian  philo- 
sophers.    In  Julian  this  scheme  was  re- 
duced  to  a  system  ;  and   he  issued  out 
precepts  for  the  support  of  Heathenism, 
which  in  his  youth  he  had  learned  in  the 
Christian  school,  though  he  disavows  his 
obligations  to  his  benefactors.     The  di- 
vine excellence  of  the   Gospel,  and   the 
extreme  malignity  of  human  nature,  do 
each  appear  hence  in  a  very  conspicuous 
light.     To  reform   Pagranism  itself  was 
his  first  object;  to  maintain  it  on  the  old 
system  of  popular   belief  he   saw   was 
irnyjossible.       Christian  licrht   had    now 
rendered  pagan  darkness  visible,  its  de- 
formity disgustful,  and  its  absurdity  con- 
temptible.    With  great  importunity  did 
he  exhoit  magistrates  to  correct  the  vices 
of  men,  and  relieve  their  miseries,  assur- 
ing them  that  the  gods  would  reward  men 
for  their  charitable  acts ;  that  it  is  our 
duty  to  do  good  to  all,  even  to  the  worst 
of  rnen  and  our  bitterest  enemies ;  and 
that  public  religion  should  be  supported 
by  a  reverential  adoration  of  the  images 
of  the  gods  which  were  to  be  looked  on  as 
symbols  of  the  gods  themselves.   Priests, 
he  said,  should  so  live,  as  to  be  copies  of 
what  they  preached  by  their  own   lives, 
and  dissolute  ones  should  be  expelled  from 
their  offices.     Not  only  wicked  actions, 
but  obscene  and  indecent  lannfuao-e  should 
be  avoided  by  thern.     Xo  idle  books  and 
•wanton    plays,    but   divine    philosophy, 
should  be  the  object  of  their  serious  study; 
they  should  learn  sacred  hymns  by  heart, 
should  pray  thrice  or  at  least  twice  every 
day;  and  when  in  their  turn  called  on  to 


view,  111  eiglit  partioilarg,  of  .Julian's  attempts, 
that  I  cannot  <)f)  belter  than  to  tread  in  his 
steps.  I  sl.all  Mvail  mvself,  however,  of  other 
helps,  Mill  r.iither  to'  illustrate  the  subject, 
particularly  Julian's  own  writin<'8. 


attend  the  temple,  they  should  never  de- 
part from  it,  but  (five  up  themselves  to 
their  office.  At  other  times  they  should 
not  frequent  the  fcrum,  nor  approach  the 
houses  of  the  great,  unless  with  a  view 
of  procuring  relief  for  the  indigent,  or 
discharging  the  duties  of  their  office; 
that  in  no  case  thej'  should  frequent  the 
theatres,  nor  ever  be  seen  in  the  company 
of  a  charioteer,  player,  or  dancer.  In 
every  city  the  most  pious  and  virtuous 
should  be  ordained,  without  any  consi- 
deration of  their  circumstances.  The 
godly  training  of  their  own  families,  and 
their  compassionate  care  for  the  indigent, 
would  be  their  best  recommendation. 
The  impious  Galileans,  he  observed,  by 
their  sing-ular  benevolence  had  strength- 
ened their  party,  and  Heathenism  had 
suffered  by  the  want  of  att-jiiUon  to  these 
thinsrs. 

Such  was  the  fire  which  the  apostate 
stole  from  heaven,  and  such  his  artifice 
in  managing  it!    The  rules,  however,  de- 
serve the  attention  of  Christian  pastors 
in  all  ages,  though  it  may  seern  wonder- 
ful that  the  Roman  high  priest*  should 
not   see    the    divinity   of   that    religion 
whence   he  had  learned    such  excellent 
things,  the  like  to  which  are  not  in  any 
degree  to  be  found  in  Plato  or  any  other 
of  his  favourite  Greeks.     He  endeavour- 
ed,   in   imitation  of  Christians,    also  to 
erect  schools  for  the  education  of  youth. 
Lectures  of  religion,  stated  times  of  pray- 
ers, monasteries  for  devout  persons,  hos- 
pitals and  almshouses  for  the  poor  and 
diseased,  and  for  strangers  ;  these  things 
he  particularly  recommends  in  a  letter  to 
Arsacius  the  chief  priest  of  Galacia.    He 
tells  him  what  it  was  that  advanced  the 
impious  religion  of  the  Christians,  their 
kindness  to  strangers,  their  care  in  bury- 
ing the  dead,  and  tlieir  aff'ected  gravity. 
He  bids  him  warn  the  priests  to  avoid 
play-houses  and  taverns,  and  sordid  em- 
ployments.    Hospitals  should  be  erected 
in  every  city  for  the  reception  of  all  sorts 
of  indigent  persons.     The  Galileans,  he 
observes,  relieve  both   their   own   poor, 
and  ours. I 


*  All  the  Ciesars  weie  entitleil  I'oiitit'ex 
Maximiis. 

+  In  the  same  spirit,  sppakinj^of  the  duties 
of  a  priest,  he  observes,  "  that  the  ^ods  have 
given  us  great  hofies  after  death,  anil  on  them 
we  may  with  confidence  rely."  He  certainly 
learnt  this  language  from  Christianity,  which 
he  ungralefiilly  labours  to  destroy.  A  species 
of  behaviour  not  uncommon  with  philosophic 
infidels. 


Cext.  IV.] 


JULIAN. 


305 


It  was  not,  however,  in  Julian's  power 
to  infuse  that  spirit  into  his  partisans, 
which  alone  could  produce  such  excellent 
fruits.  It  is  vain  to  think  of  destroy- 
ing Christian  principles,  and  at  the  same 
time  preserving  Christian  practice.  But 
here  is  an  additional  testimony  to  the  vir- 
tues of  Christians  from  their  most  deter- 
mined enemy,  and  as  powerful  an  illus- 
tration of  the  work  of  God  in  the  first 
ages  of  C  hristianity.  It  must  be  confessed 
at  the  same  time,  that  the  good  sense  and 
penetration  of  the  emperor  are  as  con- 
spicuous as  his  malice  and  impiety. 

II.  Ridicule  was  the  next  weapon 
which  the  apostate  made  tise  of  against 
Christianitv.  It  is  a  method  of  attack 
which  in  all  asfes  has  been  but  too  suc- 
cessful. Satire,  as  it  is  the  easiest,  so  it 
is  the  most  pleasing  mode  of  writing ;  the 
whole  nature  of  man,  prone  to  indulge 
ideas  of  evil,  favours  the  practice,  and 
when  written  by  an  emperor,  who  might, 
if  he  had  pleased,  have  used  violence  of 
the  most  formidable  kind,  it  seemed  to  be 
the  dictate  of  generosity.  In  writing 
against  Christianity,  he  trode  in  the  steps 
of  Celsus  and  Porphyry,  and  by  the  few 
fragments  of  his  work  which  remain,  ap- 
pears to  have  imbibed  their  spirit.  The 
Son  of  Mary,  or  the  Galilean,  were  the 
titles  which  he  gave  to  the  blessed  Jesus, 
and  he  ordered  Christians  to  be  called 
Galileans. 

In  his  treatise  of  the  Ceesars,  he  asper- 
ses his  uncle  the  great  Constant! ne  with 
much  severity,  and  represents  the  Gospel 
as  an  asvlum  for  the  vilest  of  mankind. 
No  doubt  the  enemies  of  God  were  de- 
lighted in  that  age  with  such  productions. 
as  thev  have  since  been  with  similar  ones 
of  Hume  and  Voltaire  :  and  many  are 
slow  to  learn,  that  a  serious  frajne  of 
mind  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  con- 
templation of  Christianity,  and  is  as  fa- 
vourable for  its  reception,  as  a  playful 
spirit  is  for  its  exclusion  from  the  mind 
of  man. 

III.  He  was  extremely  politic  in  weak- 
ening the  power  and  interest  of  Chris- 
tians. He  made  an  act  of  sacrifice  the 
condition  of  preserving  their  places  of 
honour  and  authority,  and  thus  he  either 
lessened  their  power  or  their  reputation; 
and  while  he  caretully  avoided  a  formal 
persecution,  he  indirectly  persecuted  un- 
der every  plausible  pretence  he  could  in 
vent.  Whoever  had  distinguished  him- 
self, under  the  former  reigns,  in  demolish- 
ing the  monuments  of  idolatry,  felt  his 

2c2 


heavy  hand,  and  was  even  put  to  death 
on  frivolous  accusations.  The  grants 
made  to  some  subjects  from  the  revenues 
of  heatheu  temples,  furnished  a  decent 
opportuiiitv  of  impoverishing  the  opulent 
Christians,  and  this  often  with  extreme 
injustice.  He  seized  the  treasures  of  the 
Arian  church  at  Edessa  which  had  as- 
saulted the  Valentinian  heretics,  taunting 
them  with  the  law  of  their  religion,  that 
being  made  poor  here  they  might  be  rich 
hereafter.  Injuries  were  now  committed 
with  impunity  against  the  Christians  by 
the  governors  of  provinces,  and  when  the 
former  complained,  he  had  the  baseness 
to  turn  the  knowledge  of  Christian  pre- 
cepts, which  he  had  imbibed  in  his  tender 
years,  into  a  cruel  sarcasm  :  '*  You  know 
what  directions  of  passiveness  under  in- 
juries your  Clirist  lias  given  you !"'  To 
this  he  added  an  affected  encouragement 
of  heretics  and  sectaries,  and  thus  artfully 
embroiled  the  Christian  world  with  fac- 
tions b}'  toleration  of  them  all,  without 
real  aflection  for  any. 

IV.  It  was,  however,  a  refinement  of 
policy  far  beyond  the  maxims  of  that  age, 
and  a  proof  of  the  native  sagacity  and  good 
sense  of  Julian,  that,  young  and  impetu- 
ous as  he  was,  he  could  abstain  from  open 
persecution  himself,  and  yet  connive  at  it 
in  others,  who  knew  what  was  agreeable 
to  their  master.  He  boasted  of  mildness 
in  this  respect,  and  contrasted  himself 
with  Galeriusand  the  rest  of  the  persecu- 
tors, observing,  that  they  had  augmented 
rather  than  lessened  the  number  of  Chris- 
tians. For  give  them  only  occasion,  said 
he,  and  they  will  crowd  as  fast  to  mar- 
tyrdom as  bees  fly  to  their  hives.  Yet  a 
number  suflered  for  the  Gospel  under  his 
reign,  though  not  by  tlie  forms  of  avowed 
persecution. 

V.  The  bishops  and  inferior  clergy 
were  beheld  with  an  eye  of  rancour,  at 
once  ingenious  and  determined.  In  truth, 
they  are  in  all  ages  the  object  of  peculiar 
malevolence  to  men  who  love  darkness 
rather  than  light.  Persecuting  emperors 
and  atheistical  philosophers  unite  in  this 
respect.  It  is  the  glory  of  the  Christian 
religion,  that  it  provides  popular  instruc- 
tion for  the  bulk  of  mankind,  where  not 
applause,  but  spiritual  utility, — not  os- 
tentation, but  holy  and  virtuous  princi- 
pies  and  practice. — are  the  objects  of  at- 
tention. Persecutors  desire,  lliat  no  in- 
struction be  instilled  into  the  minds  of 
the  people,  and  philosophers,  overlook- 
ing tiie  vulgar  with  proud  disdain,  confine 


306 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VHI. 


their  attention  to  a  few  learned  men.     If 
the  Gospel  be  indeed  the  litrht  of  heaven, 
that  alone  leads  men  to  holiness,  which 
fallen  natnre  abhors,  one  sees  at  once  why 
the  public  teachers  of  Christianity  are  ab- 
horred by  the  proud  and  the  mighty.     Ju- 
lian charged  them  with  seditiousness ;  had 
he  been  a  citizen  of  a  free  state,  he  would, 
with  equal  falsehood  and  with  equal  ma- 
lice, have  charged  them  with  supporting 
tyranny.     To  deprive  the  church  of  the 
inspection  of  its  pastors,  he  seized  their 
incomes,  abrogated  their  immunities,  ex- 
posed them  to  civil  burdens  and  offices,  and 
occasionally  expelled  them  by  fraud  or 
yiolence.   At  Antioch  the  treasures  of  the 
church  were  seized,  the  clergy  obliged  to 
flee,  and   the  churches  shut  up.*     The 
same  was  done  at  Cyzicus  without  any 
shadow  of  sedition.     At  Bostra  he  threat- 
ened Titus  the  bishop,  that  if  any  mutiny 
happened,  he  should  lay  the  blame  on  him 
and  his  clergy  ;  and  when  the  bishop  as- 
sured him,  that  though  the  inhabitants 
were  chiefly  Christian,  they  lived  peace- 
ably and  quietly  under  his  government, 
he  wrote  back  to  the  city,  charging  him 
with  calumniating   their   character,  and 
exhorting  them  to  expel  him.     In  other 
places  he  found  pretences  for  imprisoning 
and  torturing  the  pastors. 

VI.  The  vigilant  malice  of  the  apostate 
surveyed  every  advantage,  and  seized  it 
witli  consummate  dexterity.  Nor  can  the 
enemies  of  the  Gospel  in  any  age  find  a 
school  more  fruitful  in  the  lessons  of  per- 
secution than  this  before  us.  A  man  so 
perfectly  Grecian  as  this  emperor,  must 
have  hated  or  despised  the  Jews,  and 
Moses  must  have  been  as  really  an  object 
of  his  derision  as  St.  Paul.     But  to  ad- 


*  It  is  certain  that  tlie  temple  of  Daphne 
was  burned  in  the  niglit  which  terminated  the 
procession  of  tlie  Christians,  who  had  removed 
the  body  of  Bal)ylas,  a  martyr  in  tiie  Decian 
persecution,  to  Antiotli  from  Dapline,  where 
Julian  would  not  suffer  it  to  remain  any  long- 
er.    Julian,  in  his  satire  against  the  people  of 
Antioch,    indirectly    charged    the    Christians 
with  the  fact,  and   was  glad   of  the  pretence 
to  justify  his  severities  against  them.     That 
he  suspected  them,  Ammianus  assures  us,  hut 
gives  no  grounds  to  justify  the  suspicion.   The 
work  entitled  Misopognn,  rallies  the  manners 
of  the  Antiochians.     Tiiose  of  tlie  emperor 
were  austere,  and  void  not  only  of  pomp,  hut 
even  of  decent  neatness.     Theirs  were  full  of 
Asiatic  luxury  :  In  fact,  Christian   simplicity 
had  ranch  decayed  in  this  place,  where  Cin-is- 
tians   first   had   the    name.      Their   numbers 
were  immense,  but  the  power  of  godliness 
was  low. 


vance  and  encourage  the  Jews  in  their 
secular   concerns,    was    one    of  the    ol)- 
vious  means  of  depreciating  Christianity. 
Hence  he  spake  of  them  with  compas- 
sion, becfged  their  prayers  for  his  success 
in  the  Persian  wars,  and  pressed  them  to 
rebuild  their  temple,*  and  restore  their 
worship.     He  himself  promised  to  defray 
the  expense  out  of  the  exchequer,  and 
appointed    an   officer  to  superintend  the 
work.     To  strengthen  the  hands  of  such 
determined  enemies  of  Christianity,  and 
to   invalidate    the   Christian   prophecies 
concerning  the  desolation  of  the  Jews,| 
were  objects  highly  desirable  indeed  to  the 
mind  of  Julian.     But  the  enterprize  was 
suddenly  baffled,  and  the  workmen  were 
obliged  to  desist.   No  historical  fact  since 
the  days  of  the  Apostles  seems  better  at- 
tested.    I  shall  state  very  briefly  the  fact 
itself  and  its  proofs,  and  then  leave  the 
reader  to  judge,  whether  there  was  ever 
any  reason  to  doubt  its  credibility. 

Ammianus  Marcellinus,  a  writer  of  un- 
questionable credibility,  and  at  least  no 
friend  of  the  Gospel,  acquaints  us  with 
the  attempt,  and  informs  us  of  its  defeat. 
"  He  projected  to  rebuild  the  magnificent 
temple  of  Jerusalem.  He  committed  the 
conduct  cf  the  affair  to  Alyjjius  of  An- 
tioch ;  who  set  himself  to  the  vigorous 
execution  of  his  charge,  and  was  assisted 
by  the  governor  of  the  province  ;  but  hor- 
rible halls  of  fire  breaking  out  near  the 
foundations  with  repeated  attacks,  ren- 
dered the  place  inaccessible  to  the  scorch- 
ed workmen  from  time  to  time,  and  the 
element  resolutely  driving  them  to  a  dis- 
tance, the  enterprize  was  dropped. ":{:  So- 
crates observes,  that  during  the  progress 
of  thi^  affair  the  Jews  menaced  the  Chris- 
tians, and  threatened  to  retort  upon  them 
the  evils  which   they  had  suffered  from 


*  He  sent  for  some  of  the  chief  men  of  tlieir 
nation,  and  asked  them  why  tliey  did  not  sa- 
crifice according  to  tlie  law  of  Moses.  They 
told  him  that  they  were  forbidden  to  sacrifice 
except  at  Jerusalem.  He  thereupon  promises 
to  rebuihl  their  temple;  and  we  have  still  a 
letter  of  his  to  the  community  of  the  Jews, 
which  ajjpears,  on  the  authority  of  Sozomen, 
to  be  geiinine.  Philostorgius  expressly  tells 
us,  that  Julian's  design  in  the  re-lniilding  of  Je- 
rusalem was  to  oppose  tiiepro[)hecies.  Sozo- 
men.— Lardner. 

t  See  Matt,  xxiii.  38,  39.  To  restore  this 
people,  while  yet  they  continued  in  their  en- 
mity to  Christ,  was  an  attempt  worthy  of  an 
infidel  like  Julian,  and  called  for  a  miraculous 
interposition  as  plainly  as  Pharaoh's  pursuit  of 
the  Israelites  at  the  \im\  Sea. 
:|  Ammianus,  B.  XXllI.  c.  1. 


Cext.  IV.] 


JULIAN. 


307 


the  Romans.  The  Christian  evidences 
for  the  fact  are  Gregory  Nazianzen,  Am- 
brose, and  Chrj'sostom,  who  lived  at  the 
same  time.  The  three  ecclesiastical  his- 
torians, Socrates,  Sozomen,  and  Tiieodo- 
ret,  who  lived  in  the  next  age,  do  all  give 
a  testimony  consistent  one  with  another. 
To  these  may  be  added,  Plilostorgius  the 
Arian,  and  the  testimony  of  Jewish  rabbis. 
— See  Wnrl)urton's  Julian,  p.  98. 

VII.  The  suppression  of  learning 
among  the  Christians  was  another  of  the 
objects  of  Julian's  policy.  He  published 
a  law,  that  no  professor  of  any  art  or 
science  should  practise  in  anyplace  witii- 
out  the  approbation  of  the  court  of  that 
city,  and  the  sanction  of  the  emperor. 
With  a  view  to  keep  the  church  in  ignor- 
ance of  the  arts  of  reasoning  and  philo- 
sophy, he  forbad  Christian  schoolmasters 
to  teach  Gentile  learning,  lest  being  fur- 
nished, says  he,  with  our  armour,  they 
make  war  upon  us  with  our  own  wea- 
pons. Our  learning  is  unnecessary  to 
Christians,  who  are  trained  up  to  an  il- 
literate rusticity,  so  that  to  believe  is 
sufficient  for  them  ;  and  by  this  prohibi- 
tion I  only  restore  possessions  to  their 
proper  owners.*  The  scheme  was  highly 
prudent,  but  it  required  a  great  length  of 
time  to  raise  from  it  any  considerable 
effects. 

VIII.  Philosophy  had  ever  been  the 
determined  foe  of  the  Gospel.  It  behoov- 
ed the  artful  persecutor,  himself  a  philo- 
sopher, to  encourage  it  as  much  as  possi' 
ble.  He  expressed  his  hearty  wishes 
that  all  the  books  of  the  wicked  Galileans 


*  In  the  same  strain,  lie  says  "  If  tliey  (tlit- 
Christian  professors)  think  these  authors  give 
a  false  account  ofllie  most  honourable  tilings. 
let  them  betake  themselves  to  the  eliurclies  of 
the  Galileans,  and  expomid  Matlliew  and 
Luke.  Yet  those  of  tlie  [Christian'  youtli  wlio 
please  to  go  [to  the  Pagan  schools'  are  not  ex- 
cluded." So  prudently  did  he  provide  for  the 
progress  of  Hellenism,  and  for  the  downfall 
of  Christian  knowledge.  He  charges  the 
Christians  with  the  inconsistency  of  instruct- 
ing pupils  in  classical  learning,  at  the  same 
time  that  they  opposed  the  lieallien  mythology. 
The  account  of  La  ]31eterie  concerning  tliis 
matter  is  just,  and  his  observation  deserves  to 
be  quoted.  "To  explain  the  classic  autliors. 
to  commend  them  as  models  of  language,  of 
eloquence  and  taste,  to  unveil  their  beauties. 
&c.,  this  is  not  proposing  them  as  oracles  of 
religion  and  morality."  Julian  is  pleased  to 
confound  two  things  so  dift'erent,  and  to  erect, 
under  favour  of  this  confusion,  the  puerile 
sophistry,  which  prevails  through  his  whole 
edict. 


were  banished  out  of  the  world.  But  as 
this  was  now  impossible,  he  directed  the 
pliilosophers  to  bend  all  their  powers 
against  them.  Jamblicus,  Libanius,  Max- 
imus,  and  others  of  the  philosophic  tribe, 
were  his  intimate  friends  and  counsellors, 
and  the  empire  was  filled  with  invectives 
against  the  Gospel.  Its  enemies  were 
liberally  paid  by  iinperial  munificence  for 
their  labours,  and  Julian  seemed  desirous 
to  put  it  to  the  proof,  whether  indeed 
"  the  foolishness  of  God  was  wiser  thaa 
men." 

IX.  He  used  ensnaring  artifices  to 
draw  unwary  Christians  into  compliance 
with  pagran  superstitions.  He  was  wont 
to  place  the  images  of  the  heathen  gods 
near  his  own  statues,  that  those  who 
bowed  to  the  latter  might  seem  to  adore 
also  the  former.  Those  who  seemed  thus 
to  comply,  he  endeavoured  to  persuade 
into  greater  compliances;  those  who  re- 
fused^ he  charged  with  treason,  and  pro- 
ceeded against  them  as  delinquents.  He 
ordered  the  soldiers,  when  they  received 
their  donative,  to  throw  a  piece  of  frank- 
incense into  the  fire  in  honour  of  the  gods. 
Some  few  Christians  who  had  been  sur- 
prised into  the  practice,  returned  to  the 
emperor,  threw  back  their  donatives,  and 
professed  their  readiness  to  die  for  their 
religion. 

The  story  of  Theodoret,  B.  III.  c.  17, 
deserves  to  be  told  more  particularly. 
Julian  caused  an  altar  to  be  placed  near 
himself,  with  burning  coals  and  incense 
upon  a  table,  and  required  every  one  to 
throw  some  incense  into  the  fire,  before 
he  received  his  gold.  Some,  who  were 
aware  of  the  danger,  feigned  sickness; 
some  through  fear  or  avarice  complied. 
But  the  greater  part  were  deceived.  Some 
of  these  last  going  afterwards  to  their 
meals,  called  on  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
according  to  their  custom.  One  of  their 
companions  said  in  a  surprise :  "  What 
is  the  meaning  of  this?  you  call  on  Christ, 
after  having  renounced  him."  "  How  ?" 
answered  the  other,  astonished.  "  You 
have  thrown  incense  into  the  fire."  They 
instantly  tore  their  hair,  rose  up  from  ta- 
ble, and  ran  into  the  forum.  "  We  de- 
clare it,  they  cried,  before  all  the  world, 
we  are  Christians;  we  declare  it  before 
God,  to  whom  we  live,  and  for  whom  we 
are  ready  to  die.  We  have  not  betrayed 
thee,  Jesus  our  Saviour.  If  our  hands 
have  offended,  our  hearts  consented  not. 
The  emperor  has  deceived  us,  we  renounce 


the  impiety,  and  our  blood  shall  answer 


308 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  IX. 


for  it."  They  then  ran  to  the  palace,  and 
throwing  the  gold  at  Julian's  feet,  "  Sa- 
crifice us,  say  they,  to  Jesus  Christ,  and 
give  your  gold  to  those  who  will  be  glad 
to  receive  it."  In  a  rage  he  ordered  them 
to  be  led  to  execution.  The  warmth  of 
his  temper  had  well-nigh  prevailed  over 
his  politic  maxims ;  he  recovered  himself, 
however,  in  time  sufficient  to  counter- 
mand the  order.  He  contented  himself 
with  banishing  them  to  the  distant  parts 
of  the  empire,  forbidding  them  to  reside 
in  cities.  Let  the  reader  see  here  the 
philosophizing  heathen  and  the  simple 
Christian  in  contrast,  and  judge  which 
religion  is  human  and  which  is  divine. 

On  some  occasions  Julian  would  defile 
the  fountains  with  Gentile  sacrifices,  and 
sprinkle  the  food  brought  to  market  with 
hallowed  water.  Christians  knew  their 
privilege  from  St.  Paul's  well-known  de- 
termination of  the  case,  yet  they  groaned 
under  the  indignity.  Juventinus,  and 
Maximus,  two  officers  of  his  guard,  ex- 
postulated with  great  warmth  against 
these  proceedings,  and  so  provoked  his 
resentment,  that  he  punished  them  capi- 
tally, though,  with  that  caution  which 
never  forsook  him,  he  declared,  that  he 
put  them  to  death  not  as  Christians,  but 
as  undutifnl  subjects. 

Jupiter  had  in  no  age  possessed  so  zea- 
lous a  devotee  as  this  prince,  who  lived 
at  the  close  of  his  religious  dominion 
over  mankind.  The  Decius's  and  the 
Galerius's,  compared  with  Julian,  were 
mere  savages.  It  is  certain,  that  no  in- 
genuity could  have  contrived  measures 
more  dexterously.  Disgrace,  poverty, 
contempt,  a  moderate  degree  of  severity, 
checked  and  disciplined  by  dissimulation, 
and  every  method  of  undermining  the 
human  spirit,  were  incessantly  labouring 
to  subvert  Christianity.  One  sees  not 
how  the  scheme  could  have  failed,  had 
Providence  permitted  this  prudent  and 
active  genius  to  have  proceeded  many 
years  in  this  course  :  but  what  a  worm  is 
man,  when  he  sets  himself  to  oppose  his 
Maker  ! 


CHAPTER   IX, 


THE  CHURCH  UNDER  JULIAN. 

After  having  taken  a  view  of  various 
circumstances,  all  tending  to  illustrate 
the  state  of  Christendom,  it  is  time  to 
return  to  the  order  of  our  history  from  the 
death  of  Constantius.     The   people    of 


God,  with  light  very  faint,  were  in  a  low 
state  (torn  within  by  the  Arian  controver- 
sy) and  scandalized  by  the  madness  of 
the  Donatists.  The  faithful  sons  and 
pastors  of  the  church  were  by  no  means 
simple  and  intelligent  in  divine  things, 
and  were  menaced  even  with  destruction 
by  a  persecution  conducted  with  as  much 
malice  and  vigour  as  any  of  the  foregoing, 
and  with  far  greater  dexterity.  The  Chris- 
tian bishops,  however,  took  advantage  of 
Julian's  aflTected  moderation  to  return  to 
their  sees.  Meletius  came  back  to  An- 
tioch;  Lucifer  of  Cagliari,  and  Eusebius 
of  Vercella;,  returned  to  their  churches ; 
but  Athanasius  remained  still  in  the  de- 
sert, because  of  the  power  of  George  at 
Alexandria.  Julian  wrote  a  letter  to 
Photinus  the  heretic,  and  commended  his 
zeal  against  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ.* 
He  ordered  Eusebius  of  Cyzicus,  under 
severe  penalties,  to  rebuild  the  church  of 
the  Novatians,  which  he  had  destroyed 
in  the  time  of  Constantius  ;  a  punishment 
probably  just,  though  like  every  thing 
else  done  by  Julian  concerning  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  contrived  by  him  with  ma- 
lignant intentions.  He  protected  the 
Donatists  in  Africa,  and  defended  them 
against  the  general  church  and  against 
one  another. 

The  prohibition  of  human  learning  de- 
creed by  this  emperor,  induced  ApoUi- 
narius,  the  father  and  the  son,  to  invent 
something  which  might  stand  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  the  loss.  The  father,  a  gram- 
marian, wrote  in  heroics  the  sacred  his- 
tory, and  imitated  the  Greek  tragedians, 
taking  his  subjects  out  of  the  Scripture. 
The  son,  a  philosopher,  wrote  in  defence 
of  the  Gospel  in  the  form  of  dialogues, 
like  Plato.  Little  of  these  works  has 
come  down  to  us ;  the  prohibition  ceasing 
with  the  death  of  Julian,  Christian  scho- 
lars returned  to  their  former  studies,  and 
we  cannot  judge  how  far  the  writings  of 
the  Apollinarii  merited  the  rank  of  Clas- 
sics. Ecebolius,  a  famous  sophist  at 
Constantinople,  yielded  to  the  caresses 
of  Julian,  and  returned  to  paganism. 
After  the  emperor's  death  he  desired  to 
be  received  again  into  the  church,  and 
prostrating  himself  at  the  door  of  the 
church,  said,  "  Tread  me  under  foot  like 
salt  that  hath  lost  its  savour."  I  know 
no  more  of  the  man  to  enable  me  to  form 
a  just  estimate  of  his   character.     We 


may  be  convinced,  however,  that  a  con- 


Fleury,  XV.  4. 


Cent.  IV.] 


JULIAN. 


309 


siderable  number  of  true  Christians  were 
yet  in  the  church,  amidst  all  its  corrup- 
tions, by  this  important  fact,  that  the 
jgreatest  part  of  public  teachers  and  pro- 
fessors of  Christianity  chose  to  quit  their 
chairs,  rather  than  to  forsake  their  reli- 
gion. Proeresius  ought  to  be  distinguish- 
ed. Julian  had  studied  under  him  at 
Athens,  and  from  a  kindness  to  his  mas- 
ter, excepted  him  out  of  the  general  law. 
Yet  he  refused  to  be  thus  singled  out 
from  his  brethren,  and  retired.  Another 
of  them  Avas  Victorinus,  an  African,  con- 
verted from  idolatry  in  his  old  age.  The 
manner  of  his  conversion  is  finely  told  by 
Augustine,  and  I  shall  have  occasion  to 
give  it  to  the  reader  hereafter.  His  rhe- 
torical school  was  given  up  on  occasion 
of  Julian's  edict,  and  he  wrote  with  zeal 
in  defence  of  divine  truth,  though  his 
abilities  were  inadequate  to  the  work, 
because  he  applied  himself  to  the  study 
of  Scripture  too  late  in  life. 

Cffisarius,  the  brother  of  the  famous 
Gregory  Nazianzen,  continued  to  prac- 
tise physic  at  court,  as  he  had  done  in 
the  former  reign.  His  brother  wrote  to 
him,  how  grievous  a  thing  it  was  to  him- 
self and  to  their  aged  father  (the  bishop 
of  Nazianzum  in  Cappadocia)  that  he 
should  continue  in  the  court  of  an  infidel, 
seeking  worldly  greatness.  "Our  mo- 
ther," says  he,  "could  not  endure  the 
account.  Such  the  weakness  of  her  sex, 
and  such  the  fervour  of  her  piety,  we  are 
obliged  to  conceal  the  truth  from  her." 
Cassarius  profited  by  these  rebukes ;  not 
all  the  artifices  of  Julian  could  move  him. 
"I  am  a  (Christian,"  says  he,  "and  must 
continue  so."  Cajsarius  quitted  the  court, 
and  retired  to  his  pious  father,  who  was 
as  much  delighted  with  his  son's  conduct, 
as  earthly-minded  parents  would  have 
been  displeased. 

Among  the  officers  of  the  army  was 
Valentinian,  afterwards  emperor.  He 
commanded  the  guards  who  attended  Ju- 
lian. The  emperor  one  day  entered  into 
the  temple  of  Fortune,  and  on  each  side 
of  the  gate  stood  the  door-keepers,  who 
sprinkled  with  sacred  water  those  who 
came  in.  A  drop  of  this  water  falling  on 
Valentinian's  mantle,  he  struck  the  officer 
with  his  fist,  expressed  his  resentment 
at  his  being  defiled  with  the  impure  water, 
and  tore  that  part  of  his  mantle.*  Julian, 
incensed  at  his  boldness,  banished  him 
from  his  presence,  not  for  his  Christiani- 


ty, as  he  pretended,  but  because  he  had 
not  kept  his  cohort  in  good  order.  Sen- 
sible, however,  of  his  merit,  he  still  em- 
ployed him  in  the  army.  There  were 
others  who  like  Valentinian  defended  their 
Christian  profession  not  with  meekness, 
but  wrath.  They  found,  however,  the 
punishment  of  their  folly  from  Julian, 
whose  partiality  and  prejudices  in  favour 
of  Paganism  urged  him  to  adopt  measures, 
which  filled  the  whole  empire  with  con- 
fusion. 

At  Merum,  a  city  of  Phrygia,  Ama- 
chius  the  governor  of  the  province  order- 
ed the  temple  to  be  opened,  and  the  idols 
to  be  cleansed.  Three  Christians,  in- 
flamed, says  my  author,*  with  Christian 
zeal,  could  not  bear  the  indignity.  Burn- 
ing, continues  he,  with  an  incredible  love 
of  virtue,  they  rushed  by  night  into  the 
temple,  and  broke  all  the  images.  The 
governor,  in  his  wrath,  being  about  to- 
chastise  many  innocent  persons,  the  cul- 
prits very  generously  offered  themselves 
to  punishment.  He  gave  them  the  alter- 
native, to  sacrifice,  or  to  die.  They  pre- 
ferred the  latter,  and  suffered  death  with 
excruciating  tortures  ;  more  admirable  for 
fortitude  than  meekness  in  their  behaviour 
during  their  dying  scenes. 

At  Pessinus  in  Galatia,  on  the  confines 
of  Phrygia,  two  young  men  suffered  death 
in  the  presence  of  Julian.  I  wish  I  could 
say  it  was  for  professing  the  faith  of 
Christ.  But  one  of  them  had  overturned 
an  idol.  The  emperor  put  him  to  death 
in  a  cruel  manner,  with  his  companion, 
their  mother  and  the  bishop  of  the  city. 

At  Ancyra,  the  capital  of  Galatia,  there 
was  a  priest  named  Basil,  who  in  the 


•  Sozora.  VI.  c.  6. 


*  Socrates,  B.  III.  c.  15.  I  fear  there  was 
in  this  action  more  of  jiride  tlian  zeal.  Chris- 
tians having  tasted  a  little  of  tiie  |)leasures  of 
sujjeriority  over  the  Pagans  in  the  two  last 
reigns,  and  being  influenced  in  no  high  de- 
gree by  Christian  principles  in  those  times, 
ilescended  again  into  a  state  of  disgrace  and 
inferiority  with  much  reluctance.  In  tiie  same 
spirit,  at  Dorostora  in  Thrace,  one  ^Emilian 
was  cast  into  the  fire  by  the  soldiers  for  hav- 
ing overtlirown  certain  altars.  Tiiose  only 
who  are  in  tlie  vigorous  exercise  of  spiritual 
arms,  can  with  clieerlul  patience  abstain  from 
such  as  are  carnal,  when  they  are  under  pro- 
vocation. Yet  true  Christians  might  be  in 
a  degree  overcome  by  tiiis  spirit,  and  suffer 
with  the  love  of  Christ  prevailing  in  the  heart. 
The  intelligent  i-eader  will  take  notice,  how- 
ever, from  the  commendations  bestowed  on 
such  conduct  by  Socr-ates,  how  much  the  spirit 
of  Christianity  had  decliued  since  the  days  of 
Cyprian. 


310 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  IX. 


former  reign  had  opposed  Arianism,  and] houses,  and   given  to  the   Galileans  by 


now  with  equal  sincerity  resisted  idok' 
try.     He  went  through  the  city,  publicly 
exhorting  the  people  to  avoid  polluting 
themselves   with    sacrifices.      Once   ob- 
serving the  Gentiles  employed  in  their 
religious  rites,  he  sighed,  and  besought 
God,  that  no  Christian*  might  be  guilty 
of  such   enormity.     The  governor  upon 
this  apprehended  him,  charging  him  with 
sedition,  and  having  tortured  him,  kept 
him   in  prison.     Julian   himself  coming 
to  Ancyra,  sent  for  13asil,  who  reproacli- 
ed  him  with  his  apostasy.     Julian  said, 
he  had  intended  to  dismiss  him,  but  was 
oblisred  to  treat  him  severely  on  account 
of  his  impudence.     And  in  the  end  this 
priest  suffered  death  in  torture.     Busiris 
was   a  heretic  of  the  sect  of  the  Abste- 
mious,   and   was   tortured   at  the   same 
place.     His  constancy  was   amazing  to 
the  beholders;   but  he   outlived   Julian, 
recovered  his  liberty,  and  afterwards  quit- 
ting his  heresy,  returned  to  the  general 
church. 

Ca?sarea,  in  Cappadocia,  being  almost 
entirely  Christian,  having  destroyed  the 
temple  of  Fortune  since  Julian's  acces- 
sion, merited  his  peculiar  hatred  ;  and  he 
oppressed  it  with  lieavy  exactions.  Ju- 
lian arriving  at  Antioch,  was  mortified  to 
find  how  low  the  Pagan  interest  was  fal- 
len there. t  The  feast  of  Apollo  was  an- 
nually celebrated  at  Daphne,  and  on  that 
occasion  he  expected  to  see  the  religious 
magnificence  of  Antioch  displayed  before 
himself  as  high  priest.  "  What  sacrifice," 
said  he  to  the  priest,  "  is  to  be  offered  at 
the  festival]"  "I  have  brought  a  goose 
from  home,"  replied  he,  "but  the  city  has 
prepared  nothing."  "  You,  all  of  you," 
addressing  himself  to  the  senate,:^^  "  suffer 
every   thing   to   be  carried  out  of  your 


*  Sozomen,  B.  V.  c.  11. 

•J-  The  indefatigable  pains  which  the  Apos- 
tate took  in  support  of  Paganism  is  almost 
incredible.      On   the   festivals   to   Venus   he 
■walked  in  procession  with  lewd  women  of  the 
worst  character.     So  says  Chrysostom.     Yet 
Lardner,  who  always  mitigates  the  bad  against 
Julian,  fancies  that  Julian  scorned  all  debauch. 
Moreover,  he  effects  to  doubt  of  the  truth  of 
the  representations  of  the  follies  and  immoral- 
ities of  this  emperor ;  because  they  aie  the 
accounts   of  Christians;   and   because   Greg. 
Ni\zianzen  is  apt  to  overstate  matters.     Be  it 
so — but  still  it  will  not  follow  that  the  -whole  is 
false;  and  the  judicious  reader  will  rather  be 
disposed  to  conclude  that  Lardner  liimselfis 
greatly   prejudiced  in  favour  of  Julian. — See 
Amm.  Marcellinus. 
%  Misopogon. 


your  wives,  who  support  the  poor  with 
your  wealth,  and  give  credit  to  their  im- 
piety." He  uttered  more  to  the  same 
purpose,  but  he  could  not  communicate 
ins  zeal  to  the  senate  or  people  of  Anti- 
och. The  rage  for  Hellenism  had  ceased 
for  ever, 

Mark,  the  bishop  of  Arethusa,  in  Syria, 
being  ordered  to  pay  the  expense  of  re- 
building an  idolatrous  temple,  which  he 
had  destroyed  in  the  time  of  Constantius, 
and  refusing,  from  conscientious  motives, 
was  tortured  in  an  uncommon  manner, 
and  bore  his  sufferings  with  such  aston- 
ishing   patience,   that    the   prefect   said 
to  Julian,   "  Is  it  not  a  shame,  sir,  that 
the   Christians  should  be  so  much  supe- 
rior  to  us,  and  that  an   old   man,  over 
whom  victory  itself  would  be  inglorious, 
should  conquer  us]"     He  was  at  length 
dismissed  ;  and  a  number,  who  had  per- 
secuted him,  attended  afterwards  to  his 
instructions.     The  bishop  had  saved  the 
life  of  Julian   in   the   beginning  of  the 
reign  of  Constantius,  when  all  his  family 
was  in  danger!  His  character  appears  to 
have  been  tliat  of  eminent  piety  and  vir- 
tue; as  such  he  is  extolled  by  Gregory 
Nazianzen,  though  he  had  all  along  sup- 
ported the  Arian  party:  and  considering 
the  entire  separation  of  the  Arian  from 
the  general  church,  it  is  very  improbable 
that   Gregory   should   speak  of  him   so 
highly  as  he  does,  had  he  not  returned  to 
the  church,  and  been  in  its  communion 
at  that  time.*     It  would  be  tedious  to  re- 
cite all  the  accounts  of  those  who  suflfer- 
ed  from  the  insolent  cruelty  of  Pagans, 
under  the  politic  connivance  and  partiali- 
ty of  Julian  during  his  short  reign. 

In  the  year  362,  George  f  of  Alexan- 
dria was  murdered  by  the  Pagans  of  that 
city,  to  whom  he  had  made     ]y^u,.(]gj.  of 
himself  obnoxious,  by  expos-     George  of 
ing  their  senseless  and  ridi-     Alexan- 
culous  rites.     The  providence     dria, 
of  God  was  wonderfully  dis-     a.D.362. 
played  in  causing  this  man, 
who   had   distinguished  himself   as   the 
persecutor  of  his  people,  to  perish  by  the 
hands  of  idolaters  at  last.     There  were 
not  wanting,  however,  those  who  gave  it 
out,  that  he  had  been  murdered  by  the 


*  Theodoret,  B.  III.  c.  7.    Fleury,  B.  XV" 

+  This  is  he  whom  monkisli  ignorance  nam 
exalted  into  St.  George,  the  Champion  of  Eng- 
land, against  all  the  rules  of  history,  geogra- 
phy and  common  sense. 


Cent.  IV.] 


JULIAN. 


311 


Athanasian  party.*  The  letter  of  Julian 
to  the  people  of  Alexandria,  still  extant, 
abundantly  confutes  tliis  calumny.  He 
blames  none  but  those  of  his  own  religion 
for  it,  and  in  his  manner  of  blaming  them, 
he  confesses  that  George  desers^ed  even 
severer  punishments,  and  declares  that 
he  will  inflict  no  higher  penalty  on  them 
than  a  repiimand,  which  he  hopes  they 
will  reverence,  "because  from  their  first 
origin  they  were  Greeks."  Such  the 
partiality  of  Julian  for  Gentiles  I 

The  reader  will  not  have  forgotten, 
that  Athanasius  was  all  this  time  in  con- 
cealment. He  had  spent  seven  years, 
partly  in  the  deserts,  and  partly  in  the 
house  of  a  virgin  at  Alexandria.  And  the 
steady  affection  which  the  people  had  for 
him,  and  which  no  persecution  of  enemies 
could  conquer,  had  under  God  preserved 
him  from  his  enemies.     This  year,  after 


Athana- 
sius re- 
turns to  his 
bishopric. 


the  death  of  George,  he  ven^ 
tured  to  return  openly  to  his 
bishopric.     The  Arians  were 
obliged  to  hold  their  meetings 
in  private  houses,  and  the  ge- 
neral voice  of  the  people   every  where 
sincerely  decided  for  Athanasius.  During 
the  little  time  that  he  was  allowed  to  ap- 
pear in  public,  he  acted  as  a  Christian 
bishop,  treating  his  enemies  with  mild- 
ness, and  relieving  the  distressed  without 
respect  of  persons,  restoring  the  custom 
of  preaching  on  the  doctrine  of  the  Tri- 
nity, removing  from  the  sanctuary  those 
who  had  made  a  traffic  of  holy  things, 
and  gaining  the  hearts  of  the  people.   He 
held  a  council  at  xYlexandria,  composed 
of  those  who  had  particularly  sutTered 
during    the    Arian    persecution,   among 
whom  Eu  el)ius  of  Vercella;  was  particu- 
larly  distinguished.     Here   those,  who, 
contrary  to  their  settled  principles,  had 
been  beguiled  by  Arian  subtilties  to  sub- 
scribe what  they  did   not  believe,  with 
tears  owned  how  they  had  been  imposed 
on,  and  were  received  into  the  Church. 
Here   the   doctrine   of  the   Trinity  was 
again  cleared  of  the  ambiguities  which 
had  clouded  it,  and  the  Xicene  creed  was 
allowed  to  be  the  most  accurate  and  ex- 
act.    Two  schisms  f  unhappily  rent  the 
church  at  this  time.  The  first  was  at  An- 
tioch,  where  Euzoius  the  Arian  had  the 
chief  sway.  The  followers  of  Eustathius, 
the  late  orthodox  bishop,  gave  themselves 
lip  to  Paulinus,  a  presbyter;  while  an- 


other party  looked  on  themselves  as  be- 
lontring  to  Meletius,  who  had  lately  re- 
turned from  exile.  Lucifer  of  Cagliari,  in 
his  return  through  the  East  from  banish- 
ment in  Egypt,  stopped  at  Antioch,  with 
the  best  intentions,  and  endeavoured  to 
heal  the  divisions  of  the  church.    But  by 
ordaining    Paulinus,   he    confirmed    the 
evils  which  he  meant  to  cure.     Meletius 
had  a  church  without  the  city,  Paulinus 
was  allowed  one  within  the  city ;  while 
Euzoius,    the   most    popular,   possessed 
himself  of  the  rest  of  the  churches,  but 
justice  requires  us  to  say,  that  he  used 
his  victory  with  moderation;  and  respect- 
ing  the    age,   meekness,   and    piety   of 
Paulinus,  he  did  not  deprive  him  of  his 
little  church  in  the  city.    A  rare  instance 
of  moderation  in  an  Arian  leader  !    Luci- 
fer himself  was  offended,  that  his  fellow- 
sufferer  Eusebius  would  not  approve  of 
his  conduct  at  Antioch,  and  even  broke 
off  communion  with  him.     Finding  his 
obstinacy  much  blamed  in  the  church,  he 
became  a  schismatic  altogether,  returned 
to  his  own  church  at  Cagliari  in  Sar- 
dinia, where  he  died  eight  years  after. 
His  followers  were  called    Luciferiaas, 
but  they  were  few  in  number.* 


*  Socrates,  R.  Ilf.  c.  3. 

t  Socrates,  B.  lU.  c.  9.  Fleury,  B.  XV.  29. 


*  No  man  ever  exceeiled  Lucifer  in  courage 
and  hardiness  of  spirit.  When  in  exile  tor  the 
Nicene  faith,  he  published  certain  writings,  in 
whicli  he  accuses  Constantius  with  the  most 
aslOMisliing  boldness.      It  there  were  more  of 
the  meekness  of  the  Gospel  in  these  writings, 
it  might  be  proper  to  quote  some  parts  of  them 
for  tl\e  edification  of  the  Christian  reader  ;  but 
there  is  evidently  too  much  of  the  man,  and 
too  little  of  the  saint,  in  the  whole  method  and 
spirit  of  them.     Not  content  with  composing 
these  works,  he  sent  a  copy  of  them  to  the 
emperor,  who,  surprised  at  his  boldness,  or- 
dered hiai  to  he  asked, "  whether  he  had  really 
sent  them."     "  Know,"  answered  the  intrepid 
bishop,  '•  that  I  did  send  the  book  to  the  em- 
peror, and  after  having  again  considered  it,  I 
do  not  retract ;  and  when  you  have  examined 
the  reasons  for  which  I   have  written  in  this 
manner,   you   will   find   that   we    have   been 
strengthened  by   God,   so    as   to  expect  with 
gladness  the  death  which  is  preparing  for  us." 
I  wonder    not    that  Athanasius    highly   com- 
mends this  njan  ;  he  himself,  though  in  a  less 
degree,  partook  of  the  same  spirit.     It  is  use- 
ful to  mark  the  declensions  of  the  Christiaa 
spirit  among  good  men.   The  warit  of  a  closer 
attention  to  tiie  vitals   of  experimental  godli- 
ness rendered  even  the  best  men  in  these  days 
too  ferocious  in  their  opposition  to  heretics. 
Lucifer  was  consistent  throughout ;  the  same 
tem])er  which  appears  to  have  actuated  him  in 
his  conduct  towards  Constantius,  seduced  him 
into  a  blameable  schism  in  his  latter  days ;  yet 


312 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IX. 


It  is  the  design  of  history  to  record 
what  may  be  useful  to  mankind.  In  this 
view,  even  the  faults  of  the  wise  and 
good  are  serviceable.  The  unhappy  spirit 
of  faction,  in  the  decline  of  Christian 
faith  and  love,  sjdit  the  small  remnant  of 
the  faithful  in  Antioch  into  two  parties, 
which  subsisted  some  time  after  the  be- 
ginning of  the  next  century.  Two  per- 
sons, both  of  undoubted  piety,  minister 
there,  and  yet  cannot  heal  the  evil.  A 
third,  who  had  distinguished  himself  for 
zeal  and  piety  above  many  of  his  age,  en- 
deavours to  compose  the  breach,  but 
widens  it.  He  himself  soon  after,  through 
the  impatience  of  contradiction,  makes 
another  party.  There  was  a  world  of  wis- 
dom in  St.  John's  charge  to  the  Church 
in  his  old  age.  "  Little  children,  love 
one  another."  The  want  of  it  is  sure  to 
be  succeeded  by  factions,  surmises,  and 
endless  divisions.  The  breach  once  made 
is  more  easily  widened  than  closed.  While 
the  Gospel  flourished  in  name  through 
Antioch,  the  vices  of  luxury  prevailed 
amidst  the  evils  of  heresy  and  schism. 
The  church  there  became  the  mark  of  re- 
proach to  the  Apostate,  in  his  satire 
against  their  city.  I  turn  with  more  plea- 
sure to  behold  Eusebius  of  Vercello',  who 
came  back  to  his  western  bishopric  in 
Italy,  where  he  was  received  with  extra- 
ordinary joy.  His  labours,  and  those  of 
Hilary  of  Poitiers,  were  serviceable  in 
Italy,  Gaul,  and  in  general  through  Eu- 
rope. There  the  Arian  heresy  was  sup- 
pressed, and  peace  and  unity  reigned. 
False  learning  and  philosophy  had  not  so 
corrupted  the  understanding.  The  Dona- 
tists  in  Africa  obtained  leave  of  Julian  to 
recover  their  churches,  and  that  frantic 
and  turbulent  sect  proceeded  to  exercise 
military  violence — an  evil  with  which 
they  had  always  been  infected. 

Athanasius  was  not  allowed  to  enjoy 
long  the  sweets  of  liberty.  The  gentile 
Alexandrians  represented  to  the  emperor, 
that  he  corrupted  the  city  and  all  Egypt, 
and  that  if  he  continued  there,  not  a  Pa- 
gan would  be  left.  Julian's  affected  mo- 
deration was  tried  to  the  utmost  in  this 
case;  and  the  open  spirit  of  persecution, 
which,  contrary  to  his  deliberate  maxims, 
he  displayed  on  this  occasion,  does  im- 
mortal honour  to  the  talents  and  integrity 
of  the   Egyptian   prelate.     "I   allowed 

who  can  deny  the  sincerity  of  his  love  for  the 
trulh,  and  tlie  integrity  of  his  heart  i" — See 
page  291  of  this  volume. 


those  Galileans,"  says  he,  "who  had 
been  banished,  to  return  to  their  coun- 
tries, not  to  their  churches.*  I  order 
Athanasius  to  leave  the  city  on  the  re- 
ceipt of  my  letter."  The  Christians 
wrote  to  the  emperor,  and  begged  that  he 
might  not  be  taken  from  them.  Provoked 
to  see  how  deeply  the  love  of  Christianity 
was  fixed  in  them,  and  what  progress  the 
bishop  had  made  in  a  very  little  time, 
Julian  answered  them,j  that  since  Alex- 
ander was  their  founder,  and  Serapis  and 
Isis  their  tutelary  gods,  it  was  surprising 
that  the  corrupted  part  should  dare  to 
call  themselves  the  community.  "  I  am 
ashamed,"  says  he,  "  that  the  gods  should 
suffer  any  of  you  Alexandrians  to  confess 
himself  a  Galilean.  You  forget  your  an- 
cient felicity,  when  Egj'pt  conversed  with 
the  gods,  and  you  abounded  with  pros- 
perity. Y^our  Alexander  was  a  servant  of 
the  gods,  whom  Jupiter  raised  far  above 
any  of  these,  or  the  Hebrews,  who  were 
much  better.  The  Ptolemies,  who  che- 
rished your  city  as  a  daughter,  advanced 
it  to  its  greatness  not  by  preaching  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  doctrine  of  the  execrable 
Galileans.  If  you  resolve  to  follow  these 
impostors,  agree  among  yourselves,  and 
desire  not  to  retain  Athanasius.  Many  of 
his  disciples  are  capable  of  pleasing  you 
by  their  impious  discourses.  But  if  your 
affection  for  him  is  grounded  on  his  skill 
and  shrewdness  (for  I  hear  the  man  is 
crafty,)  for  this  reason  I  expel  him  from 
your  city.  That  such  an  intriguer  should 
preside  over  the  people,  is  dangerous ; 
one  who  deserves  not  the  name  of  man,  a 
low  despicable  creature,:}:  who  takes  a 
pride  in  hazarding  his  life,  and  is  fit  only 
to  cause  disturbances  in  society."  To 
hasten  the  execution  of  his  order,  Julian 
wrote  to  the  governor  of  Egypt,§  that  if 
he  did  not  expel  Athanasius  by  a  certain 
time,  a  time  which  he  limited,  he  would 
fine  his  olhcers  one  hundred  pounds  of 
gold.  "I  am  deeply  afflicted,"  says  he, 
"  at  the  contempt  of  the  gods,  which  is 
shown  by  this  man;  it  will  be  highly 
ao-reeable  to  me  if  you  drive  the  villain 
out  of  Egypt,  who  under  my  government 


*  Jul.  Epist.  26.  A  distinction  certainly 
unfounded,  because  coiitrai'v  to  tlie  permission 
gianted  to  all  the  rest  of  the  bishops. 

t  Epist.  51. 

i  The  original  is  /i-^Hi  xvy,p,  uk\'  «v9piu5r«f!(rxo5 
£uTs?.>.;,  the  malignant  spirit  of  which  it  is  not 
easy  to  translate  into  English. 

§  Epist.  6. 


Cest.  IV.] 


JULIAN. 


313 


has  had  the  insolence  to  baptize  Grecian 
women  of  quality." 

The  enmity  of  the  carnal  mind  against 
God  has  seldom  been  more  displayed  than 
in  these   letters  concerning  Athanasius. 
It  breaks  through  all  disguises,  and  trans- 
messes  all  the  bounds  of  prudence  and 
decorum.     The  affectation  also  of  despis- 
ing a  man  whom  be  feared,  and  whose 
abilities   dismayed   him,    is   completely 
evident.     One  sees  in  the   weakness  of 
his  arguments,  how  incapable  even  sen- 
sible men  are  of  saying  anything   that 
has  the  least  tendency  to  shake  the  mind 
of  a  Christian.     We  must  take  every  op- 
portunity  to   show   the   progress  of  the 
Gospel;  and  as,  through  the  scantiness 
of  materials,  a  part  of  our  evidence  must 
come   from   the    mouth    of  enemies,    it 
should  be  observed,  that  there  is  in  the 
last  letter  a  confession  of  the  laborious 
and  useful  life  of  Athanasius.     He  staid 
not  a  year  in  his  bishopric  since  his  re- 
turn ;  yet  in  that  time  he  confirmed  the 
faithful  in  the  truth  ;  he  demonstrated  the 
power  of  godliness  by  kindness,  liberal- 
ity and   mercy,  to   enemies  as   well  as 
friends ;    he   extended   the    pale   of  the 


Athana- 
sius once 
more  lias 
recourse 
to  fliarht. 


church  by  the  conversion  of  Pagans,  some 
of  noble  birth  ;  and  he  merited  the  indig- 
nation, and  alarmed  the  fears  of  the  mo- 
narch of  the  Roman  world.  Such  is  the 
Grace  of  God  operating  by  Christian 
principles ! 

Athanasius  was  therefore  obliged  once 
more  to  seek  safety  by  flight.     All  the 
faithful   gathered   round    him    weeping. 
"  We  must  retire  a  little  time, 
friends,  says  he  ;  it  is  a  cloud 
that  will  soon  fly  over."    He 
took   leave  of  them,    recom- 
mending his  church  to  the 
ablest  of  his  friends,  and  go- 
ing on  board  a  vessel,  he  fled  by  the  Nile 
into  the  obscurer  parts  of  Egypt.     Still 
his  life  was  in  imminent  danger.    The 
persecutors  followed,  and   were  not  far 
from  him,  which  induced  Athanasius  to 
use   something   of  that   craftiness   with 
which  Julian  charged  him.*     He  direct- 
ed his  companions  to  return  to  Alexan- 
dria,   and   to   meet   his   enemies.     The 
pursuers  asked  them  earnestly,  "  Have 
you  seen  Athanasius  1" — "  He  is  near," 
say  they ;  "  make  haste,  and   you  will 
soon  overtake  him."    Thus  deluded,  they 
went  forward  with  speed  in  vain  ;  and  the 


bishop,  who  had  secreted  himself  during 
this  scene,  returned  in  private  to  Alexan- 
dria, where  he  lay  concealed  till  the  en4 
of  the  persecution.  Thus  did  the  malice 
of  Julian  expose  this  great  and  good  man, 
to  use  the  same  sort  of  artifices,  which 
David  did,  when  persecuted  by  king  Saul, 
who  made  the  same  remark  as  Julian 
did,  "  It  is  told  me  that  he  dealeth  very 
subtilly;"*  a  conduct  which  probably 
extorted  from  him  afterwards  that  prayer, 
"  Remove  from  me  the  way  of  lying." 

The  active  spirit  of  Julian  was  now 
bent  on  the  destruction  of  the  Persian 
monarchy;  and  the  pains  and  expense 
which  he  made  use  of  in  sacrifices  and 
auguries,  may  seem  incredible.  But  his 
ardent  mind  was  one  of  the  fittest  instru- 
ments of  Satanic  infatuation,  and  Divine 
Providence  was  hastening  his  end.  At 
Antioch  he  was  so  provoked  by  the  Psal- 
mody of  the  Christians,  particularly  the 
chorus  which  they  used,  "  Confounded 
be  all  they  that  worship  graven  images," 
that  he  ordered  his  Praetorian  prefect, 
Sallust,  to  punish  them.  He,  though  a 
Gentile,  reluctantly  obeyed,  and  seized 
a  number  of  Christians.  One  of  them, 
Theodorus,  a  youns  man,  was  so  long 


and  so   variously  tortured,  that  his  life 
was   despaired  of.     But  God  preserved 
him.     Ruffinus,  the  Latin  ecclesiastical 
historian,!  declares,  that  he  saw  him  a 
long  time  after,  and  asked  him,  whether 
he   felt  any  pain  in  his   torments.     He 
owned  not  much;  for  a  young  man  stood 
by  him,  wiped  off  his   sweat,  and   en- 
couraged  his   spirit :    so  that  upon  the 
whole  he  felt  during  his  tortures  more 
pleasure   than   pain.     A  memorable  in- 
stance of  the  gracious  care  of  God  over 
his  servants  !     Julian  seems  to  have  in- 
creased in  cruelty,  as  he  came  nearer  his 
end :  He  persecuted  numbers  at  Antioch. 
Gregory  Nazianzen,  in   an   oration,  de- 
scribes these  facts  rather  in  a  rhetorical 
than  in  an  accurate  manner,  and  speaks 
also  of  his  horrible  incantations,  and  the 
cruelties   attendant   on   his  superstition. 
The  description  is  probably  exaggerated  ; 
but  Gregory  was  both  too  intelligent  and 
too  honest  either  to  have  been  deceived 
himself,  or  to  have  deceived  others  alto- 
gether.    Certain  it  is,  that  Julian  toward 
the  Christian  part  of  his  subjects  was  a 
tyrant;  and  one  instance  more  shall  close 
the  account  of  his  severities.     Publia,  a 


*  Sozomen,  B.  V. 
c.  14. 
Vol.  I. 


c.  15      Socrates,  B.  III. 
2D 


*  1  Samuel  xxiii.  22. 

t  Socrates,  B.  IH.  c.  19.  Ruff.  B.  I.  e.  36, 


314 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IX. 


widow  of  great  reputation,  with  a  num 
bar  of  virgins  over  whom  she  presided  at 
Antioch,  sung  and  praised  God,  when 
Julian  was  passing  by.  In  particular, 
they  sung  such  parts  of  the  Psalms  as 
expose  the  wickedness  and  folly  of  idola- 
try. Julian  ordered  them  to  hold  their 
peace,  till  he  had  passed  them.  Publia, 
with  more  zeal  than  charity,  I  fear,  en- 
couraged them,  and  caused  them  to  sing 
on  another  occasion  as  he  passed,  "  Let 
God  arise,  and  let  his  enemies  be  scat- 
tered."* Julian  in  a  rage  ordered  her  to 
be  brought  before  him,  and  to  be  buffeted 
on  each  side  of  her  face.  The  effects  of 
passion  seem  but  too  visible  both  in  the 
emperor  and  the  woman  :  there  is,  how- 
ever, this  difference;  the  one  had  a  zeal 
for  God,  the  other  a  contempt. 

I  studiously  avoid  secular  history  as 
much  as  possible ;  and  having  no  busi- 
ness with  Julian's  war  against  the  Per- 
sians,! I  have  only  to  take  notice  of  the 
circumstances  of  his  death,  and  to  make 
a  reflection  or  two  on  the  conduct  of  Di- 
vine Providence,  on  the  character  of  the 
man,  and  on  the  lessons  of  piety  which 
are  obviously  imprinted  on  his  story,  and 
on  the  great  deliverance  vouchsafed  to 
the  Church.  He  received  a  mortal  wound 
from  a  Persian  lance  in  a  skirmish.  We 
are  told,  that,  conscious  of  his  approach- 
ing end,  he  filled  his  hand  with  the  blood, 
and  castino-  it  into  the  air,  said,  "  O  Ga- 

LILEAN,  THOU  HAST  CONQUERED.    :}:      Some 

think  that  by  that  action,  he  meant  to  re- 
proach the  sun,  the  idol  of  the  Persians, 
for  his  partiality  to  them,  though  he  him- 
self had  been  his  devout  worshipper.  It 
is  highly  probable,  that  a  soul  so  active 
and  vehement  as  his,  did  express  his  in- 
dignation in  some  remarkable  way  at  that 
juncture :  neither  of  the  accounts  are  im^ 
probable,  though   both   cannot  be   true 


•  Tfieodoi-et,  B.  III.  c.  19. 

t  I  shall  introduce  here  a  circumstance 
which  liHppeiied  at  Berea,  whither  Julian 
went  in  his  march  from  Antiocii.  There  he 
found  the  son  of  an  illustrious  citizen,  who 
had  been  disinherited  by  his  father  for  follow- 
ing the  religion  of  the  emperor.  Inviting 
them  to  dinner,  and  placing  himself  between 
them,  he  in  vain  endeavoured  to  unite  them. 
Finding  the  father  inexorable,  he  promised 
the  son  to  be  a  father  in  his  place. — His  reli- 
gious addresses  to  the  people  of  this  place 
were  little  regarded  by  the  senate  of  Berea, 
which  WHS  almost  entirely  Ciiristian.  So  deep- 
ly had  this  place  received  Christianity,  and  so 
perseveringly  preserved  it  since  the  days  of 
the  Apostles. — Acts  xvii. 

i  Theodoret,  B.  III.  c.  25. 


In  his  last  moments  in  his  tent  he  ex- 
pressed a  readiness  to  die,  declaring  that 
he  had  learned  from  philosophy,  how 
much  more  excellent  the  soul  was  than 
the  body,  and  that  death  ought  rather  to 
be  the  subject  of  joy  than  of  affliction. 
He  boasted,  that  he  had  lived  without 
guilt,  and  that  he  reflected  with  pleasure 
on  the  innocence  of  his  private,  and  the 
integrity  of  his  public  life.  He  reproved 
the  immoderate  grief  of  the  spectators, 
and  begged  them  not  to  disgrace  by  their 
tears  his  death,  as  in  a  few  moments  he 
should  mix  with  heaven  and  the  stars. 
He  entered  into  a  metaphysical  argument 
with  Maximus  and  Prisons,  his  favourite 
philosophers,  on  the  nature  of  the  soul. 
He  died  after  a  reign  of  one  year  and 
eight  months,  in  the  thirty-second  year 
of  his  age.  A  man  of  good  understand- 
ing who  taught  children  at  Antioch,  was 
in  company  with  Libanius,  who  asked 
him  what  the  carpenter's  son  was  doing. 
It  was  smartly  replied,  "  the  Maker  of 
the  world,  whom  you  jocosely  call  the 
carpenter's  son,  is  employed  in  making 

a  coffin."     A  few  days  after,     ^^    ,,     ,. 
...  ,       A  ^-     I.      r     Death  oi 

tidings   came   to   Antioch  oi     jyHan 

Julian's  death.*     The  story  ' 

is  related  also  by  authors 
somewhat  differently,  but  its  substance 
seems  to  be  true  :  nor  is  there  any  occa- 
sion to  suppose  the  schoolmaster  to  have 
been  possessed  of  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 
The  minds  of  Christians  in  general  must 
have  been  extremely  agitated  during  this 
whole  scene  of  Julian's  attempt  against 
the  Persian  empire  :  their  ardent  prayers 
for  the  preservation  of  the  church,  with- 
out the  least  personal  ill  will  to  their  im- 
perial persecutor,  almost  implied  an  ex- 
pectation of  his  death  in  the  answer  to 
their  prayers ;  and  the  extraordinary  rash- 
ness, with  which  his  military  expedition 
was  conducted,  might  lead  mankind  in 
general  to  hope,  or  to  fear,  it  would  end 
in  his  ruin. 

The  conduct  of  Divine  Providence  is 
ever  to  be  adored,  in  hastening  the  death 
of  so  formidable  an  enemy  to  his  people ; 
whose  schemes  seemed  only  to  require 
length  of  time  to  effect  the  ruin  of  the 
Church.  But  he  was  suffered  to  aim  at 
too  many  objects  at  once,  the  restoration 
of  idolatry,  the  ruin  of  Christianity,  the 
rebuilding  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  conquest 
of  Persia.  That  he  should  have  pursued 
this  last  with  such  avidity,  is  an  instance 


•  Theodoret. 


Ceitt.  IV.] 


JULIAN. 


315 


of  the  opposition  of  two  parlies  to  ea:'h 
other,  both  equally  bent  on  the  ruin  of 
the  Church  :  a  thing  very  common  in 
history,  by  which  the  Lord  frequently 
saves  his  people.  How  much  more  pru- 
dent had  it  been  in  Julian  to  have  ma^e 
an  alliance  with  the  Persian  monarch, 
who  would  (rladiy  have  accepted  it,  and 
to  have  united  with  him  in  the  destruction 
of  Christians,  against  whom  they  both 
were  equally  incensed.  Thus  does  God 
infatuate  the  councils  of  his  enemies,  and 
lead  them  to  quarrel  with  one  another  for 
the  good  of  his  Church,  rather  than  to 
unite  for  its  ruin  ! 

If  philosophic  pride  had  not  entirely 
hardened  the  heart  and  stupified  the  con- 
science of  the  apostate,  he  could  never 
have  boasted  in  his  last  moments  of  his 
innocence  and  integrity.  Besides  num- 
berless evils  which  a  mind  not  quite 
steeled  against  the  checks  of  conscience 
must  have  perceived,  the  guilt  of  ten 
3'ears  hypocrisy  surely  should  have  moved 
him  to  remorse.  If  sincerity  be  not  es- 
sential to  virtue  upon  every  possible  sys- 
tem, it  is  hard  to  say  what  is.  But  from 
the  time  of  his  initiation  into  the  Platonic 
mysteries  at  Ephesus,  to  his  open  avowal 
of  paganism,  he  dissembled  in  religion 
altogether;  he  openly  professed  the  Gos- 
pel, and  secretly  worshipped  idols.  His 
friend  Libanius  commends  his  hypocrisy. 
Philosophers  in  general,  who  held  that 
every  thing  was  God,  and  yet  constantly 
practised  all  the  rites  of  vulgar  polythe- 
ism, dissembled  continually.  The  mind 
of  Julian  seems  with  astonishing  incon- 
sistency to  have  united,  in  sincere  belief, 
the  refinements  of  philosophy  with  the 
vulgar  idolatry:  but  his  hypocrisy  with 
respect  to  Christianity,  so  artfully  per- 
sisted in  till  the  death  of  Constantius,  is 
one  of  the  completest  instances  of  deceit 
I  read  of  in  history.  That  man  must 
either  be  extinct  at  death,  or  be  happy  by 
a  reunion  with  the  Deity,  was  the  belief 
of  the  philosophers  in  general :  and  Ju- 
lian, like  them,  avows  it  at  his  death, 
and,  like  Cicero,*  he  had  not  the  least 
idea  of  punishment  for  sin  in  an  after-life. 
What  is  meant  then  by  the  praises  so 
profusely  conferred  in  our  age  on  philo- 
sophic infidels'?  Are  hypocrisy,  atheism, 
the  extinction  of  the  feelings  of  natural 
conscience,  and  a  total  exemption  from 
all  that  modest  sense  of  imbecility  which 
is  so  becoming  a  frail  creature  like  man. 


•  See  his  Senectute,  toward  the  end. 


are  these  virtues'?  Shall  we  be  told  in 
triumph,  how  nobly  Hume  the  philoso- 
pher died"?  Is  the  very  worst  state  of 
mind  to  be  gloried  in  as  the  best'?  Is  not 
scepticism  and  indifference  about  a  future 
state,  a  mark  of  what  the  Scripture  calls 
a  reprobate  mind,  however  it  may  be  com- 
plimented by  unbelievers  with  the  appel- 
lation of  a  philosophical  spirit?  How 
much  more  amiable  a  prince  would  Julian 
have  been,  if  he  had  lived  like  Antonius 
Pius,  following  the  rules  of  plain  and 
common  sense;  and  how  large  a  part  of 
the  defects  and  vices  of  his  character  was 
owing  to  this  same  philosophy  ! 

Yet  a  tear  of  compassion  is  due  to  this 
extraordinary  man.  He  had  seen  a  poor 
sample  of  the  Gospel  in  the  lives  and 
manners  of  the  family  of  Constantine, 
and  had  suffered  deep  and  cruel  injuries 
from  them.  Philosophers  cautiously 
watched  him  when  very  young,  and  in- 
fused their  poison  with  dexterity.  Use- 
ful lessons  may  be  learned  from  history 
by  voung  persons,  who  among  ourselves 
having  been  educated  by  Christians  of 
mere  formal  orthodoxy,  are  ever  prone  to 
be  seduced  by  heretical  philosophers. 
While  those,  who  profess  the  Gospel, 
are  loudly  called  on  to  take  care,  that 
they  express  their  religious  zeal  b}' some- 
thing more  substantial  than  words  and 
forms.  Young  minds  who  are  under  the 
influence  of  unfruitful  professors,  are  se- 
riously warned,  by  the  apostasy  of  Julian, 
to  perform  with  diligence  what  he  ne- 
glected, namely.  To  search  the  Scriptures 
for  themselves  with  prayer.  Had  Julian 
been  as  studious  of  the  Greek  Testament 
as  he  was  of  Plato,  and  prayed  as  earnest- 
ly to  God  through  Christ  as  he  did  or 
seemed  to  do  to  Jupiter  and  Apollo,  he 
might  have  escaped  the  snare  of  Satan. 
But  men  confirm  themselves  in  apostasy 
and  infidelity,  by  hearkenmg  to  every- 
thing that  tends  to  produce  these  evils, 
and  they  avoid  the  force  of  divine  truth 
by  contemptuous  neglect  and  indiffer- 
ence. 

I  wish  the  spirit  of  the  Church  could 
be  more  an  object  of  our  commendation 
during  this  whole  scene  than  it  is.  No 
doubt  many  prayed  sincerely,  and  we 
have  seen  abundant  proofs  of  godly  men 
choosing  to  suffer  rather  than  to  sin.  But 
it  is  evident,  that  there  was  a  great  want 
of  primitive  meekness  and  patience.  Per- 
secution under  Julian  was  incurred  too 
frequently  by  Christians  without  cause. 
Even  just  sentiments   on    this    subject 


316 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  X. 


were  lost  by  many.  Sozomen,  speaking 
of  a  suspicion,  that  Julian  was  slain  by  a 
Christian,  admits  that  if  it  were  so,  none 
could  easily  blame  the  action:  and  sup- 
poses that  Christians  might  do  innocently 
at  least  what  heathen  patriots  have  done 
so  laudably.*  Such  sentiments,  com- 
pared with  the  primitive  spirit  of  the 
Gospel,  mark  the  degeneracy  of  the 
times,  at  the  same  time  that  they  afford 
most  lamentable  advantages  to  the  unbe- 
liever. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  CHURCH  UNDER  JOVIAN. 

This   prince   succeeded  Julian  in  the 
year  363,  aged  about  33  years.  His  reign 
was  terminated  by  sudden  death,  after  lit- 
tle more  than  seven  months  : 
Jovian  jjQj  ^jjg  ti^pj-e  any  thing  pe- 

reigns    it-     culiarlv  shining  or  eminent  in 
tie  more  •'  »  ,       .. 

than  seven 


his  talents  or  character.  Civil 
months.  history  does  not  distinguish 
A.  D.  363.     bim-  In  ecclesiastical  history 

he  merits  a  particular  atten- 
tion ;  for  he  is  the  first  off  the  Roman 
emperors  who  gave  some  clear  evidences, 
though  not  unequivocal,  of  real  love  to 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  It  w^ere  to  be 
wished  that  the  accounts  of  this  emperor 
had  been  more  explicit  and  large.  Neither 
his  faith,  however,  nor  his  practice  seein 
to  contradict^:  what  I  have  asserted  ;  and 
Providence  just  showed  him  to  the  Ro- 
man world,  that  he  might  restore  the 
sinking  Church,  and  then  removed  him. 

*  Sozom.  B.VI.c.  11. 

+  The  first  Constantine  seems  in  doctrine  to 
have  followed  tiie  Semi-Arianism  of  Eusebius, 
or  perliups  more  properly  may  be  said  to  have 
not  understood  the  Gospel  in  any  light  ;  and 
the  latter  part  of  his  life,  it  is  allowed  on  all 
hands,  was  very  faulty.  Of  Constant! us,  nothing 
need  be  said.  Of  Philip,  in  the  last  centui'y, 
we  know  much  more  evil,  notwilhslanding  his 
Christian  profession.  I  could  wish  the  reader, 
with  me,  to  estimate  the  worth  of  characters 
by  their  spirituality  and  holiness,  not  by  talents 
and  exploits.  If  he  does  not,  he  will  wonder 
that  I  should  make  light  of  the  great  Constan- 
tine in  comparison  of  the  obscure  Jovian. 

:t:  I  say  seem  to  contradict;  for  I  am  aware 
thatAmmianus  charges  him  with  gluttonous 
and  libidinous  excesses.  But  this  author  was 
not  a  Christian,  and  he  expresses  his  hopes, 
thathe  might  have  corrected  them,  and  owns 
that  he  was  very  sincere  in  his  religion.  This 
seems  as  much  in  .Tovian's  favour  as  may  be 
expected  from  Aramianus. 


In  Julian's  time  he  had  given  a  noble 
mark  of  Christian  sincerity,  by  declaring 
that   he  would   rather   quit  the   service 
than  his  religion.*     Yet  Julian  kept  him 
near  his  person,  and  employed  him  in  his 
fatal   expedition;   an  unequivocal  proof, 
that  his  talents  and  capacity,  though  not 
of  the  first  rate,  were  by  no  means  defec- 
tive.    In  stature  he  was  much  above  the 
common  size,  and  large  in  proportion,  so 
that  it  was  dilficuit  to  find  an  imperial 
habit  that  would    suit  him.     The   most 
striking  feature  in  his  character  seeiitis  to 
have  been  a  consistent  frankness,  open- 
ness, and  integrity,  such  as  I  look  for  in 
vain  among  mere  philosophers  and  mere 
heroes.     Nor  can  it  easily  exist,  except 
in  minds  erected  by  divine  grace  above 
the  crooked  pursuits  of  secular  ambition. 
Though  the  empire  of  the  Roman  world 
was  in  his  eye,  he  forgot  not  that  he  was 
a  Christian,  and  was  solicitous  to  confess 
his  Saviour  at  a  time  when  the  cause  of 
Paganism  must  have  predominated  much 
in  Julian's  army.     "  I  am  a  Christian," 
says  he,  "  I  cannot  command  idolaters, 
and  I  see  the  wrath  of  the  living  God 
ready  to  fall  on  an  army  of  his  enemies." 
"Yon  command   Christians!  exclaimed 
those  who  heard  him;  the  reign  of  super- 
stition has  been  too  short  to  efface  from 
our  minds  the  instructions  of  the  great 
Constantine  and  of  his  son  Constantius." 
Jovian  heard  with  pleasure,  and  assent- 
ed ;  and  the  Pagans  in  the  army  seem  to 
have  been  silent. j" 

The  army  was  in  a  situation  of  extreme 
danger  at  the  time  of  Julian's  death ;  far 
advanced  into  an  enemy's  -  country,  and 
without  provisions.  The  rashness  of  his 
predecessor  had  involved  Jovian  in  these 


*  I  follow  the  Abbe  de  la  Bleterie  in  his  Life 
of  this  prince,  which  is  beautifully  written  ;  yet 
I  keep  my  eye  on  the  ancient  historians  all 
along. 

t  Theod.  IV.  2.  Socrat.  III.  22.  Both  these 
historians  tell  the  same  story,  though  the 
former  somewhat  more  fully.  Ammiaiuis  ob- 
serves, indeed,  that  the  victims  and  entrails 
were  inspected  for  Jovian  :  on  which  account 
Mr.  Gibbon  exults  over  tlie  destruction  of  The- 
odoret's  legend.  But  who  does  not  see,  that  the 
superstitious  practice  having  been  in  high  vogue 
under  Julian,  it  might  be  continued,  for  the 
present  at  least,  even  witiiout  Jovian's  know- 
ledge ?  How  does  it  appear  that  Theodoret's 
narrative  deserved  to  be  called  a  legend,  any 
more  than  Ammianus's,  or  even  Gibbon's  ? 
Resides,  this  object  takes  no  notice  at  all  of  the 
authority  of  Socrates,  who  in  candour  and  ve- 
racity is  generally  allowed  to  have  been  emi- 
nent. 


Cewt.  IV.] 


JOVIAN. 


317 


difficulties,  and  compelled  him  to  nego- 
tiate with  Sapor  the  Persian  king;  whose 
craft  imposed  on  the  undesigning  simpli- 
city of  the  new  emperor.    By  affected  de- 
lays, the  old  Persian  monarch  protracted 
the^negotiation,  till  the  increasing  distress 
of  the  Romans  for  want   of  provisions 
enabled  Sapor  to  dictate  the  terms  en- 
tirely.    Ammianus  thinks  it  would  have 
been   a  thousand   times  better   to   have 
tried  the  chance  of  war,  than  to  have  ac- 
cepted any  of  the  conditions.  But  Jovian 
was  a  Christian;  he  could  not  gain  ad- 
vantages by  fraud  and  deceit  in  the  course 
of  the  negotiation;  the  preservation  of  the 
lives  of  men  was  to  him  of  more  import- 
ance than  of  the  distant  provinces  which 
he  was  obliged  to  cede  to  Sapor:  and  it 
is  remarkably  providential,  that  the  first 
instance  we  have  on  record  of  an  ignomini- 
ous and  disadvantageous  treaty  concluded 
by  the  Romans,  was  under  a  monarch, 
who   it   is   hoped  belonged  sincerely  to 
Him  whose  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world. 
Heavy  are  the  complaints  which  Roman 
writers  make  of  this  dishonourable  peace  : 
Gregory  Nazianzen  laments  it,  but  throws 
the  blame  on  Julian  :  the  pagan  historian 
Eutropius   seems   to  justify   Jovian    by 
calling  it  a  treaty  ignoble  indeed,  but  ne- 
cessary. 

I  seem  to  behold  new  maxims  of  go- 
vernment appearing  under  the  first  fiiith- 
ful  emperor.     The  rule  of  the  Psalmist,* 
in  controversy,  was  perhaps  never  more 
punctually   followed   than  by  Jovian. — 
■  Though  the  inhabitants  of  Nisibis  in  Me- 
sopotamia petitioned  him,  with  the  most 
vehement  importunity,  to  suffer  them  to 
defend  their  fortress  against  the  Persian 
king,  from  their  extreme   unwillingness 
to  leave  their  native  country,  he  answer- 
ed. That  he  had  expressly  sworn  to  de- 
liver up  the  city,  and  that  he  could  not 
elude  an  oath  by  vain  subtilties.  Crowns 
of  gold  were  usually  offered  by  cities  to 
new   princes.      The   people  of  Nisibis, 
willing  to  remain  under  the  Roman  go- 
vernment, very  sedulously  performed  this 
act  of  homage.  Jovian  refused  the  crown ; 
but  they  at  length  in  d  manner  compelled 
him   to   accept  it.      Nothing,   however, 
could  move  him  from  his  purpose.     He 
obliged    the   inhabitants  to  depart   with 
their  effects,  somewhat  earlier  than  he 
would  have  done,  had  he  not  been  exas- 
perated by  their  insults  and  importunities 


Yet  he  seems  to  have  done  all  that  cir- 
cumstances allowed.    He  ordered  Araida, 
whither  most  of  them  retired,  and  which 
had  been  almost  ruined  by  Sapor,  to  be 
rebuilt  for  their  use,  and   settled   them 
there.     Not  only  Pagan,  but  some  Chris- 
tian authors,  reproach  Jovian  for  executing 
the  treaty  with  so  much  fidelity.     I  con- 
fess he  appears  to  me  highly  amiable  in 
those  very  things,  for  which  he  has  been 
so  much  censured.     It  was  an  act  worthy 
of  a  prince  who  served  Jesus  Christ,  to 
dread  more  the  loss  of  truth  and  the  wrath 
of  God,  on  account  of  perjury,  than  the 
loss  of  territory.     It  is  difficult  for  men 
to   divest   themselves  of  the  regard  for 
worldly  honour  and  greatness.     This  il- 
lusion gives  Jovian  a  mean  appearance  in 
the  eyes  of  most  writers.*     Could  such 
a  man  be  fit  to  govern  an  empire  ?  Let  it 
be  remembered,  however,  that  if  Chris- 
tian principles  place  a  man  under  disad- 
vantages in  some  worldly  respects,  they 
compensate   for   these   in   others.      The 
same  fear  of  God,  which  hindered  Jovian 
from  breaking  his  word,  would  have  kept 
him   from  entering  into  a  war  of  such 
madness  and  folly,  as  he  found  himself 
involved  in  at  his  accession. 

These  secular  transactions  would  not 
have  engaged  my*  attention,  were   they 
not  connected  with  an  illustration  of  the 
religious  principles  and  conduct  of  the 
prince.     When  I  can  meet  with  an  ex- 
alted personage,  who  evidences  a  Chris- 
tian  spirit,  I  shall  think  his  actions  be- 
long properly  to  this  history.      But  to 
proceed  :  at  Carrhce  in  Mesopotamia,  a 
city  wholly  pagan,  the  messenger,  Avho 
brought  the  first  news  of  Julian's  death, 
was  near  being  stoned.     Never  was  pa- 
ganism  more   completely    disappointed. 
Her  hopes  in  an  instant  vanished  as  a 
dream,   and   the   Church    triumphed   in 
praising  her  God,  who  is  ever  faithful  to 
his  promises.     Real  saints  would  doubt- 
less show  their  thankfulness  in  a  becoming 
manner,  and  Gregory  Nazianzen  was  par- 
ticularly careful,  in  an  oration  which  he 
published    on    the    occasion,   to   exhort 
Christians  to  display  their  meekness,  hu- 
mility, and  charity.     But  compassion  for 
a  perishing  enemy,  and  fear  at  the  pros- 
pect of  prosperity  were  not  exhibited  as 
they  ought  to  have  been.     Antioch,   in 


•  Psalm  XV.  4.  He  that  sweareth  to  his  own 
hurt,  and  changeth  not. 


2d2 


*  It  is  astonishing  how  tiie  Abbe  da  la  Ble- 
terie  could  be  induced  to  tliink,  that  Jovian 
was  not  bound  to  execute  his  promise,  and 
should  write  a  dissertation  in  support  of  his 
opinion. 


318 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  X. 


particular,  personally  hostile  to  Julian, 
and  filled  with  Arianism,  demonstrated 
how  much  it  had  fallen  from  Christian 
purity.  Public  entertainments,  sacred 
and  profane  festivals,  filled  this  voluptu- 
ous city.  Dances  and  public  shows  were 
seen  in  the  churches ;  and  the  theatres 
resounded  with  insulting  acclamations. 
There  the  victory  of  the  cross  was  pub- 
lished, there  Maximus  was  addressed,  as 
if  present:  "Fond  Maximus  I  what  has  be- 
come of  they  predictions  1  God  and  his 
Christ  have  conquered." 

Jovian  led   his   army   to   Antioch,  in 
which  he  remained  six  weeks,   and  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  regulation  of  religion. 
The  conduct  of  his  predecessor  had  in- 
volved him  in  intricate  difficulties,  both 
in  ecclesiastical  affairs  and  in  civil.    The 
whole  empire  was  torn  with  distractions, 
and  Julian's  affected  toleration  had  been 
attended  with  the  horrors  of  real  persecu- 
tion.    Already  on  his  death  the  temples 
were  every  where  shut;*  the  priests  ab- 
sconded;  the  philosophers   had   quitted 
the   cloak,  and   resumed   their   common 
dress  :  to  so  great  a  despair  were  the  Pa- 
gans reduced.     Within  the  church,  the 
Orthodox    and   the   Arians    were   every 
where  at  variance;   Antioch  itself  was 
split  into  three  divisions.     The  Donatists 
in  Africa  exercised  a  turbulence  that  re- 
quired the  interference  of  the  magistrate. 
The  Novatians,  faulty  only  in  a  narrow 
bigotry  and  excess  of  discipline,  had  kept 
up   some   good   understanding  with  the 
general   Church,  had  joined  her  in  the 
defence  of  the   faith   against  Arianism, 
had  endured  persecution  in  common  with 
her,  while  Arianism  triumphed  ;  and  some 
of  them  at  Martinium  in  Paphlagonia  had 
cut  in  pieces  several  companies  of  sol- 
diers who  under  Coastantius  had  been 
sent  to  oblige  them  to  embrace  Arianism. 
But  during  the  reign  of  Julian,  if  we  ex- 
cept the  mad  excesses  of  the  Donatists, 
a  kind  of  truce  had  prevailed  among  the 
contending  parties.     Immediately  on  his 
death  their  eyes  were  solicitously  direct- 
ed to  his  successor,  to  see  what  measures 
he  would  pursue.     Himself  a  sincere  be- 
liever of  the  primitive  faith,  he  yet  ab- 
horred persecution.     Convinced  that  con- 
science could  not  be  forced,  and  that  a 
voluntary  religion  only  was  acceptable  to 
God,  he  "made  a  law,  by  which  he  permit- 
ted the  Pagans  to  re-open  their  temples, 
and  exercise  their  religion.     Yet  he  pe- 

*  Socrates. 


remptorily  forbad  witchcraft  and  impos- 
tures. He  suffered  the  public  sacrifices, 
but  put  a  stop  to  the  overflowings  of 
magic  and  enchantments,  with  which 
Julian  had  filled  the  empire ;  in  fine,  he 
granted  the  Pagans  more  than  Constan- 
tius  had  allowed,  and  placed  them  in  the 
same  state  in  which  they  had  been  left 
by  the  great  Constantino.     In  this  tolera- 


tion there  was  an  effective  sincerity,  to 
which  that  of  Julian  had  no  just  preten- 
sions.    In  the  former  reign,  the  Christian 
found  himself  only  nominally  free;   in 
the  latter,  the  Pagan  found  himself  really 
so.     Philosophers  themselves   were   ad- 
mitted to  court ;   though  it  could  not  be 
expected,  that  they  should  become  the 
bosom   friends  of  a  Christian   emperor. 
Some   of  the   courtiers   insulted   them  ; 
Jovian  himself  was  too  just  and  generous 
to  do  it.     Even  Libanius  and  Maximus, 
the  pillars  of  Paganism  and  philosophy, 
were  spared  ;  we  may  thence  judge  how 
mildly  others  were  treated.     At  Constan- 
tinople also,  sacrifices  were  publicly  of- 
fered for  the  solemnity  of  the  consulship 
of  Jovian.     He  even  permitted  Themis- 
tius,  an  illustrious  pagan  magistrate,  to 
harangue  before  him  on  the  propriety  of 
religious  freedom,  and  the  rights  of  con- 
science, and  to  thank  him  for  the  liberty 
which   he   gave   to   his   subjects.      His 
speech  on  the  occasion  need  not  be  given ; 
the  sentiments  are  now  common  and  trite; 
something  right  and  something  wrong, 
as  is  usual  at  this  day,  appears  on  the 
face  of  it.     The  rightof  private  judgment 
and  the  iniquity  of  compulsion  are  justly 
stated ;  and,  like  all  men  who  are  void  of 
any  true  religious  principle,  he  intimates 
that   all  religions   are  equally  true   and 
equally  pleasing  to  God.     But  it  seems 
a  pitiable  thing,  that  none  of  the  learned 
and   philosophical   Pagans  should   have 
found   out  this  doctrine  before !  if  they 
had,  how  much  Christian  blood  would 
have   been   spared!    It   would   have  re- 
dounded more  to  their  credit,  if  they  had 
made  or  propagated  this  discovery  during 
the   Christian  persecutions.      To   speak 
of  it  now,  when  they  were  the   inferior 
party,  looks  more   like  selfishness  than 
liberality.      Philosophers   wrote  against 
Christians    with   much    animosity,    and 
some  of  them  joined  actively  in   perse- 
cuting: I  recollect  not  one,  before  The- 
mistius,  who  pleaded  for  toleration. 

At  the  same  lime  Jovian  declared 
Christianity  to  be  the  established  religion, 
and  replaced  in  the  standard  the  figure  of 


Ciirr.  IV.] 


JOVIAN. 


319 


the  cross,  which  Julian  had  taken  away. land  your  zeal  for  Jesus  Christ  o  ir  Sa- 


He  ordered  the  Christians  to  be  restored 
to  their  churches,  recalled  their  exiles, 
and  reinstated  them  in  all  their  privi- 
leges. One  Mag-nus,  an  officer  of  note,  had 
burned  by  his  private  authority  the  church 
of  Berytus  in  Phcsnicia.  He  was  him- 
self an  unprincipled  man,  ardent  in  per- 
secution. Jovian  was  very  near  behead- 
ing him ;  but  contented  himself  with 
obliging  him  to  rebuild  the  church  at  his 
own  expense. 

Thus  did  Jovian  prove  himself  the  de- 
fender of  Christianity  as  the  established 
relitrion,  and  of  toleration  at  the  same 


viour,  we  take  you,  venerable  bi  ;hop, 
under  our  protection.  You  deserve  it,  by 
the  courage  which  you  have  shown  i  ti  the 
most  painful  labours,  and  your  conte  npt 
of  persecutors  and  menacing  words. — 
Holding  in  your  hand  the  helm  of  faith, 
which  is  so  dear  to  you,  you  cease  not  to 
combat  for  the  truth,  nor  to  edify  the 
Christian  people,  who  find  in  you  the  per- 
fect model  of  all  virtues.  For  these  rea- 
sons we  recall  you  immediately,  and  we 
order  you  to  return,  to  teach  the  doctrine 
of  salvation.  Return  to  the  holy  churches; 
feed  the  people  of  God.     Let  the  pastor 


time.     The  ingenuity  of  man  can  proceed  at  the  head  of  the  flock  offer  up  prayers 
no  farther  in  such  a  subject.     The  princi-l  for  our  person  ;   for  we  are  persuaded. 


Athanasi- 
us  appears 
openly  at 
Alexan- 
dria. 


pies  of  church  government,  which  have 
for  'a  hundred  years  subsisted  among 
ourselves,  were  in  their  great  outlines  in- 
troduced by  Jovian  into  the  empire :  and 
on  the  whole  convey  a  just  idea  of  the 
integrity  of  his  heart  and  the  soundness 
of  his  understanding.* 

Athanasius  had  no  sooner  heard  of  the 
death  of  Julian,  than  he  suddenly  appear- 
ed again  at  Alexandria,  to  the  agreeable 
surprise  of  his  people.    A  let- 
ter from  Jovian  confirmed  him 
in  his  office,  and  it  was  con- 
ceived in  these  terms  : — "  To 
the  most  religious  friend  of 
God,  Athanasius.    As  we  ad- 
mire beyond  expression  the  sanctity  of 
your  life,  in  which  shine  forth  the  marks 
of  resemblance  to  the  God  of  the  universe,! 


*  This  praise  seems  due  to  Jovian  in  general 
for  his  conduct ;  at  the  same  time  I  am  far  from 
pretending  to  determine  precisely  the  line  which 
he  ought  to  have  pursued.  Numbers  speak 
with  great  confidence  on  the  subject  of  religious 
establishments  and  toleration,  who  have  never 
weighed  the  difficulties  with  which  it  is  in- 
volved. A  more  proper  place  to  investigate  it 
may  occur,  when  we  come  to  the  reign  of  Theu- 
dosius. 

t  Mr.  Gibbon  calls  this  impious  and  extrava- 
gant flattery.     Who  but  a  person  either  exceed- 
ingly prejudiced   or  ignorant   would  have  ha- 
zarded  such  an   assertion  ?    I  scruple  not   to 
charge    the    learned    critic    with    both.      His 
prejudice  will  not  allow  him  to  bear  a  short 
interval  of  the  prosperity  of  Athanasius  with 
patience,  and  his  ignorance  of  the  Scriptures  has 
led  him  here  to  express  his  prejudice  with  pecu- 
liar absurdity.    Every  child  in  divinity  knows, 
that  to  say,  a  man  resembles  God,  or  bears  his 
image  anii  likeness,  means  no  more,  than  "that 
he  is  renewed  in  knowledge  after  the  image  of 
Him  that  treated  him,"  that  he  is  what  Adam 
was  before  the  fall,  what  every  Christian  is  made 


that  God  will  diffuse  on  us  and  on  our 
fellow  Christians  his  signal  favours,  if 
you  aflford  the  assistance  of  your  prayers.' 
Jovian  wrote  to  him  again,  to  ask  in- 
struction with  respect  to  the  Arian  con- 
troversy.    Athanasius,  entering  into  his 
views,  convened  some  bishops,  and  an- 
swered him  in  the  name  of  the  synod,  re- 
commending to  him  the  Nicene  faith,  and 
defending  it  in  his  usual  manner.   Joviaa 
directed  him  to  come  to  Antioch,  where 
he  was  graciously  received.     Arian  and 
Candidus,  two  Arians,  relations  also  of 
the  emperor,  came  to  him  at  Antioch, 
having  conceived  some  hope  of  his  fa- 
vour.    Euzoius  also,  the  bishop  of  that 
city,  where  Arianism  was   strong,  and 
some  other  Arians,  laboured  to  ingratiate 
themselves  with  the  eunuchs  of  the  pa- 
lace, as  their  party  had  done  in  the  reign 
of  Constantius.     The  Macedonians  too, 
the  followers  of  the  deposed  bishop   of 
Constantinople,  who  had  taught  them  to 
deny  the  divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  so- 
licited the  emperor  for  predominancy  in 
the  Church.     "I  hate  disputes,  replied 
Jovian  ;  I  love  and  honour  men  of  peace, 
and  promoters  of  union."     The  Arians, 
confounded  with  such  a  sentence,  com- 
municated with   Meletius   the  orthodox 
bishop  of  Antioch,  and  subscribed   the 
council  of  Nice.     It  is  difficult  to  believe 
their    sincerity ;    under    any    the    most 
moderate  account  that  can  be  given  of  the 
controversy,  Arian  duplicity  must  strike 
every  reader.   At  any  rate  Jovian  was  not 
to  blame;  he  plainly  declared,  that  he 
would  constrain  no  man,  and  he  said  so 
sincerely.     But  power,  not  mere  tolera/- 
tion,  was  their  object.   Jovian  also  strove 
in  vain  to  heal  the  division  between  the 


by  grace.    What  an  imir.ensity  of  learning  do  j-  jj  of  Meletius  and  Paulinus,  which 

some  men  at'ain,  without  knowing  lue  very  ele- •  ' 

monta  of  the  J\ew  Testament? 


has  been  mentioned  above. 


320 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  X, 


TTie  Arians  of  Alexandria*  attempted 
to  gain  the  episcopal  see  for  a  person 
nrmed  Lucius,  a  man  void  of  all  piety, 
and  made  application  for  him  to  the  empe- 
ror, with  Lucius  himself  at  their  head. 
The  friends  of  Athanasius  sent  deputies 
also  on  their  part,  to  oppose  them.      The 
interference  of  Constantine,  and  still  more 
of  Constantius,  in  the  expulsion  of  bish- 
ops in  cities  of  great  note  in  the  empire, 
had  established  an   unhappy  precedent, 
which  was  followed  too  frequently.     A 
short  extract  of  the  conferences  may  throw 
some  light  on  the  character  of  Jovian,  and 
on  the  state  of  relio-ion  at  that  time.  "  We 
beg  your  power,  your  majesty,  your  pie- 
ty," say  the  Arians,  "  to  give  us  audi- 
ence."   Who  and  whence  are  you  1    "  Sir, 
we  are   Christians."      Whence,  and  of 
what  city  ?      "  Of  Alexandria."     What 
do  you  desire  of  me  1     "  To   give  us  a 
bishop."     I  have  ordered  Athanasius  to 
return  to  his  see.     "Sir,  this  man  has 
been  banished  many  years,  for  crimes  of 
which  he  is  not  cleared."     A  soldier  of 
the  emperor's  guard  interposed  :    "  Sir, 
give  yourself  the  trouble  to  examine  who 
these  people  are,  the  remains  of  the  fac- 
tion of  George,  the  villain  who  desolated 
Alexandria."      At  these  words,  Jovian 
(who  was  on  horseback  when  they  met 
him,)  spurred  his  horse  and  left  them. 
The  Arians  were  not  so  repulsed ;  they 
presented  themselves  to  Jovian  a  second 
time.     "We  have  several  heads  of  accu- 
sation against  Athanasius,  which  we  are 
able  to  prove.     It  is  thirty  years  since  he 
was  banished  by  Constantine  and   Con- 
stantius of  immortal  memory."     The  ac- 
cusations often,  twenty,  thirty  years,  re- 
plied Jovian,  are  out  of  date.     I  know 
why  he  was  accused,  and  how  he  was 
banished.     A  third  time  Jovian  being  iui- 
portuned  by  the  same  petitioners,  and  the 
deputies  of  the  Athanasians  speaking  at 
the  same  time,  Jovian  said,  "  When  all 
speak   together,  one  cannot   understand 
who  is  in  the  ri^ht.     Choose  two  persons 


of  that  to  God :    We  men  hear  words ; 
God  alone  knows  the  heart."    "  The  trea- 
surer," said  a  lawyer,  a  cynic  philoso- 
pher, "has  taken  some  houses  from  me 
on  account  of  Athanasius."     Is  Athana- 
sius responsible  for  the  actions  of  the  trea- 
surer 1     "I  have  a  charge  against  Atha- 
nasius," said  another  lawyer,  named  Pa- 
talus,  a  Pagan.     What  business,  said  the 
emperor,  has  a  Pagan  like  thee  to  trouble 
himself  about  Christians  1     Enraged  at 
the  attempts  of  the  Arians  to  corrupt  the 
eunuchs  of  his  court,  he  made  them  to  un- 
dergo the  torture,  to  discover  the  bottom 
of  the  intrigue,  and  said  he  would  treat 
his  first  domestics  in  the  same  manner, 
if  they  followed  such   mea- 
sures.     He  sent  Athanasius 
to  his  diocese,  where  he  lived 
ten  years  longer,  and  directed 
the  affairs  of  the  church. 

The  plainness  and  frank  manners  of 
Jovian,  mixed  with  firmness,  are  evident 
in  this  account ;  so  is  the  inveterate  ma- 
lignity of  the  Arians;  and  every  serious 
reader  will  deplore  the  power  which  Sa- 
tan gains  over  a  people  once  tinged  with 
the  spirit  of  religious  party  in  opposition 
to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  will  see 
matter  of  caution  not  to  depart  from  the 
simplicity  of  the  Gospel. 

While  Jovian  was  at  Antioch,  he  was 
much  aspersed  by  the  wits  of  that  city. 
His  person,  it  was  said,  was  formed  at 


Athanasi- 
us recalled 
to  his  dio- 
cese. 


on  both  sides ;  I  cannot  answer  both  of 
you."  The  Arians  begged  the  emperor 
to  set  over  them  any  person  except  Atha- 
nasius. "I  have  made  inquiries,"  said 
he;  "he  teaches  sound  doctrine."  "It 
is  true  he  speaks  well,"  answered  the 
Arians,  "but  means  ill."  The  emperor 
replied,  "I  need  no  further  testimony; 
if  he  means  ill,  he  must  give  an  account 


*  Opera  Athanasii,  V. 
terie's  Life  of  Jovian. 


1.  p.  782.     See  Ble- 


the  expense  of  his  mind.  The  measure 
of  his  stature  is  that  of  his  folly.  Calum- 
nies were  propagated  against  him,  and 
the  spirit  of  satire  was  indulged  with  much 
freedom. 

But,  notwithstanding  these  censures,  the 
acknowledgments  of  Pagans  themselves 
in  favour  of  Jovian  ;  his  talent  of  know- 
ing men,  and  employing   them  accord- 
ingly; his  attention  to  find  out  persons  of 
merit;  his  care  of  Christian  doctrine  and 
piety;   his  integrity  and  openness;   and 
above   all,  his   strict  conscientiousness, 
like  to  which  I  find  nothing  in  pagan  he- 
roes and  patriots;  announced,  though  not 
the  splendid  genius,  yet  the  man  of  sound 
understanding,  and  promised  to  the  world 
a  wise  and  pious  government.     It  is  im- 
possible that  Ammianus  could  have  had 
a  mean  opinion  of  him,  since,  when  he 
speaks  of  his  faults,  he  owns   that   he 
might  have  lived  to  correct  them.    He 
seems  to  have  been  a  character  of  the 
solid,  not  the  shining  kind  ;  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  times,  I  fear,  was  unworthy 
of  him.     He  was  soon  removed,  and  so 


Czjrr.  IV.] 


VALENS. 


321 


very  suddenly,  that  it  was  suspected,  he 
had  not  died  a  natural  death  ;  though  of 
this  no  proof  was  given.  The  Christians 
sincerely  wept,  the  Pagans  in  general 
spake  well  of  him  ;  the  Arians  soon  en- 
deavoured to  take  advantage  of  his  de- 
cease, and  the  Church  was  once  more  in- 
volved in  persecution. 


-! 


CHAPTER  XI, 


THE      CHURCH    TJXDER     VALENS. THE 

DEATH,  CHARACTER,  AND    WRITINGS 
OF  ATHANASIUS. 

Jovian  was  succeeded  by  two  bro- 
thers, Valentinian  and  Valens  ;  the  former 
governed  in  the  West,  the  latter  in  the 
East.  Valentinian  followed  the  plan  of 
Jovian,  in  the  affairs  of  the  church.  Va- 
lens, a  man  of  weak  capacity  himself,  had 
not  been  yet  baptized,  and  seemed  as  lit- 
tle qualified  to  judge  of  matters  of  religion 
as  of  government.  Valentinian,  whom 
fraternal  affection  induced  to  make  him 
his  colleague  in  the  empire,  had  been  in 
vain  advised  to  choose  another  person. 
The  Arians,  who,  iinder  Eudoxius  bishop 
of  Constantinople,  had  ruled  the  capital  in 
all  ecclesiastical  affairs,  ia  the  time  of 
Constantius,  rejoiced  to  find  Valens  equal- 
ly supple  and  ductile  as  that  emperor. 
Even  the  party  of  ]Macedonius,  a  sort  of 
Semi-Arians,  who  allowed  the  Son  of 
God  to  be  like  the  Father,  thougrh  not  of 


churches  were  ordered  to  be  shut  up,  as 
well  as  their  persons  to  be  banished.  For 
the  orthodox  of  the  general  church  had 
no  places  of  worship  from  the  days  of 
Constantius;  and  Jovian  their  friend  had 
not  lived  to  come  to  his  capital.     One 
Agelius,  the  Novatian  bishop,  was  exiled, 
a  man  of  admirable  sanctity  and  virtue, 
and  remarkable  for  his  perfect  contempt 
of  money.     Yet  was  he  restored  not  long 
after,  and  he  recovered  the  churches  of  his 
communion.     He  owed  this,  under  Pro- 
vidence, to  one  Marcion,  a  man  of  learn- 
ing and  piety,  a  Novatian  presbyter,  who 
tutored  two  daughters  of  the  emperor.   On 
this  account  the  Novatians  were  at  length 
tolerated ;  while  the  general  church  suf- 
fered the  rigour  of  banishment,  and  was 
silent  by  compulsion,  and  while  the  Arians 
tyrannized  over  all  the  Christian  world  in 
the  East.     Yet  the  Novatians  were  still 
infested    by   the   Arians,   because    they 
cherished  and  loved  in  a  tender  manner 
their  brethren  of  the  general  church.* 

We  must  once  more  see  Athanasius  at- 
tacked by  the  enemies  of  Christian  piety. 
About  the  beginning  of  the     £jigj  ^f 
year  367,  Valens,  at  the  so-     Yaiens 


the  same  substance,  and  who  were  like- 
wise enemies  to  the  Divinity  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  could  not  gain  the  favour  of  the 
emperor,  but  were  persecuted  as  well  as 
the  orthodox;  while  Eudoxius  with  the 
complete  Arians,  who  would  not  allow 
the  similarity  of  the  Son  to  the  Father, 
engrossed  all  the  churches.  The  Semi- 
Arians,  induced  by  these  circumstances, 
entered  into  connexions  with  Liberius 
bishop  of  Rome,  and  reunited  themselves 
with  the  orthodox  churches  of  the  West : 
yet  one  can  have  no  great  idea  of  the  sin- 
cerity of  this  sect,  as  they  would  have 
probably  persisted  in  their  heresy,  if  Va- 
lens had  favoured  their  notion ;  many  of 
them,  howevar,  might  be  perverted  by  the 
subtilties  of  disputation,  and  be  more  or- 
thodox in  their  hearts  than  in  their  ex- 
f>ressions.  Valens*  ordered  all  the  fol- 
owers  of  the  Nicene  faith  to  be  expelled 
from  Constantinople.  In  this  persecu- 
tion were  included  the  Novatians:  their 

*Soz.C.IX. 


licitation  of  Eudoxius,  order-  ,  ^  ^g^ 
ed  the  bishops  who  had  been 
deposed  in  the  reign  of  Constantius,  and 
were  afterwards  restored,  to  be  expelled 
from  their  churches.  By  virtue  of  this 
order,  Tatian,  governor  of  Alexandria,  at- 
tempted to  drive  Athanasius  out  of  ihat 
city.  The  prelate  had  the  hearts  of  his 
people.  Long  experience  of  his  integ.ity 
and  virtue,  respect  for  his  talents,  and 
compassion  for  his  sufferings  had  secured 
him  this  the  most  reasonable  and  the  most 
glorious  of  all  empires.  The  prefect  was 
so  sensible  of  this,  that  for  some  time  he 
dared  not  proceed  to  execute  his  orders. 
At  length,  he  brake  one  night  with  aa 


*   H>-x-r^v  y.xi  tc-TSfyov.  B.  IV.  0.  9.  Socrates. 
This  historian  having  himself  a  particular  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Novatians,  we  learn  sorae- 
tliing  from  him  concerning  this  people.    I  wish 
he  liad  given  us  more  information.    But  their 
fltarity    and    tenderness    toward    the    general 
church  in  its  distress,  while   they   themselves 
were  indulged  with  toleration,  and  their  suffer- 
ing some  molestation  from  the  reigning  party, 
because  of  their  affection  (or  those  who  endured 
persecution  for  righteousness'  sake,  reflects  an 
amiable  histre  on  the  character  of  these  Dissen- 
ters.    And  I  wish  the  lesson  it  is  calculated  to 
teach  were  attended  to  at  this  day.  Let  men  who 
love  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  are  content  to 
suffer  for  it  in  the  world,  adorn  it  by  brotherly 
love,  and  leave  political  contentions  and  the  arts 
of  ambition  to  the  enemies  of  the  Gospel. 


322 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  XI. 


armed  force  into  his  church,  where  he 
generally  lodged,  and  sought  for  his  per- 
son in  every  place,  but  in  vain,  Athana- 
sius,  probably  warned  before- 
Atlianasi-  ^gnd  of  the  danger,  had  re- 
us flies  tired,  and   remained  for  four 

InTif  hT     months  concealed  in  his  fa- 
anona  the       ,      .  ,   ,  mu- 

fourth  iher's  sepulchre.     This  was 

time.  the  fourth  time  that  he  had 

fled  from  Alexandria.  Valens, 
however,  from  the  dread  he  seems  to  have 
had  of  the  people,  ordered  him  to  be 
recalled;  nor  could  Lucius,  the  Arian 
bishop  of  Alexandria,  prevail  on  him  to 
give  Athanasius  any  more  disturbance. 
About  this  time  Valens  himself  received 
baptism  from  Eudoxius,  who  had  such 
an  ascendant  over  the  weak  emperor,  as 
to  induce  him  to  swear,  that  he  would 
never  depart  from  the  Arian  creed.* 

A  council  was  held  at  Laodicea  in 
Phrygia  about  this  time.  A  few  of  its 
canons  shall  be  mentioned,  as  they  will 
throw  some  light  on  the  spirit  of  religion. 
One  of  them  prohibits  the  ordination  of 
men  lately  baptized ;  and  so  far  agrees 
with  the  sacred  rule.f  The  choice  of 
those  appointed  to  the  priesthood  was 
not  to  be  left  to  the  people,  but  the  bishops 
were  to  be  chosen  by  the  metropolitans, 
after  a  long  probation  of  their  faith  and 
morals.  In  this,  an  alteration  was  doubt- 
less made  from  the  customs  which  had  ob- 
tained before  the  time  of  Constantiue,  and 
the  metropolitans  now  exercised  the  same 
power  which  the  Apostles  had  done,  who 
doubtless  ordained  pastors  in  all  the 
churches  by  their  own  authority.  The 
council  orders:!^  clergymen  not  to  lend 
money  upon  usury,  nor  to  visit  taverns 
and  houses  of  entertainment,  nor  to  as- 
sist at  the  public  shows  exhibited  at 
marriages  and  festivals.  A  proof,  I  fear, 
that  their  manners  were  grown  more  lax 
and  dissolute.  The  invocation  of  angels 
is  also  solemnly  forbidden :  a  proof  that 
this  species  of  idolatry  had  already  crept 
into  the  church,  and  a  condemnation  of 
the  practice  of  the  Romanists.  Presby- 
ters are  forbidden  also  to  practise  magic 
and  enchantment:  pity,  that  there  should 
be  occasion  to  make  such  a  canon  !  On 
the  whole,  this  council,  though  it  appears 
seriously  bent  on  the  support  of  good 
discipline  and  manners,  evidences  a  great 
and  deep  corruption  to  have  taken  place 
in  the  church  of  Christ. 


*  Theod.  IV.  c  12.    Fleury,B.  16.  8. 

t  1  Tim.  iii.6.      i  Fleury,  B.  XVI.  c.  12. 


Valens  himself,  being  at  Tomi,  a  city 
of  Scythia,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Danube, 
ordered  Brettannio  the  bishop  to  meet  and 
communicate  with  him  and  his  Arian  at- 
tendants, who  came  to  the  bishop's  church 
for  that  purpose.  Brettannio  firmly  re- 
fused, professing  his  regard  for  the  Ni- 
cene  faith,  and  leaving  the  emperor  he 
went  to  another  church,  and  all  his  con- 
gregation followed  him.  Valens  with 
his  attendants  being  left  alone,  was  so 
enraged,  that  he  ordered  the  bishop  to  be 
banished,  though  political  reasons  in- 
duced him  soon  after  to  permit  his  return. 
The  Scythians  were  indignant  at  the  ba- 
nishment of  their  bishop,  a  man  renowned 
among  them*  for  piety  and  integrity,  and 
Valens  dreaded  their  revolt.  Of  the  con- 
duct of  Basil,  and  Gregory  Nazianzen  in 
these  times,  it  will  be  more  proper  to 
speak  in  the  course  of  their  story,  as  they 
are  men,  who  deserve  to  be  held  out  to 
the  more  distinct  attention  of  the  reader. 
Antioch  was  sorely  shaken  with  the  con- 
flicts of  this  persecution.  There  Arian- 
ism  triumphed,  both  in  numbers  and  in 
power,  though  the  influence  of  the  two 
orthodox  bishops,  Meletius  and  Paulinus, 
under  God,  preserved  a  considerable  rem- 
nant. For  wherever  men  of  firm  piety 
ruled  in  the  churches,  they  were  enabled 
to  check  the  torrent.  On  the  pg^d,  ^f 
death  of  Eudoxius  in  370,  the  EuJoxius, 
Arians  chose  Demophilus  in  ^  jj  ^^^^ 
his  room,  and  Valens  approved 
of  the  election.  The  orthodox  elected  at 
the  same  time  Evagrius  bishop  of  Con- 
stantinople. Valens,  incensed,  banished 
both  him  and  the  bishop  who  had  dared 
to  ordain  him. 

On  this  occasion  eighty  ecclesiastics 
were  sent  to  the  emperor  at  Nicomedia, 
to  complain  of  his  conduct.  Enraged  at 
their  presumption,  and  yet  afraid  of  a  se- 
dition, he  gave  private  orders  to  Modes- 
tus,  his  prelect,  to  murder  them  secretly. 
The  execution  of  this  order  deserves  to 
be  known  in  all  ages.  The  prefect  pre- 
tended that  he  would  send  them  into  ba- 
nishment, with  which  they  cheerfully  ac- 
quiesced. But  he  directed  the  mariners 
to  set  the  ship  on  fire  as  soon  as  they 
were  gone  to  sea.  The  mariners  did  so, 
and  going  into  a  boat  which  followed 
them,  escaped.  The  burning  vessel  was 
driven  by  a  strong  west  wind  into  the 
haven  of  Dacidizus,  on  the  coast  of  Bithy- 
nia,  where   it  was  consumed  with   the 


•  Soz.  B.  VI.  21. 


Ckwt.  IV.] 


VALENS. 


323 


ministers.*  The  intention  of  concealing' 
what  was  done,  was  frustrated  ;  and  the 
wickedness  and  inhumanity  of  the  mur- 
der appeared  more  odious,  by  the  mean- 
ness with  which  it  was  contrived. 

Cacsarius,  the  brother  of  Gregory  Na- 
zianzen,  had  been  recalled  to  court  by 
Jovian,  and  Yalens  made  him  questor  of 
Bithynia.  His  brother  exhorted  him  to 
disengage  himself  from  the  world,  which 
at  length  he  did,  and  died  soon  after. 

Athanasius  had  the  courage  to  expel 
from  the  church  the  governor  of  Libya,  a 
man  wholly  given  up  to  cruelty  and  de- 
bauchery: nor  was  the  world  then  so 
degenerated,  as  to  despise  altogether  the 
discipline  of  the  church.  A  council  held 
at  Antioch  by  the  faithful, 
A  council  consisting  of  a  hundred  and 
och  "  *'  forty-six  bishops,  pathetical- 
ly bewailed  the  times :  and 
among  other  things,  they  observed,  that 
the  infidels  laughed  at  these  evils,  and 
staggered  the  weak  ;  while  true  Chris- 
tians avoiding  the  churches,  as  beingf  now 
nurseries  of  impiety,  went  into  deserts, 
and  lifted  up  their  hands  to  God  with 
sighs  and  tears. 

Meletius,  who  was  the  chief  of  this 
council,  was  banished  the  third  time,  and 
sent  into  Armenia,  his  own  country.  The 
other  bishop,  Paulinus,  whose  flock  was 
small,  was  spared.  The  Meletians,  de- 
prived of  their  churches,  assembled  at 
the  foot  of  a  mountain  near  Antioch,  and 
heard  the  word  of  God.  But  from  this 
place  also  they  were  driven,  and  many  of 
them  were  thrown  into  the  Orontes. 

Maximus,  the  philosopher  and  friend 
of  Julian,  was  at  length  made  a  victim 
to  the  jealousy  of  Valens,  for  some  magi- 
cal contrivances  real  or  pretended. 

At  Edessa,  the  orthodox  were  wont  to 
meet  in  a  field  ;  Valens  ordered  them  to 
be  dispersed;  but  the  resolution  of  a  wo- 
man who  hastened  thither  as  on  purpose 
to  suffer  martyrdom,  staggered  his  mind, 
and  caused  him  to  cease  from  the  at- 
tempt. 

Another  method  was  taken  :  the  pas- 
tors of  Edessa  were  sent  into  banish- 
ment; some  of  them  were  conducted  to 
Antinous,!  where  observing  the  greater 
part  of  the  inhabitants  to  be  Pagans,  they 
employed  themselves  in  taking  pains  for 
their  eternal  salvation.  Protogenes  par- 
ticularly taught  the  children  to  write  and 


Athana- 
sius, 

A.  D.  373. 


•  Socrates,  B.  IV.  c.  16.j 

+  A  place,  I  suppose,  in  Thebais  in  Egypt. 


to  read  the  Psalms  of  David  and  suitable 
passages  of  the  New  Testament ;  and 
though  the  account  we  have  here  is  very 
defective,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  that 
the  progress  of  the  Gospel  was  increased 
by  these  means.* 

Athanasius  died  in  the  year  373,  after 
he  had  been  bishop  forty-six  years ;  and 
being  desired  to  nominate  a  successor,  he 
mentioned     Peter,    an    aged 
saint,  and  the   faithful  com-     Death  of 
panion  of  his   labours.     Let 
us  pause  a  little,  to  view  the 
writings  and  character  of  this 
great  man. 

A  person  so  actively  employed,  and  so 
wholly  taken  up  during  the  course  of  a 
long  life  with  a  single  controversy,  is  not 
likely  to  leave  behind  him  writings  very 
instructive   to  after  ages.     I 
run  through  his  works,  and     ^'*  ^'■''•" 
find    nothing     important    in     '"^^' 
them,  except  what  relates  to  the  Arian 
controversy.     As  a  writer,  he  is  nervous, 
clear,    argumentative,  and   every  where 
discovers   the   man  of  sense,    except  in 
the  Life  of  Anthony  the  monk,  and  other 
monastic   pieces; -the  superstitions  and 
follies  of  which  unhappy  perversion   of 
piety  received  but  too  liberal  a  support 
from  his  influence.     But  such  were  the 
times ;  and  in  public  life,  the  abuses  of 
Christianity  were  so  many,  that  I  wonder 
not  that  the  most  godly  had  the  strongest 
relish  for  monasticism,  in  an  age  when 
the  knowledge  of  the  genius  of  the  Gos- 
pel was   so   much   darkened.     His  two 
treatises    against   the    Gentiles   bid    the 
fairest   to  show   his  general  knowledge 
and  spirit  in  religion,  because  they  are 
exempt  from  the  Arian  controversy.     In 
them  he  discovers  the  source  of  idolatry 
to  be  the  corruption  of  the  heart,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  Fall.     Men  being  fallen 
from   God,  cannot  erect   their  minds  to 
things  spiritual,  but  sink  down  to  things 
earthly  and  sensual.     He  allows  the  evil 
propensity  of  nature,  and  describes  its 
effects  very  justly;  at  the  same  time  like 
Justin,  and  other  of  the  fathers  whom  we 
have  seen,  he  speaks  of  the  free-will  of 
man,  and  of  his  power  of  resisting  this 
propensity,  using  the  same  Greek  term. I 
He  speaks  very  solidly  of  the  incarnation 
of  the  Son  of  God,  describes  it  as  essen- 
tial to  the  recovery  of  fallen  man,  and 
speaks  of  the  propriety  of  man's  being 


*  Fleury,  32.  B.  V. 

y  AuTe^BO-ioy. 


324 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XL 


taught  by  Him,  who  is  the  Wisdom  of 
the  Father.     Redemption  by  his  cross  he 
speaks  of  in  a  manner  perfectly  scriptu- 
ral ;  but  little  is  to  be  found  in  him  of  the 
experience  of  these   doctrines,  and  their 
application  to  the  heart  and  conscience; 
nor  does  he  dwell  mucli  on  the   virtues 
and  graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     Opposi- 
tion to  Arianism  absorbed  his  whole  soul, 
and  he  keeps  it  in  constant  view  through- 
out all  his  writings,  or  nearly  so,  except 
in  his  two  discourses   to  the   Gentiles. 
His  address  to  Constantius  is  vehement 
and  persuasive ;  but,  though  full  of  in- 
tegrity, it  is  wanting  in  meekness.     In 
his  apology  for  his  flight,  he  amply  vin- 
dicates himself  by  scriptural  and  aposto- 
lical authority.     His  book  on  the  Psalms 
explains   very  justly  their   excellencies. 
He   shows,  that  in   them   is   found  the 
whole  sum  of  duty,  all  the  arguments  of 
prayer,  all  the  doctrines  of  religion,  pro- 
phecies concerning  Jesus  Christ,  and  all 
the  histories  of  the  Old  Testament :  he 
observes,  with  great  propriety,  that  the 
believer  may  see  in  them  the  state  and 
frame  of  his  own  soul,  what  he  himself 
feels  ;  and  let  a  man's  state  be  what  it 
may,  every  one  may  find  words  adapted 
to   his   condition,  and   a   true   relief  for 
every  trouble.     His  treatise  on  the   un- 
pardonable sin  is  a  monument  of  infirmi- 
ty in  a  great  and  noble  mind,  and  such 
an  infirmity  as  men  of  great  sincerity  are 
more  exposed  to  than  others  ;  I  mean  that 
of  wresting  every  subject  that  we  handle, 
to  promote  the  darling  object  of  our  own 
minds.     To  defend  the  Trinity  was  his  ; 
I  wonder  not  therefore,  that  Arianism  with 
him  is  represented  as  the  "  unpardonable 
sin,"  and  truly  the  conduct  of  the  Arians 
in  his  time  would  naturally  give  an  edge 
to  his  spirit.     I  have  represented  things 
in  as  faithful  a  manner  as  I  can  from  the 
lights  of  antiquity  which  remain  to  us ; 
and  I  must  say,  independently  of  all  doc- 
trinal sentiments,  there  appears  no  com- 
parison between  the  two  parties  in  their 
moral  conduct.     Every  thing 
mean   and   sordid,  cruel  and 
inhuman,  ambitious  and  per- 
fidious, is  found  on  the  side 
of  Arianism.     The   fruits  of 
genuine  religion  evidently  ap- 
pear on  the  other  side,  so  far  as  I  can 
discover  hitherto.     However  melancholy 
may  have  been  the  scenes  of  human  wick- 
edness, which   we  have   reviewed,  and 
however  faint  the  marks  of  godliness  in 
any  person,  still  "  real  virtue  was  seen 


Compari- 
son of 
Trinita- 
rians and 
Arians. 


the  attendant  of  orthodox  sentiments 
alone."  Is  it  to  be  wondered,  that  Atha- 
nasius,  who  knew  and  felt  all  this,  should 
be  betrayed  into  such  an  interpretation  of 
the  unpardonable  sin  1 

In  his  defence  of  the  Trinity,  he  guards 
it  on  all  sides  with  extreme  exactness. 
He  is  not  solicitous  to  remove  the  mys- 
tery ;  he  leaves  the  account  as  it  always 
should  be  left,  inadequate  and  imperfect, 
clear  and  exact  only  so  far  as  the  Scrip- 
ture has  explained  it.  He  is  not  careful 
to  clear  it  of  the  objections,  and  to  answer 
the  captious  questions  of  the  enemies  of 
the  doctrine.  But  all  sorts  of  opposition 
to  it  find  in  him  a  just  refutation.  He 
asserts  every  where  the  Trinity  in  Unity. 
Among  the  rest,  the  heresy  of  Apollina- 
rius,  who  denied  to  Jesus  Christ  a  hu- 
man soul,  was  by  him  effectually  confut- 
ed. But  not  to  dwell  longer  on  a  subject 
we  have  had  so  much  occasion  to  consi- 
der, I  observe,  that  though  the  creed, 
commonly  called  that  of  Athanasius,  be 
not  his,  yet  it  contains  precisely  his  views 
and  sentiments.* 

Athanasius  shines,  however,  more  in 
his  life  than  in  his  writings  ;  his  conduct 
every  where  appears  consistent  and  up- 
right, sharpened  too  much  by  long  and 
cruel  opposition  indeed,  yet  never  govern- 
ed by  malice,  always  principled  by  the 
fear  of  God  in  this  whole  controversy.  I 
doubt  not  but  he  was  raised  by  a  special 
providence  to  defend  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity;  and  while  men  of  no  religion 
are  blaming  his  asperity,  let  us  admire 
the  strength  of  that  grace,  which  kept 
him  so  invincibly  firm  and  calmly  mag- 
nanimous, and  through  his  means  pre- 
served to  us  this  precious  part  of  Chris- 
tian doctrine.  The  Lord  has  ever  raised 
up  instruments  of  this  strong  and  hardy 
cast,  to  maintain  his  cause  in  the  world  ; 
and  let  it  be  remembered,  in  regard  to 
this  great  and  good  man,  that  after  all 
the  abuse  thrown  on  his  character  respect- 
ing persecution,  there  is  very  much  of 
persecution  indeed,  but  persecution  by 
him  always  suffered,  never  inflicted  on 
others. 

The  choice  of  Peter,  as  his  successor 
at  Alexandria,   was    confirmed    by   the 


whole  church;  and  the  almost  universal 
respect  which  was  paid  to  the  virtues  of 
Athanasius,  seemed  to  put  his  election 
out  of  the  reach  of  controversy.  But  im- 
perial violence   prevailed.     By  Euzoius 

I*  See  Du  Pin's  view  of  his  works. 


Cext.  IV.] 


PETER. 


325 


of  Antioch,  Valens  was  stirred  up  to  op- 
pose Peter  ;  and  Lucius,  whom  Jovian  so 
contemptuously  rejected,  was  introduced 
by  the  power  of  the  sword.  Then*  was 
seen  the  insolent  cruelty  of  Magnus  a 
Pagan,  whom  the  mercy  of  Jovian  had 
spared.  Manj'  Athanasians  were  mur- 
dered, and  many  treated  with  great  out- 
rages ;  while  Arianisra,  supported  by  the 
civil  powers,  triumphed  withoat  control. 
Nineteen  priests  and  deacons,  some  very 
old,  were  seized  by  Magnus.  "  Agree, 
wretches,"  said  the  Pagan,  "  to  the  sen- 
timents of  the  Arians.  If  your  religion 
be  true,  God  will  forgive  you  for  yield- 
ing to  necessity."  "  Forbear  to  impor- 
tune us,"  they  replied,  "  we  do  not  be- 
lieve that  God  is  sometimes  Father,  and 
sometimes  not.  Our  fathers  at  Nice  con- 
fessed, that  the  Son  is  consubstantial 
with  the  Father."  Whips  and  tortures, 
the  grief  of  the  godly,  and  the  insults  of 
Jews  and  apostates,  altered  not  their  de- 
termination :  they  were  banished  to  He- 
liopolis  in  Phoenicia.  Palladius  a  Pagan, 
the  governor  of  Egypt,  sent  many  to  pri- 
son, who  had  presumed  to  weep ;  and 
after  he  had  scourged  them,  sent  twenty- 
three  of  them,  chiefly  monks,  to  work  in 
the  mines.  Other  scenes  of  savage  cru- 
elty are  related;  it  is  tedious  and  unplea- 
sant to  enlarge  on  them :  but  it  is  a  plea- 
sure to  behold  the  fruits  of  Athanasius's 
labours  in  the  faithful  suffering's  of  so 
many  of  his  followers.  Euzoius,  having 
put  Lucius  and  his  Arians  into  the  pos- 
session of  the  churches,  and  left  Alexan- 
dria in  tears,  returned  to  Antioch.  What 
a  bishop  was  this!  But  the  Christian 
reader  will  steadily  observe  with  me, 
that  Christ  had  all  along  a  real  church, 
and  that  the  cross  is  her  mark,  but  the 
cross  meekly  endured  :  and  were  not  Eu- 
zoius's  conduct  connected  with  this  truth, 
his  name  would  deserve  no  notice  in  this 
history. 

The  monks  of  Egypt,  whose  piety 
moved  the  common  people,  were  courted 
by  the  Arian  party  ;  but  they  offered  their 
necks  to  the  sword,  rather  than  quit  the 
Nicene  profession.  A  number  of  these 
were  banished,  but  were  afterwards  per- 
mitted to  return. f  Peter  himself,  though 
imprisoned,  found  means  to  escape,  and 
in  Europe,  where  Arianism  had  no  power, 
he  enjoyed  a  quiet  exile. 

The  piety  of  Terentius,  an  officer  of 
Valens,   deserves  to  be  recorded.     The 


*  Tlieod, 
Vol.  I. 


IV.  22. 


2E 


f  Soz.  VI.  20. 


emperor,  pleased  with  his  services,  bade 
him  ask  a  favour.  The  man  begged  the 
liberty  of  a  place  of  worship  for  the  or- 
thodox. Valens  in  a  rage  tore  his  peti- 
tion. Terentius  gathering  the  fragments 
of  the  petition,  said,  I  have  received  a 
gift  from  you,  O,  Emperor.  Let  the 
Judge  of  all  the  earth  judge  between  us.* 

At  the  same  time  among  the  Goths,  by 
the  cruelty  of  their  king  Athanaric,  num- 
bers of  godly  men  were  murdered  for  the 
sake  of  their  Redeemer.  Eusebius  of  Sa- 
mosata  was  expelled  by  the  Arian  tyranny 
from  his  see.  He  took  particular  care  to 
preserve  the  life  of  the  imperial  messen- 
ger before  his  departure,  and  when  de- 
sired with  floods  of  tears  by  his  flock  not 
to  leave  them  to  the  mercy  of  the  wolves, 
he  read  to  them  that  passage  of  the  Apos- 
tle, which  commands  obedience  to  the 
powers  that  be.|  Excellent  servant  of 
Christ ! 

Eusebius  of  Samasota  is  one  of  those 
bishops  of  whom  it  were  to  be  wished 
we  had  a  more  distinct  account.  His 
zeal  had  exposed  him  to  this  persecution. 
In  the  disguise  of  a  soldier  he  had  travel- 
led through  various  parts  of  the  East,  to 
confirm  the  desolate  churches,  and  to 
supply  them  with  pastors.  When  the 
messenger  of  his  banishment  came  to 
him,  "  Conceal  the  occasion  of  your  jour- 
ney," says  he,  "  or  you  will  be  thrown 
into  the  river,  and  your  death  laid  to  my 
charge."  He  himself  retired  with  great 
secrecy,  yet  was  he  followed  by  the  peo- 
ple. The  testimony  he  gave  of  the  primi- 
tive duty  of  passiveness  under  injuries 
was  much  needed  in  these  times,  when 
men  had  too  much  forgotten  to  suffer 
with  meekness.  He  received  from  his 
friends  very  little  for  his  journey,  though 
their  liberality  would  have  supplied  him 
abundantly.  He  prayed,  and  instructed 
the  people,  and  then  retired  in  peace. 

It  will  be  proper  to  finish  here  all  that 
I  can  find  concerning  Eusebius  which  is 
material.  In  the  time  of  Constantius  he 
had  been  intrusted  with  the  care  of  a  de- 
cree of  a  council  held  at  Antioch,  which 
the  Arian  party  afterwards  persuaded 
Constantius  to  order  him  to  deliver  up. 
He  justly  observed,  that  what  had  been 
delivered  by  a  synod,  could  only  be  re- 
turned by  the  authority  of  the  same  sy- 
nod. Even  a  menace,  that  he  should 
have  his  hand  cut  off,  prevailed  not  with 
him.     Constantius  admired  his  fortitude, 


Cent.  Magd. 


t  Rom.  xiii. 


326 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XH. 


and  desisted.*  No  wonder  that  the  peo- 
ple of  Samosata,  after  his  exile  under 
Valens,  admiring  a  man  so  firm  and  sin- 
cere, refused  to  attend  the  religious  in- 
structions of  the  successor  who  was 
forced  upon  them  ;  who  being  a  man  of  a 
meek  temper,  took  much  pains  to  ingra- 
tiate himself  with  them,  but  in  vain.  Eu- 
nomius  (that  was  his  name)  left  them, 
because  he  could  not  gain  their  favour. 
The  Arians  put  in  his  room  one  Lucius, 
who  acted  with  more  violence,  and  en- 
couraged the  secular  power  to  persecute. | 
Eusebius  however  lived  long  enough  to 
recover  his  see  of  Samosata  after  the 
death  of  Valens,  and  was  at  last  killed 
with  a  tile  by  a  zealous  Arian  woman  in 
the  town  of  Dolicha,  whither  he  was 
come  to  ordain  an  orthodox  pastor,  the 
place  being  very  hostile  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity.  He  died  in  a  very  chari- 
table spirit,  insisting  with  his  friends, 
that  the  woman  should  not  be  brought  to 
justice  on  his  account,  and  obliged  theni 
to  swear  that  they  would  gratify  him  in 
this.:t^ 

Some  further  views  of  the  church  under 
Valens  will  appear  in  the  lives 
Death  of  Qf  j3ggii  ^^^  Gregory  Nazi- 
Valens,  ^  anzen,whom  I  studiously  pass 
A.  D.  378.  ^ygj.  j'gj.  ^]^g  present.  Valens 
perished  in  a  battle  with  the  Goths  in 
the  year  378,  after  having  reigned  four- 
teen years. 

Valens,  however,  from  whatever  cause, 
a  little  before  his  death,  recalled  the  ex- 
iled bishops.  Lucius  was  driven  from 
Alexandria  ;  Peter  recovered  his  see,  and 
Arianism  lost  its  external  dominion  a  lit- 
tle before  the  death  of  its  benefactor. 

The  Goths,  who  had  settled  on  the 
Roman  side  of  the  Danube,  in  the  domi- 
nions of  Valens,  were  by  the  advice  of 
Eudoxius,  the  Arian  bishop  of  Constan- 
tinople, brought  over  to  Arianism.  Va- 
lens proposed  that  they  should  agree  with 
him  in  doctrine  ;  but  they  declared,  that 
they  never  would  recede  from  the  doctrine 
of  their  ancestors.  Ulfila,  the  bishop  of 
the  whole  nation,  of  whom  more  here- 
after, was  induced,  by  the  presents  and 
complaisance  of  Eudoxius,  to  attempt  to 
draw  them  over  to  the  emperor's  doc- 
trine; and  his  argument,  which  I  sup- 
pose he  had  from  Eudoxius,  was,  that  it 
was  only  a  verbal  dispute.  Hence  the 
Gothic   Christians   continued   to.  assert, 


that  the  Father  was  greater  than  the  Son, 
but  would  not  allow  the  Son  to  be  a  crea- 
ture. Nor  yet  did  they  wholly  depart 
from  the  faith  of  their  ancestors.  For 
Urfila  assured  them,  that  there  was  no 
difference  of  doctrine  at  all,  but  that  the 
rupture  had  arisen  from  a  vain  conten- 
tion.* 


J^ 


67, 


CHAPTER  XII. 


THE  CHURCH  UNDER  VALENTINIAN-^ 
AMBROSE  APPOINTED  BISHOP  OF  MI- 
LAN. 

Let  us  turn  our  eyes  to  a  more  cheer- 
ful prospect  in  the  West;   in  the  East, 
the   only  comfortable   circumstance   has 
been,  that  God  left  not  himself  without 
witness,  but  marked  his  real  church  by  a 
number  of  faithful  sufferers.     Valentin- 
ian,  the  elder  brother  of  Valens,  made  a 
law  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  that 
no  man  should  be  compelled  in  religion. f 
He  restrained,  however,  this  general  li- 
cence soon  after,  partly  by  seizing  the 
revenues  of  the  heathen  temples,  which 
the  emperors  annexed  to  their  own  patri- 
mony, and  partly  by  the  prohibition  of 
divinations  and  enchantments.  On  a  repre- 
sentation of  the  governor  of  Greece,  Achaia 
was  allowed  still  to  practise  her  heathen- 
ish follies.  Other  laws  in  favour  of  Chris- 
tians  followed. :|:     One  of  the  supposed 
oracles  of  Greece  had  declared  that  Chris- 
tianity should  last  only  365  years  in  the 
world.     This  period   was  now  expired, 
and  the  event  had  falsified  the  prediction. 
In  other  instances  this  emperor  was  very 
indulgent  to  the  Pagans,  who  might  see 
themselves,  both  in  the  East  and  West, 
treated  with  far  more  lenity  and  favour 
than  the  Church  of  Christ  was   in  the 
East  during  the  whole  reign  of  the  two 
brothers.     Themistius,  the  Pagan  philo- 
sopher, was  struck  with  the  cruelty  of 
Valens  ;  and  while  he  insinuated  that  per- 
haps God  was  delighted  with  the  diver- 
sity of  sentiments  in  the  world  concerur 
ing  him,  he  entreated  the  emperor  not  to 
persecute  any  longer.     This  is  one  in- 
stance of  the  illegitimate  charity  now  so 


*  Theodoret.  B.  U.  c.  32.    fib.  B.  IV.  C  15. 
i  lb.  V.  c.  4. 


*  Tlicodoret,  end  of  B.  IV. 

f  Though  the  laws  of  Valeiitinian  run  both 
in  his  name  and  that  of  his  bi-otlier,  I  speak  of 
them  as  his  laws  exclusively,  because  it  may 
fairly  be  presumed,  that  he  was  the  principal 
agent. 

:j:  See  Cave's  Introduction,  Sect.  IV. 


Ct.7.'t.  IV.] 


VALENTINIAN. 


327 


common  in  the  world,  whirh  founds  the 
principles  of  moderation  on  scepticism,  in- 
stead of  that  divine  love  which  is  the 
glory  of  the  Christian  religion. 

Auxentius,  the  Arian  bishop  of  Milan, 
beincr  opposed  by  Ensebius  of  Vercella?, 
and  by  Hilary  of  Poictiers,*  imposed  on 
Yalentinian  by  a  dexterous  use  of  those 
ambiguities  of  speech,  in  which  the  Arians 
all  along-  excelled.  Nor  is  it  to  be  won- 
dered at,  that  Valentinian  should  be  de- 
ceived, since  even  to  this  day  the  patrons 
of  Arianism,  by  larg-ely  dwelling  on  the 
perfections  of  the  Son  of  God,  with  a 
cautious  omission  of  the  term  consubstan- 
tial,  in  a  similar  way  frequently  prevail 
on  many,  who  do  not  or  will  not  under- 
stand the  true  grounds  of  the  controversy, 
to  suppose  that  the  difference  of  opinion 
is  merely  verbal,  Hilary  contended,  that 
if  this  were  really  the  case,  the  Arians 
could  have  no  reason  to  avoid  an  explicit 
acknowledgment  of  the  whole  truth.  To 
this  it  may  justly  be  added,  that  their 
constant  support  of  those  who  were  un- 
doubted opposers  of  the  divinity  of  Jesus, 
and  their  constant  enmity  against  its  ex- 
plicit defenders,  evince  the  diiference  to 
be  real,  not  imaginary  ;  and  so  it  will  be 
felt  by  every  one  who  feels  the  worth  of 
his  soul,  and  is  forced  to  see  the  differ- 
ence between  committing  its  salvation  to 
the  Creator  and  the  creature.  With-equal 
justice  Hilary  complained  of  the  Arian 
method  of  supporting  their  creed  by  mili- 
tary and  imperial  power.  But  he  com- 
plained in  vain;  the  duplicity  of  Auxen- 
tius prevailed,  and  he  was  suffered  to 
continue  at  Milan  in  the  practice  of  under- 
mining the  fiiith,  without  openly  attacking 
it;  the  constant  method  of  heresy  in  all 
ages.  Whereas  divine  truth  speaks  di- 
rectly and  plainly,  and  must  do  so,  what- 
ever be  the  consequence.  And  in  this 
sincerity  the  church  must  continue  to  the 
end,  supported  not  by  political 
Liberius,       gj-ts,  but  bv  divine  influence. 

Rorai'  "^      ^"  ^'^^  y^^^  ^*'^'  ^'*^^  Liberius 
^jgj    '  of  Rome.     How  far  he  really 

A    Ji  «^^      recovered  from  his  fall  under 
A.  D.  366.      ni       *     *• 

Constantms,  is  not  very  ap- 
parent. He  was  succeeded  by  Damasus. 
who  however  was  not  established  in  his 
see  without  a  contest  with  Ursinus,  which 
cost  a  number  of  lives.  So  much  were 
Christian   bishops   degenerated.     But  it 


•  I  purpose!)'  avoid  entering  into  details  of 
the  acts  of  this  great  man,  as  well  as  of  some 
others,  because  their  lives  deserve  to  be  coa- 
sidered  as  distinct  articles. 


should  be  observed,  that  there  was  a  ma- 
terial difference  in  these  times  between 
pastors  of  great  cities  and  those  of  small- 
er. What  I  mean,  is  well  illustrated  by 
Ammianus.*  "  When  I  consider,"  says 
he,  "the  magnificence  and  grandeur  of 
Rome,  I  do  not  d?ny,  but  that  those  who 
are  ambitious  of  this  dignity,  ought  to 
use  all  their  endeavours  to  arrive  at  it ; 
since  they  by  this  means  procure  a  cer- 
tain settlement,  where  they  are  enriched 
by  the  offerings  of  the  ladies:  they  ride 
in  chariots,  richly  clothed  ;  and  feast  so 
splendidly,  that  their  tables  surpass  even 
those  of  kings.  They  might  be  truly 
happy,  if,  contemning  the  splendour  of 
Rome,  they  lived  like  some  bishops  of  the 
provinces,  who  by  the  plainness  of  their 
diet,  their  mean  apparel,  and  the  modesty 
of  their  looks,  which  are  turned  towards 
the  ground,  make  themselves  acceptable 
to  the  eternal  God  and  his  true  worship- 
pers." 

Thus  far  this  sensible  and  candid  Pa- 
gan, who  by  the  concluding  part  of  the 
passage  appears  to  have  imbibed  some 
Christian  notions,  and  to  support  that 
mongrel  character,  which  I  have  else- 
where attributed  to  him.  While  we  la- 
ment how  full  history  is  of  these  splen- 
did and  opulent  bishops,  and  how  scanty 
our  materials  are  concerning  the  humble 
and  obscure  ones,  it  behooves  us  to  be  on 
our  guard  against  the  malignant  intima- 
tions of  profane  historians,  who  represent 
the  church  in  these  times  as  altogether 
corrupt.  It  was  very  much  so  at  Rome, 
at  Antioch,  at  Constantinople,  and  other 
large  cities,  especially  among  the  great 
and  the  rich.  In  the  story  of  these,  we 
see  continually  what  an  enemy  riches  are 
to  the  divine  life.  But  among  the  lower 
orders,  and  in  obscure  places,  by  the  con- 
fession of  Ammianus,  upright  and  ex- 
emplary pastors  were  not  wanting;  and 
if  we  had  an  historical  view  of  their  la- 
bours and  success,  I  doubt  not  but  the 
Church  of  Christ,  even  in  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, would  be  seen  with  other  eyes  than 
it  is  by  man)'. 

I  am  endeavouring  to  catch  the  features 
of  this  Church,  wherever  I  can  find  them 
in  this  obscure  region.  I  have  distin- 
guished formerly  three  species  of  dissen- 
ters ;  the  Novatians,  the  Meletians  and 
the  Donatists.  The  first  are  by  far  the 
most  respectable  :  of  the  second  little  is 
known,   and   that   little   is   not  to  their 


•  Fleury,  B.  X\l.  8. 


328 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XH. 


Valens' 
edict 

againstun- 
lawful  as- 
semblies, 

A.  D.  374. 


credit:  the  third  are  flagitious,  by  the 
confession  of  all  writers.  A  fourth  ap- 
pears, the  Luciferians,  who,  if  they  im- 
bibed the  spirit  of  Lucifer,  must  have 
been  firm  and  sincere  in  the  love  of  the 
truth.  In  the  year  374,  the  emperor  or- 
dered all  who  held  unlawful 
assemblies  to  be  banished  a 
hundred  miles  from  Rorne. 
In  prosecution  of  this  edict, 
Damasus  seems  to  have  caus- 
ed a  Luciferian  presbyter  to 
be  apprehended,  who  held  a 
congreg-atioQ  by  night  in  a  private  house ; 
and  he  and  some  of  the  same  class  were 
banished.  Notwithstanding  this  severity, 
Damasus  could  not  prevent  these  dissen- 
ters from  having  a  bishop  of  their  own  at 
Rome,  called  Aurelius,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Ephesus,  who  also  kept  his 
station  at  Rome,  notwithstanding  the  en- 
deavours of  Damasus  to  remove  him. 
Gregory  of  Elvira  in  Spain  was  another 
of  their  bishops,  a  man  whose  firmness 
was  extolled  by  Eusebius  of  Vercella;. 
The  Donatists  had  likewise  a  bishop  at 
Rome,  and  another  in  Spain.  But  vio- 
lence and  ferocity  still  mark  this  people.* 
I  have  represented  as  fairly  as  I  could 
the  lights  of  history.  The  reader  may 
judge  for  himself,  whether  in  the  general 
church,  we  do  not  seem  to  behold  the 
first  and  most  dignified  rulers  degene- 
rated. Damasus^  orthodox  and  violent 
in  the  support  of  orthodoxy,  without  hu- 
mility and  piety,  is  as  strong  a  contrast 
to  the  primitive  bishops,  as  »Sharp,  arch- 
bishop of  St.  Andrew's,  in  the  time  of 


Charles  II.  is  to  our  first  reformers.  The 
persecuted  Luciferians  may  seem  to  re- 
semble the  Puritans  of  the  same  period  ; 
while  such  men  as  Eusebius  of  Vercella;, 
and  Hilary  of  Poictiers,  may  be  likened 
to  archbishop  Leighton.  But  though  the 
spirit  of  the  Gospel  probably  prevailed 
most  among  the  Luciferians,  yet,  as  I 
have  already  observed,  this  spirit  was 
still  in  a  degree  preserved  among  the  in- 
ferior and  obscure  pastors  of  the  general 
church.  But  a  new  star  is  going  to  ap- 
pear in  the  Western  world,  and  it  be- 
hooves us  to  attend  to  its  lustre. 
Ambrose  succeeded  the  Arian  Auxentius 
at  Milan,  who  died  in  the  year 
374.  He  was  born  about  the 
year  338,  while  his  father 
was  the  emperor's  lieutenant 
in  France.  He  was  the  young- 


est of  three  children,  Marcellina  and  Sa- 
tyrus  being  born  before  him.  After  his 
father's  decease,*  his  mother  with  the 
family  returned  to  Rome,  where  he  made 
himself  master  of  all  the  learning  that 
Greece  and  Latium  could  afford ;  at  the 
same  time  his  sister  Marcellina,  who  had 
devoted  herself  to  a  state  of  virginity, 
instructed  him  with  much  success  in  the 
principles  of  godliness.  Being  grown 
to  maturity,  he  pleaded  causes  with  so 
much  dexterity,  that  he  was  soon  taken 
notice  of  by  Anicius  Probus,  pretorian 
prefect  of  Italy,  who  made  choice  of  him 
to  be  of  his  council :  and  having  authori- 
ty to  appoint  governors  to  several  provin- 
ces, when  he  gave  a  commission  to  him, 
he  said,  "Go,  and  govern  more  like  a 
bishop  than  a  judge."  Ambrose  in  this 
office  resided  at  Milan  for  five  years,  and 
was  renowned  for  prudence  and  justice; 
when  one  of  those  sudden  turns  of  pro- 
vidence, which  are  so  conspicuous  in  the 
lives  of  many  persons  of  eminent  godli- 
ness, threw  him  into  a  course  of  life  ex- 
tremely different  from  his  former. 

Auxentius,  by  artifice  and  dexterity 
had,  as  we  have  seen,  imposed  on  Valen- 
tinian,  and  preserved  his  seat  to  his  death 
in  the  year  374.  Immediataly  the  bishops 
of  the  province  met  together  concerning 
the  election  of  a  successor.  The  empe- 
ror sent  for  them,  and  told  them,  that  they, 
as  men  best  acquainted  with  the  sacred 
volume,  ought  to  understand  better  than 
he  the  qualifications  necessary  for  so  im- 
portant a  station.  "  Choose  a  man,"  said 
he,  "fit  to  instruct  by  life  as  well  as  by 
doctrine,  and  we  ourselves  will  readily 
submit  our  sceptres  to  his  counsels  and 
direction,  and,  as  men  obnoxious  to  hu- 
man frailty,  will  receive  his  reproofs  and 
admonitions  as  wholesome  physic."  The 
bishops  besought  him  to  nominate  the 
person,  but  Valentinian  was  resolute  in 
referring  the  determination  to  them,  as 
fitter  than  himself  to  decide. f  In  the 
meantime  factions  were  strong,  and  the 


Auxentius, 

bishop  of 

Milan, 

dies, 

A,  D.  374. 


Fleury,  B.  XVI.  37. 


*  See  Paulinus's  Life  of  Ambrose  prefixed 
to  the  works  of  that  Saint.     Cave  ;  Fleury. 

+  Those  who  have  learnt  from  modern  po- 
litics to  exclude  men  of  the  sacred  office 
from  any  regaid  in  the  councils  of  princes, 
will  despise  the  weakness  of  Valentinian. 
Those  who  remember  how  useful  the  advice 
of  Jehoida  was  to  Joash,  and  who  believe  that 
\)iety  and  the  fear  of  God  are  of  some  conse- 
quence in  the  conduct  of  human  affairs,  will 
commend  his  conscientiousness  and  his  mo- 
desty. 


Ceitt.  IV.] 


AMBROSE. 


329 


Arian  party  vigorously  laboured  to  pro- 
vide a  successor  worthy  of  Auxentius. 
The  city  was  divided,  every  thing  tended 
toward  a  tumult,  the  bishops  were  con- 
sulting, and  Ambrose,  hearing  of  these 
things,  hastened  to  the  church  of  Milan, 
and  exhorted  the  people  to  peace  and  sub- 
mission to  the  laws.  His  speech  being 
finishedi  an  infant's  voice  was  heard  in 
the  crowd,  "  Ambrose  is  bishop  !  "  The 
hint  was  taken  at  once,  the  whole  assem- 
bly cried  out,  "  Ambrose  shall  be  the 
man  !"  The  factions  agreed  immediate- 
ly,* and  he  whom  secular  pursuits  had 
seemed  to  preclude  from  the  notice  of 
either  party,  was  suddenly  elected  by 
universal  consent. 

Ambrose  was  astonished,  and  peremp- 
torily refused  ;   nor  was  any  person  ever 
more  desirous  to  obtain  the  office  of  a 
bishop,  than  he  was  to  avoid 

''^'"I'^'i?-^!  ^^*  ^^  ^''^^  "^^'^  methods 
™'*  f  a'/-  '  which  sound  stranofe  in  our 
on  ot  Ml-  ,         ,  =^  . 

Ia„_  ears,  and  are  by  no  means  jus- 

tifiable. By  exercising  se- 
verity on  malefactors,  and  by  encouraging 
harlots  to  come  into  his  house,  he  took 
pains  to  convince  them,  that  he  was  not 
that  character  of  mildness  and  chastity, 
which  he  undoubtedly  was,  and  which 
all  believed  him  to  be.  This  extraordinary 
hypocrisy  was,  however,  easily  detected. 
Finding  it  was  vain  to  stem  the  torrent, 
he  stole  out  of  Milan  at  midnight,  but 
missing  his  way,  and  wandering  all  night, 
he  found  himself  in  the  mornino-  at  the 
gate  of  Milan.  A  guard  was  placed  about 
his  person,  till  the  emperor's  pleasure 
should  be  known,  because  his  consent 
was  necessary  to  part  with  a  subject  in 
office.  Valentinian  sincerely  consented ; 
and  the  consent  of  Ambrose  himself  alone 
was  wanting.  It  is  pleasing  to  see  the 
testimonj'  which  the  human  mind,  when 
left  to  itself,  in  all  ajes,  gives  in  favour  of 
modesty  and  integrity,  in  consequence  of 
the  law  written  on  the  heart,  which  all 
the  corruption  of  nature  and  the  artifice  of 
8atan  cannot  easily  efface.  Ambrose 
again  made  his  escape,  and  hid  himself 
in  the  country-house  of  a  friend.  A  me- 
nacing edict  of  the  emperor  brought  him 
again  to  Milan,  because  he  dared  not  ex- 
pose his  friend  to  the  resentment  of  the 
emperor.  Ambrose  yielded  at  length,  and 
A'^alentinian  gave  thanks  to  God  and  our 
Saviour,  that  it  had  pleased  him  to  make 
choice  of  the  very  person  to  take  care  of 


*  See.  B.  IV.  30.    Soz.  B.  VI.  24. 
2e2 


men's  souls,  Avhom  he  had  himself  be- 
fore appointed  to  preside  over  their  tem- 
poral concerns.  Valentinian  received  his 
general  admonitions  with  reverence ;  and 
in  particular,  hearing  him  represent  the 
faults  of  some  in  authority  with  great 
plainness  :  "  I  knew,"  said  the  emperor, 
"  the  honesty  of  your  character  before  this 
time,  yet  I  consented  to  your  ordination ; 
follow  the  divine  rules,  and  cure  the  ma- 
ladies into  which  we  are  prone  to  fall." 

Ambrose  was  then  about  thirty-six 
years  old.  Immediately  he  gave  to  the 
church  and  to  the  poor  all  the  gold  and 
silver  which  he  had.  He  gave  also  his 
lands  to  the  church,  reserving  the  annual 
income  of  them  for  the  use  of  his  sister 
Marcellina.  His  family  he  committed  to 
the  care  of  his  brother  Satyrus.  Thus 
disengaged  from  temporal  concerns,  he 
gave  up  himself  wholly  to  the  ministry. 
Having  read  little  else  than  profane  au- 
thors, he  first  applied  himself  to  the  study 
of  the  Scriptures.  Whatever  time  he 
could  spare  from  business  he  devoted  to 
readino- :  and  this  he  continued  to  do 
after  he  had  attained  a  good  degree  of 
knowledcre.*  I  wish  Origen  had  been 
less  the  object  of  his  study.  But  the  re- 
nown of  that  Father  was  great,  and  this 
was  not  an  age  of  evangelical  perspicuity. 
His  public  labours  went  hand  in  hand 
with  his  studies.  He  preached  every 
Lord's  day.  Arianism  through  his  la- 
bours was  expelled  from  Italy. 

There  was  a  presbyter  of  Rome,  named 
Simplician,  a  man  of  eminent  learning 
and  piety,  Avhom  he  drew  over  to  Milan, 
and  under  whose  tuition  he  improved  in 
theology.  For  his  knowledge  must  have 
been  very  confined  when  he  entered  upon 
his  office,  and  what  is  very  rare,  he  knew 
it  to  be  so.  Simplician  he  ever  loved  and 
reverenced.  We  shall  hear  again  of  this 
presbyter,  when  we  come  to  the  conver- 
sion of  Augustine.  It  pleased  God  to 
make  him  a  useful  instrument  for  the  in- 
struction of  both  these  luminaries  of  the 
Western  church,  and  as  he  out-lived  Am- 
brose, though  very  old,  he  was  appointed 
his  successor  in  the  church  of  Milan. 
From  Simplician,  as  an  instrument,  it 
pleased  God  successively  to  convey  both 
to  Ambrose  and  to  Augustine  that  fire  of 
divine  love  and  genuine  simplicity  in  re- 
ligion, which  had  very  much  decayed 
since  the  days  of  Cyprian:  and  in  this 
slow,  but  effectual  method,  the  Lord  was 


Aug.  Confess.  B.  VI.  c.  3. 


330 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XHI. 


preparing  the  way  for  another  great  effu- 
sion of  his  Spirit.  Ambrose  now  gave 
liimself  wholly  to  the  work  of  the  Lord, 
and  restored  purity  of  doctrine  and  disci- 
pline. 

A  council  of  bishops  held  about  this 
time  at  Valence,  may  deserve  to  be  men- 
tioned, on  account  of  one  of  its  rules, 
which  throws  some  liofht  on  the  religious 
state  of  the  times.  One  Acceptus  having 
been  demanded  as  bishop  by  the  church 
of  Frejus,  and  having  falsely  accused 
himself  of  some  great  crime  to  prevent 
his  ordination,  the  fathers  of  the  council 
say,  that  to  cut  off  occasions  of  scandal 
from  the  profane,  they  had  determined 
that  the  testimony  which  every  one  gives 
of  himself  shall  be  treated  as  true,  though 
they  were  not  ignorant  that  many  had 
acted  in  this  manner  in  order  to  avoid 
the  priesthood.  The  deceit  of  Ambrose. 
in  endeavouring  to  appear  what  he  was 
not,  seems  then  to  have  been  no  singular 
case.  Modest}^  tinged  with  superstition, 
was  a  characteristic  of  the  best  characters 
of  this  age.  Evangelical  light  being  dim, 
the  spirit  of  bondage  much  prevailed 
among  real  saints.  Let  us  be  thankful 
for  the  clearer  light  of  divine  truth,  which 
now  shines  in  the  church,  and  that  a  good 
man  may  enter  into  holy  orders  without 
that  excess  of  fear,  which  prevailed  over 
Ambrose  and  Acceptus.  But  while  we 
wonder  that  men  could  use  such  marvel- 
lous arts  of  falsehood,  through  modesty 
and  conscientious  awe,  let  us  not  forget 
that  a  future  age  may  be  as  much  asto- 
nished at  the  fearless  spirit,  with  which 
such  numbers  can,  in  our  days,  rush  into 
the  church  of  Christ,  with  no  other  views 
than  those  of  this  world  ;  and  let  us  be 
wail  their  intrepid  audacity,  while  we 
smile  at  the  superstitious  simplicity  of 
the  age  we  are  now  reviewing. 

Valentinian  died  in  the  year  375,  after 
a  reign  of  eleven  years  ;  survived  by  his 
brother  Valens  about  three 
years.  Violent  anger  had 
ever  been  his  predominant 
evil,  and  a  fit  of  passion  at 
length  cost  him  his  life.  Of 
some  men,  we  must  say  with  the  Apostle, 
that  their  sins  follow  after,  while  others 
evidence  in  this  life  what  they  are.  Of 
the  former  dubious  sort  seems  to  have 
been  the  emperor  Valentinian.  Fierce 
and  savage  by  nature,  though  of  excellent 
understanding,  and,  when  cool,  of  the 
soundest  judgment,  we  have  seen  him 
naodestly  submitting  himself  to  the  judg- 


ment of  bishops  in  divine  things,  and  also 
zealous  in  religion,  so  far  as  his  know- 
ledge would  permit,  which  seems  to  have 
been  very  small.  We  are  astonished  to  be- 
hold the  imperious  lion  turned  into  a  gen- 
tle lamb  ;  and  the  best  use  to  be  made  of 
his  character  is,  to  prove  how  extremely 
beneficial  it  is  to  human  society,  that 
princes  should  be  men  of  some  religion. 
Without  this  check,  Valentinian  might 
have  been  one  of  the  worst  of  tyrants ; 
but  by  the  sole  means  of  religion  he 
passes  for  one  of  the  better  sort  of 
princes. 


Death  of 
Valentini- 
an, 
A.  D.  375. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST  UNDER  GRA- 
TIAN  AND  THEODOSIUS,  TILL  THE 
DEATH    OF    THE    FORMER. 

Gratian,  the  elder  son  of  Valentinian, 
succeeded  him  in  Gaul,  Spain,  and  Bri- 
tain. His  younger  son,  an  infant,  suc- 
ceeded in  Italy,  and  the  rest  of  the  West- 
ern world.  And  some  time  after  Gratian 
chose  Theodosius  as  his  colleague,  who 
reigned  in  the  East. 

From  his  early  years  there  appear  un- 
questionable marks  of  real  godliness  in 
Gratian,  to  a  degree  beyond  any  thing 
that  has  yet  been  seen  in  any  Roman 
emperor.  One  of  his  first  actions  de- 
monstrates it.  The  title  of  highpriest 
always  belonged  to  the  Roman  princes. 
He  justly  observed,  that  as  its  whole 
nature  was  idolatrous,  it  became  not  a 
Christian  to  assume  it.  He  therefore 
refused  the  habit,  though  the  Pagans  still 
gave  him  the  title. 

As  he  was  destitute  of  that  ambition 
which  Roman  pride  had  ever  indulged, 
he  chose  a  colleague,  for  the  East,  of 
great  abilities,  purely  for  the  good  of  the 
states,  and  managed  the  concerns  of  his 
infant  brother  at  Rome  with  the  affection 
of  a  father.  There,  from  the  beginning 
of  his  reign,  Gracchus*  the  prefect,  as 
yet  only  a  catechumen,  laboured  earnest- 
ly to  subdue  idolatry.  The  mind  of  this 
young  prince  being  strongly  fixed  on  di- 
vine things,  and  being  conscious  of  ignor- 
ance, he  wrote  to  Ambrose  of  Milan  to 
this  effect :f  "Gratian  Augustus  to  Am- 
brose the  religious  priest  of  Almighty 
God.      I  much  desire  to  be  present  in 

*  Fleu.v,  B.  XVIII.  24. 

t  Ambrose's  Epistles,  B.  V.  25,  26. 


Ceitt.  IV.] 


GRATIAN. 


331 


body  with  him  whom  I  remf.mber  absent, 
and  with  whom  I  am   united   in  mind. 
Come  to  me  immediately,  holy   priest, 
that  you  may  teach  the  doctrine  of  salva- 
tion to  one  who  truly  believes;  not  that 
he  may  study  for  contention,  or  seek  to 
embrace  God  rather  verbally  than  men- 
tally, but  that  the  revelation  of  the  Di- 
vinity may  dwell  more  intimately  in  my 
breast.     For  He  whom  I  do  not  deny, 
whom  I  own  as  my  Lord  and  my  God, 
will  not  fail  to  teach  me.     I  would  not 
conceive  so  meanly  of  him  as  to  make 
him  a  mere  creature   like  myself,   who 
own  that  I  can  add  nothing  to  Christ. 
And  yet  while  I  seek  to  please  the  Father 
in   celebratincr  the  Son,  I  do  not  fear  lest 
the  Father  should  envy  the  honours  as-' 
cribed  to  his  Son;  nor  do  I  think  so  hio-h- 
ly  of  my  powers  of  commendation,  as  to 
suppose  that  I  can  increase  the  Divinity 
by  my  words.     I  am  weak  and  frail,  I 
extol  him  as  I  can,  not  as  the  Divinity 
deserves.     With  respect  to  that  treatise 
which  you   gave  me,  I  beg  you  would 
make  additions  to  it  by  scriptural  argu- 
ments, to  prove  the  proper  Deity  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,"     Ambrose,  delighted  with 
the  vein  of  serious   attention   to   divine 
subjects,   which   appears   in  this   letter, 
answered  him  in  an  ecstasy  of  satisfac- 
tion.— "Most  Christian  prince,"  says  he, 
"  modesty,    not   want   of   affection,   has 
hitherto  prevented  me  from  waiting  upon 
you.     If,  however,  I  was  not  with  you 
personally,  I  have  been  present  with  my 
prayers,  in  which  consists  still  more  the 
duty  of  a  pastor.     I  use  no  flattery :  you 
need  it  not ;  and  moreover  it  is  quite  for- 
eign to  my  office.     Our  Judge  whom  you 
confess,  and  in  whom  you  piously  believe, 
knows  that  my  bowels  are  refreshed  with 
your  faith,  your  salvation,  and  your  glory ; 
and  that  I  pray  for  you  not  only  as  in 
public  duty  bound,  but  even  with  person- 
al affection. — He  alone  hath  taught  you, 
who  said.  He   that  loveth  me,  shall   be 
loved  of  my  Father."     Toward  the  close, 
he  reminds  him,  that  his  own  arguments 
for  the  divinity  of  the  Son,  expressed  in 
his  letter,  are  equallj''  conclusive  for  the 
divinity  of  the  Holy    Ghost,   whom  we 
ought  not  to  think  the  Father  to  envy, 
nor  ourselves  to  be  on  an  equal  footing 
with  him,  who  are  mere  creatures.  Some 
writings  of  Ambrose  remain  to  us  as  the 
consequence  of  Gratian's  request. 

The  errors  of  good  men  have  in  some 
instances  proved  prejudicial  to  the  church. 
This  was  unhappily  the  case  with  Am- 


brose. All  the  world  bore  testimony  to  his 
sincerity,  charity,  and  piety  :  but  he  had  not 
strength  to  withstand  the  torrent  of  su- 
perstition, which  for  some  time  had  been 
growing.  He  even  augmented  it  by  his 
immoderate  encomiums  on  virginity.  The 
little  acquaintance  he  had  with  the  Scrip- 
tures before  his  ordination,  and  the  influ- 
ence of  his  sister  Marcellina,  a  zealous 
devotee,  will  account  for  this.  He  wrote 
treatises  on  the  subject:  he  reduced  the 
rules  of  it  to  a  sort  of  system,  and  ex- 
posed himself  to  the  ill-will  of  parents, 
by  inducing  a  considerable  number  of 
young  women  to  follow  them.  It  must 
be  confessed,  however,  that  he  taught 
the  essentials  of  Christian  faith  and  love, 
and  built  his  wood,  hav,  and  stubble* 
on  the  true  foundation.  He  had  no  other 
arms  but  those  of  persuasion,  and  his 
great  success  showed  the  piety,  as  well 
as  superstition  of  many  of  the  female 
sex.j" 

Another  part  of  his  conduct  was  more 
worthy  of  his  understanding.  The  rava- 
ges of  the  Goths  gave  him  an  opportuni- 
ty to  exercise  his  liberality.  He  scru- 
pled not  to  apply  the  vessels  of  the 
church  to  the  redemption  of  captives,  and 
vindicated  himself  against  those  who  cen- 
sured his  conduct.:j:  In  the  instruction 
of  catechumens  he  employed  so  much 
pains,  that  five  bishops  could  scar^ty  go 
through  so  much  labour  as  he  alone.  At 
Sirmium  in  Illyricum,  the  Arian  bishop 
Photinus  had  caused  a  wide  departure 
from  the  faith  :  and  there  being  a  vacancy 
in  the  year  379,  Ambrose  was  sent  for  to 
attend  the  election  of  a  new  bishop.  The 
Empress  Justina,  mother  of  young  Va- 
lentinian,  resided  there  at  the  time.f  She 
had  received  a  predilection  for  Arianism, 
and  endeavoured  by  her  authority  and  in- 
fluence to  expel  Ambrose  from  the  church. 
He  continued,  however,  in  his  tribunal, 
though  insulted  and  harassed  by  the  mob. 
An  Arian  woman,  particularly,  had  the 
impudence  to  lay  hold  of  his  habit,  and 
attempt  to  draw  him  among  the  women, 
who  intended  to  drag  him  out  of  the 
church.  '"Though  I  am  unworthy  of  the 
priesthood,"  said  he,  '•  it  does  not  become 
you  to  lay  hands  on  a  pastor;  you  ought 
to  fear  the  judgment  of  God."     It  is  re- 

*  1  Cor.  iii.  12. 

f  Paulinus's  Life  of  Ambrose. 
:|:   Ambrose   de  Virgiij.  i  books.  11  Offic. 
Anib. 
§  PauliDUs. 


332 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XHI. 


markable,  that  she  died  the  next  day. 
The  minds  of  men  were  struck  with  awe, 
and  Arlemius,  an  orthodox  minister,  was 
elected  without  molestation.  Another 
story  of  the  same  kind  deserves  to  be 
mentioned  here.  Two  courtiers  of  the 
emperor  Gratian,  being  Arians,  came  to 
Ambrose,  and  desired  him  to  preach  on 
our  Lord's  Incarnation,  promising  that 
they  would  come  to  hear  him  the  next 
day.  But  they,  meaning  nothing  except 
ridicule  and  scorn,  look  their  horses,  and 
rode  out  of  town.  It  is  remarkable,  that 
they  were  both  thrown  from  their  horses, 
and  perished.  The  congregation  in  the 
meantime  growing  impatient  under  the 
delay,  Ambrose  went  up  into  the  pulpit, 
and  told  them,  that  he  was  come  to  pay 
his  debt,  but  found  not  his  yesterday's 
creditors  to  receive  it ;  and  then  preached 
on  the  subject.*  Those,  with  whom  one 
sort  of  doctrine  is  as  valuable  as  another, 
will  find  themselves  little  disposed  to 
relish  or  believe  stories  of  this  kind.  But 
the  laws  of  history  require  that,  where 
such  remarkable  facts  seem  unquestiona- 
ble, they  should  not  be  suppressed,  what- 
ever inferences  men  may  choose  to  draw 
from  them.  The  humility  and  piety  con- 
nected with  the  Scripture  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity  are  well  understood  by  every 
Christian.  But  the  foundation  was  here 
laid  for  the  enmity  of  Justina,  which  af- 
terwards brake  out  against  Ambrose  in  a 
remarkable  manner.  At  Antioch,  Mele- 
tius  was  now  restored,  and  the  churches 
which  had  long  been  afflicted,  recovered 
breath.  Constantinople  for  forty  years 
had  been  in  subjec;ion  to  Arian  impiety 
and  tyranny.  By  this  time  few  remained 
in  this  great  city,  who  knew  any  thing 
scriptural ;  truth  and  godliness  had  fled  ; 
the  times  were,  however,  now  favourable 
for  the  recovery  of  the  profession  of  the 
Gospel,  and  Gregory  of  Nazianzum  was 
appointed  for  this  purpose.  He  found 
the  city  in  a  state  liitle  removed  from 
heathenism. 

In  the  year  380,  Theodosius,  desirous 
of  co-operating  with  Gregory  and  other 
zealous  pastors  in  the  revival  of  Chris- 
tianity in  the  East,  published  a  law,  by 
which  he  reprobated  the  he- 
Ortho-  jggy  Qf  Arius,  and  expressed 

doxy  of         j^jg  warm  approbation  of  the 

llieOUO-  ,.,.  r    -.1  TT 

Nicene  faith.  He  gave  no- 
tice to  Demophilus,  the  Arian 
bishop  of  Constantinople,  to 


embrace  the  Nicene  creed,  to  unite  the 
people,  and  lo  live  in  peace.  Demophilus 
rejecting  his  proposal,  the  emperor  or- 
dered him  to  give  up  the  churches.  "  If 
ihey  persecute  us  in  one  city,"  said  the 
heresiarch  to  the  people  of  his  commu- 
"  our  Master  orders  us  to  flee  to  an- 


nion. 


sius, 


A.  D.  380. 


»  Paulinus's  Life  of  Ambrose. 


other.  To-morrow,  therefore,  I  purpose 
to  hold  our  assemblies  without  the  city." 
He  found,  how-ever,  little  encouragement 
to  proceed,  and  afterwards  retired  to 
Berae,  where  he  died  six  years  after. 
Thus  within  forty  years  from  the  time 
that  Eusebius  of  Nicomedia  was  violent- 
ly intruded  into  Constantinople  in  the 
room  of  Paul,  the  sacred  places  were 
restored  to  the  Churcli  of  Christ.  For 
so  I  shall  venture  to  call  tlic  Trinitarians, 
however  low  and  reduced  the  spirit  of 
godliness  was,  especially  in  the  East; 
not  only  because  they  held  the  doctrine 
of  truth,  but  because  whatever  of  the 
true  spirit  of  the  Gospel  was  found  any 
where,  rested  with  them.  If  the  reader 
recollect  the  barbarities  exercised  on 
Paul,  and  the  cruel  conduct  of  the  Arians, 
while  iu  power,  he  Avill  be  struck  with 
the  ditference  between  Theodosius  and 
Gregory  on  one  side,  and  Constantius 
and  Eusebius  on  the  other.  I  am  far 
from  undertaking  to  vindicate  all  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  patrons  of  tlie  Nicene 
faith  ;  "but  undoubtedly  their  conduct  was 
full  of  patience  ,and  meekness,  compared 
with  that  of  their  opponents.  Constan- 
tinople was  not  now  made  a  scene  of 
carnage  and  violence.  Men  who  fear 
God  will  exercise  their  secular  prosperity 
in  religion  only  to  defend  the  truth,  not 
to  persL-cute  its  foes.  And  this  is  another 
instance,  to  be  added  to  the  many,  which 
have  appeared,  of  the  connexion  between 
Christian  principles  and  holy  practice. 

Gregory  being  now  confirmed  in  the 
see  of  Constantinople,  the  emperor  called 
a  council  in  that  city  to  settle  the  dis- 
tracted state  of  the  Eastern 
cliurch.  There  came  thither 
three  hundr  d  and  fifty  bi- 
shops. But  it  was  found 
much  easier  to  expel  Arian- 
ism  and  corruption  externally 
than  intLTnally.  The.council 
was  very  confused  and  disor- 
derly, greatly  inferior  in  piety 
and  wi:Hdom  to  that  of  Nice,  though  it  be 
called  the  second  general  council.  One 
of  the  holiest  men  there  was  Meletius  of 
Antioch,  who  died  at  Constantinople. 
Gregory  justly  observed,  that  as  Paulinus 


The  se- 
cond Ge- 
neral 
Council 
held  at 
Constanti- 
nople, 

A.  D.  381. 


Cext.  IV.] 


GRATIAN  AND  THEODOSIUS. 


333 


was  sound  in  the  faith,  and  of  unexcep- 
tionable character,  there  could  now  be  no 
reason  why  the  unhappy  breach,  so  long 
continued  in  that  church,  should  not  at 
once  be  healed  by  confirming  him  in  the 
succession.  But  faction  was  high,  and 
charity  was  low  at  this  time ;  he  was 
overruled  by  the  immoderate  ;  and  Fla- 
vian was  constituted  the  successor  of 
Meletius,  as  if  they  took  pleasure  in 
lengthening  the  reign  of  schism  a  little  : 
for  Paulinus  was  far  advanced  in  years. 
In  this  affair  the  younger  bishops  had  in- 
fluenced the  elder,  though  they  could  as- 
sign no  better  reason  than  that,  finding 
the  bishops  of  the  West  ready  to  support 
Gregory's  opinion,  they  thought  those  of 
the  East  ought  to  prevail,  because  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  days  of  his  flesh  had  ap- 
peared in  Asia,  not  in  Europe.  So  easy 
is  it  in  the  decline  of  piety  for  Christian 
formalities  to  be  preserved,  while  human 
depravity  reigns  in  the  temper  and  spirit. 
Gregory  in  disgust  soon  after  gave  up  his 
see. 

This  council  very  accurately  defined 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and  enlarging 
a  little  the  Nicene  creed,  they  delivered 
it,  as  we  now  have  it  in  our  Communion 
Service.  The  Macedonian  heresy,  which 
blasphemed  the  Holy  Ghost,  gave  occa- 
sion to  a  more  explicit  representation  of 
the  third  Person  in  the  Trinity,  which, 
it  must  be  owned,  is  there  expressed  with 
scriptural  precision  and  clearness. 

About  the  same  time  Palladius  and  Se- 
cundianus,  two  Arian  bishops,  and  the 
chief  supporters  of  that  heresy  in  the 
.  West,  were  condemned,  in  a 
Two  An-  council  held  at  Anuileia,  by 
an  bisliops     .^i      i  •  i  r  aii  j 

deposed  at  ^"^  bishop  of  Milan,  and  were 
Aquileia.  formally  deposed.  It  is  as- 
tonishing with  what  artificial 
dexterity  Palladius  evaded  the  plain  and 
direct  interrogatories  of  Ambrose,*  and 
while  he  seemed  to  honour  the  Son  of 
God  in  the  same  manner  as  others,  and 
to  reduce  the  contest  to  a  verbal  dispute, 
he  still  reserved  the  distinguishing  point 
of  Arius.  A  subtilty  ever  practised  by 
these  heretics  ! 

Theodosius,  earnestly  desirous  to  re- 
duce all  who  professed  the  Christian 
name  to  an  uniformity,  once  more  at- 
tempted to  unite  them  by  a  conference  at 
Constantinople.  But  where  the  heart 
was  not  the  same,  it  appeared  that  out- 
ward conformity  produced  only  hypocri- 


»  rieury,B.  XVIIL  10. 


sy.  The  Novatians  alone  agreed  cordially 
with  the  general  church  in  sentiment. 
And  Nectarius,  the  new  created  bishop 
of  Constantinople,  lived  on  a  friendly 
footing  with  Agelius,  their  bishop,  a  man 
of  piety  and  of  the  first  character.*  In 
consequence  of  this,  these  dissenters  ob- 
tained from  the  emperor  as  ample  a  tole- 
ration as  could  reasonably  be  desired. 
Heavy  and  tyrannical  penalties  were  de- 
nounced in  edicts  against  the  rest,  which, 
however,  do  not  appear  to  have  been  ex- 
ecuted. The  denunciation  of  them  itself 
was,  however,  wrong;  though  it  must 
be  owned  it  proceeded  from  the  best  in- 
tentions on  the  side  of  Theodosius,  who 
actually  put  none  of  his  penal  laws 
against  sectaries  into  execution,  and 
meant  only  to  induce  all  men  to  speak 
alike  in  the  church.  How  much  better, 
to  have  taken  pains  in  promoting  the  pro- 
pagation of  the  Gospel  itself  by  the  en- 
couragement of  zealous  pastors,  and  to 
have  given  up  the  zeal  for  a  chimera  of 
no  value,  a  pretended  union  without  the 
reality ! 

In  the  year  383,  Amphilocus,  bishop 
of  Iconium,  coming  to  court  with  other 
bishops,  paid  the   usual  respects  to  the 
emperor,  but  took   no  notice 
of  his  son  Arcadius,  about  six     The  bish- 
years  old,  who  was  near  the     op  of  Ico^ 
father.    Theodosius  bade  him     "'"^^'sbe-. 
salute  his  son.     Amphilocus     the'°|^'pe! 
drew  near,  and  stroking  him,     ^or's 
said,    "  God    save   you,    my     court, 
child."   Theemperor  in  anger     A.  D.  383. 
ordered  the  old  man  to  be  dri- 
ven from  court;  who  with  a  loud  voice  de- 
clared. You  cannot  bear  to  have  your  son 
contemned  ;  be  assured,  that  God  in  like 
manner  is  offended  with  those  who  ho- 
nour not  his  Son  as  himself.|     The  em- 
peror was  struck  with  the  justness  of  the 
remark,  and   immediately  made  a  law  to 
prohibit  the  assemblies  of  the  heretics. 

In  the  same  year  the  emperor  Gratian 
lost  his  life  by  the  rebellion  of  Maximus, 
who  commanded  in   Britain. 
Deserted  by  his  troops,  Gra-     Death  of 
tian  fled  towards  Italy.     He     Gratian, 
found  the  usual  lot  of  the  ca-     A.  D.  383. 
lamitous,  a   perfect    want  of 
friends ;  yet  he  might   have  escaped  to 
the   court  of  Milan,  where  his  younger 
brother    Valentinian   reigned,    if  he  had 
not  been  betrayed  at  Lyons.    Adragathius 
invited  him  to  a  feast,  and  swore  to  him 


•  Socrates,  B.  V.  c.  10.  f  John  v.  23. 


334 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XIV. 


upon  the  Gospel.  The  sincere  mind  of 
Gratian,  measuring  others  by  himself, 
and  as  yet  not  knowing-  the  world  (for  he 
was  but  twenty-four  years  of  age)  fell 
into  the  snare,  and  his  murder  was  the 
consequence.  All  writers  agree,  that  he 
was  of  the  best  disposition,  and  well 
skilled  both  in  religious  and  secular  learn- 
ing. Ambrose  had  a  peculiar  affection 
for  him,  and  on  his  account  wrote  a  trea- 
tise concerning  the  Deity  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  He  tell-s  us  (and  every  thing  that 
we  know  of  him  confirms  the  account) 
that  he  was  godly  from  his  tender  years. 
Chaste,  tem])erate,  benevolent,  conscien- 
tious, he  shines  in  the  Church  of  Christ; 
but  talents  for  government  he  seems  not 
to  have  possessed,  and  his  indolence  gave 
advantage  to  those  who  abused  both  him- 
self and  the  public.  Divine  Providence 
in  him  hath  given  us  a  lesson,  that  Christ's 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world  ;  even  a 
prince  unquestionably  pious  is  denied  the 
common  advantage  of  a  natural  death.* 
When  he  was  dying,  he  bemoaned  the 
absence  of  Ambrose,  and  often  spake  of 
him. I  Those  who  have  received  benefit 
from  a  pastor  in  divine  things,  have  often 
an  affection  for  him,  of  which  the  world 
has  no  idea.  The  last  movements  of  a 
saint  are  absorbed  in  divine  things,  com- 
pared with  which,  the  loss  of  empire 
weighed  as  nothing  in  the  mind  of  Gra- 
tian. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE     HERESY     OF      PRISCILLIAN THE 

CONDUCT  OF  MARTIN THE  PROGRESS 

OF  SUPERSTITION. 

I  JOIN  these  subjects  together,  to  con- 
nect the  ecclesiastical  information  of  Sul- 
pitius  Severus,  a  historian  who  belongs 
to  this  period,  an  Aquitanian  of  great 
learning,  and  who  wrote  a  summary  of 
Church  history,  which  he  extended  to  his 


»  Fieury,  B.  XV  HI.  27. 

+  A  chai'itable  action  of  Ambrose,  tliougli 
in  opposition  to  Gratiaii's  views,  tended  no 
doubl  to  raise  his  character  in  the  eyes  of  thai 
emperor.  A  pagan  of  some  rank  had  spokei 
contemptuously  of  Gratian,  had  been  arraign- 
ed, and  condemned  to  die.  Ambrose,  com- 
passionating bis  case,  went  to  court,  to  inter- 
cede for  bis  life.  It  was  with  great  diffieull\ 
that  he  could  procure  a(hTiission  into  the  royal 
presence,  where  be  prevailed  at  length,  by  his 
importunate  solicitations,  and  saved  the  life  of 
the  coudenined  person. 


own  times.  What  he  records  of  transac- 
tions which  passed  within  his  own  memo- 
ry, and  also  what  be  collected  by  infor- 
mation of  other  parts  of  the  empire,  may 
deserve  to  be  very  briefly  reviewed.  Very 
little  shall  we  find  adapted  to  our  pur- 
pose ;  the  deep  decline  of  evangelical 
purity  will  be  the  chief  discovery  we 
shall  make :  and  he  will  thus  make  my 
apology  for  evidencing  so  little  of  the 
spirit  of  Christianity  at  this  period,  be- 
cause so  little  is  to  be  found. 

The  Priscillianists,  a  heretical  sect, 
who  seem  to  have  combined  all  the  most 
pernicious  heresies  of  former  times,  had 
already  appeared  in  the  time  of  Gratian, 
and  infected  the  greatest  part  of  Spain. 
Priscillian  himself,  whose  character  is 
described  by  the  classical  pen  of  Sulpitius 
with  much  elegance  and  energy,*  was 
exactly  fitted  for  the  office  which  he  filled  : 
learned,  eloquent,  factious,  acute,  of  great 
powers  both  of  body  and  mind,  and  by  a 
spurious  modesty  and  gravity  of  manners, 
extremely  well  qualified  to  maintain  an 
ascendancy  over  weak  and  credulous 
spirits.  Idacius  and  Ithacins,  the  one  an 
aged  Presbyter,  the  other  bishop  of  Sos- 
suba,  applied  to  the  secular  power,  in  or- 
der that,  by  the  decrees  of  the  magistrates, 
the  heretics  might  be  expelled  from  the 
cities.  The  Priscillianists  endeavoured 
to  gain  friends  in  Italy;  but  their  corrup- 
tions were  too  glaring  to  procure  them 
any  countenance  either  from  Damasus  of 
Rome,  or  from  Ambrose  of  Milan. 

On  the  death  of  Gratian,  Maximus  the 
usurper  entered  victorious  into  Treves. 
While  Ithacius  earnestly  pressed  him 
against  the  Pricillianists,  the  heresiarch 
himself  appealed  to  Maximus,  who  took 
upon  him.Heif  the  ofhce  of  deciding.  Sul- 
pitius very  properly  observes,  that  both 
parties  were  highly  culpable  ;  the  heretics 
in  spreading  notions  entirely  subversive 
of  Christianity,  and  their  accusers  in  sub- 
serving only  their  own  factious  and  selfish 
views. 

In  the  meantime,  Martin,  bishop  of 
Tours,  blamed  Ithacius  for  bringing  the 
heretics  as  criminals  before  the  emperor, 
rind  entreated  Maximus  to  abstain  from 
the  blood  of  the  unhappy  inen  ;  he  said, 
it  was  abundantly  sufficient,  that  having 
been  judged  heretics  by  the  sentence  of 
the  bishops,  they  were  expelled  from  the 
churches,  and  that  it  was  a  new  and  un- 
heard evil,  for  a  secular  judge  to  interfere 

*  Sulp.  Sev.  p.  419. 


Ckct.  IV.] 


HERESY  OF  PRISCILLTAN. 


335 


in  matters  purely  ecclesiastical.  These 
were  Christian  sentiments  ;  and  deserve 
to  be  here  mentioned,  as  describing  an 
honest,  though  unsuccessful  resistance 
made  to  the  first  attempt,  which  appeared 
in  the  church,  of  punishing  heresy  with 
death.  I  scarcely  know  any  thing  more 
disagreeable  to  the  spirit  of  a  really  good 
man,  than  to  think  of  punishing  capitally, 
on  account  of  their  irreligion,  persons  who 
(as  he  is  constrained  to  believe)  are  walk- 
ing the  broad  road  to  eternal  destruction. 
He  has  no  need  to  enter  into  the  political 
arguments  against  persecution,  which  are 
fashionable  in  the  mouths  of  infidels.  He 
has  much  more  weighty  reasons  against 
it,  drawn  from  the  genius  of  his  own  re- 
ligion. To  do  what  in  him  lies  to  pre- 
vent  the  conversion  of  a  sinner  by  short 
ening  his  days — how  contrary  is  this  to 
the  spirit  of  Him,  who  came  not  to  destroy 
men's  lives,  but  to  save  them  ! 

Yet  there  were  found  men  at  this  time 
capable  of  such  enormity,  and  it  marks  the 
degeneracy  of  the  age.  But  Ciirist  had 
still  a  church  in  the  West,  and  Martin 
persevered  with  such  pious  zeal  in  op- 
posing the  hitherto  unheard-of  innova- 
tions, and  was  himself  so  much  respected 
for  his  piety  and  integrity,  that  he  pre- 
vailed at  first,  and  the  usurper  promised, 
that  he  would  not  proceed  to  blood  against 
the  heretics.  Two  bishops,  Magnus  and 
Rufus,  however,  changed  his  resolution 
afterwards,  and  he  referred  the  cause  to 
Euodius  the  prefect,  who,  after  he  had 
found  them  guilty,  (and  they  appear  to 
have  been  defiled  with  all  the  impurities 
of  the  ancient  Gnostics)  committed  them 
to  custody,  and  referred  them  again  to  the 
emperor.  Priscillian  in  the 
PnsciUian     jgg^g  ^,^^  p^j  ^^  death,  and 

oihers  nut      ^°"'"  ^'■^i^'^  leaders  of  his  sect, 
todeatli  ^  f'PW  more  were  condemned 

A  D  384  to  die,  or  to  be  banished.  The 
heresy  was  not  extinguished 
by  this  means  ;  f'>r  fifteen  years  after,  the 
contention  was  extreme  between  the  par- 
ties;  Priscillian  was  honoured  as  a  mar- 
tyr ;  Christianity  never  received  a  greater 
scandal,  though,  like  all  the  rest,  unde- 
served, from  the  mouths  of  its  enemies  ; 
and  men  who  feared  God,  and  loved  mo- 
deration and  charity,  wept  and  prayed  in 
secret,  despised  and  disregarded  by  the 
two  parties,  who  trampled  on  all  the  rules 
of  godliness.  In  the  meantime,  the  sel- 
fish and  worldly  passions  triumpiied  in 
Spain,  and  though  the  form  of  orthodoxy 
prevailed,  it  was  evident  that  the  power 


was  reduced  almost  to  the  brink  of  de- 
struction. 

Let  us  attend  to  our  business,  and  catch 
the  face  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  if  we 
can.  We  see  her  in  Ambrose,  who,  com- 
ing to  Maximus  on  an  embassy  from  the 
younger  Valentinian,  refused  to  hold  com- 
munion with  his  bishops,  who  had  been 
concerned  in  the  deaths  of  the  heretics. 
Maximus,  enraged,  ordered  him  to  with- 
draw. Ambrose  entered  upon  his  journey 
very  readily,  being  only  grieved  to  find 
an  old  bishop,  Hyginus,  dragged  into 
exile,  though  it  was  evident  that  he  was 
very  near  his  end.  The  generous  bishop 
of  Milan  applied  to  some  of  the  courtiers, 
to  furnish  him  with  conveniences,*  but 
ill  vain.  A  number  of  holy  men,  who 
protested  against  these  barbarities,  were 
themselves  aspersed  with  the  charge  of 
heresy,  and  among  the  rest,  Martin  of 
Tours.  Thus  in  Gaul  and  Spain  there 
were  three  parties  ;  first,  the  Priscillian- 
ists,  men  void  of  godliness  evidently,  and 
bearing  the  Christian  name  to  disgfrace  it 
with  a  complication  of  heresies  ;  secondly, 
men  of  formal  orthodoxy,  who  persecuted 
the  Priscillianists  even  to  death,  and  ru- 
ined them  as  a  sect,  at  the  same  time  that 
they  themselves  disgraced  the  Gospel  by 
a  life  of  avarice,  faction,  and  ambition; 
and  thirdly,  men  who  feared  God  and 
served  him  in  the  Gospel  of  his  Son,  con- 
demning the  principles  of  the  former  by 
argument  only,  and  the  practices  of  the 
latter  by  their  meek  and  charitable  con- 
duct. A  division  of  men,  not  uncommon 
in  the  Church  of  Christ;  but  let  it  be  re- 
membered, that  the  last  sort  are  the  true 
branches  of  the  mystical  vine,  and  that 
they  only  are  to  be  regarded  as  belonging 
to  our  history. 

Martin  was  born  at  Ticinum  in  Italy, 
and  in  iiis  youth  had  served  in  the  army 
under  Constantius  and  Julian ;  but  against 
his  will.  His  father,  by  profession  a  sol- 
dier, had  compelled  him.  For  he  himself, 
when  only  ten  years  old,  went  to  the 
church,  and  gave  in  his  name  as  a  cate- 
chumen, f  At  twelve  he  had  a  desire  to 
lead  a  monastic  life.  But  being  com- 
pelled to  serve  in  the  army,  he  was  re- 
markable for  his  exemption  from  military 
vices,  his  liberality  to  the  poor,  and  his 
reservation  of  nothing  for  himself  out  of 
the  pay  which  he  received,  except  what 
was  necessary  for  daily  food.   At  eighteen 


•  Ambrose,  Ep.  27. 

t  A  candidate  for  baptism. 


336 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XIV. 


he  was  baptized,  and  two  years  after- 
wards, left  the  army.  Sometime  after, 
falling  into  the  hands  of  robbers  among 
the  Alps,  he  was  delivered  bound  to  one 
of  them  to  be  plundered,  who,  leading 
him  to  a  retired  place,  asked  him  who  he 
was.  He  answered,  "  I  am  a  Christian." 
*'  Are  not  you  afraid  ]"  "  I  never  was 
more  at  ease,  because  I  know  the  mercy 
of  the  Lord  to  be  most  present  in  trials  : 
I  am  more  concerned  for  you,  who  by 
your  course  of  life  render  yourself  un- 
fit to  partake  of  the  mercy  of  Christ." 
And  entering  into  the  argument  of  reli- 
gion, he  preached  the  Gospel  to  the  rob- 
ber. The  man  believed,  attended  his 
instructor  to  the  road,  and  begged  his 
prayers.  The  new  convert  persevered  in 
godliness  ;  and  this  relation  is  taken  from 
the  biographical  account  of  Martin.* 

I  must  be  brief  in  following  our  author 
through  other  parts  of  the  life  of  his  hero. 
It  was  an  age  of  childish  credulity  ;  the 
human  mind  was  sinking  fast  into  igno- 
rance and  superstition.  The  Christian 
fathers  and  historians  relate  things  ex- 
tremely absurd  ;  but  this  was  the  fault  ot 
the  times,  not  of  religion.  The  Pagan 
writers,  their  contemporaries,  are  no  way 
their  superiors.  Few  stories  told  by  Sul- 
pitius  are  so  good  in  their  matter,  and  so 
authentic  in  their  loundation,  as  this  of 
the  robber.  It  was  with  difficulty  that 
Martin  was  at  length  prevailed  on  to  quit 
his  monastery,  and  become  bishop  of 
Tours,  to  which  office  the  universal  voice 
of  the  people  called  him.  He  still  pre- 
served his  monastic  taste,  and  had  a  mo- 
nastery two  nriles  out  of  the  city.  Here 
he  lived  with  eighty  disciples,  who  fol- 
lowed his  example ;  they  lived  in  com- 
mon with  extreme  austerity.  The  cele- 
brity of  his  supposed  miracles  had  a 
mighty  eiTect  on  the  ignorant  Gauls ; 
every  common  action  of  his  was  magnifi- 
ed into  a  prodigy;  heathen  temples  were 
destroyed,  and  churches  and  monasteries 
arose  in  their  stead. 

Maximus  courted  the  friendship  of  Mar- 
tin in  vain,  who  honestly  owned,  that  he 
could  not  countenance  a  murderer  and 
usurper.  Maximus  pleaded  necessity, 
the  providence  of  God,  and  that  he  had 
slain  none  except  in  the  field.  Overcome 
at  length  by  importunities,  the  bishop 
supped  with  the  usurper.  A  servant  of- 
fered the  cup  to  Maximus  who  directed 
him  to  give  it  to  Martin,  expecting  and 


*  Sulp.  vitEe  Martin. 


desiring  to  pledge  him.  The  bishop  dis- 
appointed his  hopes,  and  gave  it  to  his 
presbyter. 

Wonderful  is  the  account  which  Sulpi- 
tius  gives  of  his  patience  and  charity. 
But  he  speaks  with  partial  affection,  as 
of  a  friend,  who  in  his  eyes  was  faultless. 
The  Scripture  does  not  colour  the  charac- 
ters of  saints  so  highly ;  and  I  have  no 
ambition  to  imitate  Sulpitius.  Many  evils 
attend  this  spirit  of  exaggeration.  The 
excessive  admiration  of  men  takes  off  the 
mind  from  looking  to  Jesus,  the  true  and 
only  Mediator.  Sulpitius  himself  pro- 
fesses his  hope  of  obtaining  much  good 
through  the  intercession  of  his  deceased 
friend.  What  at  first  were  only  the  more 
unguarded  effusions  of  I'riendship,  became 
at  last  habits  of  self-righteous  supersti- 
tion;  and  one  of  the  worst  corruptions  of 
religion  was  this  way  gradually  intro- 
duced, and  in  the  end  too  firmly  estab- 
lished. 

Maximus,  whatever  were  his  motives, 
paid  assiduous  court  to  Martin,  and  to- 
gether with  his  wife  heard  him  discourse 
of  divine  things.  She  indeed  seems  to 
have  admired  him  sincerely,  and  asked 
her  husband's  consent,  that  she  might  be 
allowed  as  a  servant  to  attend  upon  him 
at  supper.  It  was  done  accordingly  ;  and 
our  author  compares  her  on  this  account 
to  the  queen  of  Sheba.  In  these  transac- 
tions we  mark  the  progress  of  supersti- 
tion. 

The  integrity  of  Martin  appears  very 
conspicuous  in  opposing  the  tyranny  of 
Maximus.  The  latter  strove  in  vain  to 
reconcile  him  to  the  maxims  of  his  go- 
vernment in  the  capital  punishment  of  the 
Priscillianists,  and  endeavored  to  persuade 
him  to  communicate  with  the  bishops, 
who  had  been  urgent  in  their  condemna- 
tion. Martin  refused,  till,  understanding 
that  some  of  the  king's  servants  were  go- 
ing to  put  certain  persons  to-death  for 
whom  he  had  interceded,  in  order  to  save 
their  lives  he  consented  to  communicate 
with  men  whose  conduct  he  abhorred. 
Even  of  this  compliance  he  bitterly  re- 
pented, guarded  against  any  future  com- 
munion with  the  party  of  Ithacius,  and 
lived  afterwards  sixteen  years  in  retire- 
ment. 

On  the  whole,  if  less  had  been  said  of 
his  miracles,  and  a  more  distinct  view 
had  been  given  of  his  virtues,  Martin  of 
Tours  would,  I  believe,  appear  among  us 
I'ar  more  estimable.  That  he  was  pious, 
is  unquestionable  ;  that  his  piety  was  dis- 


Cent.  IV.] 


AMBROSE. 


337 


figured   with  monastic   superstition   ex-lto  complain  of  their  losses,  who  never 
ceedingly,  is  no  less  evident;  but  Europe  spared  the  blood  of  Christians,  and  who 


and  Asia  now  vied  with  each  other  in  the 
promotion  of  false  humility,  and  I  should 
be  ashamed,  as  well  as  think  the  labour 
ill  spent,  to  recite  the  stories  at  length 
which  Sulpitius  gives  us. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  CONDUCT  OF  AMBROSE  UNDER  THE 
EMPEROR  VALENTINIAN  THE  SECOND, 
AND    THE    PERSECUTION    WHICH    HE 
ENDURED    FROM  THE 
THER  JUSTINA. 

JusTiNA,  the  empress,  was  a  decided 
patroness  of  Arianism.     After 


Ambrose 
persecu- 
ted, 

A.  D.  385. 


the  death 
of  her  husband,  she  began  openly  to  sea- 
son her  son  with  her  doctrine,  and  to  in- 
duce him  to  menace  the  bishop  of  Milan. 
Ambrose  exhorted   him   to  support   the 
doctrine    received    from    the    Apostles. 
Young  Valentinian,  in  a  rage,  ordered  his 
truards  to  surround  the  church,  and  com- 
manded Ambrose  to  come  out  of  it. 
shall  not  willingly,"  replied  the  bishop, 
*'  give  up  the  sheep  of  Christ  to  be  de- 
voured by  wolves.     You  may 
use  your  swords  and  spears 
against  me ;  such  a  death  I 
shall  freely  undergo."*   After 
this  he  was  exposed  to  the  va- 
rious frauds  and  artifices  of  Justina,  who 
feared  to  attack  him  openly.      For  the 
people  were  generally  inclined  to  support 
the  bishop;  and  his  residence  in  the  city 
where  the  court  was  held,  at  once  in- 
creased his  influence,  and  exercised  his 
mind  with  a  series  of  trials. 

The  Arians  were  not  now  the  only  ad- 
versaries  of  the   Church  ;   the   Pagans 
themselves,  taking  advantage  of  the  mi- 
nority of  Valentinian  and  the  confusions 
of  the  empire,  endeavoured   to   recover 
their  ancient  establishment.     The  Senate 
of  Rome  consisted  still  very  much  of  Gen- 
tiles ;  and  the  pride  of  family  grandeur 
still   induced   the  most   noble   to  pique 
themselves  on   their  constancy,  and   to 
scorn    the    innovations   of    Christianity. 
Symmachus,  a  man  of  learning  and  great 
powers  of  eloquence,  headed  the  party, 
and  endeavoured  to  persuade  the  emperor 
to  suflTer  the  altar  of  Victory  to  be  restored 
to  the  Senate-house.     Ambrose  wrote  to 
Valentinian,  that  it  ill  became  the  Gentiles 


refused  them  under  Julian,  the  common 
liberty  of  teaching.     "If  he  is  a  Pagan 
who  gives  you  this  advice,  let  him  give 
the  same  liberty  which  he  takes  himself. 
You  compel  no  man  to  worship  what  he 
does  not  approve.     Here  the  whole  Se- 
nate, so  far  as  it  is  Christian,  is  endan- 
gered.    Every  senator  takes  his  oath  at 
the  altar;  every  person  who  is  obliged  to 
appear  before  the  senate  upon  oath,  takes 
his  oath  in  the  same  manner.     The  di- 
vinity of  the  false  gods  is  evidently  al- 
EMPEROR'sMO-|lo^ed  by  the  practice.     And  Christians 
are  obliged  by  these  means  to  endure  a 
I  persecution.     But  in  matters  of  religion 
consult  with   God ;   and  whatever   men 
may  say  of  injuiies  which  they  suffer,  re- 
member that  you  injure  no  man  by  pre- 
ferring God  Almighty  before  him."*   We 
have  still  extant  the  address  of  Symma- 
chus to  the  emperors  on  the  subject  in  vin- 
dication of  Pagan  idolatry,  in  which  he 
introduces  Rome  as  a  person  complaining 
of  the  hardships  to  which  she  was  ex- 
posed in  her  old  age.     We  have  also  the 
reply  of  Ambrose,  who  introduces  Rome 
observing,  that  it  was  not  by  the  favour 
of  these  gods  that  she  gained  her  victo- 
ries.    In  answer  to  the  complaint,  which 
the  Pagans  made  of  the  loss  of  their  re- 
venues, he  observes,  that  the  Gospel  had 
increased   by  poverty  and   ill-treatment, 
whereas  riches  and  prosperity  seemed  ne- 
cessary to  the  very  existence  of  their  re- 
ligion.    And  now  that  the  Church  has 
some  wealth,  he  justly  glories  in  the  use 
she  made  of  it,  and  challenges  the  Pagans 
to  declare  what  captives  they  had  redeem- 
ed, what  poor  they  had  relieved,  and  to 
what  exiles  they  had  sent  alms.     But  it 
is  not  necessary  to  enlarge  on  this  sub- 
ject.     The   advantage  of  the  Christian 
cause  in  the  promotion  of  liberality  and 
benevolence  among  mankind,  above  all  re- 
ligions, is  perhaps  the  only  thing  gener- 
ally allowed  even  by  infidels.     Symma- 
chus being  foiled  at  present,  renewed  the 
same  attempt  before  the  emperor  Theo- 
dosius,  and   was   vanquished   a   second 
time  by  the  eloquence  and  influence  of 
Ambrose. 

This  prelate  by  his  talents  in  negocia- 
tion  at  the  court  of  Maximus,  averted  for 
a  time  the  invasion  of  Italy  from  the  court 
of  Milan.     But  nothing  could     justina'a 
move  the  mind  of  Justina  in    law. 


Vol.  I. 


*  Theodoret,  B.  V.  c.  13. 


2F 


•  Epistle  of  Ambrose,  30. 


338 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XV. 


A  D  386      ^'^  favour.     In  the  year  386, 
she  procured  a  law  tf>  enable 
the  Arian  congregations  to  assemble  with- 
out interruption. 

Auxentius,  a   Scythian,  of  the   same 
name  with  the  Aiiiui  predecessor  of  Am- 
brose, was  now  introduced,  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  empress,  into  Milan.     He 
challenged  Ambrose  to  hold  a  disputation 
with  him  in  the  emperor's  court;  which 
occasioned  the  bishop  to  write  to  Valenti- 
nian,  that  it  was  no  part  of  the  emperor's 
business  to  decide  in  points  of  doctrine.* 
"  Let  him  come  to  church,"  says  he,  "  and 
upon  hearing,  lot  the  people  judge  for 
themselves;  and  if  they  like  Auxentius 
better,  let  them  take  him :  but  they  have 
already  declared  their  sentiments."    More 
violent  measures  were  now  entered  into, 
and  the  fortitude  of  Ambrose  was  tried  in 
a  manner  which  he  had  hitherto  not  ex- 
perienced.  Auxentius  moved,  that  a  party 
of  soldiers  might  be  sent  to  secure  for 
himself  the  possession  of  the  church  called 
Basilica :  and  tribunes  came  to  demand 
it,  with  the  plate  and  vessels  belonging 
to  it.     At  the  same  time,  there  were  those 
who  represented,  that  it  was  an  unreason- 
able thing,  that  the  emperor  should  not 
be  allowed  to  have  one  place  of  worship 
which  was  agreeable  to  his  conscience. 
The  language  was  specious,  but  deceitful. 
.Tustina  and  her  son,  if  they  had  thought 
it  prudent  to  exert  their  authority,  might 
have  commanded  the  use  not  of  one  cnly, 
but  of  all  the  churches  :  'but  the  demand 
of  the  court  was,  that  Ambrose  should  do 
what  in  conscience  he  could  not,  that  he 
should,   by   his   own   deed,   resign    the 
chwrch  into  Arian  hands,  which  as  cir- 
cumstances then  stootl,  would  have  been 
to  acknowledge,  indircKtly  at  least,  the 
Arian  creed.      He  therefore  calmly  an- 
sw.  red  the  officers,  that  if  the  emperor 
had  sent  to  demand  his  house  or  land, 
money  or  goods,  he  would  have  freely  re- 
signed them,  but  that  he  could   not  de- 
liver that  which  was  committed  to  his 
care.     In  the  congregation  he  that  day 
told  the  people,]  that  he  would  not  will- 
ingly desert  his  right:  that  if  compelled, 
he   knew   not   how   to   resist.     "  I   can 
grieve,'"  says  he,  "  I  can  weep,  I   can 
groan.     Against  arms  and  soldiers,  tears 
are  my  arms,     yuch  are  the  fortifications 
of  a  pastor.     I  neither  can  nor  ought  to 
resist  in  any  other  manner.     Our  Lord 


*  Epistle  of  Ambrose,  32. 
t  Oral.  iH  Auxeu.  p.  l§9. 


Paris  edition. 


Jesus  is  Almighty  ;  what  he  commands 
to  be  done  shall  be  fulfilled,  nor  does  it 
become  you  to  resist  the  divine  sentence." 
It  seemed  proper  to  state  in  his  own  words 
what  his  conduct  was ;  and  it  appears 
he  abated  nothing  of  the  maxims  of  pas- 
sive submission  to  the  civil  power,  which 
Christians  had  ever  practised  from  the 
days  of  St.  Paul,  and  that  there  is  not  the 
least  ground  to  accuse  Ambrose  of  dis- 
loyalty to  his  prince.  He  had  served 
him  already  faithfully,  and  we  shall  see 
presently  that  he  is  again  ready  to  expose 
himself  to  danger  for  his  service.  The 
court  knew  his  principles,  and  seem  not 
to  have  had  the  least  fear  that  he  should 
draw  the  people  into  a  rebellion;  but 
they  wished  to  menace  him  into  a  degree 
ol  compliance  with  Arianism. 

Ambrose  during  the  suspension  of  this 
affair  employed  the  people  in  singing  di- 
vine hynms  and  psalms,  at  the  end  of 
which  there  was  a  solemn  doxology  to 
the  honour  of  the  Trinity.  The  method 
of  responsive  singing  had  been  gradually 
practit-ed  in  the  East,  and  was  introduced 
by  Ambrose  into  Milan,  whence  it  was 
propagated  into  all  the  churches.  The 
people  were  much  delighted,  their  zeal 
for  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  was  in- 
flamed, and  one  of  the  best  judges  in  the 
world,  who  then  lived  at  Milan,  owns 
that  his  own  soul  was  melted  into  divine 
aff'ection  on  these  occasions.* 

The  demands  of  the  court  v/ere  novr 
increased  ;  not  only  the  Porlian  church 
which  stood  without  the  walls,  but  also 
the  great  church  newly  built  within  the 
city,  were  required  to  be  given  up.  On 
the  Lord's  day  alter  sermon,  the  catechu- 
mens being  dismissed,  Ambrose  went  to 
baptize  those  who  were  prepared  for  that 
ordinance,  w  ben  he  was  told  that  officers 
were  sent  from  the  court  to  the  Portian 
church  :  he  went  on,  however,  unmoved 
in  the  service,  till  he  was  told,  that  the 
people  having  met  with  Castulus  an  Arian 
presbyter  in  the  street,  had  laid  hands  on 
bun.  Then  with  prayers  and  tears  he 
besought  God,  that  no  man's  blood  might 
be  shod,  but  rather  his  own,  not  only  for 
the  pi  ,us  people,  but  also  for  the  wicked. 
And  he  immediately  scntsoitie  presbyters 
and  deacons,  who  recovered  Castulus  safe 
from  the  tumult.  The  court,  enraged, 
sent  cut  warrants  for  apprehending  seve- 
ral merchants  and  tradesmen  ;  men  were 
put  in  chains,  and  vast  sums  of  money 


Aug.  Coat".  B.  9. 


Cbitt.  IV.] 


AMBROSE. 


339 


were  required  to  be  paid  in  a  little  time, 
which  many  professed  they  would  paj- 
cheerfully,  if  they  were  sufrered  to  enjoy 
the  profession  of  their  faith  unm')Icsted. 
By  this  time  the  prisons  were  full  <'f' 
tradesmen,  and  the  niaofistrates  and  men 
of  rank  were  severely  threateneJ  ;  while 
the  courtiers  urged  Ambrose  with  the  im- 
perial authority  ;  whom  he  answered  with 
the  same  loyalty  and  firmness  as  t)ef  )re. 
The  Holy  Spirit,  said  he,  in  his  exhorta- 
tion to  the  people,  has  spoken  in  y  >u  this 
day,  to  this  effect:  Emperor,  we  en- 
treat, BUT  we  do  not  figeit.  The 
Arians,  having  few  friends  among  the 
people,  kept  themselves  within  doors.  A 
notary  coming  to  the  bishop  from  the  em- 
peror, asked  him,  whether  he  intended  to 
usurp  the  empire?  "I  have  an  empire," 
says  he,  "it  is  true,  but  it  lies  in  weak- 
ness, according  to  that  saying  of  the  Apos- 
tle, 'when  I  am  weak,  then  am  1  strong.' 
Even  Maxinius  will  clear  me  of  this 
charge,  since  he  will  confess  it  was  through 
my  embassy  he  was  kept  from  the  inva- 
sion of  Italy."  Wearied  and  overcome 
at  length  with  his  res  dution,  the  court, 
who  meant  to  obtain  his  consent,  rather 
than  to  exercise  violence,  ordered  the 
guards  to  leave  the  church,  where  the 
bishop  had  lodged  all  night ;  the  soldiers 
having  guarded  it  so  close,  that  none  had 
been  suffered  to  go  out ;  and  the  people 
confined  there  having  spent  their  time  in 
singing  psalms.  The  sums  exacted  of 
the  tradesmen  also  were  restored.  Pe;ice 
was  made  for  the  present,  though  Am- 
brose had  still  reason  to  fear  for  himself, 
and  expressed  his  desire,  in  the  epistle 
which  he  wrote  to  his  sister  INIarcellina, 
that  God  would  defend  his  church,  and 
let  its  enemies  rather  satiate  their  rage 
with  his  blood.* 

The  spirit  of  devotion  was  kept  up  all 
this  time  among  the  people,  and  Ambrose 
was  indefatigable  both  in  praying  and 
preaching.  Being  called  on  by  the  peo- 
ple to  consecrate  a  new  church,  he  told 
them,  that  he  would,  if  he  could  find  any 
relics  of  martyrs  there.  Let  us  not  make 
the  superstition  of  these  times  greater 
than  it  was.  It  was  lamentably  great; 
enough  to  stain  the  piety  with  which  it 
was  mixed.  We  are  told,  that  it  had 
been  revealed  to  him  in  a  vision  at  night, 
in  what  place  he  might  find  the  relics. 
But  in  the  epistle  wh  ch  he  writes  on  the 
subject,  he  says  no  such  thing.     He  de- 


Epis.  33. 


scribes,  however,  the  finding  of  the  bo- 
dies of  two  martyrs,  Protasius  and  Ger- 
vasius,  the  supposed  miracles  wrought  on 
the  occasion,  the  dedication  of  the  church, 
the  triumph  of  orthodox,  and  the  confu- 
sion of  Arianism.     Ambrose  himself  too 
nuch  encouraged  all    this,  and  in  a  lan- 
guage which  favoured  the  introduction  of 
)iher  intercessors  besides  the  Lord  Jesus 
'hrist,  whom   yet  it  is  evident  he  su- 
iremely  loved,  and  trusted   in  for  salva- 
tion.    Li  all  this,  the  candid  and  intelli- 
i-eni  reader  will  see  the  conflict  between 
godliness  and  superstition  maintained  in 
the  church   of  Milan,   both  existing   in 
some  vigour,  and  each  at  present  check- 
ing the  growth  of  the  other.* 

The  news  of  M-iximus's  intention  to 
invade  Italy  arriving  at  this  lime,  threw 
the  court  of  Milan  into  the  greatest  trepi- 
dation.      Agam    .Tustina    implored    the 
bishop  to  undertake  an  embassy  to  the 
usurper,  which  he  cheerfully 
undertook,  and  executed  with     ^betyrant 
great  fortitude ;  but  it  was  not     ji'^^jj™,"' 
in  his  power  to  stop  the  pro-     and  kiHed 
gress   of  the  enemy.     Theo-     bv  Tlieo- 
dosius,   who   reigned    in    the     dosius, 
lOast,  coming  at  length  to  the     \_  d,  339. 
assistance  of  Valentinian,  put 
an  end  to  the  usurpation  and  life  of  Maxi- 
mus.     By  his  means,  the  young  emperor 
was  induced  to  forsake  his  mother's  prin- 
ciple^,  and   in  form  at  least  to  embrace 
those  of  Ambrose.     Whether  he  was  ever 
truly  converted  to  God,  is  not  so  clear. 
That  he  was  reconciled  to  Ambrose,  and 
loved  him  highly,  is  certain; 
md  in  the  year  392,  in  which     Valentini- 
he  lost  his  life  by  a  second     ^"  ^T'^^ 

•       ^u       iir      i      u         'Of  Am- 

usurpation  m   the   West,   he     |„.„se  to 
sent  for  Ambrose  to  come  to     baptize 
'laptize   him.     The  bishop  in     him, 
'lis  journey  heard  of  his  death,     j^  jy  ^92. 
vith  which  he  was  deeply  af- 
fected, and  wrote  to  Theodosiusf  concern- 
'ng  him  with  all   the  marks  of  sorrow, 
ind   composed   a  funeral   oration  in   his 
oraise.     The  rhetorical  spirit  usually  ex- 
\ggerates  on  these  occasions  ;  but  it  is 
inconsistent  with  the  unquestionable  in- 
tegrity of  Ambrose  to  suppose  that  he  did 
aot  believe  the  real  conversion  of  his  royal 
mpil.     The  oration  itself  is  by  no  means 
■■vorthv  of  Ambrose;  the  taste  is  vicious 
ind  affected.     Indeed  panegyric,  when  it 
has  not  an  object  of  magnitude  sufficient 


•  Rpis.  85. 

f  Epis.  34.  and  de  obitu  Valentiniani. 


340 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  XVI. 


to  fill  the  mind,  is  ever  frigid  and  grovel- 
ling, because  it  is  continually  affecting  the 
sublime,  but  has  not  materials  to  support 
it  with  dignity. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

THE  CHURCH   UNDER  THEODOSIUS. 

It  vi^ill  be  proper  to  look  a  little  more 
particularly  at  the  conduct  of  this  prince 
towards  the  Church.  He  had  been  pre- 
served in  his  younger  years  from  the 
jealousy  of  Valens,  who,  by  some  super- 
stition, had  been  led  to  suspect  those, 
whose  names  began  with  THE,  and  to 
seek  their  destruction.  After  his  exalta- 
tion to  the  empire  from  a  private  life  by 
the  generous  and  patriotic  choice  of  Gra- 
tian,  he  reigned  in  the  East,  more  vigor- 
ously supporting  Christianity,  according 
to  his  ideas  of  it,  than  any  emperor  before 
him.  His  sense  of  justice  however,  de- 
termined him  to  order  some  Christians  to 
rebuild  at  their  own  expense  a  Jewish 
synagogue,  which  they  had  tumultnously 
pulled  down.  I  mention  with  concern, 
yetM'ith  historical  veracity,  that  Ambrose 
prevailed  on  him  to  set  aside  this  sentence, 
from  a  mistaken  notion  of  piety,  that 
Christianity  should  not  be  obliged  to  con- 
tribute to  the  erection  of  a  Jewish  syna- 
gogue. If  the  Jews  were  tolerated  at  ail 
in  the  empire,  the  transaction  ought  cer- 
tainly to  have  been  looked  on  as  a  civil 
one.  This  is  the  first  instance  I  recollect 
in  which  a  good  man  was  induced,  by 
superstitious  motives,  to  break  the  essen- 
tial rules  of  justice ;  and  it  marks  tiie 
growth  of  superstition.*  Nor  is  there 
any  thing  in  the  declamatory  eloquence 
of  Ambrose,  which  moves  me  to  pass  a 
different  judgment. 

The  Luciferians  still  existing,  entreat- 
ed this  emperor  to  grant  them  liberty  of 
conscience;  confessing  themselves  to  be 
Christians,  and  contending  that  it  was 
wrong  in  others  to  give  them  a  sectarian 
name;  at  the  same  time  declaring  that 
they  coveted  not  the  riches  and  grandeur  of 
other  churches,  and  in  their  censures  n(  t 
sparing  Hilary  of  Poictiers  and  Athana- 
sius.  These  last  were  doubtless  men  of 
great  uprightness  and  integrity.  What 
they  themselves  were  is  not  so  evident 
as  it  were  to  be  wished,  because  of  the 
scantiness  of  information.  They  speak 
with  extraordinary  respect  of  Gregory, 


bishop  of  Elvira,  as  the  chief  of  their 
communion  ;  a  man  doubtless  of  high  es- 
timation, because  Ther  dosius  himself  ad- 
mits it,  and  grants  them  a  legal  toleration. 
I  have  before  spoken  of  this  class  of  dis- 
senters, among  whom,  I  apprehend,  it  is 
probable,  marks  of  the  presence  of  God 
might  be  found,  if  their  history  had  come 
down  to  us.  But  the  reader  who  knows 
how  slight  our  information  of  these  things 
is,  while  church  history  dwells  chiefly 
on  what  is  scandalous,  not  what  is  ex- 
cellent, will  not  be  surprised  at  my  si- 
lence. The  sect  itself  vanished  soon 
after. 

Theodosius  was  of  a  passionate  tem- 
per, and  on  a  particular  occasion  was  led 
by  it  to  commit  a  barbarous  action ;  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  story  will  be  the  best 
comment  on  the  character  of  this  emperor, 
of  Ambrose,  and  of  the  times.  At  Thes- 
salonica  a  tumult  was  made  by  the  popu- 
lace, and  the  emperor's  officer  was  mur- 
dered. The  news  was  calculated  to  try 
the  temper  of  Theodosius,  who  ordered 
the  sword  to  be  let  loose  upon  them. 
Ambrose  interceded,  and  the  emperor 
promised  to  forgive.  But  the  great  offi- 
cers of  the  court  persuaded  him  to  retract, 
and  to  sign  a  warrant  for  military  execu- 
tion. It  was  executed  with  great  cruel- 
ty. Seven  thousand  were  massacred  in 
three  hours,  without  trial,  and  without 
distinction  ! 

Ambrose*  wrote  him  a  faithful  letter, 
reniinding  him  of  the  charge  in  the  pro- 
phecy, that  if  the  priest  does  not  warn 
the  wicked  he  shall  be  answerable  for 
it.-j"  "  You  discover  a  zeal,"  says  he, 
"for  the  faith  and  fear  of  God,  I  own; 
but  your  temper  is  warm,  soon  to  be  ap- 
peased indeed,  if  endeavours  are  used  to 
calm  it;  but  if  not  regulated,  it  bears 
down  all  before  it."  He  urges  the  ex- 
ample of  David,  and  shows  the  impro- 
priety of  communicating  with  him  at 
present.  "  I  love  you,"  says  he,  "  I  che- 
rish you,  I  pray  for  you;  but  blame  not 
me,  if  I  give  the  preference  to  God." 
On  these  principles  Ambrose  refused  to 
admit  Theodosius  into  the  church  of  Mi- 
lan. The  emperor  pleaded  the  case  of 
David.  "Imitate  him,"  says  the  zeal- 
ous bishop,  "in  his  repentance,  as  well 
as  in  his  sin."  Theodosius  submitted, 
and  kept  from  the  church  eight  months. 
On  the  feast  of  the  Nativity,  he  express- 
ed his  sorrow  with  sighs  and  tears  in  the 


•  Epis.  29. 


•  Arab.  Epis.  51. 


+  Ezek.  ill.  18. 


Cekt.  IV.] 


THEODOSIUS. 


341 


presence  of  RufRnus  the  master  of  the 
offices.*     "I  weep,"  said  he,  "that  the 
temple  of  God,  and  consequently  heaven 
is  shut  from  me,  which  is  open  to  slaves 
and   befrgajs."      Ruffinus   undertook   to 
persuade  the  bishop  to  admit  the  empe- 
ror.    Ambrose   urged   the  impropriety  of 
his  rude  interference,  because  Ruffinus, 
by  his  evil  counsels,  had  been  the  au- 
thor  of  the  massacre.     Ruffinus  telling- 
him   that  the  emperor  was  coming,  "  I 
will  hinder  him,"  says  he,  "  from  enter- 
ing the  vestibule;  yet  if  he  will  play  the 
king,  I  shall  offer  him  my  throat."    Ruf- 
finus returning,  informed   the  emperor; 
"I  will  go,  and  receive  the  refusal  which 
I  desire,"  says  he.     And  as  he  approach- 
ed  the   bishop,  he   added,   "  I  come  to 
offer  myself,  to  submit  to  what  you  pre- 
•scribe."      Ambrose  enjoined  him  to  do 
public  penance,  and  to  suspend  the  exe- 
cution of  capital  warrants  for  thirty  days 
in  future,  in  order  that  the  ill  effects  of 
intemperate   anger  might  be  prevented. 
The   emperor,    pulling  off  his   imperial 
robes,  prayed  prostrate  on  the  pavement, 
nor  did   he  put  on  those  robes,  till  the 
time  of  his  penance  was  expired.     "  My 
soul    cleaveth    to    the    dust,"    said    he, 
"quicken   thou    me,    according    to   thy 
word."     The   people   prayed    and    wept 
with  him,  and  he  not  only  complied  with 
the  rules  of  penance,  but  retained  visible 
marks  of  compunction  and  sadness  durino- 
the  rest  of  his  life. 

Let  us  make  as  candid  an  estimate,  as 
we  can,  of  this  extraordinary  affair :  I  say, 
as  we  can.  Moderns  hardly  can  be  suffi- 
ciently candid  ;  so  different  are  our  senti- 
ments and  views.  It  is  certain  that  these 
rules  of  humiliation  are  too  severe,  too 
formal,  and  by  no  means  properly  calcu- 
lated to  instruct :  the  growth  also  of  su- 
perstition, and  the  immoderate  exercise 
of  episcopal  power,  are  both  strikingly 
evident.  But  what  then?  Was  Theodo- 
sius  a  mean  abject  prince,  and  Ambrose 
a  haughty  or  hypocritical  pontiff]  Nei- 
ther the  one  nor  the  other  is  true.  The 
general  life  of  the  former  evinces  him 
a  great  and  wise  prince,  who  had  the 
true  fear  of  God  before  his  eyes  :  and  the 
latter  thought  he  did  no  more  than  what 
the  office,  which  he  bore,  required  ;  and 
his  affectionate  regard  for  the  emperor, 
and  sincere  concern  for  his  soul,  appear 
evident.  On  the  whole,  the  discipline 
itself  thus  magnanimously  exercised  by 


4-Theodoret,B.  V. 
2f2 


c.  18. 


Ambrose,  and  humbly  submitted  to  by 
Theodosius,  when  stripped  of  its  super- 
stitions and  formalities,  was  salutary. 
Who  does  not  see,  that  the  contempt  of 
discipline  in  our  days,  among  the  great, 
has  proved  extremely  pernicious  to  the 
interests  of  practical  religion? 

After  the  murder  of  Valentinian,  a  per- 
son named  Eugenius  usurped  the  empire 
of  the  West,  who  again  erected  the  altar 
of  Victory,  and  encouraged  the  Pagans ; 
but  their  hop'^s  were  of  short  duration. 
Theodosius  soon  stripped  him  of  his  life 
and  power,  and  thus  became  sole  master 
of  the  Roman  world.     Under  his  authori- 
ty the  extirpation  of  idolatry  was  carried 
on  with   more  decisive  vigour  than  ever. 
At   Alexandria   the   votaries    of  the   re- 
nowned  temple  of  Serapis  made  an  in- 
surrection,  and   mnrdered   a  number  of 
Christians.     The  emperor,  being  inform- 
ed of  this,  declared   that  he  would  not 
suffer  the  glory  of  their  martyrdom  to  be 
stained  with  any  executions,  and  that  he 
was  determined  to  pardon  the  murderers 
in  hopes  of  their  conversion,  but  that  the 
temples,  the  cause  of  so  much  mischief, 
should  be  destroyed.     There  was  a  re- 
markable image  of  Serapis  in  the  temple, 
of  which  it  had  been  confidently  given 
out,  that  if  any  man   touched   it,  earth 
would   open,  the   heaven   be   dissolved, 
and  all  things  run  back  into  a  genecal 
chaos.     A  soldier  however^  animated  by 
Theophilus  the  bishop,  was  so  hardy  as 
to  make  the  experiment.     With  an  axe 
he  cleft  him  down  the  jaws ;  an  army  of 
mice  fled  out  at  the  breach  he  had  made; 
and  Serapis  was  hacked  in  pieces.     On 
the  destruction  of  idolatry  in  Egypt,  it 
happened  that  the  Nile  did  not  overflow 
so  plentifiilly,  as  it  had-  been  wont  to  do. 
It  is,  said  the  Pagans,  because  it  is  af- 
fronted at  the  prevailing  impiety  ;  it  has 
not  been  worshipped  with  sacrifice,*  as 
it  is  used  to  be.     Theodosius,  being  in- 
formed of  this,  declared  like  a  man  who 
believed  in  God,  and  preferred  heavenly 
things  to  earthly;   "We  ought  to  prefer 
our  duty  to   God  to  the  streams  of  the 
Nile,  and  the  cause  of  piety  to  the  ferti- 
lity of  the  country;  let  the  Nile  never  flow 
again,   rather   than   idolatry   be   encour- 
aged."   The  event  afforded  a  fine  com- 
ment on  our  Saviour's  words,  "Seek  ye 
first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  all  other 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you."    The 
Nile    returned   to  its  course,  and  rose 


•  Sozom.  B.  VII.  e.  20. 


342 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XVI. 


above  the  highest  mark,  which,  at  other 
times,  it  seldom  reached.  The  Pagans, 
overcome  in  argument,  made  use  of  ridi- 
cule, the  great  sanctuary  of  profaneness, 
and  cried  out  in  their  theatres,  that  the 
old  doting  god  was  grown  so  weak,  that 
he  could  not  hold  his  water.     Numbers, 


which  taught  men  how  to  obtain  pardon 
of  sin,  and  holiness  of  life.  The  Gen- 
tile part  of  ihem  declared,  that  they  would 
not  give  up  a  religion,  under  which  Rome 
had  prospered  nearly  twelve  hundred 
years.  Theodosius  told  them,  that  he 
saw  no  reason,  why  he  should  maintain 


however,  made  a  more  serious  use  of  the  their  religion,  and  that  he  would  not  only 
remarkable  Providence,  and  Egypt  for-  cease  to"  furnish  the  expense  out  of  the 
sook  the   superstition,  in  which   for  so|exchequer,  but  abolish  the  sacrifices  them 


many  ages  it  had  been  involved.  And 
thus  the  country  which  had  nourished 
idolatry  more  early  and  more  passionate- 
ly than  others,  was  made  the  special 
scene  of  the  triumphs  of  God  and  his 
Christ. 

Libanius,  the  friend  of  Julian,  was  yet 
alive,  and    held   the   office  of  Pretorian 
prefect  under  the  emperor.     The  gentle- 
ness of  this  prince  encouraged  the  sophist 
to  present  him  with  an  oration  in  favour 
of  the  temples ;  in  which  he  trode  in  the 
steps   of  Symmachus,    and  pleaded  the 
cause  of  the  gods,  as  well  as  so  bad  a 
subject  would  admit.     It  is  remarkable, 
that  he  argued,  "  Religion  ought  to  be 
planted  in  men's  minds  by  reason,  not  by 
force."     Thus  Pagans  could  now   talk, 
who  forages  had  acted  toward  Christians 
in  so  diffe"rent  a  manner.*     The  writer  of 
this  oration  was  himself  a  palpable  in- 
stance of  the  clemency  of  Christian  go- 
vernors compared  with  Pagan.     He  lived 
in   a   respectable   situation,  unmolested, 
the  champion  of  expiring  Paganism ;  and 
many  others   were   treated  in  the  same 
manner. 

Coming  to  Rome,  the  zealous  emperor 
in  a  deliberate  speech  endeavoured  to 
persuade  the  senate,  very  many  of  whom 
still  patronised  idolatry,  to  embrace  the 
Christian    faith,    as   the    only   religion, 


*  At  this  very  time,  while  Theodosius  treat- 
ed Pagans  wiih  moderation,  under  a  Cluistian 
establisliment,  the  Christians  were  treated 
■with  unbounded  cruelty  under  a  Pagan  esta- 
blishment in  Persia.  The  blameable  zeal  of 
Audas,  H  bisliop,  gave  the  first  occasion  to  it. 
Moved  with  divine  zeal,  as  he  supposed,  he 
overturned  a  temple  in  which  the  sacred  fire 
■was  kept.f  Isdigerdes  the  king  ordered  him 
to  rebuild  it,  which  he  refusing,  the  Clnistian 
Churches  were  ordered  to  be  destroyed,  and 
the  man  to  be  slain.  A  persecution  thus  com- 
mencing on  specious  grounds,  was  continued 
for  tliirty  yeai-s  -villi  unremitting  barbarity. 
The  tortures  of  Christians  were  dreadful  be- 
yond measure  ;  yet  ihey  persevered,  and  num- 
bers voluntarily  endured  afflictions,  for  the  joy 
of  eternal  life  set  before  them. 

f  Called  ^upt.cv.      See  Theodoret,    B.  V. 
•.  39.  Magdeburg.  Cent.  4.  c.  3. 


selves.     The  senators   complained,  that 
the  neglect  of  the  rites  was  the  grand 
cause,  why  the  empire  declined  so  much  : 
a  specious  argument  well  calculated  to 
gain  upon  worldly  minds,  and  which  had 
great  effect  on  many  Pagans  at  this  time. 
We  may  see  by  and  by,  what  a  laboured 
and  animated  answer  to  it  was  written  by 
one  of  the  greatest  and  ablest  of  the  fa- 
thers.    Theodosius  now  made  it  a  capital 
crime  to  sacrifice,  or  attend  the  Pagan 
rites.     In  vain  did  the  patrons  of  idolatry 
exercise  their  parts  and  assiduity.     The 
emperor  was  determined,  and  issued  out 
a  law  that  made  it  treasonable  to   offer 
sacrifice,  or   to   consult   the   entrails   of 
beasts.*    Incense  and  perfumes  were  like- 
wise forbidden.     Paganism  never  lifted 
up  its  head  after  this;  habit  alone  sup- 
ported it;  and  objects  of  sense  being  re- 
moved,  zeal   was   extinguished,  and  as 
Theodosius  was   not   disposed  to  make 
martyrs,  so  no  Pagans  felt  any  inclina- 
tion to  become  such.     This  great  prince 
expired  at  Milan  in  the  year 
395,  about  sixty  years  of  age, 
having  reigned  sixteen  years. 
And    the   century   before    us 
nearly  closes  with  the  full  es- 
tablishment of  Christianity  in 
the  Roman  empire.     The  religion  which 
was  of  God    made   its   way  through   all 
opposition  ;  that  which  was  of  man,  sup- 
ported only  by  power  and  custom,  failed 
to  thrive,  as  soon  as  it  lost  the  ascendant, 
and  within  a  generation  it  ceased  almost 
universally  to  exist  among  men. 

The  real  character  of  Theodosius  is  by 
no  means  doubtful.  For  though  the 
praises  of  Ambrose  may  be  suspected, 
yet  Aurelius  Victor,  a  Gentile  writer, 
must  be  credited,  when  he  commends 
this  emperor.  His  clemency,  liberality 
and  generosity  were  admirable.  He  was 
brave  and  successful  in  war;  but  his 
wars  were  forced  upon  him.  He  was  an 
enemy  to  drunkenness,  and  was  himself 


Death  of 
Theodo- 
sius, 

A.  D.  395. 


*  Cave's   Introduction 
I  Fathers,  Vol.  II. 


to  the  Lives  of  the 


Cent.  IV,] 


THE0D0SIU9. 


343 


a  model  of  ^avity,  temperance  and  chas- 
tity in  private  life.     By  a  law  he  forbad 
minstrels  and  other  servants  of  lewdness 
to  attend  at  feasts.     Thus  he  is  represent- 
ed by  a  contemporary,  whose  account  is 
certainly  to  be  preferred  to  that  of  a  later 
writer,  the  partial  Zozimus,  who  treats 
every  Christian  emperor  with  malig-nity. 
I  see  in  Theodosius  the  triumphs  of  the 
Cross ;  nor  in  all   the  Pagan  history  of 
the  emperors  was  there  one  to  be  compar- 
ed with  him.     They  had  no  principles  to 
produce  humility.     The  excess  of  anger 
was,as  we  haveseen,hispredoniinantevil; 
and  his  case  ti  aches  at  once  two  lessons; 
one  is,  th'at  the   best  men  need  to  guard 
daily  against  their  besetting  sins  ;  and  the 
other  is,  that  even  our  infirmities  may  be 
turned  to  good  account  by  the  promotion 
of  our  humility,  and  the  Redeemer's  glory. 
Flaccilla,  tlie  wife  of  Theodosius,  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a  pious  and  humble 
person.     She  was   constantly  reminding 
him  of  the  private  and  low  condition,  in 
which  they  had  lived  together  before  his 
advancement,  and  exhorting  him  to  at- 
tend to  the  duties  of  religion.     She  her- 
self was  an   edifying   pattern  of  conde- 
scension  and  liberality.     The  sick,  the 
afflicted,  the  poor,  were  relieved  not  only 
by  her  alms,  but  also  by  her  benevolent 
attention  and  labour.     Some  representino- 
to  her,  that  it  was  beneath  her  dignity  to 
take  care  of  hospitals  and  the  houses  of 
mourning,  she  answered,  "  the  distribu- 
tion of  gold  indeed  becomes  the  imperial 
dignity  ;  but  I  offer   to   him,  who  hath 
given  me  that  dignity,  my  personal  la- 
bours  as   a   token  of  gratitude."     That 
grace  is  strong  indeed,  which  melts  not 
under  the  beams  of  prosperity.     Theodo- 
sius was  once  inclined  to  converse  with 
Eunomius,  an  able  Arian,  who  lived  at 
Constantinople,  and  whom,  on   account 
of  his   heretical   practices,  he  banished 
thence.     But  Flaccilla,  who  trembled  for 
the   salvation  of  her  husband,  (I  speak 
seriously  what  Mr.  Gibbon  does  scorn- 
fully, chap.  XXVIII.    vol.  III.)  dissuaded 
him  from  it.     It  is  ])leasant  to  see  ortho- 
dox profession  consistently  united  with 
virtuous  practice ;  this  can  only  be  the 
case  where  men  are  taught  of  God  indeed. 
It  ought  to  be  known,  that  the  emperor, 
who  in  the  cause  of  God  never  yielded  a 
tittle  to  heresy,  in  his  own   cause  was 
soft  and  flexible,  and  with  princely   li- 
berality supported  the  aged  mother,  and 
brought  up  the  orphan  daughters  of  the 
usurper  Maximus. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

REFLECTIONS     ON     ECCLESIASTICAL    ES- 
TABLISHMENTS. 

"  But  what  right  had  Theodosius  to 
make  his  religion  that  of  the  state  1  Ouo-ht 
not  every  person,  in  this  matter,  to  be 
left  to  his  own  conscience?  Is  it  not  a 
violation  of  the  right  of  private  judgment, 
to  impose  religious  sentiments  on  the  sub- 
jects of  any  government  1  How  therefore 
can  Theodosius,  or  others  who  have  act- 
ed like  him,  be  cleared  from  the  charge 
of  exercising  tyrannical  authority  ]" 

There  was  a  time,  when  the  fallac};-  of 
such  notions  would  have  been  seen  through 
with  less  difhculty:  at  present,  the  tide  of 
popular  opinion  runs  strong  in  their  fa- 
vour, and  it  becomes  more  necessary  to 
examine  their  foundation.  Moreover,  the 
characters  of  many  of  the  brightest  and 
best  Christians  are  so  interwoven  in  this 
question,  and  the  determination  of  it  so 
much  affects  the  honour  of  the  Divine 
operations  in  the  propagation  of  Chris- 
tianity, that  the  reader,  I  trust,  will  be 
disposed  to  receive  these  reflections  with 
candour  and  attention,  however  defective 
they  may  appear  to  him  in  some  respects, 
or  inadequate  to  the  solution  of  several 
difficulties,  which  may  be  conceived  to 
belong  to  this  intricate  subject. 

I  shall  take  for  granted,  that  the  Gos- 
pel is  of  Divine  authority,  and  ought  to 
be  received,  on  pain  of  condemnation,  by 
every  one,  Avho  has  the  opportunity  of 
hearing  it  fairly  proposed ;  and  that  a 
man  ought  no  more  to  plead  the  pretence 
of  conscience  for  rejecting  its  fundamen- 
tals, than  for  the  commission  of  murder, 
theft,  or  any  other  criminal  action.  The 
reason  is,  because  its  light  and  evidences 
do  so  unquestionably  carry  the  impression 
of  divine  goodness  and  divine  authority, 
that  wickedness  of  heart,  and  not  weak- 
ness of  capacity,  must  be  the  cause  of 
the  rejection  of  it  by  any  man.  I  send 
those,  who  are  inclined  to  dispute  these 
positions,  to  the  many  proofs  given  of 
them  by  the  best  evangelical  writers  in 
all  ages,  and  above  all  to  the  Scriptures 
themselves,  which  every  where  declare, 
that  "  he  that  believeih  not  the  Son  shall 
not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth 
on  him."*  If  the  reader  bear  these  things 
in  memory,  he  will  find  some  of  the  most 
specious  objections  to  ecclesiastical  esta- 
blishments overturned. 


*  John  iii.  the  cud. 


344 


ECCLESIASTICAL 


[Chap.XVIL 


For,  few  persons  will,  I  think,  dispute 
the  principle  of  general  expediency  and 
utility,  as  directly  applicable  to  this  im- 
portant subject.  Has  not  every  slate  a 
right  to  ordain  what  is  conducive  to  its 
preservation  and  the  good  of  society  ? 
And,  for  these  purposes,  is  any  thing  to 
be  compared  with  right  religion  and  the 
fear  of  God  ■?  What  shall  hinder,  then, 
but  that  the  state  has  the  same  right  to 
make  laws  concerning  religion,  as  con 
cerning  property,  commerce,  and  agricul 
ture  ?  Is  it  not  a  great  mistake  to  sepa- 
rate religious  considerations  from  civil  1 
And  while  you  attempt  to  do  so  in  theory, 
will  it  not  be  found  impossible  in  prac- 
tice !  And  should  not  laws  be  always 
made  for  practice,  and  not  for  mere  spe- 
cnlation  ?  The  more  the  governors  feel 
the  importance  of  religion,  (I  speak  not 
now  for  the  next  life,  but  for  this,)  the 
more  concerned  will  they  be  to  establish 
it.  They  must  do  so,  if  they  regard  even 
the  temporal  good  of  their  subjects. 

Then,  brietly,  these  three  considera- 
tions, namely,  1st,  the  clear  evidences  by 
which  Christianity  is  supported ;  2dly, 
the  importance  of  its  doctrines  ;  and,  3dly, 
general  expediency,  appear  to  me  to  sup- 
ply materials  for  an  argument  in  favor  of 
ecclesiastical  establishments,  which  ad- 
mits of  no  satisfactory  answer.  Thus  ; 
the  Gospel  is  of  divine  authority ;  its 
fundamentals  are  revealed  with  so  much 
clearness,  and  are  of  so  much  consequence 
to  the  interests  of  mankind,  that  they 
cannot  be  rejected  without  great  wicked- 
ness of  heart;  even  the  wrath  of  God  is 
declared  to  abide  on  him  who  believeth  not 
the  Son.  Under  these  circumstances,  will 
any  man,  who  thinks  it  the  duty  of  the 
supreme  power  to  consult  the  good  of  the 
community,  believe  it  a  matter  of  indiffer 
ence,  whether  suitable  forms  of  prayer 
and  thanksgiving,  or  in  short,  whether  a 
convenient  and  well-digested  Liturgy,* 
founded  on  the  genuine  principles  of  re- 
vealed religion,  be  composed  for  public 
use,  and  also  whether  proper  persons  and 
places  be  provided  by  the  state,  for  the 


*  In  such  undei'takirgs,  the  genei-al  aim, 
undoubtedly,  ou;^'ht  to  bf,  not  to  gratity  tliis  or 
that  party  in  utntasonable  deniands  ;  but  to  do 
that,  wliich  most  lends  to  ihu  pi-eseivalion  of 
peace  and  unity  in  lliechurcli  ;  llie  procurinsi 
of  reverence,  and  tlie  exciting  of  piety  and  de- 
TOtion  in  tiie  public  woi-.->lii\)  of  God  ;  and  the 
taking  away  of  occasion  from  them  that  set  k 
occasion  of  cavil  or  qnaiTel  against  the  lit- 
urgy of  the  chuich.  See  the  prefiice  to  the 
Book  of  Common  Prayer. 


worship  of  God  and  for  the  instruction  of 
the  people  1 

But  besides  these  general  reasons  for 
a  national  establishment  of  true  religion, 
there  are  other  considerations  relative  to 
the  same  subject,  which  merit  our  atten- 
tion. 

It  is  certain,  that  from  the  earliest  ages 
and  under  patriarchal  government,  when 
holy  men  were  favored  with  divine  reve- 
lations, governors  taught  the  true  religion, 
and  did  not  permit  their  subjects  to  pro- 
pagate atheism,  idolatry,  or  false  religion.* 
Abraham,  Isaac, f  and  Jacob, :|:  governed 
their  families  in  this  manner ;  so  did 
Noah  before  thera.5  As  families  grew 
into  nations,  the  same  practical  ideas  pre- 
vailed. At  length,  when  it  pleased  God 
to  select  one  nation  for  his  service,  the 
same  sentiments  respecting  church-esta- 
blishment continued,  whether  kings,  or 
judges,  or  priests,  were  in  possession  of 
the  executive  power.  I  am  aware  that 
the  Jewish  government  was  a  theocracy, 
and  that  it  has  therefore  many  things  pe- 
culiar to  itself;  but  so  much  perhaps  may 
safely  be  inferred  from  its  constitution, 
that  it  is  lawful  for  the  sovereign  author- 
ity to  make  regulations  for  the  support  of 
true  religion.  It  is  hardly  to  be  conceived, 
that  God  would  interweave  into  his  theo- 
cracy, what  in  its  own  nature  is  unlawful. 

Nor  is  this  argument,  which  depends 
upon  the  general  administration  of  eccle- 
siastical affairs  in  the  Jewish  theocracy, 
much  weakened  by  any  conclusions  that 
may  be  drawn  from  particular  instances 
of  Divine  interference  and  direction  which 
occur  in  the  history  of  the  same  theocracy. 
When  the  Jews  are  ordered  to  extirpate 
the  Canaanites,  and  when  Agag  is  hewed 
in  pieces  before  the  Lord  in  Gilgal,  these 
are  occasional  instances  of  Divine  ven- 
ireance  executed  against  iniquity :  we  may 
readily  admit,  that  such  instances  form  no 
lawful  precedents  for  governments  to 
follow,  while  we  maintain  that  a  mode  of 
ecclesiastical  administration  ordained  by 
God,  and  continued  for  a  long  series  of 
years,  cannot  possibly  be  an  improper  ex- 
ample for  religious  magistrates  to  imitate. 
However,  in  contending  for  the  lawfulness 
of  such  imitation,  I  would  by  no  means 
be  understood  to  include  all  the  particular 
actions  or  measures  of  Jewish  governors 
in  ecclesiastical  matters  ;  the  reasons  of 
these  actions  or  measures  may  have  long 


*  Gen.  xviii.  19. 
^  Geii.  XXXV  .2. 


•j-  Gen.  xxviii.  1. 

§  Gen.  ix. toward  the  end. 


Chap.  XVII.] 


ESTABLISHMENTS. 


345 


since  ceased  to  exist.  In  this  argument 
I  have  respect  only,  in  general,  to  the 
principal  feature  of  the  Jewish  constitu- 
tion, namely,  the  unquestionableauthority, 
which  the  magistrate  possessed  in  eccle- 
siastical regulations:  a  very  remarkable 
fact !  which  I  recommend  to  the  serious 
consideration  of  those  Dissenters  from  our 
church-establishment,  who  do  not  hesitate 
to  pronounce  the  interference  of  the  civil 
magistrate  in  the  religious  institutions  of 
a  nation  to  be  always  unlawful. 

If  these  reasons  and  examples  be  well 
weigh(;d,  it  will  hardly  be  doubted,  but 
that  when  the  Gospel  was  preached 
among  the  Jews,  if  their  Sanhedrim  had 
received  it,  they  would  have  had  a  right 
to  make  it  the  established  religion  of  the 
nation.  They  might  have  said,  and  they 
probably  would  have  said,  "  This  religion 
is  true  and  divine;  the  people  cannot  re- 
ject it  without  rejecting,  in  positive  wick- 
edness of  heart,  the  authority  of  God  him- 
self: the  doctrines  of  this  religion  are  of 
the  utmost  importance:  it  is  therefore  ex- 
pedient, that  it  should  be  supported  by 
the  state,  and  we  are  countenanced  in 
this  conclusion  by  the  example  of  our  an- 
cestors." 

And  in  regard  to  such  modern  nations, 
as  profess  to  believe  the  Scripture-history 
of  the  Jews  and  of  Jesus  Christ,  it  may 
fairly  be  asked,  What  are  the  peculiar 
circumstances,  that  should  render  it  im- 
proper for  the  governing  powers  to  feel 
the  influence  of  the  same  reasons  and  ex- 
amples ]  Can  any  good  argument  be  in- 
vented to  prove,  that,  in  the  momentous 
affair  of  religion,  they  ought  not  to  be  ac- 
tuated by  the  grand  principle  of  general 
expediency,  when,  in  matters  of  less  con- 
sequence, they  evidently  show  themselves 
to  be  so  actuated,  and  no  one  disputes  the 
propriety  of  their  conduct? 

If  an  inferior  state  should  fear  the  dis- 
pleasure of  a  superior  one  in  its  neigh- 
bourhood, which  might  h  ;ve  sutficient 
strength  to  destroy  it,  will  any  man  deny 
to  the  supreme  power  of  this  lesser  state 
a  right  to  prescribe  to  its  own  subjects  a 
mode  of  conduct  that  should  not  give  um- 
brage to  the  greater?  If  no  man  will 
deny  this,  let  the  concession  be  applied 
to  religion:  Irreligion  and  idolatry  pro- 
voke the  Almighty  ;  a  nation  wholly  given 
up  to  them  has  reason  to  fear  his  ven- 
geance, especially  if  they  persist  in  sin- 
ful practices  against  light  and  the  fairest 
means  of  instruction.  Then  let  the  ma- 
gistrate act  consistently :  let  him  only  ad- 


here to  the  acknowledged  principle,  that 
the  government  ought  to  promote  the  good 
of  the  state,  and  the  reader  sees  the  con- 
sequence. Indeed  I  do  not  perceive  how 
the  consequence  can  be  avoided,  unless  it 
be  clearly  shown,  that  there  is  something 
in  the  history  of  mankind,  which  should 
lead  us  to  suspect  the  soundness  of  this 
reasoning.  But  the  practice  of  holy  men 
of  old  in  different  ages,  and  the  history  of 
the  earliest  nations,  and  of  the  Jews, 
have  been  proved  to  be  all  in  favour  of 
religiius  establishments. 

But  perhaps  we  may  be  called  upon  in 
this  place  to  explain  a  little  more  dis- 
tinctly the  meaning  and  extent  of  that 
CONSEQUENCE,  whlch  wc  havc  affirmed  to 
be  unavoidable:  we  may  be  asked,  whe- 
ther we  mean  to  conclude,  that  civil  ma- 
gistrates possess  an  authority,  not  only  by 
which  they  may  prescribe  and  support  a 
national  establishment  of  religion,  but 
also  by  which  they  may  compei-  the  sub- 
ject to  receive  the  religion  which  they 
have  instituted,  and  restrain  him  from 
practising  his  own  religion,  if  he  happen 
to  think  differently  from  the  powers  that 
be.  And  then  a  further  question  will  be 
asked,  whether  this  be  not  to  encourage 
persecution,  and  to  exercise  a  tyranny 
over  the  i-onscienceT 

Without  pretending  to  satisfy  complete- 
ly either  these  inquiries,  or  others  of  a 
similar  nature  that  may  easily  be  ima- 
gined, I  endeavour  to  separate  what  is 
certain  and  important  in  this  matter  from 
what  is  doubtful  and  of  less  moment.  I 
say  without  the  least  hesitation,  let  no 
man  be  compelled  to  become  a  Christian ; 
in  strict  truth,  he  cannot.  Every  maa 
not  only  ought  to  have,  but  must  have, 
the  right  of  private  judgment.  And  as  it 
is  the  absolute  duty  of  Christian  states, 
even  for  social  and  political  purposes,  to 
endeavour  as  much  as  possible  to  convert 
all  their  subjects  to  the  true  religion,  so 
it  is  contrary  to  duty,  that  men  should  be 
forced  to  profess  what  they  do  not  be- 
lieve, because  hypocrisy  will  be  the  cer- 
tain, and  an  augrmented  enmity  the  pro- 
bable, consequence.  It  is  one  thing,  how- 
ever, to  leave  a  man  at  liberty,  whether 
he  will  be  a  believer  or  not,  another  to 
allow  him  to  propagate  infidelity  and 
idolatry.  So  also  it  is  one  thing  to  vio- 
late conscience  by  absolutely  insisting  on 
and  extorting  confessions  of  faith,  another 
to  preserve  the  sacred  institutions  of  the 
country  from  being  derided  and  profaned. 
The  government  has  a  right  to  restrain 


346 


ECCLESIASTICAL 


[Chap.  XVIL 


men,  and  oblige  them  to  keep  their  irrr- 
ligion  to  themselves,  the  same  riirht  as  to 
oblige  vessels  to  perforin  (|iiarai)tiiip,,  when 
there  is  reason  to  suspect  the  plague.  In 
this  manner  acted  the  great,  the  pious, 
Theodosius;  ho  cnmpellfd  no  man;  he 
only  restrained.  Pagan  (  mperors  before 
him,  and  Popish  princes  since,  not  only 
restrained,  but  also  coiTupelled.  'I'he  for- 
mer is  not  persecution,  the  latter  is;  and 
I  join  cordially  wilh  the  present  age  in 
detesting  it. 

i^lrange  as  this  conclusion  may  appear 
to  some,  who  have  been  habituated  to  an- 
other mode  of  thinking,  1  seem  to  be  sup- 
ported, not  only  by  the  general  arguments 
which  have  been  alicady  advanced,  but 
by  the  positive  word  of  God.  .Job  de- 
clares, that  idolatry  was  an  ini(|nity  to 
be  punished  by  the  .Judge.*  He  evi- 
dently speaks  what  was  confessed  by  all 
to  he  just :  nor  is  it  to  be  conceived,  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  would  have  suffered  him 
to  impose  an  iniquitous  sentiment  on  the 
Tead(;r  in  that  manner.  I  repeat  it;  the 
general  tirguments  drawn  from  expi'dien- 
cy,  and  the  example  of  the  Jews,  appear 
to  me  to  justify  the  civil  magistrate,  not 
only  in  instituting  and  suj>porling  eccle- 
siastical establishments,  b»it  also  in  re- 
straining and  punishing  the  propagators 
of  irreligious  opinions.  Korean  any  thing 
be  more  plain,  than  that  if  public  utility 
require  a  provision  to  be  made  for  the 
■worship  of  God,  and  the  instruction  of 
the  people  in  true  religion,  the  same  uti- 
lity wili  require,  that  every  thing  should 
be  suppressed  which  has  a  tendency  to 
destroy  the  efficacy  of  that  provision,  or 
diminish  its  influence?  And  on  these 
princij)les  acted  the  good  kings,  judges, 
and  priests  of  Israel,  in  abundance  of  in- 
stances. 

Thus,  by  steps,  which  to  such  as  have 
a  real  reverence  for  revealed  religion,  will 
probably  appear  neither  tedious  nor  ob- 
scure, are  we  arrived  at  several  conclu- 
sions of  the  utmost  consequence  in  prac- 
tice. 

1.  The  supreme  ])ower  has  no  right  to 
violate  liberty  of  conscience,  by  extorting 
confessions  of  faith. 

2.  It  has  a  right — To  establish  the  true 
religion,  by  positive  institutions. 

3.  To  ensure  public  respect  to  these  in- 
stitutions, by  penal  laws. 

4.  To  restrain  and  punish  the  propaga- 
tors of  religious  opinions. 


*  Job  xxxi.  28. 


But  it  must  not  be  dissembled,  that  the 
4th  conclusion  contains  a  j)roposilion  in 
some  measure  undefined,  and  involved  in 
difficulties,  which  require  further  discus- 
sion. Who  shall  determine,  to  what  ex- 
tent the  authority  of  the  supreme  magis- 
trate reaches,  in  the  suppressitpn  of  irre- 
ligious opinions'?  Where  shall  we  find 
a  common  arbiter  between  him  and  the 
peoj)le,  when  they  differ  in  their  notions? 
Or,  is  the  magistrate  permitted  to  restrain 
and  punish  the  propagators  of  every  sen- 
timent that  happens  to  clash  wilh  the 
tenets,  which  he  has  introduced  into  his 
establishment? 

It  is  much  to  be  wished,  that  persons 
whose  principles  and  habits  incline  them 
to  give,  in  some  respects,  diflferent  an- 
swers to  these  inquiries,  would,  in  the 
first  place,  seriously  endeavour  to  find 
out,  how  far  they  actually  think  alike, 
and  by  so  doing  come  nearer  to  a  mutual 
agreement,  rather  than  embitter  their 
tempers  by  acrimonious  disputes  concern- 
inor  inferior  matters,  widen  the  breach  of 
Christian  friendship,  and  keep  entirely 
out  of  sight  the  more  important  consider- 
ations, in  which  their  judgments  might 
have  concurred.  Sincere  Christians  of 
every  denomination  who  have  duly  weigh- 
ed the  arnfuments  contained  in  this  chap- 
ter, would  then,  I  think,  be  disposed  to 
admit  that  the  propagators  of  infidelity, 
of  idfjlalry,  of  atheism,  and  in  short  of 
gross  irreligion,  ought  to  be  efTcclually 
restrained  and  punished  by  the  civil  ma- 
gistrate;  and  if  this  be  admitted,  if  mea 
of  eveiy  station  heartily  join  in  this  con- 
clusion, the  existing  laws  against  irreli- 
gion will  be  vigorously  executed,  and  a 
great  practical  point  will  be  gained. 

Moreover,  it  would  sorn  be  agreed,  that 
in  matters  of  subordinate  consequence, 
which  are  evirlently  notesscntial  to  Chris- 
ti  mity,  the  civil  magistrate  ought  not  to 
interfere  at  all,  by  restraining  or  punish- 
ing such  pr^rsons  as  differ  from  the  esta- 
blishment, but  that  be  should  suffer  them 
to  enjoy  a  com|)lete  toleration,  and  to 
serve  God  in  their  own  way. 

The  essentials  of  Christianity  ought, 
in  my  judgment,  to  be  effectually  pro- 
tected by  the  laws,  against  the  profane 
and  libellous  attacks  of  infidels  of  every 
denomination.  I  do  not  think  it  sufficient 
to  say  "  'i'he  truth  will  take  care  of  itself." 
The  unle;rnod  and  tlie  unwary  ought  not 
to  be  exposed  to  the  mischievous  ef- 
fects of  such  publications.  Nevertheless, 
I  am  sensible  that  on  this  head  it  seems 


Chap.  XVII.] 


ESTABLISHMENTS. 


347 


impossible  to  define  the  limits  of  the  au- 
thority of  the  magistrate  so  precisely,  as 
to  exclude  all  doubt  and  ambiguity.  For, 
besides  that  questions  will  sometimes 
arise  even  respecting  the  essentials  them- 
selves, the  expediency  of  the  punishment 
will  frequently  depend  on  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances. 

There  is  a  great  difference,  for  exam- 
ple, between  a  serious  inquirer  after  truth, 
and  one,  who  makes  a  mock  of  religion  ; 
between  the  man,  who  proposes  his 
doubts  with  modesty,  and  wishes  to  have 
them  removed,  and  the  profane  sceptic 
or  infidel,  who  under  the  pretence  of  can- 
dour and  fair  investigation,  secretly  re- 
joices in  disseminating  objections,  and 
in  undermining  the  faith  of  unguarded 
unbelievers.  Add  to  this ;  it  will  not 
always  be  prudent  to  punish  even  those, 
who  openly  and  scandalously  attack  the 
established  religion  of  the  country.  In 
many  cases,  it  will  be  much  better  to 
pass  by  the  impudent  offender  with  con- 
tempt, than,  by  inflicting  the  penalty  he 
has  justly  incurred,  to  excite  the  curiosi- 
ty of  the  public,  to  make  the  libellous 
publication  more  known,  and  to  render 
its  unworthy  author  of  more  consequence. 

It  is  not  to  be  expected,  that  all  should 
think  alike.  Let  Christian  fundamentals 
therefore  be  preserved  as  effectually  as 
possible  by  an  ecclesiastical  establish- 
ment, and  by  laws  which  defend  and 
support  it;  let  there  be  a  toleration  f<  r 
those  who  profess  themselves  to  hold  the 
essentials  of  Christianity,  but  may  not 
think  themselves  autiiorized  in conseienf-e 
to  conform,  in  all  points,  to  the  establish- 
ed church  :  This  is  not  only  allowable, 
but  peifectly  just  and  equitable.  To 
deny  it,  is  tyranny.  Thus  acted  Theodo- 
sius  with  respect  to  the  Novatians  :  and 
this  seems  the  utmost  limit  of  iiuman 
■wisdom  in  this  difficult  subject. 

The  advantages  of  a  Christian  esta- 
blishment are  doubtless  great:  the  pre- 
vention of  general  profaneness,  the  decent 
observation  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the  op- 
portunity of  diffusing  the  Gospel  in  dark 
and  barbarous  regions;  all  these  things 
■were  the  evident  good  consequences  of 
tlie  establishment  during  the  fourth  cen- 
tury. But  let  us  suppose,  that  Constan- 
tine  and  his  successors  had  contented 
themselves  with  encouraging  the  Gospel, 
and  had  permitted  idolatry  and  irreligion 
to  continue  unchecked.  Considering  the 
depravity  of  human  nature,  one  sees  not 
how,    without    a  miracle,    Christianity 


would  have  pervaded  the  Roman  empire 
at  all;  half,  or  the  major  part,  of  the 
Roman  world  might  have  remained  in 
irreligion  and  idolatry  to  this  day.  Simi- 
lar advantages  of  an  establishment  may 
be  observed  in  the  history  of  our  own 
country. 

On   the  other  hand,   it  has  been  fre- 
quently said,  that  the  great  corruption  of 
the  Gospel  began  from  the  days  of  Con- 
stantino.    This,  I  have  shown  already, 
was  not  the  case.     The  corruption  had 
begun  a  considerable   time   before,   nor 
does  it  appear  that  the  decline  of  vital 
religion   was   greater    than    might   have 
been  expected  from  the  general  course  of 
things ;  and  if  no  establishment   at   all 
had  taken  place,  it  would  probably  have 
been  more  rapid.     There  would  certainly 
have   been   this    remarkable    difference, 
namely,  that  half  the  Roman  world,  with- 
out the  aid  of  the  magistrate,  would  have 
remained   destitute  of  even  the  form  of 
Christianity.    Corruption  of  doctrine  and 
discipline  ought  not  to  be  laid  at  the  door 
of  ecclesiastical  establishments,  but  to  be 
imputed  to  the  degeneracy  of  men  them- 
selves.    It  would   not  be  hard  to  point 
out  many  persons  in  our  own  country, 
who  voluntarily  separate  from  the  esta- 
blishment, and  who  are  nearly  void  of 
church-discipline,  and  even  more  deeply 
and  more  systematically  corrupt  in  doc- 
trine than  the  most  heterodox  and  une- 
vangelical  theologians,  who  inconsistent- 
ly   remain   members   of  the   Church   of 
England.     The  best  ecclesiastical  esta- 
llishments  cannot  prevent  the  decay  of 
vital  godliness  ;  but  under  the  providence 
of  God,  they  strengthen  th.e  hands  of  sin- 
cere, hnmbl,>minded  believers,  and  check 
the  influence   both  of  open  and  of  dis- 
guised enemies  of  Christianity. 

The  Liturgy  alone  of  the  Church  of 
England  has  long  proved,  and  continues 
to  prove,  a  strong  bulwark  against  all 
the  efforts  of  heretical  innovators,  and 
corruptors  of  doctrine. 

If  these  arguments  and  observations 
were  kept  in  view,  dis^senters,  who  have 
been  accustomed  to  speak  disrespectfully 
of  our  ecclesiastical  establishment,  would 
probably  find  more  to  commend,  and  less 
to  find  fault  with. 

I  shall  not  be  surprised,  however,  if 
some  persons  still  feel  themselves  dissa- 
tisfied with  the  result  of  these  reflections. 
The  subject  is  arduous  and  intricate,  and 
has  difficulties  peculiarly  its  own.  The 
variety  of  religious  opinions  among  mea 


348 


ECCLESIASTICAL 


[Chap.  XVIL 


is  almost  endless;  and  it  is  no  easy  mat- 
ter to  unite  into  one  political  mass,  a 
multitude  of  particles  totally  heteroge- 
neous witii  respect  to  each  other.  A 
notion  also  has  been  maintained  with 
much  industry  and  zeal,  that  religion 
ought  to  be  "  fettered  by  no  political  in- 
stitutions." We  have  been  perpetually 
asked,  Why  should  the  majority,  why 
should  governors,  why  should  any  one 
dictate  to  us  in  religion?  Why  have  not 
we  a  right  to  choose  for  ourselves,  what 
religion  we  wish  to  propagate "?  However 
confident  others  may  be  of  the  rectitude  of 
their  system,  may  not  we  be  as  confident 
of  the  rectitude  of  ours  ■?  Who  shall  de- 
cide between  us  1 

This  is  specious,  and  many  seem  hence 
inclined  entirely  to  separate  religious 
from  political  considerations.  "Appoint," 
say  they,  "  a  good  government,  perfectly 
abstracted  from  all  religion.  Let  the 
civil  magistrate  show  himself  totally  im- 
partial in  regard  to  all  modes  of  faith : 
let  him  protect  all  persons  so  long  as 
they  obey  the  rules  of  civil  society.  Let 
the  rights  of  conscience  be  kept  sacred  : 
in  religion,  man  is  accountable  to  God 
alone."  Those,  who  hold  out  this  lan- 
guage, cut  the  gordian  knot  at  once,  and 
would  extricate  us  from  all  dilRculties, 
provided  they  could  prove,  that  it  is 
really  practicable  to  erect  a  permanent 
government  perfectly  detached  from  all 
religious  sanctions.  But  this  would  in- 
deed    be    "A    MIGHTY     MAZE    WITHOUT    A 

plan!"  Suppose  a  number  should  choose 
to  be  atheists  :  If  this  reasoning  be  gocd, 
atheism,  as  well  as  any  other  opinion, 
ought  to  be  tolerated.     Then,  mark  the 
consequences :   the  use  of  oaths,  which 
among  all  civilized  nations  has  ever  been 
the   legitimate   method   of   ending    all 
STRIFE,  is  at  once  superseded.     He  must 
have  a  considerable  degree  of  hardihood 
in  politics,  who  would  attempt  to  support 
a  government  contradictory,  in  its  whole 
plan,  to  the  universal   voice  of  ancient 
wisdom.     Certain  it  is,  that  in  Scripture 
all  just   government  is  founded   on  the 
fear  of  God,  and  all  legislators.  Pagan  as 
well  as  Jewish  and  Christian,  have,  with 
a  greater  or  less   degree  of  perfection, 
proceeded   on  this  foundation.     The  be- 
lief of  a  future  stale,  of  some  supreme 
Judge  and  Arbiter  of  mankind,  has  ever 
been  instilled  into  subjects  by  all  law- 
givers.    It  were  easy  to  multiply  proofs 
of  this.     Suffice  it  to  give  the  testimony 
of  one,  who  may  be  called  himself  a  host, 


on  account  of  his  great  knowledge  of 
mankind,  ihe  extent  and  variety  of  his 
learning,  and  the  solidity  of  his  judgment. 
Plutarch,  advers.  Colotem.  p.  II25,  after 
having  observed  that  no  man  could  ever 
say,  that  he  saw  a  city  without  some 
sort  of  temple,  or  some  mark  of  divine 

worship,  subjoins,  uyy:t  TrcXt;  ttV  /uci  Si,x.U 
fxaKACiv  fefa^sc  X'^V'"'  "  ''^^^''^S'^)  T))C  'zs-i^i  ^tuv  Jc^Jtj 
a.VM^>ibutni;  ttavt XTraTt,  a-uTaitriv  XaCsiV,  »  XctCxu-ct 

Ttigna-ui.  "  A  city  seems  to  me  more  capa- 
ble of  being  built  without  a  foundation, 
than  a  polity  is  capable  of  receiving  a 
system,  or  having  received  one,  of  pre- 
servingr  it,  if  sentiments  of  religion  be 
entirely  removed." 

Will  any  adversary  of  religious  esta- 
blishments say,  that  no  considerable  part 
of  a  community  will  ever  go  the  length 
of  throwing  aside  all  relisjion:  and  that 
in  these  enlightened  times,  men  will  at 
least  retain  the  belief  of  a  God  and  of  a 
future  state  1 — I  wish  the  contrary  sup- 
position could  be  proved  an  extravagant 
conjecture. — What  are  the  present  doc- 
trines of  a  neighbouring  nation,  who  have 
not  only  rejected  the  sacred  institutions 
of  the  Bible,  as  the  Sabbath,  and  the  di- 
vision of  time  into  periods  of  seven  days, 
&c.  but  who  have  also  lately  discovered 
that  death  is  an  eternal  sleep,  and  of 
course,  that  there  is  no  reason  to  appre- 
hend a  future  state  of  retribution]* — 
When  such  strides  as  these  are  once 
taken,  practical  atheism  can  be  at  no 
great  distance.  And  as  to  a  merely  theo- 
retical belief  of  one  self-existent  Cause, 


or  of  several  self-existent  causes,  where 
the  Deity  is  excluded  from  being  the 
moral  governor  of  the  world,  such  a  specu- 
lative notion  is  hardly  worth  contending 
for. 

It  is  too  true,  that  the  effect  of  a  gene- 
ral belirf  of  religion  on  men's  practice 
is  faint  and  languid,  and  by  no  means 
proportioned  to  the  importance  of  the 
subject ;  but  perhaps  we  can  scarce  de- 
cide how  much  better  in  its  moral  influ- 
ence, some  principle  is  than  none  at  all. 
Men  are  naturally  propense  to  wicked- 
ness ;  the  common  sense  of  mankind  has 
in  some  degree  always  confessed  this; 
and  here,  by  a  singular  concurrence  of 
circumstances,  the  language  of  poets  has 
more  truth  in  it  than  that  of  philosophers. 
The  former  speak  the  feeling  of  nature, 
and  confess  that  men  unrestrained  will 


*  Written   about  the   time  of  the   French 
revolution  and  the  murder  of  the  king,  1792-3. 


Chap.  XVII.] 


ESTABLISHMENTS. 


349 


run  into  all  sorts  of  wickedness ;  the  lat- 
ter, by  sophistry,  have  perverted  every 
ihiiig  in  morals.  How  is  it  possible 
to  construct  a  government,  that  shall 
preserve  order  and  decorum  for  such  de- 
praved beings,  without  some  religious 
establishment!  The  very  attempt  itself 
is  to  encourage  atheism;  and  men  who 
find  the  regard  of  the  Divine  authority  to 
be  left  out°of  the  class  of  political  duties, 
will  naturally  be  led  to  the  greatest  and 
the  highest  degrees  of  profaneness.  To 
propagate  impiety  is  to  propagate  human 
misery.  Shall  men  be  restrained,  by  the 
civil  sword,  from  circulating  whatever 
may  be  hurtful  to  the  health  and  proper- 
ty of  their  fellow-creatures;  and  will  you 
allow  them,  with  no  restraint  of  any 
kind,  to  propagate  that  which  will  poison 
the  mind,  and  render  human  life  an  in- 
tolerable scene  of  evil?  Whether  men 
like  the  expression  of  alliance  between 
CHURCH  AND  STATE,  or  not,  there  is  a 
natural  connexion  between  government 
and  religion,  which,  in  practice,  will  ap- 
pear, and  have  real  effects,  however  plau- 
sible it  may  seem,  in  theory,  to  reprobate 
such  connexion. 

On  this  occasion  the  laudable  practice 
of  some  Dissenters  from  the  established 
church  is  frequently  appealed  to,  for  the 
purpose  of  showing,  that  love  of  Chris- 
tianity and  of  our  country,  and  all  other 
virtues  both  public  and  private,  may 
abound  and  flourish  without  the  support 
of  any  laws  in  favour  of  particular  opin- 
ions.  It  is  easy  to  show  that  there  is 

not  much  in  this  argument — and  for  this 
end,  we  need  neither  dissect  it  very  nice- 
ly, nor  detract  from  the  merits  either  of 
individuals  or  of  whole  sects.  Let  it  be 
admitted,  that,  in  may  cases,  the  conduct 
of  Dissenters  has  been  useful  and  exem- 
plary. Yet  who  will  deny,  that  proba- 
bly the  existence,  and  certainly  the  ener- 
gy, of  sectaries  themselves,  frequently 
depend  in  some  measure  on  their  opposi- 
tion to  the  establishment]  And  happy  it 
is  for  themselves,  happy  for  the  members 
of  the  established  church,  happy  for  the 
community  at  large,  when  an  opposition 
of  this  sort  shows  itself  in  producing  a 
virtuous  emulation.  We  may  then  ex- 
pect to  see  Christian  examples  of  indus- 
try, learning,  piety,  and  patriotism. 

But,  without  an  establishment  provided 
by  the  state,  the  greater  part  will  scarce- 
ly have  any  religion  at  all,  wickedness 
will  be  practised  on  the  boldest  scale ; 
and  if  the  form  of  government  have  a 

Vol.  I.  2  G 


large  portion  of  liberty  in  its  texture,  the 
manners  will  be  egregiously  dissolute. 
Democracy  indeed,  pure  and  unqualified, 
is  the  system  which  will  harmonize  the 
most  easily  with  a  polity  altogether  ab- 
stracted from  religion  ;  and  this  very  con- 
sideration affords,  perhaps,  no  inconsi- 
derable argument  against  that  species  of 
government.  But  even  if  the  govern- 
ment were,  in  other  respects,  the  soundest 
and  the  wisest  effort  of  human  sagacity, 
it  will  probably  prove  only  a  curse  to  its 
citizens,  unless  some  legal  provision  be 
made  for  religion.  God  himself,  there 
is  the  highest  reason  to  conclude,  will 
SET  HIS  FACE  AGAINST  IT,  and  confound 
it.  Nations,  whose  government  has  been 
seasoned  with  religious  institutions,  can 
scarce  conceive  to  what  lengths  of  vil- 
lany  and  flagitiousness,  such  an  atheistic 
institution  will  lead  its  subjects ;  and  all 
Europe  will  not  be  at  a  loss  where  to 
look  for  an  instance  of  its  effects. 

Without  entering  minutely  into  the 
circumstances  of  Pagan  nations,  let  us 
take  it  for  granted,  that  there  are  certain 
fundamental  articles  of  revealed  religion, 
a  few  of  immense  importance,  which  the 
legislator  ought  carefully  to  select  from 
a  number  of  subordinate  truths  and  cir- 
cumstantials. These  last  he  may  safely 
leave  to  the  consciences  of  men,  by 
providing  a  toleration  in  which  they 
may  securely  range.  But  the  essentials 
of  religion  it  is  his  duty  to  support,  and 
not  permit  them  to  be  derided  and  insult- 
ed by  the  profane  attacks  either  of  igno- 
rant or  of  learned  enemies  of  religion. 
To  neglect  them,  would  obviously  be  a 
far  greater  crime  in  him,  than  in  those 
who  have  not  had  his  advantages  of  in- 
formation. Is  it  still  said,  Who  shall 
decide  what  these  fundamentals  are  ]  If 
men  would  seriously  weigh  the  doctrines 
of  the  Scriptures,  with  a  humble  spirit, 
and  in  the  use  of  prayer,  they  would 
probably  be  surprised  to  find  how  very 
small  would  be  their  differences  of  opin- 
ion. And  one  thing,  which  I  propose  to 
show  in  the  course  of  this  history,  is  the 
agreement  of  persons  of  this  description 
in  all  ages ;  for  in  regard  to  fundamentals, 
it  is  certainly  much  closer  and  more  uni- 
form than  many  believe.  No  man  ought 
to  plead  conscience  for  the  neglect  of  that 
duty  on  which  his  salvation  must  depend. 
It  is  certain  that  these  essentials  cannot 
be  neglected  or  despised  without  a  turpi- 
tude of  heart,  which  the  Scripture  con- 
nects with   the   final  ruin  of  the  soul. 


350 


ECCLESIASTICAL 


[Chap.  XVIL 


The  difficulty  of  providing  a  government 
equitably  adapted  to  all  consciences,  if 
pushed  into  the  extreme,  supposes  that 
there  is  no  certain  criterion  of  divine 
truth,  and  that  men  may,  without  moral 
guilt,  believe  any  thing  or  nothing.  But 
as  these  positions  are  inadmissible  with 
all  but  .Sceptics,  and  persons  altogether 
profane,  the  connexion  between  sentiment 
and  practice  is  too  important,  to  justify 
the  neglect  of  all  religion  in  political 
establishments,  for  the  sake  of  pleasing 
the  worst  part  of  the  human  species.  If, 
after  all,  a  government  established  on 
such  principles  bear  hard  on  dissolute 
men,  there  seems  no  remedj'' ;  guilt  must 
have  its  inconveniences.  And  there  are 
no  common  principles  on  which  a  be- 
liever of  revealed  religion  and  an  infidel 
can  unite  in  the  formation  of  a  govern- 
ment. 

The  practical  inferences  are  obvious. 
The  subjects  of  a  Christian  government 
will  consist  of  three  classes.  The  friends 
of  the  establishment,  who  will,  of  course, 
support  it ;  Dissenters,  who,  owning  its 
fundamentals, 


clesiastical  establishment,  framed  and  mo- 
delled according  to  the  principles  incul- 
cated in  this  Chapter.  The  great  truths 
of  religion  are  supported  by  laws ;  and 
the  same  laws  provide  effectual  restraints 
against  propagators  of  false  doctrine. 
Notwithstanding  the  vice,  heresy,  and 
profaneness,  which  prevail  among  us,  we 
do  not  so  much  stand  in  need  of  new 
laws,  as  of  zealous  magistrates  to  enforce 
those  which  already  exist. 

It  is  sometimes  said,  that  subscription 
to  articles,  and  other  tests  of  religious 
opinions,  are  injurious  to  the  morals  of 
men,  by  inducing  them  to  act  the  part  of 
hypocrites  for  the  sake  of  worldly  advan- 
tage. Supposing  this  to  happen  in  some 
instances,  nevertheless  the  answer  is, 
this  inconvenience  is  to  be  hazarded,  be- 
cause unavoidable,  if  we  aim  at  pro- 
moting the  general  good.  It  is  expedient 
that  there  should  be  a  public  liturgy,  and 
proper  persons  to  read  the  same,  and  to 
teach  the  true  doctrines  of  Christ ;  and  it 
very   necessary,   that   these    persons 


religious 


differ   in   some 
subordinate  sentiments ;  and  those  Dis- 
senters, who  are  hostile  to  all  religion,  or, 
at  least,  are  fond  of  a  religion  suljversive 
of  the  great  truths  of  Christianity.     The 
members   of  the   establishment,   at    the 
same  time  that  they  support  its  institu- 
tions with  firmness,  ought  to  exercise  for- 
bearance  and   charity  towards   the  first 
class  of  Dissenters,  and  to  think  no  worse 
of  any  man  for  diflfering  in  opinion  from 
himself,  where  it  is  evident  that  he  acts 
with  uprightness.    They  owe  charity  also 
to  the  second  class  of  Dissenters,  but 
charity  of  a  very  diflTercnt  kind.   The  first 
class  of  Dissenters,  convinced  of  the  im- 
portance and  utility  of  religious  establish- 
ments, ought  to  support  that,  of  whose 
friendly  protection  they  daily  feel  the  be- 
nefit in  society,  while  they  enjoy  the  pri- 
vilege of  toleration ;  and  to  view  them- 
selves as  coalescing  with  the  churchmen, 
who,  like  them,  hold  what  is  fundamen- 
tally Christian,  rather  than  with  those 
Dissenters  who  oppose  Christianity  it- 
self.    To  persons  of  this  last  character  I 
can   give   no  political  advice,  till   they 
learn  antecedently,  to  receive  the  religion 
of  Jesus  itself,  because  till  then,  I  can 
apply  no  principles  to  their  consciences, 
which  they  will  admit. 

The  happy  government,  under  which 
■we  live,  has,  for  many  years  past,  exhibit- 
,ed  to  the  world  a  fine  example  of  an  ec- 


is         _ 

should  be  known  to  approve  the  forms  of 
worship  according  to  which  they  offici- 
ate, and  to  believe  the  doctrines  which 
they  are  bound  to  inculcate.  If  some 
persons  will  hypocritically  profess  them- 
selves believers  of  what  in  their  hearts 
they  think  contrary  to  truth,  the  guilt  of 
such  persons  will  lie  at  their  own  door  in 
this  case  exactly  as  in  all  others,  where 
men  act  insincerely  for  the  sake  of  gain 
or  convenience.  I'he  true  state  of  this 
question  is,  whether  an  ecclesiastical  es- 
tablishment wisel)'^  constructed,  has  not 
in  its  nature  a  tendency  to  propagate  the 
influence  of  Christianity,  that  is,  to  make 
its  doctrines  known,  and  sincerely  be- 
lieved, and  its  precepts  diligently  prac- 
tised among  all  ranks  of  people  ;  and  not, 
whether  a  sacred  institution  of  this  kind 
is  capable  of  being,  now  and  then,  abused 
and  perverted,  or  of  becoming  a  snare 
and  temptation  to  an  unfair  mind. 

I  shall  conclude  this  subject  with  briefly 
taking  notice  of  an  objection,  which,  on 
its  first  proposal,  is  apt  to  startle  the  best 
wishers  to  religion,  and  the  warmest  ad- 
vocates of  ecclesiastical  establishments. 
Suppose  the  civil  magistrates  should  hap- 
pen to  have  formed  an  erroneous  judg- 
ment concerning  the  true  religion ;  will 
he  not  in  that  case,  according  to  our  own 
principle  of  general  expediency,  be  justi- 
fied in  establishing  a  false  one  1  I  scruple 
not  to  give  a  decisive  negative  to  this 
question,  so  far  as  it  concerns  those  who 


CSXT.  IV.] 


ESTABLISHMENTS. 


351 


have  had  an  opportunity  of  understanding 
and  receiving  the  revealed  will  of  God. 
For,  the  situation  of  such  countries  as 
have  never  heard  of  Jesus  Christ  and  his 
Gospel,  I  do  not  here  consider.     The  evi- 
dences of  the  truth  of  Christianity  are  so 
full  and  so  clear,  that,  as   we  have  re- 
peatedly  said,   they  cannot  be  rejected 
without  great  wickedness  of  heart.     No- 
thing therefore  can  justify  the  civil  ma- 
gistrate in  establishing  a  false  religion. 
Shall  we  restrain  and  punish  by  positive 
laws  the  individual  who  propagates  athe- 
ism or  infidelity,  and  at  the  same  time 
shall  we  approve  the  conduct  of  the  ma- 
gistrate, who  erects  and  supports  a  na- 
tional establishment  of  false  religion,  and 
who,  by  his  institutions,  prolongs  and 
extends  the  mischief,  much  more   than 
any  individual,  unarmed  with  the  autho- 
rity of  laws,  could  possibly  do?     Such  a 
magistrate  may  indeed  plead  his  sincerity 
and  scruples  of  conscience;  but  we  have 
the  authority  of  the  word  of  God  for  as- 
cribing his  unbelief  to  gross  negligence, 
or  willful  blindness.     There  is  then  no 
difficulty  on  this  head :  governors  of  states, 
if  they  support  a  false  religion,  have  rea- 
son to  expect  the  heavy  judgments  of 
God.     Let  them  consider  the  history  of 
Jeroboam  and  of  his  successors  in  the 
kingdom  of  Israel.    They  all  sinned,  and 

THEY    ALL    MADE    ISRAEL    TO    SIN,    IN    PRO- 
VOKING THE  LORD  GOD  OF  ISRAEL  TO  ANGER 

WITH  THEIR  VANITIES,  that  is,  witli  their 
establishment  of  false  religion  :*  until 

THE     LORD    REMOVED    ISRAEL    OUT    OF    HIS 
SIGHT.  I 

A  real  difficulty,  however,  respecting 
the  OBEDIENCE  of  the  subject  may  occur, 
whenever  it  pleases  God,  for  the  punish- 
ment of  the  sins  of  a  nation,  to  permit  a 
false  religion  to  be  established  and  sup- 
ported by  the  ruling  powers. 

It  may  then  be  asked,  whether  a  true 
believer  of  Christianity  ought  not  to  op- 
pose the  religious  institutions  of  the  coun- 
try in  which  he  lives,  and  to  propagate 
his  own  opinions  1  or  whether  he  is  to 
submit  to  the  civil  magistrate,  "  to  bow 
down  himself  in  the  house  of  Rimmon,' 
and  to  surrender  that  faith  upon  which  he 
depends  for  eternal  salvation] 

The  general  solution  of  these  questions 
must  be  derived  from  a  due  consideration 
of  the  meaning  of  that  apostolical  maxim, 
"We   ought   to   obey   God   rather   than 


»  1  Kings,  XTi.  13.       t  2  Kings,  xvii.  23. 


men 
ruption 


"*     If,  therefore,  through  the  cor 
of  human  nature,  the  state  will 
not  establish  true  Christianity,  but  a  false 
religion,  I  know  no  way  to  be  pursued, 
but  that  of  the  Apostle's,  namely,  for  be- 
lievers to  propagate  and  to  practise  di- 
vine truth,  and  to  suffer  patiently  for  the 
truth's  sake,  according  to  the  will  of  God. 
For,  on  tire  one  hand,  I  find  nothing  in 
Scripture  to  justify  Christians  in  resisting 
their  governors  by  force,  or  in  compelling 
them  to  make  new  ordinances ;  and,  on 
the   other   hand,  to   comply   with   Anti- 
Christian  institutions,  would  be  to  "  sin 
a  great  sin,"  as  Jeroboam's  subjects  did.j 
The  middle  line  of  conduct  is  pointed  out 
by  our  Saviour  in  that  sentence,  "  When 
they  persecute  you  in  this  city,  flee  ye 


into  another.":;: 


Several  valuable  miscellaneous  articles 
must  now  be  attended  to,  before  we  dis- 
miss the  fourth  century. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

THE  PRIVATE  LIFE    AND  THE    WORKS 
OF  AMBROSE. 

If  we  had  the  real  life  of  this  bishop 
written  by  Paulinus  of  Nola,  we  might 
make  a  profitable  use  of  it. 
But  that,  which  goes  under    Ambrose 
his  name,§  is  so  stuffed  with     ^'^^' 
fables,  that  I  scarcely  know     A.  D.  397. 
how   to   quote  it.     Ambrose 
died  about  the  year  397,  admired,  regret-; 
ted,  and  lamented  by  the  whole  Christian 
world.     His  life  not  improbably  had  been 
shortened  by  the  incessant  activity  of  his 
mind,  and  by  the  multiplicity  of  his  em- 
ployments ;  for  he  was  only  fifty-seven 
years  old,  and  had  been  appointed  bishop 
of  Milan  at  the  age  of  thirty-four. 

His  spirit  was  remarkably  kind  and 
sympathetic ;  his  benevolence  was  ex- 
tended to  all,  but  especially  those  of  the 
household  of  faith.  His  estate,  real  and 
personal,  he  bestowed  on  the  poor,  and 
for  the  support  of  the  church,  styling  the 
poor  his  Stewarts  and  treasurers. [j  His 
labours  were  immense :  he  administered 
the  eucharist  daily,  and  preached  com- 
monly on  the  Lord's  day,  frequently  on 
extraordinary  occasions,  and  spent  much 


Kin 


<JS,XV1I 


21. 


»  Acts,  V.  29. 

+  M:Ut.  X.  2,3. 

§  (t  is  prefixed  to  the  works  of  Ambrose. 

11  Orat.  in  Aux. 


352 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XVIH. 


time  in  teaching  catechumens.  His  tem- 
per was  heroic  and  strong ;  and  no  dignity 
or  authority  could  shelter  offenders  from 
his  episcopal  rebukes,  where  he  deemed 
it  his  duty  to  reprehend.  Augustine  tells 
us,  that  he  found  it,  in  a  manner,  impos- 
sible to  have  access  to  him,  because  of 
the  multiplicity  of  his  employments.  The 
time  he  could  spare  from  pastoral  and 
charitable  engagements  was  devoted  to 
study  and  meditation. 

The  moral  writings  of  Ambrose  contain 
various  things  of  solid  utility;  his  Trea- 
tise on  Offices  shines  among  these.  It 
was  evidently  his  wish  to  imitate  Tully, 
and  to  show  the  superiority  of  Christian 
over  philosophical  morals.  A  noble  de- 
sign, but,  considered  as  a  whole,  feebly 
executed,  because  conducted  without  a 
plan.  He  modestly  owns  indeed,  that  he 
was  called  to  teach,  before  he  himself 
had  learned.  But  he  might  have  both 
preached  and  written  better,  had  he  al- 
ways attended  to  the  simple  word  of 
God,  and  exercised  his  own  natural  good 
sense  in  humble  dependence  on  divine 
GRACE,  and  paid  less  regard  to  the  fanci- 
ful writings  of  Origen,  which  corrupted 
his  understanding  exceedingly.  Less  of 
this,  however,  appears  in  his  moral  than 
in  his  theological  pieces. 

In  his  usual  manner,  which  is  senten- 
tious, and  full  of  quick  turns,  he  dis- 
courses strikingly  of  the  excellent  use  of 
taciturnity,  and  the  difficulty  of  acquiring 
it.  "  Most  men  speak,  when  they  do  not 
know  how  to  be  silent.  Seldom  do  you 
see  any  one  silent,  when  to  speak  is  of 
no  profit.  He  is  wise  who  knows  when 
to  hold  his  peace. — Must  we  then  be 
dumb  1  No  ;  for  there  is  a  time  to  speak, 
and  a  time  to  be  silent.  And  if  we  must 
give  an  account  of  every  idle  word,  take 
care  lest  you  have  to  answer  also  for  idle 
silence.  Tie  your  tongue,  lest  it  be  wan- 
ton and  luxuriant:  keep  it  within  the 
banks  ;  a  rapidly  flowing  river  soon  col- 
lects mud."* 

His  ideas  of  decorum  in  behaviour  and 
carriage  he  illustrates  by  the  account  of 
two  persons  of  his  own  diocese.  The 
first  was  a  friend  of  his  own,  who  by 
sedulous  offices  recommended  himself  to 
Ambrose,  in  order  to  be  admitted  as  a 
clergyman  into  his  bishopric.  The  only 
reason  why  Ambrose  refused,  was  be- 
cause his  gestures  were  light  and  inde- 
cent.    The  other  he  found  already  a  cler- 

•  C.  2  &  3.  B.  i.  de  Officiis. 


gyman,  and  made  this  sole  exception, 
namely,  of  indecent  levity,  to  his  con- 
duct. His  judgment  was  verified  in  both. 
The  former,  during  the  Arian  persecution 
at  Milan,  deserted  the  faith;  the  latter, 
through  the  love  of  gain,  denied  himself 
to  be  a  priest  of  Ambrose's  diocese,  to 
avoid  judicial  penalties. 

His  directions  to  his  clergy  would  de- 
serve to  be  made  a  part  of  an  episcopal 
charge  in  every  age  of  the  Church.  "It 
becomes,"  says  he,  "the  prudence  and 
gravity  of  clergymen,  to  avoid  the  public 
banquets  frequently  made  for  strangers: 
you  may  exercise  hospitality  to  them  at 
your  own  houses,  and  by  this  caution 
there  will  be  no  room  for  reproach.  En- 
tertainments of  this  sort  take  up  much 
time,  and  also  evidence  a  fondness  for 
feasting.  Secular  and  voluptuous  dis- 
course is  apt  to  creep  in ;  to  shut  your 
ears  is  impossible;  to  forbid,  will  be  look- 
ed on  as  imperious.  Why  do  you  not 
employ  the  time  which  is  free  from  cleri- 
cal employments  in  reading?  Why  do 
you  not  revisit  Christ,  speak  to  Christ, 
hear  Christ]  We  speak  to  him,  when 
we  pray ;  we  hear  him,  when  we  read  the 
divine  oracles.  What  have  we  to  do  with 
other  men's  houses  1  Let  them  rather 
come  to  us,  who  want  us.  What  have 
we  to  do  with  idle  chit-chat?  We  re- 
ceived the  ministry  to  attend  on  the 
service  of  Christ,    not   to  pay    court  to 


men 


"* 


In  his  hook  of  Repentance,  he  remon- 
strates with  great  justice  against  the  in- 
exorable spirit  of  the  Novatians,  in  refus- 
ing to  re-admit  penitents  into  the  church. 
"  Learn  of  me,"  says  Christ,  "for  I  am 
meek  and  lowly  in  heart."  "I  am  un- 
merciful," says  the  Novatian.f  In  the 
same  chapter,  he  bears  testimony  to  the 
immaculate  conception  of  .Tesus,  and  to 
the  native  depravity  of  mankind.  "  He 
was  not  like  the  rest  of  us,  born  in  the 
ordinary  way  of  generation,  but  born  from 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  he  received  from  the 
virgin  a  spotless  body,  with  no  taint  of 
sin.  For  we  are  all  born  in  sin,  as  David 
witnesses;  I  was  sha])cn  in  wickedness, 
and  in  sin  did  my  mother  conceive  me." 
I  only  remind  the  reader  here  of  the  pre- 
servation of  two  important  truths  in  the 
Church  during  the  days  of  Ambrose. 

Hear  how  humbly  and  evangelically 
he  speaks  of  himself.:!:     "  How  shall  I 


*  B.  i.  de  Officiis,  20.         +  B. 
^  B.  ii.  de  Poenitentia,  c.  8. 


c.  2. 


/ENT, 


IV.] 


WORKS  OF  AMBROSE. 


353 


hear  thee  say  to  me,  He  has  loved  much, 
and  is  forgiven  much?  I  confess  my 
debts  were  greater  than  those  of  the  peni- 
tent woman,  and  more  was  forgriven  me, 
who  was  called  into  the  ministry  from 
the  noise  of  the  forum,  and  the  terror  of 
judicial  administration.  Yet,  if  we  can- 
not equal  her,  the  Lord  Jesus  knows  how 
to  support  the  weak,  and  to  bring  with 
himself  the  fountain  of  living  water.  He 
came  to  the  grave  himself.  Oh,  that 
thou  wouldest  come  to  this  my  sepulchre 
of  corruption.  Lord  Jesus,  and  wash  me 
with  thy  tears !  If  thou  weep  for  me,  I 
shall  be  saved.  Thou  shalt  call  me  from 
the  grave  of  this  body,  and  say,  come 
forth,  that  my  thoughts  may  go  forth  to 
Christ  and  call  forth  thy  servant.  _  Though 
bound  with  the  chains  of  my  sins,  I  am 
entangled  hand  and  foot,  and  buried  in 
dead  works ;  on  thy  call  I  shall  come  f  3rth 
free,  and  be  found  one  of  those  who  sit  at 
thy  table.  It  shall  be  said,  behold  a  man 
taken  from  the  midst  of  secular  vanity, 
remains  in  the  priesthood  not  by  his  own 
strength,  but  by  the  grace  of  Christ. 
Preserve,  Lord,  thy  own  gift.  I  know 
myself  unworthy  of  the  episcopal  office, 
because  I  had  given  myself  to  this  world, 
but,  by  tliy  grace,  I  am  what  I  am.  The 
least  of  all  bishops  :  yet  because  I  have 
undertaken  some  labour  for  thy  Church, 
preserve  this  fruit,  lest  whom  thou  callest 
to  the  ministry,  when  lost,  thou  shouldest 
suffer  to  perish  in  that  ministry:  And 
particularly,  granting  me  the  spirit  of 
sympathizing  with  sinners;  that  I  may 
not  proudly  chide,  but  mourn  and  weep; 
that  wliile  I  deplore  another,  I  may  mourn 
over  myself,  saying,  Tamar  is  more  righ- 
teous than  I.*  Perhaps  a  young  person 
may  have  sinned,  deceived  and  hurried 
on  into  folly;  we  old  persons  sin  also. 
The  law  of  the  tlesh  rebels  against  the 
law  of  our  mind,  even  in  us,  whose  duty 
it  is  to  teach.  Tamar  is  more  righteous 
than  I.  We  blame  the  avarice  of  another ; 
let  us  remember  whether  our  conduct  has 
been  stained  with  the  same  vice,  which 
secretly  dwells  in  our  corrupt  nature,  and 
let  each  say,  Tamar  is  more  righteous 
than  I.  The  same  may  be  said  with  re- 
spect to  the  vice  of  anger.  This  is  the 
way  to  avoid  the  severity  of  that  just  re- 
buke of  our  Lord  concerning  the  mote 

and  the  beam. He  who  rejoices  in 

another's  fall,  rejoices  in  the  devil's  vic- 
tory.    Let  us  rather  grieve,  when  we  hear 


*  Gen.  xxxviii. 
2g2 


that  a  man  perishes  for  whom  Christ  died. 
Let  us  repent,  and  hope  for  pardon  by 
faith,  not  as  an  act  of  justice:  God  wants 
not  our  money,  but  our  faith." 

Should  any,  who  calls  himself  a  minis- 
ter of  Christ,  however  dignified,  distin- 
guished, or  denominated,  read  these  lines 
of  Ambrose,  and  catch  a  little  of  the  ten- 
derness, humility,  and  charity,  which  they 
breathe,  and  conceive  more  highly  and 
more  reverently  of  his  office  than  he  did 
before,  and  be  stirred  up  to  a  measure  of 
the  same  spirit,  I  shall  rejoice  that  I  have 
not  laid  them  belbre  the  reader  in  vain. 
In  truth,  the  ideas  of  the  pastoral  office 
were  in  Ambrose  exceedingly  serious, 
meek,  lowly,  and  devotional.  Have  we 
not,  too  generally,  great  occasion  to  be 
humbled,  on  comparing  ourselves  with 
this  holy  servant  of  God. 

That  good  men,  who  see  and  feel  the 
evil  of  the  world,  should  be  tempted  to 
seek  for  solitude  and  retirement,  is  so  na- 
tural, that  one  does  not  wonder  at  the 
growth  of  the  monastic  spirit.  The  true 
security  against  it  would  have  been,  to 
have  attended  more  closely  to  the  scrip- 
tural rules  of  secular  conduct  given  to 
Christians,  and  to  have  exercised  more 
faith  in  those  divine  promises,  which  en- 
gao-e  to  preserve  the  soul  in  the  midst  of 
the  world.  Such  an  attention  and  exer- 
cise would  have  led  Christians  into  a  far 
nobler  method  of  serving  God,  and  letting 
their  light  shine  before  men,  than  that 
self-devised  one,  which  many  took,  of  re- 
tiring altogether  from  society.  Ambrose, 
I  have  already  observed,  unhappily  con- 
tributed much  to  the  growth  oi^  this  mo- 
nastic taste  ;  yet  the  following  quotation 
shows,  how  serious  and  upright  were  his 
views,  and  how  deeply  conscious  he  was 
of  the  difficulties  of  the  Christian  life.  "  I 
wish  a  cautious  and  earnest  affection  for 
the  things  of  God  were  as  easy  to  be  at- 
tained, as  it  is  easy  to  speak  of  it.  But 
the  enticement  of  earthly  lusts  frequently 
creeps  in,  and  the  diffusion  of  vanity  fills 
the  mind.  To  avoid  these  snares  is  diffi- 
cult, to  be  divested  of  them  impossible. 
In  fine,  that  the  thing  is  rather  matter  of 
desire  than  effect,  the  prophet  confesses, 
in  saying,  '  Incline  my  heart  to  thy  testi- 
monies, and  not  to  covetousness.'  Our 
heart  is  not  in  our  own  power ;  our  thoughts 
by  sudden  incursions  confound  the  mind, 
and  draw  it  a  different  way  from  what  we 
have  determined.  Who  so  happy  as  al- 
ways to  mount  upwards  in  his  heart? 
How  can  this  be  done  without  divine  aid  ? 


354 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XYHI. 


Blessed  is  the  man  whose  strengtli  is  in 
thee."* 

He  who  feels  so  strongly  the  power  of 
that  sin  which  dwelleth  in  uri,|  needs 
the  light  of  grace  to  conduct  him.  Nor 
was  it  wanting  in  Ambrose.  In  that  age 
of  declension,  not  of  apostasy  from  the 
faith,  the  candlestick  of  Milan  was  pos- 
sessed of  as  clear  and  steady  a  light,  un- 
der the  ministration  of  her  angel,:!:  as  any 
at  thai  time  in  the  Christian  world.  Hear 
his  summary  view  of  the  Gospel  salva- 
tion :  "  God  therefore  assumed  flesh,  that 
he  might  abolish  the  curse  of  sinful  flesh, 
and  was  made  a  curse  for  us,  that  the 
blessing  might  swallow  up  the  curse; 
and  that  righteousness,  pardon,  and  life, 
might  swallow  up  our  sin,  our  condemna- 
tion, and  our  death.  For  he  underwent 
death,  that  the  sentence  might  be  fulfilled. 
— Nothing  is  done  in  the  Gospel  against 
the  sentence  of  God,  since  the  condition 
of  the  divine  sentence  has  been  fulfilled. 

We  are  dead  with  Christ:  why 

then  do  we  seek  any  more  the  acts  of  this 
life?  For  we  carry  about  us  the  death  of 
Christ,  that  the  life  of  Christ  may  also 
be  manifested  in  us.  We  live  therefore 
now,  not  our  own  life,  but  the  life  of 
Christ,  of  all  virtues.  We  are  risen  with 
Christ,  let  us  live  in  him,  let  us  rise  in 
him,  that  the  serpent  may  not  be  able  to 
find  in  earthly  things  our  heel,  which  he 
may  wound."  The  reader,  who  is  well 
versed  in  St.  Paul's  epistles,  will  see  how 
the  spirit  of  them  was  understood  by  Am- 
brose. 

The  palm  of  heavenly-mindedness,  in 
which  the  primitive  Christians  so  much 
excelled,  was  still  in  the  possession  of 
many  in  the  fourth  century.  The  last 
chapter  of  Ambrose,  on  the  benefit  of 
death,  is  remarkable  in  this  light.  Take 
notice  of  a  few  sentences. 

"We  shall  go  to  those  who  sit  down 
in  the  kingdom  of  God  with  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  because,  being  asked 
to  the  supper,  they  made  no  excuse.  We 
shall  go,  where  there  is  a  paradise  of 
pleasure  ;  where  the  wretched  being,  who 
fell  among  thieves,  no  longer  weeps  over 
^  his  wounds,  where  the  thief  himself  re- 
joices in  the  participation  of  the  heavenly 
kingdom,  where  there  shall  be  no  more 
storms  or  vicissitudes,  but  the  glory  of 


*  Ps.  84.    Ambrose  de  Fuga  seculi,  C.  i. 
f  Rom.  vii.  17. 

t  Rev.   i.  20  ;    "  the  angels  of  the   seven 
churches." 


God  alone  shall  shine.  We  shall  go 
where  Jesus  has  prepared  mansions  for 
his  servants,  that  where  he  is,  there  we 

may  be  also. The  will  of  Christ  is 

the  same  as  performance.  That  we  may 
know  his  true  will,  he  hath  said,  Father, 
I  will  that  those  whom  thou  hast  given 
me,  be  with  me,  where  I  am,  that  they 
may  behold  my  glory.  W^e  follow  thee, 
Lord  Jesus,  but  draw  us  that  we  may 
follow  ;  no  one  rises  without  thee  ;  open 
to  us  thy  good,  which  David  desired  to 
see,  when  he  said,  I  believe  verily  to 
see  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  in  the  land 
of  the  living.  Show  us  that  good,  which 
in  its  nature  is  unchangeable,  and  which, 
when  we  arrive  at  heaven,  we  shall  never 
cease  to  acknowledge  and  approve.  There 
thy  saints  are  freed  from  errors  and  anxie- 
ties, from  folly  and  ignorance,  from  fear 
and  terror,  from  all  lusts  and  carnal  af- 
fections. Let  us  seek  him,  and  embrace 
his  feet,  and  worship  him,  that  he  may 
say  to  us,  fear  not,  I  am  the  remission  of 
sins,  I  am  the  light,  I  am  the  life:  he 
that  Cometh  to  me  shall  not  see  death : — 
because  he  is  the  fulness  of  divinity." 

In  his  three  books  concerning  the  Holy 
Ghost,  he  proves  his  Deity,  partly  by  ex- 
press testimony,  such  as,  God  is  a  spirit,* 
the  Lord  is  that  spirit;  but  chiefly  by 
showing  that  whatever  is  said  of  the  di- 
vine properties  and  acts  of  the  Father 
and  of  the  Son,  is  said  also  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

In  comforting  Faustinus,  who  mourned 
for  the  death  of  a  sister,  he  says,  "  If  it 
be  said  to  the  soul,  thy  strength  shall  be 
renewed,  like  the  eagle  ;  why]"  should  we 
grieve  1  why  should  we  groan  for  the  dead, 
when  the  reconciliation  of  the  world  with 
God  the  Father  is  made  by  Jesus  Christ  ] 
As  we  hold  the  benefits  of  Christ  before 
all  men,  and  before  you,  we  are  ambassa- 
dors for  Christ,  that  you  should  know  his 
gifts  to  be  without  repentance  ;  that  you 
may  believe  as  you  have  always  done, 
nor  bring  your  faith  into  doubt  by  excess 
of  sorrow,  because  Jesus  was  made  sin  for 
us,  that  he  might  take  away  the  sin  of  the 
world,  and  we  might  be  made  the  righ- 
teousness of  God  in  him."^ 

In  another  epistle  he  gives  an  excellent 
view   of   spiritual   illumination,   and   of 

*  John  iv.  24.  Il  is  remarkable  what  he  ob- 
serves of  the  fraud  committed  by  the  Arians 
on  tl)e  sacred  volume  at  Milan,  in  the  time  of 
his  predecessor  Auxentius,  namely,  that  they 
erased  this  text  out  of  St.  Jolin's  Gospel. 

f  Psalm  ciii.  5.  ^  Epis.  8.  B.  ii. 


Cb^tt.  IV.] 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 


355 


Christ  dwelling  in  the  heart  :*  of  which  [for  the  furtherance  of  their  own  wicked 
suffice  it  to  say,  that  he  has  the  same  designs.  The  same  thing  must,  how- 
views  and  sensations  as  holy  men  have  ever,  be  said  of  his  works,  as  those  of 


confessed  in  all  times  and  circumstaU' 
ces. 

An  epistolary  address  to  clergymen  de- 
serves to  be  read  by  persons  of  this  order 
in  all  ages.  "  It  is,"  says  he,  "  a  com- 
mon temptation  to  the  human  mind,  that 
persons  meeting  with  some  slight  offence 
in  the  path  of  duty,  are  inclined  to  depart 
from  it.  In  a  clergyman  such  conduct  is 
peculiarly  lamentable.  Satan  labours  by 
this  method,  if  he  can  by  no  other,  to  of- 
fend them.  What  advantage  is  it  to  me 
to  remain  in  the  pastoral  office,  to  be  la- 
boriously employed  and  ill-treated,  as  if 
I  had  no  other  way  of  getting  my  bread  ? 
What !  are  woildly  ends  the  governing 
motive,  and  do  you  not  mean  to  lay  up 
in  store  for  the  world  to  come  ] Say 


not  of  thy  God,  he  is  a  hard  master;  say 
not  of  thy  office,  it  is  unprofitable.  The 
devil  envies  thy  hope.  Depart  not  from 
the  Lord's  inheritance,  that  he  may  at 
length  bid  thee  enter  into  his  joy.  Fare- 
well, my  sons,  and  serve  the  Lord ;  for 
he  is  a  good  Master." 

His  expositions  of  Scripture  are  liable 
to  great  exceptions  in  point  of  accuracy, 
perspicuity,  and   order.     The  fancies  of 
Origenism  seduced  him  continually  into 
vague  and  arbitrary  interpretations.     Yet 
is  he  true  to  the  fundamentals  of  divine 
truth,  and  a  rich  unction  of  godliness  will 
at  all  times  afford  to  the  reader  that  edifi- 
cation which  is  in  vain  to  be  expected 
from  cold,  but  more  faultless  comments. 
The  doctrine  of  predestination  and  elec- 
tion he  evidently  misunderstands ;    this 
part  of  divine  truth  had  indeed  scarcely 
seen  the  light  since  the  days  of  Justin 
Martyr.     On  justification,  he  is  more  ex- 
plicit, and  sometimes  uses  the  term  in  its 
proper  forensic  sense.     The   fathers,  in 
these  times,  commonly  confounded  it  with 
sanctification,  though,  in  substance,  they 
held  the  true  doctrine  concerning  it.   Am- 
brose is  perhaps  more  clear  of  mistake,  in 
this  respect,  than  most  of  them. 

Yet  he  appears  to  have  given  into  the 
same  sort  of  superstitions  concerning  the 
dead,  which  I  remarked  in  the  historian 
Sulpitius  Severus;  nor  is  it  to  be  denied, 
that  he  helped  forward  the  growth  of  mo- 
nastic bondage  and  prelatical  pride,  by 
giving  occasion  to  others,  who  followed, 
to  make  use  of  his  well-meant  positions. 


many  of  the  fathers,  that  great  injustice 
is  done  to  his  memory  by  frauds  and  in- 
terpolations. In  the  dark  times,  every 
error  and  absurdity  seems  to  have  come 
forth  with  the  pretended  patronage  of 
some  of  the  renowned  doctors  of  antiquity. 
In  one  or  two  instances  alone,  works  have 
been  ascribed  to  him,  which  in  clearness 
of  doctrine  and  excellence  of  composition, 
exceed  the  magnitude  of  his  abilities,  and 
I  shall  therefore  defer  the  consideration 
of  them  at  present. 

But  the  lover  of  godliness  will  be  dis- 
posed to  forget  his  errors  and  supersti- 
tions, faults  of  the  times  rather  than  of 
his  disposition,  and  will  remember  only 
the  fervent,  the  humble,  the  laborious, 
and  the  charitable  bishop  of  Milan. 


•  Epis.  11.  B.  iii 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL 
AMONG  barbarians;  THE  PROGRESS  OF 
NOVATIANISM,  AND  OF  MONASTICISM. 

I  HAVE  but  little  to  say  on  each  of  these 
articles,  partly,  because  materials  are 
scanty,  and  partly  because  where  they 
are  more  plentiful,  they  are  uninteresting. 
Let  us,  however,  collect  from  them,  if 
we  can,  an  enlivening  ray  or  two  of  the 
Church  of  Christ. 

The  Saracens,  the  descendants  of  Ish- 
mael,  afterwards  so  ennobled,  or  rather 
disgraced,  by  Mahomet  the  impostor, 
were  at  war  with  the  Romans,  under  the 
conduct  of  their  queen  Maovia,  who  was 
a  Christian.  The  emperor  Valens  made 
peace  with  her,  one  of  the  conditions  of 
which  was,  that  Moses  a  monk,  who 
lived  in  the  desert  between  Egypt  and 
Palestine,  should  be  appointed  bishop  of 
her  nation.  Valens  ordered  him  to  be 
carried  to  Alexandria,  there  to  be  ordain- 
ed by  Lucius.  Moses,  who  knew  the 
Arian  character  of  the  Metropoliiato,  said 
before  him  and  the  magistrates,  and  all 
the  people,  Stay,  I  am  not  worthy  to  be 
called  a  bishop  ;  but  if  I  am  called  to  this 
office,  unworthy  as  I  am,  for  the  good  of 
souls,  I  take  the  Creator  of  all  things  to 
witness,  that  I  will  not  receive  the  im- 
position of  your  hands,  which  are  defiled 
with  the  blood  of  so  many  holy  men.  If 
you  know  not  my  faith,  replied  Lucius, 
[learn  it  from  my  mouth,  and  judge  not  by 


856 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XIX. 


reports.  Moses,  however,  was  aware 
of  the  Arian  subtilties,  and  chose  to  stand 
by  the  evidence  of  works.  I  know  your 
faith,  said  he ;  the  pastors  exiled  among 
infidels,  condemned  to  the  mines,  thrown 
to  the  wild  beasts,  or  destroyed  by  fire, 
testify  your  creed  ;  the  eyes  speak  more 
strongly  than  the  ears.* 

Political  necessities  sometimes  restrain 
the  passions  of  wicked  men.  Lucius  was 
obliged  to  dissemble  his  resentment  on 
account  of  the  situation  of  Valens  his 
master,  and  permit  Moses  to  receive  or- 
dination from  the  exiled  bishops.  His 
labours  among  the  Saracens  were  crown- 
ed with  success.  The  nation  before  his 
time  was  chiefly  idolatrous  :  that  his  work 
was  blessed  among  them  appears  from 
hence,  that  he  kept  them  in  peace  with 
he  Romans.  But  this  is  all  the  account 
we  have  of  the  fruits. 

The  Goths  had  long  harassed  the  Ro- 
man empire  with  their  incursions;  but 
their  depredations  were  made  subservient 
to  the  progress  of  the  Gospel.  I  have 
observed  under  the  last  century,  that  some 
captive  bishops  laboured  among  them 
with  good  success.  And  the  work  was 
of  an  abiding  nature.  Ulfilas,  who  is 
called  the  Apostle  of  the  Goths,  was  de- 
scended from  some  of  these.  He,  coming 
ambassador  to  Constantine,  was  ordained 
first  bishop  of  the  Christian  Goths  by 
Eusebius  of  Nicomedia.  I  have  shown 
from  a  passage  in  Theodoret,  that  the 
Arians  seem  to  have  imposed  upon  him 
by  an  ambiguity  of  terms,  in  consequence 
of  which  he  drew  over  his  Goths  to  com- 
municate with  that  sect.  Certain  it  is, 
that  this  people  held  the  Nicene  faith  for 
a  considerable  time,  if  we  may  credit 
Augustine.  In  the  time  of  Valens,  many 
of  them  suffered  death  from  an  idolatrous 
persecuting  prince  of  their  own.  Ulfilas 
coming  from  his  countrymen  on  an  em 
bassy  lo  Valens,  that  he  might  induce 
him  to  allow  them  a  settlement  in  Thrace, 
was  on  that  occasion  brought  over  to 
communicate  with  the  Arians.  That  he 
was  a  man  of  superior  genius  and  endow- 
ments, is  certain.  He  civilized  and  po- 
lished this  barbarous  people,  and  first 
introduced  the  use  of  letters  among  them, 
and  translated  the  Scriptures  into  their 
tongue  for  their  use,  omitting  the  books 
of  the  Kings,  because  he  thought  it  might 
encourage  the  ferociousness  of  the  Goths, 
who  were  already  too  warlike.     A  copy 

•  Sozom.  B,  VI.  c.  38. 


of  his  version  of  the  four  Gospels  is  still 
extant,  a  monument  of  the  ancient  Teu- 
tonic language.  It  is  with  regret  I  leave 
the  account  of  this  great  man  so  imper- 
fect, whose  labours  and  success  seem  to 
show,  that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  must 
have  been  with  him.  But,  however  in- 
nocent he  and  his  contemporaries  might 
be  of  the  Arian  heresy,  the  effect  of  their 
communication  with  the  party  was  what 
might  be  foreseen.  The  whole  church  of 
the  Goths,  by  degrees  at  least,  came  into 
Arianism,  and  the  consequences  will 
meet  us  in  the  course  of  this  history.* 

Heresies   multiplied   in   this   century, 
chiefly  through  the  various  ramifications 
of  Arianism,  which  have  been  explained 
with   more   than   sufficient   accuracy  by 
many   writers.      Of  the   dissenters,  the 
Meletians  continued   throughout  the  cen- 
tury.    The  Donatists  still  remained  in  all 
their  ferocity ;  of  whom  it  will  be  more 
convenient  to  speak  hereafter.     The  No- 
vatians  have  found  in  the  candid  Socrates, 
a  historian  who  gives  us  some  authentic 
information,    havingr    himself    been    ac- 
quainted   with   the   son  of  one  of  their 
presbyters.    In  Phrygia  and  Paphlagonia, 
their  church  was  in  a  flourishing  state  to 
his   day.     The   general   church,  though 
surely  right  in  its  principle  of  opposition 
to  the  particular  point  of  Novatian  inflex- 
ibility, yet  afterward  abused  the   licence 
of  re-admission  into  the  church  granted 
to  offenders;  and  as  discipline  relaxed  in 
various  places,  all  kinds  of  crimes  abound- 
ed.— The   people  of  Phrygia   and   Pam- 
phylia,  being  habitually  an   abstemious 
people,  averse  'to  pleasures,  and  to  the 
indulgence  of  sensuality,  were   on   that 
account  the  more  disposed  to  admit  the 
severities  of  Novatianism.j"     In  this  cen- 
tury, a  part  of  them  separated  themselves 
still  farther  from  the  general  church,  by 
appointing  in  a  synod,  that  Easter  should 
be  observed  at  the  same  time  that  the 
Jews  kept  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread. 
But  as  Agelius  the  Novatian  bishop  of 
Constantinople,  and  other  more  celebrat- 
ed bishops  of  their  denomination,  were 
not  present,  a  schism  was  formed,  from 
this  circumstance,  among  them.     Agelius 
presided  forty  years  over  their  church  at 
Constantinople,   and   died   in   the   sixth 
year  of  Theodosius.     When  he  was  near 
his  end,  he  ordained  Sisinnius  to  be  his 
successor,  a  presbyter  of  the  church,:}:  of 


*  Excei'pt.  Philostorgii  apud  Photium. 
t  Soc.  B.  IV.  c.  28.  I  Soc.  B.  V.  c.  21. 


Cent.  IV.] 


NOVATIANISM. 


357 


great  learning,  who  had  heen  instructed 
by  Maximus,  the  famous  friend  of  Julian. 
The  flock  of  Agelius  murmured,  because 
he  had  not  ordained  Marcian,  a  man  of 
eminent  piety,  by  whose  means  they  had 
weathered,  in  safety,  the  persecution  of 
Valens.  The  aged  bishop,  willing  to 
pacify  them,  ordained  Marcian,  and  di- 
rected that  he  should  be  his  immediate 
successor,  and  that  Sisinnius  should  be 
the  next  bishop  to  Marcian. 

Thus  slender  and  scanty  are  the  ac- 
counts left  us  of  a  bishop,  who  for  so 
many  years  presided  over  a  great  flock  in 
turbulent  and  trying  times.  On  Marcian's 
succession,  one  Sabbatius,  a  Jew,  re- 
ceiving Christianity,  was  advanced  by 
him  to  the  office  of  presbyter,  and  in  his 
heart  panted  after  a  bishopric.  This  man 
undertook  to  defend  the  innovation  con- 
cerning Easter,  which  has  been  mention- 
ed ;  and  first,  under  pretence  of  greater 
strictness  of  life,  he  withdrew  himself 
from  the  church,  declaring  that  he  could 
not  conscientiously  communicate  with 
some  members  of  the  congregation. 

In  time,  however,  his  views  were  laid 
open,  as  he  attempted  to  hold  separate 
assemblies.  Marcian  then  found  his  error 
in  ordaining  so  ambitious  a  person,  and 


often  said  in  his  grief,  that  he  wished  he 
had  laid  hands  on  thorns  rather  than   on 
Sabbatius.     He  took  measures,  however, 
to   disappoint  his   ambition.     Calling  a 
council,  he  sent  for  Sabbatius,  and  desir- 
ed him  to  lay  open  the  reasons  of  his  dis- 
gust.    The  man  informed  them,  that  the 
difference   of  opinion  concerning  Easter 
was  his  grievance,  as  he  thought  that  fes- 
tival ought  to  be  observed  according  to 
the   rule  of  the   synod   of  Paza.      The 
bishops,  suspecting  his  designs,  obliged 
him  to  swear,  that  he  would  not  attempt 
to  become  a  bishop,  and   then  decreed, 
that  the  time  of  observing  Easter  should 
be   left   indifferent,  and  that   no  schism 
should  be  made  in  the  church  on  that  ac- 
count.    Their  design  of  preserving  unity 
was    laudable ;    but   it   succeeded    not. 
Sabbatius  drew   over   a  number   of  the 
simpler   sort,    and    particularly   those  of 
Phrygia  and  Galatia,  to  his  own  Jewish 
mode,  and  got  himself  appointerl  bishop 
of  his  followers,  in  contradiction  to  his 
oath.     The  consequence  was,  a  variety 
of  divisions  among  the  Novatians,  con- 
cerning  the   time  of  Easter,   and  other 
frivolous  subjects,  and  the  crumbling  of 
this  church  into  contentious  parties  of  dif- 
ferent kinds. 


Little  can  be  said  on  this  subject,  but 
what  must  occur  to  the  mind  of  a  think- 
ing reader.  This  most  respectable  of  all 
the  dissenting  churches  seems  to  have 
preserved,  for  a  considerable  time,  a 
strictness  and  purity  of  discipline  and 
manners  ;  but  its  essential  characteristic 
of  narrow  bigotry,  in  things  of  no  mo- 
ment, gave  occasion  to  internal  divisions 
among  its  own  members,  which,  foment- 
ed by  unprincipled  persons,  must  have 
perverted  them  much  from  the  simplicity 
of  the  Gospel. 

Monasticism  continued  to  make  a  rapid 
progress  through  this  whole  century.  It 
is  not  worth  while  to  trace  its  progress 
particularly,  nor  to  recite  any  of  the  ridi- 
culous frauds,  abuses  and  superstitions, 
which  are  connected  with  it.  Self-righ- 
teous formality  made  rapid  strides  in  the 
Christian  world;  one  single  observation, 
however,  of  an  author,  who  has  recorded 
much  of  this  traskwith  great  complacen- 
cy, will  deserve  to  be  transcribed.  "  Most 
of  these  famous  monks,"  says  Sozomen, 
"  lived  to  extreme  old  age  ;  and  I  think 
that  this  was  a  mean  of  facilitating  the  pro- 
gress of  Christianity.  Antioch  excepted, 
Syria  was  very  late  in  receiving  the  Gos- 
pel, and  these  monks  were  highly  instru- 
mental in  the  work,  both  in  that  country, 
and  among  the  Persians,  and  Saracens." 
That  these  countries,  which  were  before, 
for  the  most  part,  void  of  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  might  receive  spiritual  advantage 
from  these  superstitious  men,  is  probable, 
because  some  genuine  piety  was  doubt- 
less among  them.  That  Galatia  and 
Cappadocia,  which  had  long  before  been 
full  of  the  best  Christians,  should  do  so, 
I  very  much  doubt.*  Superstition,  draw- 
ing with  it  something  of  real  Christianity, 
may  bring  a  blessing  to  countries  alto- 
gether profane  or  idolatrous  ; — to  a  people 
already  well  evangelized,  it  can  only  act 
as  a  poison. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

CHRISTIAN  AUTHORS  IN  THIS  CENTURY. 

There  were  several  persons  of  the 
name  of  Macarius,  who  lived  much 
about  the  same  time.  Hence  it  is  as 
difficult  as  it  would  be  uninteresting  to 


•  Sozomen,  B.  VI.  c  34. 


358 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XX. 


Macarius. 


determine  to  which  of  them 
the  fifty  homilies  yet  extant 
belong.  Their  antiquity  is  doubtless  great, 
and  they  give  no  small  specimen  of  the 
divinity  of  the  times.  These  are  a  few 
of  the  favourite  thoughts  of  Macarius : 

"  Though  a  man  be  improved  in  virtue, 
he  ought  to  look  on  himself  as  one  who 
has  done  nothing,  and  should  press  for- 
ward to  greater  degrees,  lest  he  lose  the 
Holy  Spirit  by  pride  or  sloth. — Man  is 
capable  of  falling  from  that  state  of  holi- 
ness in  which  he  is,  unless  he  preserve 
himself  in  it  by  humility,  which  is  the 
infallible  mark  of  a  Christian. — Those 
who  have  not  yet  received  grace,  ought 
to  do  o-ood  and  forsake  evil  by  natural 
motives  ;  but  those  who  have  received  it, 
being  possessed  of  love,  need  not  such 
motives." — He  thinks,  that  men  may  fall 
away  after  the  highest  attainments,  and 
that  it  is  impossible  for  any  to  be  certain  of 
his  salvation  in  this  life.  He  observes, 
that  to  grow  in  grace  without  humility 
is  impossible;  that  the  soul  after  death 
goes  immediately  to  that  place,  on  which 
its  love  was  fixed  in  this  life ;  that  what- 
ever good  a  man  does  by  natural  strength, 
can  never  save  him  without  the  grace  of 
Jesus  Christ;  that  if  the  Holy  vSpirit 
does  not  produce  in  us  the  love  of  God, 
we  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
He  is  fond  of  showing,  that  we  ought 
always  so  to  labour,  as  if  all  depended 
on  our  own  endeavours,  and  yet  to  ac- 
knowledge that  we  can  do  nothing  with- 
out God.* 

Certainly  a  serious  and  humble  spirit 
runs  through  these  homilies,  and  they 
seem  to  have  been  written  by  a  man  earn- 
estly engaged  in  the  divine  life,  and  sen- 
sible of  the  need  of  divine  grace.  With 
such  dim  kind  of  light  many  humble 
souls,  in  the  dark  ages,  groped  in  their 
way  safe  to  the  heavenly  kingdom,  though, 
like  Macarius,  poorly  furnished  with 
evangelical  views  and  doctrines.  These 
men  saw  and  felt,  however,  the  necessity 
of  conversion,  and  the  importance  of  a 
principle  of  divine  love;  and  hence  their 
obscure  light  deserves  to  be  called  mid- 
day, compared  with  the  darkness  of 
those,  who  put  mere  natural  Jiglit  in  the 
room  of  the  illumination  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  mere  moral  virtue  in  the  room 
of  divine  charity. 

Victorinus  of  Africa  had  professed  rhe- 
toric many  years  at  Rome,  and  was  held 


in  such  high   reputation,  that  a  public 
statue  was  erected  to  his  ho-     ,,.  .    •  .,. 
nour  in  the  city.     In  his  old 
age,  however,  he  was  converted,  and  was 
not  ashamed  to  confess  the  faith  of  Christ 
in  public.     An  animated  and  instructive 
account  of  this  is  given  by  Augustine  in 
his    Confessions,   which    may   meet   us 
hereafter.     At  present,  we   are  to  view 
him  as  an  author.     He  wrote  against  the 
Arians  and  the  Manichees.     In  his  trea- 
tise against  the  latter,  he  addresses  his 
friend  Justinus,  who  had  been  deceived 
by  them,  in  this  manner :  "  In  vain  do 
you   macerate    yourself  with   excessive 
mortifications ;  for  after  you  have  worn 
away  yourself  by  your  austerities,  your 
flesh  will  return  to  the  devil  in  darkness. 
I  advise  you  to  acknowledge,  that  God 
Almighty  created  you,  that  you  may  be 
truly  the  temple  of  God,  according  to  the 
words  of  the  Apostle,  '  you  are  the  tem- 
ple  of  God,  and  his   Spirit  dwelleth  in 
you.'     If  you  have  not  the  honour  to  be 
the  temple  of  God,  and  to  receive  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  you,  Jesus  Christ  is  come, 
not  to  save,  but  to  destroy  you."* 

The  spirit  of  godliness,  unquestionably, 
possessed  this  man ;  but  his  writings  are, 
at  present  at  least,  very  little  interesting, 
though  the  passage  I  have  quoted  shows 
his  holy   taste.     It  were  to  be  wished, 
that  instead  of  subtilizing  intricate  con- 
troversies, he  had  favoured  posterity  with 
a  plain  view  of  the  Lord's  dealings  with 
his  own  soul,  which  must,  in  a  conver- 
sion so  extraordinary  as  his,  have  been 
very  instructive,  and  for  the  execution  of 
which  he  must  have  been  far  more  com- 
petent than  for  the  invention  or  descrip- 
tion of  theological  theories.     But  the  hu- 
mour of  philosophical  refinement  guided 
far  too  much  the  best  writers  of  these 
times,  even  such  as  Victorinus,  who,  be- 
ing converted  in  his  old  age,  was  proba- 
bly, never  well  qualified  to  expound  the 
Scriptures.     If  the  reader  regret  how  lit- 
tle of  experimental   divinity  is  laid  be- 
fore him,  I  join  with  his  complaint:  but 
my  materials   suffer  me  not  to  apply  a 
remedy. 

Pacianus,  bishop  of  Barcelona  in  Spain, 
was  a  man  renowned  both  for  piety  and 
eloquence.  Like  most  of  this  age,  he 
exalts  too  much  the  forms  of 
the  church,  and  the  dignity 
of  the  priesthood.  Yet  a  strain  of  holy- 
fervour  seems  to  pervade  his  writings, 


•  Du  Pin,  Cent.  IV.  Macarii. 


Pacianus. 


'■  Du  Pin,  Cent.  IV.  Victorinus. 


c«>-T.  rv.] 


OPTATUS— THE  APOLLINARII. 


359 


nnd  he  combats  the  peculiar  error  of  in- 
flexible severity  in  the  Novatians  with 
just  argument  and  charitable  sentiments. 
"If  man  be  subject  to  these  miseries  (of 
sinning  away  his  privileges)  lot  us  no 
more  accuse  the  mercy  of  God,  who  has 
proposed  these  remedies  to  our  diseases ; 
let  us  no  more  efface  the  titles  of  God's 
clemency  by  an  insupportable  rigour, 
nor  hinder  sinners,  by  an  inflexible  hard- 
ness, from  rejoicing  in  those  gifts  which 
God  has  bestowed  upon  them."* 

This  is  doubtless  right;  but  when  he 
excludes  the  Novatians  from  any  part  in 
the  blessings  of  tl»e  church,  because  of 
their  schisms,  he  doubtless  falls  into  un- 
charitable bigotry,  in  which  both  church- 
men and  dissenters  too  much  abound- 
ed ;  though,  I  apprehend,  in  obscure  re- 
gions this  evil  more  prevailed.  We  have 
seen,  in  what  Christian  charity  the  gene- 
ral church  and  Novatians  could  live  in 
the  great  city  of  Constantinople. 

Optatus,  bishop  of  Melevi  in  Nuniidia, 
deserves  a  place  in  these  memoirs,  on  ac- 
count of  his  judicious  and  able  treatise 
against   the   Donatists.       Of 
him,  as  of  many  other  sensi 
ble  writers,  it  is  to  be  re- 
gretted,   that    he    did    not 
choose  a  more  useful  subject 
The  case  of  the  Donatists  1 
shall  reserve  to  the  time  of  Augustine, 
whose   character  and  conduct  are  much 
connected  with  the  history  of  these  dis- 
senters.    Of  course,  I  have  little  to  say 
of  Optatus's  writings.     A  serious  spirit 
appears  in  them ;  and  a  single  passage, 
which  is  introduced,  in  the  way  of  di- 
gression, contains  matter  so  truly  Chris- 
tian, that  the  reader  will  ihink  it  worth 
our  attention;    as  it   demonstrates,   that 
evangelical  truth  was  far  from  being  lost 
as  yet  amidst  the  thick  mists  of  supersti- 
tion, and  that  the  true   resting-place  of 
the  soul  in  the  doctrine  of  justification 
by  Jesus  Christ,  the  true  humility,  and 
real  plan  of  sanctification  were  understood, 
in  some  degree  at  least,  by  this  author. 
Rebuking  the  pride  of  the  Donatists,  who 
boasted  themselves  to  be  holy  and  inno- 
cent, he  says,  "  Whence  comes  this  sanc- 
tity of  yours,  which  the  Apostle  St.  John 
dared  not  attribute  to  himself,  seeing  he 
says.  If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we 
deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in 
us.     He  who  speaks  after  this  manner, 

WISELY    REFERS    HIMSELF    TO    THE    MERCY 


Optatus 
•writes 
against  the 
Donatists, 

A.  D.  370. 


•  Du  Pin,  Cent.  IV.  Pacianus. 


OF  God  ;  for  a  Christian  may  desire  good, 
and  endeavour  to  walk  in  the  way  of  sal- 
vation ;  but  he  cannot  be  perfect  of  him- 
self. For  though  he  does  run,  yet  there 
will  always  remain  something  to  be  done 
by  God,  to  perfect  him;  .and  it  is  neces- 
sary that  God  should  help  a  man  in  his 
weakness ;  for  He  is  perfection,  and  there 
never  was  any  but  Jesus  Christ  the  Son 
of  God,  who  was  perfect.  All  other  men 
are  imperfect.  It  belongs  to  us,  to  will 
and  to  run,  but  God  only  can  n-  i.  ♦ 
give  periection.  Jesus  Clirist  ^  jj  ggQ 
has  not  given  us  perfect  holi- 
ness, but  has  only  promised  it.* 

The  ApoUinarii,  father  and  son,  were 
of  Laodicea;  the  father  a  presbyter,  the 
son  a  reader  in  the  Church.  Both  were 
skilled  in  Greek  literature; 
the  father  taught  grammar,  ^P??''" 
the  son  rhetoric.  Epiphanius, 
a  sophist,  was  united  with  them  in  the 
closest  intimacy.  Theodotus,  bishop  of 
Laodicea,  very  properly  fearing  that  the 
connexion  with  a  Pao-an  mio^ht  endangfer 
their  souls,  advised  them  to  give  up  his 
acquaintance.  They  despised  the  advice, 
and  persisted.  George,  the  successor  of 
Theodotus,  afterward  attempting  in  vain 
the  same  thing,  expelled  them  at  length 
from  Christian  communion.  Incensed  at 
this,  they  set  up  a  new  sect,  known  by 
the  name  of  the  ApoUinarian  heresy,  the 
principal  mark  of  which  is,  that  it  ascer- 
tains precisely  one  point  of  the  Arian 
creed,  by  denying  to  our  Saviour  a  hu- 
man soul,  and  supposing  the  inferior  di- 
vine nature,  which  he  had  from  the  Father, 
to  supply  its  place. f 

These  men  were  doubtless  persons  of 
superior  capacity.  The  son,  particularly, 
was  one  of  the  greatest  men  of  his  time, 
in  learning,  genius,  and  powers  of  argu- 
ment. His  answer  to  Porphyry  is  looked 
on  as  the  best  defence  of  Christianity 
against\  Paganism.  He  it  was,  who,  in 
Julian's  time,  endeavoured  to  compensate 
to  the  Christian  world  the  loss  of  the 
classical  authors,  from  the  study  of  whom 
they  were  debarred  by  the  persecution  of 
that  emperor.  He  wrote  poems  and  dia- 
logues, in  imitation  of  Sophocles  and 
Plato,  on  scriptural  subjects.  His  trans- 
lation of  the  Psalms  into  Greek  verse, 
which  remains  to  this  day,  is  highly  com- 
mended.:J: 

*  Du  Pin,  Cent.  IV.  Optatus. 
t  Socrates,  B.  II.  c.  46. 
\  Du  Pin. 


360 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XX. 


What  was  wanting  in  these  men? 
Humility.  There  have  been  persons  in 
later  times,  like  them,  of  good  moral  cha- 
racter, learned,  acute,  industrious,  far  sur- 
passing many  real  saints,  in  capacity, 
and  in  usefulness  too,  so  far  as  the  ex- 
ternals of  religion  are  concerned.  Pride 
and  self-confidence  lead  such  men  to 
speculate,  where  they  ought  to  adore;  to 
dispute,  where  they  ought  to  pray ;  and 
to  blaspheme,  where  they  ought  to  sub- 
mit. They  treat  with  scorn  the  charita- 
ble admonitions  of  their  pastors  and  god- 
ly friends,  because  they  know  languages 
and  sciences  better  than  their  reprovers. 
Strangers  to  themselves,  and  to  the  whole 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  heart,  and 
resisting  all  his  godly  motions,  they  can- 
not come  to  Christ,  because  they  are  un- 
willing to  descend  from  their  prodigious 
altitude  into  the  valley  of  humiliation. 
Ambition  in  them  must  be  fed;  disap- 
pointed in  the  Church  of  Christ,  they  in- 
vent corrupt  refinements,  and  seek  to  be- 
come heads  of  a  party.  He  who  knows 
that  God  taketh  the  wise  in  their  crafti- 
ness, and  revealeth  himself  to  babes,  will 
not  stumble  at  such  cases ;  and  those  few 
in  all  ages  who  stand  superior  to  the  rest 
of  mankind  in  talents,  and  yet  love  genu- 
ine godliness,  are  only  secured  and  hedged 
in  by  the  Divine  goodness,  through  a 
charitable  course  of  discipline,  often  more 
severe  than  is  needful  for  other  Chris- 
tians. 

Didymus  of  Alexandria  may  be  fairly 

matched  with  Apollinarius,  in  greatness 

of  understanding  and  accomplishments. 

-,.,  Though  he  lost  his  sight  at 

Didymus.       ^^^  ^^^  ^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^  ^^, 

came  so  vigorous  and  successful  a  stu- 
dent, that  he  was  renowned  for  his  skill 
in  philosophy,  rhetoric  and  geometry. 
He  filled  the  chair  of  the  famous  school 
of  Alexandria  with  vast  applause.  Ori- 
genism  was  his  favourite  system,  though, 
as  far  as  appears,  he  continued  always 
sound,  and  I  hope,  humble  and  holy,  in 
Christian  doctrine.  His  treatise  on  the 
Holy  Spirit,  of  which  only  the  Latin 
translation  by  Jerome  has  come  down  to 
us,  is  perhaps  the  best  the  Christian 
world  ever  saw  on  the  subject.  And 
whatever  has  been  said,  since  that  time, 
in  defence  of  the  divinity  and  personality 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  seems,  in  substance, 
to  be  found  in  that  book. 

Gregory  Nyssen,  brother  of  the  famous 
Basil,  was  the  bishop  of  Nyssa,  a  city  of 
Cappadocia.     Basil,  and  two  of  his  bro- 


Gregory 

Nyssen 

banished 


Restored 
in  378. 
Died  in 

379. 


thers,  embraced  a  solitary  life ; 
but  Gregory  married,  and 
lived  in  society.  Under  Va- 
lens,  he  was  faithful,  and  had  in 
the  honour  to  be  expelled  from  A.  D.  374. 
his  church.  In  the  year  378, 
he  was  restored.  He  died  to- 
ward the  end  of  the  century. 
In  a  catechetical  discourse, 
he  shows  a  sound  judgment, 
in  laying  down  diflferent  rules  of  argu- 
mentation with  Pagans,  Jews,  and  He- 
retics. To  defend  the  incarnation  of  God, 
he  shows  that  man  is  fallen,  and  corrupt- 
ed, and  can  be  recovered  only  by  his 
Creator ;  and  hence,  that  the  Word  who 
created  him,  came  himself  to  raise  him 
again.  He  shows  also,  that  to  be  born 
of  a  virgin,  to  eat,  to  drink,  to  die,  and  to 
be  buried,  are  not  things  unbecoming  the 
holy  nature  of  God,  because  there  is  no 
sin  in  them;  and  that  the  Divinity,  united 
to  man,  lost  not  its  perfections,  any  more 
than  the  soul  loses  its  properties  by  its 
union  with  the  body. 

Once  visiting  Jerusalem,  he  was  hos- 
pitably received  by  three  religious  ladies 
of  note  there,  Eustathia,  Ambrosia,  and 
Basilissa,  and  contemplated  with  delight 
the  scenes  of  our  Lord's  abode  on  earth. 
But  he  tells  us,  that  he  found  there  little 
of  true  religion,  and  returned  sorrowful  to 
Antioch,  whence  he  wrote  to  the  three 
ladies,  and  cautioned  them  against  being 
imposed  on  by  those,  who  desired  to 
make  a  prey  of  them.  Being  asked  by  a 
friend,  whether  it  was  an  essential  part  of 
religion  to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusa- 
lem, he  answered  in  the  negative,  and 
that  a  man  had  more  reason  to  expect  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  Cappadocia,  where  true 
piety  prevailed,  than  at  Jerusalem,  where, 
it  seems,  religion  was  run  to  a  very  low 
ebb.  Thus  much  for  Gregory  Nyssen, 
whose  piety  at  least  deserves  our  regard, 
though  as  an  author,  he  is  in  no  very 
higrh  estimation.* 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

EPHRAIM  THE  SYRIAN. 

Some  other  persons,  who  lived  in  this 
century,  will,  on  several  accounts,  de- 
serve a  more  distinct  attention.  I  shall 
begin  with  Ephraim  the  Syrian,  who  was 
born  at  Nisibis  in  Mesopotamia,  of  Chris- 

*  Du  Pin.    Cave. 


Cext.  IV.] 


EPHRAIM  THE  SYRIAN. 


361 


tian  parents,  and  was  educated  with  great 
care  from  his  infancy.  His  turn  of  mind 
from  childhood  was  devout,  studious,  and 
contemplative,  to  an  extreme  degree 
And  since  few  persons  in  that  aje  knew 
how  to  unite  the  real  Christian  life  with 
the  practice  of  all  the  duties  of  societj',  it 
is  not  ro  be  wondered  at,  that  the  solitary 
taste  prevailed  much  in  Ephraim.  It  is 
rather  a  proof  of  uncommon  good  sense 
or  charity,  or  c,f  both,  that  at  length  he 
could  be  induced  to  quit  his  solitude,* 
and  live  in  the  great  city  of  Edessa,  for 
the  sake  of  enjoying  the  benefit  of  Chris 
tian  assemblies,  and  of  rendering  himself 
useful  to  his  fellow-creatures.  He  wrote 
much  on  the  Scriptures,  and  composed 
various  devotional  pieces  in  the  Syriac, 
his  native  tono-ue :  which  in  his  own  life- 
time  were  translated  into  Greek,  and  were 
much  admired  by  all  the  eastern  churches. 
He  never  was  advanced  further  in  the  ec- 
clesiastical state,  than  to  the  office  of 
deacon,  and  once  he  took  a  very  extraor- 
dinary method  to  avoid  bein^  preferred 
to  the  office  of  a  bishop.  He  feigned 
madness;  and  escaped.  The  reader  will 
recollect  something  similar  in  the  con- 
duct of  Ambrose,  and  may  take  occasion 
to  lament  the  unhappy  extremes  of  oppo- 
site kinds,  which,  in  different  ages,  have 
disfigured  the  Church.  In  Ephraim's 
days,  the  pastoral  character  appeared  to 
good  men  awful  beyond  measure,  requir- 
ing little  less  than  angrelical  virtue.  In 
our  days,  is  not  conveniency  and  love  of 
gain  frequently  the  principal  motive,  and 
decency  of  character  the  principal  quali- 
fication ■? 

A  noted  heretic,  named  Harmonius, 
the  son  of  Bardesanes,  industriously  em- 
ployed himself  in  composing  religious 
h3'mns  for  the  use  of  the  Syrians,  in 
which  he  interspersed  his  father's  hereti- 
cal notions,  and  the  philosophy  of  the 
Greeks.  Ephraim,  whose  views  of  the 
fundamentals  of  Christian  faith  were 
strictly  sound,  and  to  whom  the  faith  of 
the  Gospel  was  precious,  made  himself 
master  of  the  measures  and  tunes,  and, 
in  the  use  of  them,  composed  Christian 
hymns,  which  were  well  received  by  the 
Syrians,  and  sung  to  the  same  tunes  as 
those  of  Harmonius.  He  wrote  also  a 
discourse  on  the  utility  of  psalmody,  and 
exploded  idle  songs  and  dancing.  Let 
this  be  regarded  as  a  proof  of  his  zeal  and 
industry.     Not  long  before  his  death,  he 


•  Sozom.  B.  in.  c.  16. 
Vol.  I.  2  H 


gave  an  instance  of  charity  that  deserves 
to  be  recorded.  A  severe  famine  raged 
in  Edessa,  and  many  indigent  persons 
died  for  wauit.  He  waited  some  time,  to 
see  if  any  would  step  forth  to  relieve 
them  ;*  but  finding  little  appearance  of 
this,  the  compassion  of  his  heart  at  length 
broke  through  all  the  unhappy  monastic 
restraints,  by  which,  even  in  Edessa,  he 
had  precluded  himself  from  doing  much 
good  to  the  Church;  and  going  among 
the  rich  and  wealthy,  he  vehemently  re- 
proved their  inhumanity.  They  did,  what 
persons  of  the  same  character  do  in  all 
ages ;  they  cleared  themselves  of  avarice, 
but  excused  themselves,  on  account  of 
the  difficulty  of  finding  a  proper  person, 
whose  discretion  and  fidelity  might  be 
trusted  in  the  distribution  of  their  alms. 
Do  you  think  me  competent  to  this  office  1 
replied  Ephraim.  All  owned  it  without 
hesitation.  "Then  I  will  undertake  it." 
Receiving  their  contributions,  he  caused 
three  hundred  beds  to  be  brought  into  the 
public  cloisters  of  the  city,  and  the  infirm 
to  be  placed  on  them,  and  he  furnished 
them  both  with  food  and  medicine.  He 
took  care  also  of  strangers,  and  of  those 
whom  want  had  driven  out  of  the  coun- 
try, and  provided  them  all  with  necessa- 
ry accommodations,  till  the  dearth  was 
abated. 

How  much  is  it  to  be  regretted,  that 
mistaken  ideas  of  piety,  into  which  young 
converts  are  very  apt  to  fall,  should  have 
deprived  the  Christian  world  of  so  much 
benefit,  as  might  have  arisen  from  the 
talents  and  virtues  of  Ephraim !  In  this 
occasional  sally,  we  see  the  outlines  of 
A  GENERAL  INFIRMARY,  drawn  and  brought 
into  practice  by  a  monk !  That  men,  who 
mix  with  the  world  continually,  should 
be  covetous  and  selfish,  will  surprise  no 
man  who  knows  human  depravity.  And 
what  advantage  did  Satan  gain,  in  these 
times,  when  the  best  and  most  excellent 
men  hid  themselves  from  the  world,  and 
as  much  as  possible  attended  only  to  the 
cultivation  of  private  virtues  !  A  strong 
proof,  this,  of  the  low  and  reduced  state 
of  Christian  knowledge.  And  as  I  know 
nothing  more  worth  recording  of  the  lifs 
of  Ephraim,  let  us  take  a  short  view  of 
his  writings,  in  order  to  discover,  if  we 
can,  the  spirit  of  his  religion.  If  I  mis- 
take not,  we  may  see  by  a  few  quotations, 
which  will  serve  instead  of  many  in  a  cas« 
where  the  character  is  exceedingly  uni- 

■  ■■■-—-  I        — —  ■   ■  I  — 

•  Sozom.  B.IILc.  16. 


362 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XXI. 


form,  that  his  Christian  love  was  much 
greater  than  his  light,  and  that  few  men 
were  better  furnished  and  prepared  for 
the  very  best  use  of  evangelical  consola- 
tion, if  the  theology  of  his  time  had  af- 
forded him  easy  access  to  it. 

Speaking  of  love,  he  says,  "  Blessed 
is  the  man  who  possesses  love,  and  with 
it  departs  to  God;  for  He,  knowing  his 
own,  will  receive  him  into  his  bosom ;  he 
shall  be  a  companion  of  angels,  and  reign 
with  Christ.  By  love,  God  the  Word 
came  upon  earth ;  by  it,  paradise  has 
been  opened  to  us,  and  an  entrance  has 
been  shown  to  all  into  heaven.  Being 
enemies  to  God,  by  love  we  were  recon- 
ciled. We  may  justly  say,  that  God  is 
love,  and  he  that  dwelleth  in  love,  dwell- 
eth  in  God."* 

Hear   him   mourn   over   himself,   and 
judge  what  a  sense  he  had  of  natural  de- 
pravity.    "  From  my  childhood  I  have 
been  a  vessel  unprofitable  and  dishonour- 
able.    Warning  others,  I  have  fallen  my- 
self into  their  evils,  twofold.    Wo  is  me  ! 
— whence  can  there  be  any  refuge,  unless 
the  mercies  of  God  shine  quickly  upon 
me.     Nor  is  there  any  hope  of  salvation 
from  works  :  While  I  speak  of  purity,  I 
am  thinking  of  uncleanness :  While  I  am 
uttering  rules  for  the  conquest  of  the  pas- 
sions, my  own  are  inwardly  raging  night 
and  day.     What   excuse  can   1   make  ■? 
Alas !  what  a  scrutiny  must  I  undergo "? 
I  have  had  the  form  without  the  power  of 
godliness.     I  fear,  lest  fire  from  heaven 
should  consume  me,  as  it  did  the  two  sons 
of  Aaron.     Shall  I  then  despair  of  salva- 
tion ■?  By  no  means :  this  the  adversary 
desires,  in  order  to  destroy  me.     I  do  not 
throw  away  myself;  for  I  confide  in  the 
mercies  of  God,  and  your  prayers  for  me. 
— I  pray  thee,  cast  me  not  away.     Thou 
knowest  the  wounds  of  my  soul ;  heal 
me,  O   Lord,  and  1  shall  be  healed. — 
What  shame  will  seize  me,  when  those, 
who  now  count  me  holy,  shall  see  me 
condemned,  and  when  all  secrets  shall  be 
laid  open!"f 

However  defective  his  views  of  evan- 
gelical doctrine  were,  his  ideas  of  that 
humility,  which  enters  into  the  essence 
of  the  experience  of  them,  are  just  and 
deep.  "  Vain,"  says  he,  "  is  every  en- 
dowment without  humility.  Pride  la- 
bours to  domineer  over  all,  and  lays  a 
snare  for  every  one  in  that  way  which  is 
peculiar  to  each.     The  wise,  the  strong, 

*  Ephraim's  Works.  Oxon.  f  I^. 


the  beautiful,  the  ingenious,  are  each  ex- 
posed to  danger  from  that  in  which  they 
excel.  The  Lord,  knowing  our  danger, 
hath  set  humility  as  our  guard,  saying, 
'  When  ye  have  done  all,  say  we  are  un- 
profitable servants.'  Do  those  who  la- 
bour abundantly  in  the  ministry  glory 
over  those  of  a  more  still  and  quiet  turn; 
behold,  the  Lord  commends  Mary  sitting 
at  his  feet,  as  having  chosen  the  good  por- 
tion. Are  the  sedate  inclined  to  glory 
over  the  active ;  behold  the  Son  of  man 
came  to  minister. — To  be  lifted  up,  is  to 
have  a  fleshly  mind ;  and  if  ye  live  after 
the  flesh,  ye  shall  die. — When  thou  canst 
bear  grievous  things,  against  thy  will, 
yet  willingly,  know  that  thou  hast  made 
proficiency  in  humility. — Through  pride, 
the  Pharisee  was  condemned ;  through 
humility,  the  Publican  was  exalted  ;  with 
whom  may  the  Lord  deign  to  rank  us  in 
his  kingdom  with  all  the  just."* 

Observe  how  divinely  he  exhorts, 
though  his  manner  of  speaking  evinces 
his  ignorance  of  the  true  distinction  be- 
tween moral  and  natural  inability  :  "  He 
might  have  healed  all  the  wounds  of  our 
souls,  and  compelled  us  violently  to  good- 
ness ;  but  he  does  not  choose  that  method, 
that  our  choice  may  have  its  praise.  Do 
we  neglect  to  call  for  his  help,  when 
he  loves  and  pities  us  1  Hath  he  redeem- 
ed and  enlightened  us  1  He  hath  given 
us  to  see  and  taste  of  his  grace  ;  that  we 
might  seek  him  without  ceasing.  Happy 
he,  who  hath  tasted  of  his  love,  and  pre- 
pared himself  to  be  always  filled  with  it. 
Filled  with  this  love,  he  admits  no  other. 
Who  would  not  love  such  a  master,  wor- 
ship him,  and  confess  his  goodness  1 — 
From  his  immense  height  and  the  blessed 
bosom  of  the  Father  did  he  not  descend 
to  US'?  The  Invisible  became  visible — 
O  wonder,  full  of  fear  and  trembling!  A' 
hand  of  clay,  formed  of  the  dust,  smote 
the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth  ;  and  we, 
poor  dust  and  ashes,  cannot  bear  the  con- 
tradiction of  a  word — What  wilt  thou  say 
to  Him  in  that  day  ^'f 

Speaking  of  the  day  of  Judgment,  he 
says,  "  An  innumerable  multitude,  each 
raised  from  the  dead,  and  clothed  with 
his  own  body,  exclaim,  '  Glory  to  Him 
who  hath  raised  us  and  gathered  us  to- 
gether by  his  loving  kindness.'  Blessed 
is  he  who  shall  be  counted  worthy  to  see 
that  hour,  in  which  all  that  loved  the  im- 
mortal Bridegroom  are  taken  up  into  the 


*  Ephraim's  Works. 


t  Id.  Ay. 


Cext.  IV.] 


EPHRAIM  THE  SYRIAN. 


363 


clouds  to  meet  him. — I  remembered  the 
day,  and  trembled,  and,  groaning,  wept  till 
I  had  no  more  power  to  weep. — My  days 
have  passed  on,  and  my  initpiities  have 
been  multiplied.  Wo  is  me,  my  beloved  ! 
What  shall  I  do  in  the  shame  of  that 
hour,  when  my  friends,  who  now  see  and 
bless  me  in  this  orarb  of  piety,  may  be- 
hold me  full  of  iniquity  within  1  O  gra- 
cious Lover  of  souls  !  by  thy  compassions 
I  conjure  thee,  place  me  not  at  the  left 
hand  with  the  goats  ;  but  by  thy  kindness, 
I  implore  thee,  give  me  a  contrite  spirit, 
and  purify  me,  that  I  may  be  a  temple  of 
thy  grace.  Sinner  as  I  am,  I  knock  at 
thy  door  without  ceasing ;  slothful  though 
I  be,  yet  I  walk  in  thy  way." 

Will  the  reader  hear  the  devotion  of 
this  broken-hearted  saint  ]*  "  I  beseech 
thy  goodness,  heal  my  wounds,  and  en- 
lighten my  understanding,  that  I  may  see 
thy  gracious  disposition  towards  me. 
When  my  heart  is  infatuated,  let  the  salt 
of  thy  grace  season  it. — Thou  alone  know- 
est,  how  my  soul  thirsts  after  thee,  as  a 
dry  land. — As  thou  hast  ever  heard  me, 
neglect  not  now  my  petition  :  my  mind  is 
as  a  captive,  yet  seeking  thee,  the  only 
true  Saviour.  Send  thy  grace,  that  I  may 
eat  and  drink,  and  be  satisfied. — Distil 
one  drop  of  thy  love,  that  it  may  burn  as 
liquid  fire  in  my  soul,  and  consume  its 
thorns,  even  evil  lusts. "| 

Were  I  to  quote  the  very  strong  de- 
scription which  he  gives  of  his  own  sin- 
fulness, persons   unacquainted  with  the 
power  of  in-dwelling  sin  might  suspect 
that  this  man,  who  was  remarkably  strict 
and    circumspect   in   his   manners   from 
youth,  must  have  been  a  man  of  gross 
wickedness.      For   similar   reasons,    St. 
Paul,  on  account  of  the  strong  descrip- 
tion of  his   internal  corruptions,  in   the 
seventh  chapter  to  the  Romans,  has  been 
thought  to  have  been  speaking  only  of 
his  life  before  conversion,  though  he  evi- 
dently speaks  of  himself  at  the  time  of 
WTiting.     It  was  deep  humility  of  soul, 
and  a  large  acquaintance  with  the  pro- 
pensity of  the  natural  heart  itself,  which 
led  both  of  them  to  describe  themselves 
as  so  very  evil.     The  difference  is,  that 
Ephraim's  inferior  knowledge  of  gospel- 
grace,  prevented  his  attainment  of  that 
strength  and  joy,  in  which  the  Apostle 
abounded.     Yet  his  faith,  clouded  as  the 
grounds  of  it  were,  was  sound.    "  I  know 
that  the  multitude  of  his  mercies  exceeds 


ihe  multitude  of  my  sins. — In  baptism  he 
hath  given  me  remission  of  sins ;  yet  I  need 
to  be  healed  of  sins  committed  after  bap- 
tism; but  he  who  raised  the  dead  is  able 
^o  heal  me  also."  Is  not  this  the  very 
frame  of  an  humbled  soul,  bowed  dowa 
with  in-dwelling  corruption]  "I  desire 
to  rise,  but  cannot ;  the  weight  of  sin 
presses  me  down.  I  see,  but  I  walk  in 
much  darkness.  I  move  my  hand,  but 
I  am  as  a  paralytic." 

In  his  last  will  and  testament,  his  hu- 
mility appears  mixed  with  superstition 
and  dejection  of  spirit.  A  mind  like  his, 
truly  sensible  of  sin,  and  not  fully  and 
steadily  discerning  the  Lord  Jesus,  its 
only  righteousness,  will  flee  to  vain  re- 
fuges. Thus  E  phraim  has  some  recourse 
to  prayers  and  offerings  to  be  made  for 
him  after  his  decease.  The  value  of 
clear  Christian  light  hence  appears  inex- 
pressible.* 

His  reverence  towards  the  blessed  God 
appears  in  a  book  which  he  wrote  against 
those,  who  would  pretend  to  search  out 
the   nature  of  the   Son   of  God.     In  the 
second    chapterf   he   says,    "  Unhappy, 
miserable,  and  most  impudent  is  he,  who 
desires  to  search  out  his  Maker.     Innu- 
merable  myriads  of  angels  glorify  with 
reverence,   and   trembling  adore :    while 
men  of  clay,  full  of  sins,  dispute  with- 
out fear,  concernmg  the  Divinity.     Their 
body  trembles  not,  their  mind  is  not  dis- 
concerted ;    but,  secure  and   loquacious, 
they  speak   of  Christ   the  Son  of  God, 
who  suffered  for  me  an  unworthy  sinner, 
and  of  his  two-fold  generation  :    nor  do 
they  feel  how  blind  they  are  in  the  light." 
The  remarks  which  might  be  made  on 
this  holy  man  have  been  anticipated,  for 
the   most   part.     Undoubtedly   the   best 
state  of  Christianity  is  that  of  a  saint, 
humbled  under  a  sense  of  sin  all  his  days, 
yet  rejoicing  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  bring- 
ing forth  fruit  with  charity  and  patience. 
This  requires  an  evangelical  knowledge, 
both  of  the  Law  and  of  the  Gospel.    And 
an  experimental  acquaintance  with  this 
science    is    generally  very  simple  and 
strong,  in  both  its  parts,  under  the  effu- 
sion of  the  Holy  Spirit.     On  the  declen- 
sion of  this,  toward  the  latter  end  of  the 
third  century,  a  lower  form  of  Christian- 
ity, even   in   real  saints,  obtained ;  and 
our  history  is  still  travelling  through  the 
twilight.     The  taste  of  this  lower  form 


As. 


t  MS. 


t  See  Dr.  Owen's  Preface  to  his  x^i^oKoyK, 


364 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap,  XXU 


was  to  know  the  Law  in  its  spirituality, 
but  not  the  Gospel  in  its  consolations. — 
Of  this  form  was  Ephraim,  one  of  the 
most  holy  men  in  this  period  ;  and  I 
scarcely  have  found  a  saint,  who  had  bet- 
ter views,  since  the  days  of  Cyprian, 
unless  we  except  Ambrose  of  Milan.  But 
by  far  the  greater  part  of  real  good  men, 
in  this  whole  century,  and  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  last,  lived  comparatively,  in 
bondage,  looking  to  Jesus,  sincerely, 
confusedly.     One  person,  how- 


though 


Ephraim 
dieil  about 

A.  D.  379. 


Abraham 
the  Asce- 
tic. 


ever,  was  training  up  under  the  special 
guidance  of  God,  in  the  latter  part  of  this 
century,  whose  superior  light  was  ap- 
pointed to  illuminate  the  next,  as  we 
shall  see  by  and  by.  But  how  does  the 
piety,  the  humility,  the  conscientious- 
ness of  such  men  as  Ephraim,  with  all 
their  abject  superstition,  re- 
buke the  'pride  and  careless- 
ness and  levity  of  many  now 
evangelized  in  the  head,  and 
not  in  the  heart,  who  trifle 
with  the  light,  and  live  in 
sin,  because  they  conceive  grace  to 
abound! 

I  shall  dismiss  this  Saint,  after  I  have 
taken  a  little  notice  of  one  of  his  com- 
panions named  Abraham,  whose  life  he 
has  written,  and  whom  he  ad- 
mires extremely.  For  fifty 
years  he  lived  an  Ascetic,  in 
the  strictest  observation  of 
monastic  rules,  and  confined 
himself  principally  to  his  cell;  though 
the  intelligent  reader  will  think  he  acted 
most  like  a  Christian  in  those  intervals, 
when  he  left  it ;  in  one  of  them  particu- 
larly, to  which  alone  I  shall  confine  my 
attention.  There  was  a  great  desert  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  "city  (Edessa, 
I  suppose)  in  which  the  inhabitants  were 
all  idolaters  to  a  man  ;*  and  though  many 
presbyters  and  deacons  had  been  sent  to 
them  by  the  bishop  of  the  city,  yet  they 
had  all  returned  without  effect,  unable  to 
bear  the  persecution  of  the  Pagans.  One 
day,  the  bishop  observed  among  his  cler- 
gy, that  he  knew  of  no  person  so  devoted 
to  God  as  Abraham,  and  therefore  he 
would  ordain  him  as  an  evangelist  of 
these  Pagans.  At  first  he  entreated  him 
but  in  vain ;  Abraham  begged  to  be  per 
mitted  to  bemoan  his  own  evils.  The 
bishop,  however,  insisting  on  the  obe- 
dience which  he  owed  to  authority,  and 
observing  how  much  better  it  was  to  be 
employed  in  the  salvation  of  many,  than 


of  one  soul  only,  Abraham  at  length  sub- 
mitted.    He  began  his  work  with  fervent 
prayer  for  the  divine  blessing,  and  having 
erected  a  church,  he  supplicated  in  it,  for 
the  conversion  of  the  people.     His  next 
step  appears   not   so   proper;    he  threw 
down  the  idols  and  altars  of  the  Pagans; 
the  consequence  of  which  was,  that,  with 
much  ill  usage,  he  was  expelled  from  the 
country.     He  returned,  however,  to  the 
village,  and  resumed  his  work  of  prayer 
in  the  church,  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
Pagans.     When  these  came  to  him  from 
time  to  time,  he  began  to  exhort  them  to 
turn   from   idols  to  the   living   God,  on 
which  he  was  worse  treated  than  before. 
For  three  years,  he  bore  their  insults  and 
a   constant   series    of  persecution.      His 
patience,  however,  and  meekness,  were 
admirable,  and  at  length  the  people  be- 
gan  to  be  softened,  and  comparing  his 
preaching   with   his   practice,  they  con- 
cluded that  God  must  be  with  him,  and 
offered  themselves  voluntarily  to  receive 
his  doctrine.     The  saint  rejoicing  at  the 
event,  desired  them  to  give  glory  to  God, 
who   had   enlightened  the  eyes  of  their 
hearts  to  know  him.     In  fine,  he  gather- 
ed them  into  a  church,  daily  opening  to 
them  the   Scriptures.     At  length,  when 
he  saw  them  confirmed  in  the  faith  of  the 
Gospel,  and  bringing  forth  the  fruits  of 
it   with   steadiness,  he   abruptly  retired 
from  them  to  his  former  solitude.     The 
work,  however,  remained  firm  and  strong, 
and  the  bishop  visited  and  exhorted  them 
from  the  word  of  God,  and  ordained  pas- 
tors from  among  themselves. 

How  much  better  would  Abraham  have 
been  thus  employed  during  the  fifty  years 
of  his  solitude!  But  such  were  the  times. 
While  the  world  proceeded  in  its  usual 
wickedness,  those  who  were  best  calcu- 
lated to  reform  it  had  a  strong  tendency 
to  live  a  recluse  life  ;  and  false  fear  and 
bondage  kept  many  from  the  pastoral 
office,  who  might  have  been  its  brightest 
ornaments.  The  mischief  of  this  was 
inexpressible  ;  the  extension  of  the  Gos- 
pel was  checked ;  and  every  circum- 
stance showed,  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
was  no  longer  poured  out,  in  his  fulness, 
among  men. 


£xi 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

HILARY  OF  POICTIERS.  ' 

An  account  of  the  life  of  Hilary  is  de 
livered  by  a  person,  named  Fortunatus- 


/EITT. 


IV.] 


HILARY  OF  POICTIERS. 


365 


who  wrote  about  two  hundred  years  after 
him.  This  biographer,  accordinsr  to  the 
taste  of  the  age,  which  was  still  more 
credulous  and  superstitious  than  that  of 
Hilary,  is  extremely  barren  in  matters 
which  really  deserve  attention,  and  is  full 
of  prodigies  and  fictions.  The  best  ac- 
count of  him  therefore  is  to  be  drawn 
from  his  contemporaries,  and  the  eccle- 
siastical historians,  and  above  all  from  his 
own  writings.  Of  his  life  and  actions 
little  is  known,  that  deserves  to  be  re- 
corded :  yet  so  great  a  man  merits  a  dis- 
tinct attention. 

He  was  born  at  Poictiers  in  France,  and 
being  of  a  very  noble  family,  and  distin- 
guished by  a  liberal  education,  he  was 
enabled  to  throw  a  lustre  on  Christianity 
after  he  received  it.  In  his  book  on  the 
Trinity  he  gives  us  some  account  of  his 
conversion.*  He  seriously  considered 
the  folly  and  vanity  of  idolatry,  and  was 
led  to  conclude,  that  its  professors  could 
not  possibly  be  competent  to  lead  men  to 
happiness.  He  contemplated  the  visible 
frame  of  things,  and  inferred  an  Omni- 
potent Eternal  Being,  as  their  Maker  and 
Preserver.  He  observes,  that  happiness 
consists  not  in  any  external  things,  nor 
in  the  bare  knowledge  of  the  first  princi- 
ples of  good  and  evil,  but  in  the  know- 
ledge of  the  true  God.  By  reading  the 
books  of  Moses  and  the  Prophets,  he 
found  his  mind  enlio-htened,  and  his  judo-- 
ment  confirmed  in  these  ideas.f  The 
short  but  comprehensive  account  of  God, 
in  the  book  of  Exodus,  "I  am  that  I 
am,"  affected  him  with  admiration. 
When  he  was  carried  forward  to  the  New 
Testament,  there  he  learnt,  that  there  is 
an  eternal  Word,  the  Son  of  God  made 
man,  who  came  into  the  world  to  commu- 
nicate to  it  the  fulness  of  grace.  His 
hope  of  happiness  was  now  enlarged : 
"  since  the  Son  of  God  was  made  man, 
men  may  become  the  sons  of  God.  A 
man,  who  with  gladness  receives  this 
doctrine,  renews  his  spirit  by  faith,  and 
conceives  a  hope  full  of  immortality. 
Having  once  learned  to  believe  the  Gos- 
pel, he  rejects  captious  difficulties,  and 
no  longer  judges  after  the  maxims  of  the 
world.  He  now  neither  fears  death,  nor 
is  weary  of  life,  and  presses  forward  to 
a  blessed  immortality."  In  such  a  man- 
ner does  Hilary  give  us  the  history  of  his 
own  mind  in  religion.  And  when  he  en- 
ters on  the  subject  of  the  Trinity,  he  gives 


See  Cave's  Life  of  Hilary.        f  Du  Pin. 
2  h3 


an  excellent  admonition ;  humility  at 
least  will  think  so,  though  pride  will  ob- 
ject to  it.  It  is,  that  the  reader  would 
think  of  God  according  to  the  light  of 
faith,  and  agreeably  to  the  testimony  of 
God  himself,  divesting  his  mind  of  the 
meanness  of  human  opinions.  "  For," 
continues  he,  "  the  chief  qualification  re- 
quired in  a  reader  is,  that  he  be  willing 
to  take  the  sense  of  an  Author  from  what 
he  reads,  and  not  give  him  one  of  his 
own.  He  ought  not  to  endeavour  to  find, 
in  the  passages  which  he  reads,  that, 
which  he  presumed  ought  to  be  there.  In 
such  passages  as  describe  the  character 
of  the  Supreme  Being  particularly,  he 
ought  at  least  to  be  persuaded,  that  God 
knew  himself.*  And  in  another  part  of 
the  same  treatise,  he  makes  this  observa- 
tion :  "  The  blasphemies  of  the  heretics 
oblige  us  to  do  those  things  which  are 
forbidden  us,  to  search  into  mysteries  in- 
comprehensible, to  speak  things  ineffable, 
and  to  explain  that  which  we  are  not  per- 
mitted to  examine.  And  instead  of  per- 
forming with  a  sincere  faith  that  which  is 
commanded  us  (which  were  otherwise 
sufficient)  namely,  to  worship  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  and  to  be  filled  with  the 
Spirit,  we  are  obliged  to  employ  our 
weak  reasonings  in  explaining  things  in- 
comprehensible." Every  sincere  believ- 
er, in  every  age,  has  had  occasion  to 
make  the  same  remark,  when  called  to 
contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once,  deli- 
vered to  the  saints. 

His  views  of  the  Three  Persons  in  the 
Trinity  are  remarkably  perspicuous  and 
scriptural.  In  speaking  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
he  says,  that  he  enlightens  our  under- 
standings and  warms  our  hearts  ;|  that 
he  is  the  author  of  all  grace,  and  will  be 
with  us  to  the  end  of  the  world ;  that  he 
is  our  comforter  here  while  we  live  in  ex- 
pectation of  a  future  life,  the  earnest  of 
our  hopes,  the  light  of  our  minds,  and 
the  warmth  of  our  souls.     He  directs  us  • 


*  I  apprehend,  that  if  this  method  had  been 
followed  in  all  ages,  there  never  would  have 
been  found  any  one  to  oppose  the  doctrine  of 
tlie  Ti-inity.  Agreeably  to  this,  it  appears 
that  Hilary,  hy  the  study  of  the  Scriptures 
alone,  had  obtained  and  steadily  professed  the 
Xicene  faith,  before  he  had  ever  seen  the  creed 
of  that  name,  or  knew  any  thing  of  the  Ai'iati 
controversy. 

f  Thus  owning  his  influence  on  the  two  lead- 
ing powers  of  the  human  mind,  the  under- 
standing and  the  will;  not  on  one  alone,  but 
on  both,  agreeably  to  the  views  of  the  best  and 
wisest  in  all  ages. 


366 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  XXIH. 


to  pray  for  this  Holy  Spirit,  to  enable  us 
to  do  good,  and  to  persevere  in  faith  and 
obedience. 

There  will  be  no  occasion  to  take  any 
farther  notice  of  his  writings,  unless  it  be 
to  mention  his  addresses  to  the  emperor 
on  the  same  subject.  Two  he  wrote 
with  decency  and  moderation;  in  the 
third,  he  appears  evidently  to  smart  un- 
der the  wounds  of  persecution,  and  treats 
the  prince  with  an  unchristian  asperity, 
for  which  no  other  apology  can  be  made, 
than  the  same  which  must  be  made  for 
Athanasius,  namely,  "  that  oppression 
maketh  a  wise  man  mad."  In  general, 
there  is  a  proportion  preserved  in  the 
Church  between  doctrinal  light  and  holy 
practice.  Sanctification  is  carried  on  by 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  And  the  su- 
perior degree  of  that  knowledge,  in  the 
first  and  second  century,  will  account  for 
the  superior  degree  of  Christian  meek- 
ness and  charity,  in  those,  who  suffered 
for  the  Gospel,  compared  with  the  prac- 
tice of  the  saints  of  the  fourth  century. 

Hilary,  after  his  conversion,  was  sin- 
gularly exemplary  in  his  attachment  to 
the  Gospel,  avoiding  any  appearance  of 
countenancing  the  fashionable  heresies, 
and  employed  himself  in  recommending 
his  religion  to  others.  He  was  married, 
and  had  by  his  wife  a  daughter  called 
Abra,  whose  education  he  superintended 
with  great  exactness.  The  gradual  pro- 
gress of  superstition  may  be  remarked 
from  his  case.  He  certainly  cohabited 
with  his  wife  after  he  was  appointed 
bishop  of  Poictiers,  and  yet  he  strongly 
recommended  his  daughter  to  devote  her- 
self wholly  to  the  service  of  Christ  by  a 
state  of  virginity.  To  relate  his  active 
employment  in  the  Arian  controversy, 
Avould  be  again  to  introduce  a  subject 
with  which  the  reader  has  been  already 
satiated.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  he  spent 
some  time  in  banishment,  in  Phrygia,  for 
the  sake  of  a  good  conscience;  that  he 
was  at  length  restored  to  his  see;  and 
that  by  his  lenity  on  the  one  hand,  which 
provoked  the  Luciferians,  and  by  his  con- 
stancy on  the  other,  which  offended  the 
Arian  emperor,  he  was  yet  enabled  to  be 
of  signal  service  to  the  Church,  and  was 
to  the  West  what  Athanasius  was  to  the 
East,  the  pillar  of  orthodoxy.  The  Latin 
Church,  indeed,  was  never  so  much  in- 
fested with  Arianism  as  the  Greek ;  and 
France,  in  particular,  was  through  him 
preserved  from  the  reigning  heresy.  He 
died  at  Poictiers  about  the  year  367.     To 


him  the  great  church  at  Poic- 
tiers is  dedicated,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  city  is  a  column 
erected  to  him,  with  an  in- 
scription, at  once  expressive 
of  the  admiration  of  his  vir- 
tues, and  of  the  superstition  of  those  who 
wrote  it.* 


Hilary 
died, 

A.  D.  367, 

at  the  age 
of  80. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

BASIL  OF  CiESAREA.f 
Basil,  surnamed  the  Great,  on  account 
of  his  learning  and  piety,  was  descended 
from  Christian  ancestors,  who  suffered 
much  during  the  persecution  of  Diocle- 
sian.  His  grandmother  Macrina,  herself 
a  Confessor  for  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  a 
disciple  of  Gregory  Thaumaturgus,  was 
eminently  useful  to  him,  in  superintend- 
ing his  education,  and  fixing  his  princi- 
ples. After  a  strict  domestic  education 
in  Cappadocia,  his  native  country,  he 
travelled  for.  improvement  in  knowledge, 
according  to  the  custom  of  those,  whose 
circumstances  enabled  them  to  bear  the 
expense,  and  came  to  Athens.  Here  he 
met  with  Gregory  Nazianzen,  with  whom 
he  had  a  very  cordial  intimacy.  At 
length,  leaving  him  there,  he  came  to 
Constantinople,  and  put  himself  under 
the  care  of  the  famous  Libanius.  It  is 
certain,  that  he  was  possessed  of  all  the 
secular  learning  of  the  age,  and  if  he  had 
chosen  to  give  himself  wholly  to  the 
world,  he  might  have  shone  as  much,  as 
superior  parts,  strong  understanding,  and 
indefatigable  industry  united,  can  effect. 
But  his  mind  was  under  a  spiritual  influ- 
ence; he  found  an  emptiness  in  the  most 
refined  enjoyments  of  literature;  even 
Athens  itself,  he  called  a  vain  felicity. 
He  was  led  to  seek  for  food  for  his  soul, 
and,  in  conjunction  with  Gregory,  he  stu- 
died the  works  of  Origen;  and  some 
monuments  of  their  veneration  for  that 
learned  father  are  still  extant.:}: 


*  Divo  Hilario,  Urbis  propugnatori,  fide- 
lissimo,  assiduissimo,  certissimo,  Pictavorum 
Episcopo. — "  To  Saint  Hilary,  tlie  defender  of 
tlie  city,  most  faithful,  assiduous,  and  certain, 
the  bishop  of  Poictiers." 

f  The  epistles  of  Basil  still  extant,  with  the 
writings  of  his  friend  Gregory  Nazianzen. 
ami  the  two  historians,  Socrates  and  Sozomen, 
afford  materials  sufficiently  ample  for  his  life. 
Cave  has  given  us  a  connected  view  of  his  ac- 
tions, and  Du  Pin  has  reviewed  his  letters. 

I  Viz.  The  Philocalia  of  Origen,  consisting 


Cbwt.  IV.] 


BASIL  OF  C.^SAREA. 


367 


It  will  scarcely  be  needful  to  add,  that, 
by  this  means,  he  contracted  a  taste  for 
exposition,  neither  the  most  evangelical, 
nor  the  most  perspicuous.  In  his  travels 
into  Egypt  he  conversed  with  monks  and 
hermits,  and  prepared  himself  for  that  ex- 
cessive attachment  to  the  spirit  of  Ascet- 
ics, which  afterwards  made  him  the  great 
supporter  and  encourager  of  those  super- 
stitions. 

It  is  my  duty,  however,  to  look  for  the 
spouse  of  Christ,  wherever  I  can  find  her, 
although  she  may  be  disguised  by  an  un- 
suitable and  foreign  garb.  Julian  the 
apostate  had  known  him,  when  they  stu- 
died together  at  Athens,  and  being  now 
advanced  to  the  empire,  he  invited  Basil 
to  his  court.  But  the  fear  of  God,  and 
the  love  of  heavenly  things,  which  un- 
doubtedly predominated  in  this  saint,  suf- 
fered him  not  to  give  way  to  the  tempta- 
tion for  d  moment.  He  wrote  with  Chris- 
tian sincerity  to  the  emperor,  and  pro- 
voked him  by  his  faithful  rebukes ;  choos- 
ing rather  lo  live  in  Csesarea  a  despised 
Christian,  than  to  share  in  the  honours  and 
riches  of  the  court,  to  which  his  uncom- 
mon endowments  and  abilities  would  have 
advanced  him. 

After  some  time,  he  lived  in  retirement 
at  Neocffisarea  in  Pontus,  and  by  his  ex- 
ample, concurring  with  the  spirit  of  the 
times,  he  not  only  drew  over  his  friend 
Gregory,  but  also  great  numbers,  to  em- 
brace a  retired  life,  and  to  employ  them- 
selves in  prayer,  singing  of  psalms,  and 
devotional  exercises.      And   here,  these 
two  friends  formed  the  rules  of  monastic 
discipline,  which  were  the  basis  of  all 
those  superstitious  institutions  which  af- 
terwards overran  the  church.     The  want 
of  a  more  evangelical  view  of  doctrine, 
and  of  course  of  that  lively  faith  which 
would  animate  and  enable  the  Christian 
to  live  above  the  world,  though  in  the 
midst  of  it,  was,  doubtless,  the  principal 
cause  of  the  overflowing  of  this  spirit 
among  real  good  men  in  these  times.  To 
flee   from   society   seemed   to  them   the 
only  possible  way  to  escape  the  pollu- 
tions of  the  world,  which  they  sincerely 
abhorred.     Self-righteousness  and  igno- 
rance fomented  the  evil,  which  gradual- 
ly  degenerated  into  a  vapid  system  of 
formality,  and  at  length  became  a  sink 
of    secret    wickedness.      But   he,   who 
should,  in  these  times,  suspect  the  gene- 

of  Scriptural  Questions,  and  Origen's  Com- 
ments, which  these  two  friends  compiled. 


Caesarea,  he  was 
up  and  down  the 

time,  to  Cassarea, 


rality  of  monks  of  hypocrisy  and  profli- 
gacy, woi:ld  injure  them  much.  On  the 
contrary,  the  flower  of  the  flock  of  Christ, 
in  these  days,  is  to  be  looked  for  among 
them. 

While  Basil  was  employed  in  founding 
monasteries  in  the  neighbouring  parts, 
he  also  caused  hospitals  to  be  erected  for 
the  poor ;  and  as  he  had  been  ordained 
priest  before  he  left 
useful  in  preaching 
country. 

Returning,  after  a 
he  distinguished  himself  by  inducing  the 
rich  to  supply  the  necessities  of  the 
poor  during  a  grievous  famine ;  and 
all  the  world  gave  him  credit  both  for 
his  charity  in  relieving  the  distressed, 
and  for  his  integrity  in  resisting  the  im- 
portunities of  Valens  the  Arian  emperor. 
The  see  of  Ca'sarea  being  vacant,  the 
authority  of  the  aged  Gregory,  bishop  of 
Nazianzum,  the  father  of  his  friend,  was 
sincerely  exerted  for  his  promotion ;  and 
to  this  see  he  was  at  length  advanced, 
notwithstanding  the  opposition  of  the 
Arians.  He  was  soon  called  to  with- 
stand the  repeated  attacks  of  Valens; 
and  though  he  was  in  the  utmost  danger 
of  being  banished  from  his  see,  he  re- 
mained immoveable  in  the  profession  of 
the  faith. 

Let  us  attend  a  little  to  the  pastoral 
character  of  Basil.  He  found  the  church 
of  Ca3sarea,  before  his  time,  had  been 
scandalously  neglected  in  its  discipline. 
OflUcers,  who  were  a  disgrace  to  religion, 
ministered  in  the  church,  and  the  subal- 
tern superintendents*  ordained  men  with- 
out the  knowledge  of  the  bishop,  and 
without  any  just  examination;  and  many 
pressed  into  the  ministry  for  mere  secular 
reasons :  it  was  reported  that  some  were 
even  guilty  of  selling  the  priesthood  for 
money,  the  crime  usually  known  by  the 
name  of  simony.  Basil  reminded  his 
clersjy  of  the  strictness  of  the  primitive 
discipline,  and  of  the  care  formerly  exer- 
cised by  the  presbyters  and  deacons  in 
examining  the  lives  and  manners  of  the 
persons  to  be  ordained,  and 'he  made 
earnest  attempts  to  revive  the  laudable 
customs,  inveighing  against  simony  as 
most  detestable. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  describe  the 
diverse  contests  in  which  Basil  was  en- 
gaged.    Calumny,  malice,  and  the  do- 


•  Chorepiscopi. 
in  great  dioceses. 


A  sort  of  under-bishops 


368 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XXHI. 


mineering  power  of  Arianism,  afflicted 
him  with  various  trials,  in  which  his  pa- 
tience was  unwearied  ;  and  as  his  body 
became  enfeebled  by  increasing  distem- 
pers, his  mind  seems  to  have  collected 
more  vigour.  Finding  himself  rapidly 
declining,  after  he  had  governed  the 
church  of  Csesarea  eight  years  and  some 
months,  he  ordained  some  of  his  follow- 
ers, and  was  then  obliged  to  take  to  his 
bed.  The  people  flocked  about  his  house, 
sensible  of  the  value  of  such  a  pastor. 
For  a  time  he  discoursed  piously  to  those 
who  were  about  him,  and  sealed  his  last 
breath  with  the  ejaculation,  "Into  thy 
hands  I  commend  my  spirit !" 

It  is  much  to  be  lamented,  that  a  man 
so  sincerely  pious,  so  profoundly  learned, 
and  of  so  elegant  and  accomplished  a 
genius,  should  have  suffered  so  much, 
both  in  mind  and  body,  from  the  monas- 
T,  -1  1-  1  tic  spirit.  But  his  excessive 
.  ^  „  austerities  broke  his  consti- 
'  tution,  and  left  him  for  years, 
^^'^  '  '  in  a  very  imperfect  state  of 
health.     He  died  in  the  year  379. 

His  doctrine  appears,  from  his  works, 
to  be  too  much  clouded  with  self-righ- 
teous and  superstitious  mixtures,  to  con- 
tribute materially  to  the  instruction  and 
the  consolation  of  sincere  souls,  though 
it  is  evident,  that  he  reverenced  the  in- 
fluences of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  placed 
his  hope  of  salvation  in  Christ  Jesus. 
Hear  how  Basil  speaks  of  faith.  "  Faith, 
above  all  natural  methods,  draws  the 
soul  to  a  firm  acquiescence  in  the  word : 
Faith,  which  is  the  effect,  not  of  geome- 
trical conclusions,  but  the  result  of  the 
energy  of  the  Spirit."*  So  clearly  spi- 
ritual was  his  religion,  with  all  its  im- 
perfections !  To  this  testimony  of  Basil 
concerning  divine  faith,  as  distinct  from 
that  which  is  merely  natural,  it  may  be 
proper  to  add  that  of  Nemes  de  homine, 
c.  2.  another  Greek  father,  whose  time 
seems  not  far  remote  from  Basil's.  "The 
doctrine  of  the  divine  oracles  hath  its 
credibility  from  itself,  because  of  its  di- 
vine inspiration."  On  one  subject,  name- 
ly, the  love  of  heavenly  things  in  oppo- 
sition to  earthly,  he  excelled,  both  in 
precept  and  example.  In  this  the  power 
of  grace  appeared  in  him  through  life, 
and  even  the  whole  system  of  his  errors 
in  divinity  was  connected  with  it.  The 
very  principle  of  the  ascetic  life  was 
with  Basil  a  supreme  desire  to  live  above 


the  world.  Those  who  understand  the 
foundation  of  the  Gospel  better  than  he 
did,  may  find  it  not  amiss  to  attend  to 
such  pathetic  exhortations  as  these  : 

"  One  says,*  I  will  give  to-morrow,  to 
excuse  himself  from  giving  to-day.  Alas  ! 
do  you  know  whether  you  shall  be  alive 
to-morrow?  Another  says,  I  am  poor,  I 
have  need  enough  myself  of  all  my  means. 
Yes,  you  are  poor,  you  are  destitute,  but 
it  is  of  love,  of  benignity,  of  faith,  and  of 
mercy.  A  third  says,  whom  do  I  wrong? 
I  keep  only  my  own.  I  ask  you,  from 
whom  did  you  receive  those  riches,  and 
whence  did  you  bring  them  1  Did  you 
not  come  naked  from  your  mother's  womb, 
and  shall  you  not  return  naked  to  the 
dust?  Whence  did  this  wealth  come? 
from  chance?  what  is  this  but  Atheism? 
if  you  confess  that  you  received  it  from 
God,  why  did  it  fall  to  your  lot  rather 
than  to  another's?  God  is  not  unrigh- 
teous in  the  unequal  division  of  property 
among  men.  Why  are  you  rich,  and 
why  is  this  man  poor  ?  it  is,  that  you  may 
receive  the  reward  of  dispensing  your 
goods  faithfully,  and  that  the  poor  may 
receive  the  recompense  of  his  patience. 
When,  therefore,  you  appropriate  to  your- 
self that  wealth  which  belongs  to  many, 
and  of  which  you  are  the  steward,  you 
are  a  robber. — We  know  not  what  neces- 
sities may  happen.  Can  you  make  this 
apology,  while  you  spend  your  wealth 
on  a  thousand  superfluities  ? — But  I  want 
it  for  my  children, — But,  is  it  from  you, 
that  your  son  received  life?  is  it  not  from 
God  ?  ought  he,  then,  to  hinder  you  from 
obeying  God's  commandments  ?  The 
riches  that  you  will  leave  him,  may  be 
the  occasion  of  his  ruin.  Who  knows, 
whether  he  will  make  a  good  or  a  bad 
use  of  them  ?" — the  pretences  of  those, 
who  think  to  exempt  themselves  from 
doing  good  in  their  lifetime,  by  leaving 
their  goods,  by  will,  to  the  poor,  he  thus 
refutes:  "Wretched  men,  to  practise  no 
good  works,  but  with  ink  and  paper !  It 
seems,  you  wish  you  could  have  enjoyed 
your  riches  for  ever,  and  then  you  would 
never  have  obeyed  the  precepts  of  the 
Gospel ;  it  is  to  death,  it  seems,  and  not 
to  you,  that  the  poor  are  indebted.  God 
will  not  be  thus  mocked  ;  that  which  13 
dead  is  not  to  be  offered  to  the  sanctuary : 
offer  up  a  living  sacrifice." — It  is  certain, 
that  those,  who  rely  on  Divine  Provi- 
dence, are  like  the  springs  which  are  not 


*  Basil  on  Psahn  cxv. 


•  Basil's  Homilies.    Du  Pin. 


Cbn  T.  IV.] 


GREGORY  NAZIANZEN. 


369 


dried  up  by  drawing  from  them,  but  send 
forth  their  waters  with  greater  force.  If 
you  are  poor,  lend  your  money  upon  in- 
terest to  God,  who  is  rich. 

Different  vices  predominate  in  differ- 
ent periods.  If,  by  reviewing  various 
ages,  I  can  gain  a  more  enlarged  way  of 
thinking,  and  cease  to  admire  exclusive- 
ly that  in  which  I  live,  this  will  be  one 
advantage  of  my  historical  travel.  Cer- 
tain it  is,  that  the  present  age  is  remark- 
able for  a  selfish  and  narrow  mode  of 
conception,  and  a  contempt  of  antiquity. 
How  many,  whose  reading  has  scarcely 
reached  farther  than  a  Monthly  Review 
or  Magazine,  are  apt  to  felicitate  them- 
selves on  ther  exemption  from  supersti- 
tion, and  to  deride  all  monks  as  perfect 
fools !  If  we  conceive  a  man  in  Basil's 
days,  possessed  of  the  same  contracted 
spirit,  and  capable  of  foreseeing  the  ex- 
cessively mercantile  taste  of  the  pre- 
sent race  of  men;  would  not  he  be  dis- 
posed to  censure  their  covetousness  1 
and  would  not  the  vice  appear  as  ridicu- 
lous to  such  a  one,  as  superstition  does 
to  the  moderns  1  Is  it  not  as  absurd  and 
foolish  in  its  nature"? — The  wisdom  of 
man  lies  not  in  satirizing  the  vices  of 
others,  but  in  correcting  his  own. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

GREGORY  NAZIANZEN. 

He  was  born  at  Arianzum,  an  obscure 
village  belonging  to  Nazianzum  in  Cap- 
padocia,  and  came  into  the  world  about 
the  time  of  the  Nicene  council.*  His  fa- 
ther, of  the  same  name,  a  person  of  rank, 
had  been  brought  up  among  a  particular 
sect,  most  resembling  the  Samaritans,  who 
professed  a  mixture  of  Judaism  and  Pa- 
ganism. To  this  opinion,  as  it  had  been 
the  religion  of  his  family,  Gregory  the 
elder  was  in  early  life  extremely  devoted. 
But  marrying  a  lady  of  rank,  and  of  sin- 
cere Christian  piety,  he  was  gradually 
induced  to  attend  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel.  Her  prayers  and  persuasions 
were  equally  ardent.     Gregory  the  elder 


*  Though  I  have  consulted  Socrates  and  So- 
zomon,  yet  the  account  of  Cave  is  so  full  and 
circumstantial,  and  so  well  supijorled  by  ori- 
ginal authoiities,  that  I  shall  liave  little  occa- 
sion to  do  any  thinjj^more  than  to  abridge  the 
life  of  Greg-ory,  written  by  the  latter,  except 
to  a\ail  myself  nf  ijie  industry  of  Du  Pin, 
•when  I  make  a  few  remarks  on  the  works  of 
this  Father. 


dreaming  one  night  that  he  sung  that  pas- 
sage, "  I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto 
me,  let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord," 
and  feeling  an  uncommon  pleasure  on  the 
occasion,  informed  his  wife  of  the  circum- 
stance, who  exhorted  him  to  comply  with 
the  call  of  God  to  his  soul.  And  soon 
after,  Leontius  bishop  of  Ceesarea,  coming 
to  Nazianzum,  in  his  way  to  the  council 
of  Nice,  Gregory  the  elder  was  encou- 
raged and  assisted  by  him,  and  then  re- 
ceived from  the  bishop  of  Nazianzum 
catechetical  instruction,  and  the  ordinance 
of  baptism. 

Nazianzum  itself  had  but  newly  re- 
ceived Christianity.  The  bishop  who 
baptized  Gregory  the  elder,  was  the  first 
of  its  pastors,  and  died  soon  after.  A 
long  vacancy  took  place,  and  the  town 
was  overrun  with  ignorance  and  vice. 
Gregory  the  elder  at  length  was  appointed 
to  the  see,  which  he  filled  for  forty-five 
years  with  great  success  among  the  peo- 
ple. His  son,  Gregory  the  younger, 
the  famous  Gregory,  usually  called  Gre- 
gory Nazianzen,  making  uncommon  ad- 
vances in  learning,  in  several  semina- 
ries, went  to  Athens,  to  complete  his 
education.  During  the  voyage,  a  re- 
markable providence  was  made  subser- 
vient to  his  conversion.  A  storm  sud- 
denly arose,  and  the  vessel  was  for  seve- 
ral days  in  imminent  danger.  Gregory 
lamented  his  want  of  baptism  and  of  se- 
rious Christianity,  and  with  vehement 
prayers  devoted  himself  to  God  to  be  his 
ibrever,  if  he  would  be  pleased  to  spare 
his  life  at  that  time.  When  he  had  finish- 
ed his  prayer,  the  tempest  ceased,  and  the 
ship  was  securely  conducted  to  her  port. 

His  acquaintance  with  Basil  at  Athens 
has  been  mentioned.  Here  also  he  con- 
versed with  Julian  the  apostate,  and,  with 
that  intuitive  penetration  into  character, 
which  seems  a  peculiar  gift  to  some  minds, 
he  foretold  what  a  curse  he  would  one  day 
prove.  See,  said  he,  what  a  pest  the  Ro- 
man empire  nourishes  in  its  bowels  ! 
Yet  Julian,  at  that  time,  had  done  nothing 
to  justify  such  suspicions.  He  attended 
Christian  forms ;  nor  was  he  naturally 
savage  or  inhuman.  The  penetrating  eye 
of  Gregory  discerned,  however,  the  em- 
bryo of  the  apostate  and  the  scorner,  in 
his  bold  and  fearless  spirit  of  disputation, 
and  in  his  presumptuous  curiosity  ; — tem- 
pers in  youth,  which,  if  strong  and  pre- 
dominant, and  accompanied  with  quick- 
ness of  parts,  without  special  grace,  sel- 
dom fail  to  produce  remarkable  fruits  of 


370 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XXIV. 


impiety  in  maturer  age,  and  are  rather 
cherished  than  damped  by  sobriety  of 
manners  and  intenseness  of  application. 
Pride  converts  every  specious  virtue  into 
nourishment  for  herself;  and  Satan  knows 
no  agent  in  the  world  so  proper  as  pride 
for  the  promotion  of  his  kingdom  of  dark- 
ness. 

After  his  baptism,  he  felt  himself 
strongly  inclined  to  the  ascetic  life,  but 
was,  though  reluctant,  made  a  presbyter 
by  his  father.  The  old  man,  better  versed 
in  prayer  than  disputation,  was  once  im- 
posed on,  by  Arian  subtleties,  to  commu- 
nicate with  that  sect,  while  betook  them 
to  be  what  they  were  not,  but  was  reco- 
vered from  the  snare  by  the  arguments  of 
his  more  learned  son.  The  latter,  after 
giving  away  for  some  time  to  the  mo- 
nastic spirit  of  solitude,  was  prevailed  on 
at  length  to  return  to  Nazianzum,  and  to 
employ  himself  in  a  manner  more  worthy 
of  a  Christian,  by  assisting  his  aged  fa- 
ther in  his  pastoral  cares. 

His  friend  Basil  ofleringhim  the  bishop- 
ric of  Sasima,  in  his  diocese  of  Cajsarea, 
and  the  place  being  very  mean  and  ob- 
scure, the  pride  of  Gregory  was  hurt,  and 
for  sometime  a  coldness  subsisted  between 
the  two  friends,  both  of  whom  appear  not 
to  have  possessed,  in  any  great  degree,  the 
humble  simplicity  of  better  times.  Their 
fondness  to  Platonism,  and  their  accurate 
acquaintance  with  secular  learning,  had 
doubtless  no  tendency  to  supply  the  de- 
fects of  their  Christian  views  of  doc- 
trine. 

Gregory  rejecting  the  offer  of  Sasima, 
continued  to  assist  his  father,  and  had 
then  an  opportunity  of  enforcing  a  Chris- 
tian duty,  constantly  allowed  to  be  such 
in  the  primitive  times,  namely,  submission 
to  the  higher  powers,  as  well  as  to  give 
the  most  excellent  advice  to  the  governor 
of  Nazianzum — to  use  his  power  with 
moderation.  Some  civil  tumults  and 
broils  at  that  place  furnished  him  with 
this  occasion. 

His  father  dying  near  a  hundred  years 
old,  and  his  mother  soon  after,  both  of 
them  persons  of  uncommon  piety,  Gre- 
gory was  induced  to  go  to  Constantinople. 
Here,  under  the  emperor  Valens,  Arianism 
was  at  its  height,  and  Gregory  preached 
to  a  few  Christians  in  a  sort  of  conventi- 
cle ;  but,  growing  popular  and  successful, 
he  was  at  last  appointed  bishop  ;  and  at 
length,  under  Theodosius,  he  was  con- 
firmed in  the  charge.  It  proved,  however, 
extremely  uneasy  to  him,  notwithstand- 


ing the  kindness  of  the  emperor.  His 
liberality  and  integrity  were  indeed  ad- 
mirable, and  his  private  life  and  manners 
were  most  exemplary.  But  the  weakness 
of  his  body,  the  irratibility  of  his  temper, 
and  his  extreme  deficiency  in  talents  for 
(jovernment,  rendered  him,  notwalhstand- 
ing  the  just  renown  of  his  incomparable 
oratory,  unfit  for  so  public  a  station. 

The  Gospel  was,  however,  adorned  by 
his  virtues,  and  particularly,  by  the  meek- 
ness with  which  he  forgave  a  person  who 
had  been  suborned  to  murder  him,  and 
who,  having  been  baffled  in  his  purpose 
by  Providence,  came  to  him  in  agony 
of  conscience,  and  confessed  his  inten- 
tions. 

While  he  was  at  Constantinople,  the 
famous  council  was  held  there  for  the  set- 
tlement of  the  peace  of  the  church  ;  du- 
ring the  course  of  which,  Gregory,  a  man 
of  tried  honesty,  but  void  of  political  re- 
finement, found  himself  so  much  opposed 
by  those  who  envied  him,  and  his  best 
desio-ns  so  much  misconstrued,  that  he 
entreated  Theodosius  to  accept  his  resig- 
nation. His  farewell  sermon,  in  which 
he  reminded  his  audience  of  what  God 
had  done  by  him  from  his  first  preaching 
among  them,  when  he  was  attacked  with 
stones  by  the  Arians,  is  a  master-piece  of 
eloquence,  and  moved  the  passions  of  the 
audience  exceedingly.  There  is  in  it  too 
great  a  show  of  eloquence,  and  too  little  of 
the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

A  second  synod  being  held  at  Constan- 
tinople, Gregory,  disgusted  with  the  treat- 
ment he  had  met  with  in  the  first,  and  be- 
ing also  afflicted  with  a  very  infirm  state 
of  health,  refused  to  come,  and  expressed 
himself  with  unbecomingacrimony  against 
councils  in  oreneral.    However,  he  exerted 

•  •  •  1 

himself  sincerely  to  promote  unity  in  the 
church,  and  was  unbounded  in  his  liber- 
ality to  the  poor.  In  his  time  he  was 
looked  on  as  an  admirable  theologian. 
And  indeed,  in  justness  of  taste,  eloquence 
and  secular  learning,  he  was  inferior  to 
few;  and  these  shining  qualities,  in  an 
age  more  contentious  than  simple  with 
respect  to  religion,  procured  Q,,e„ory 
him  an  admiration  for  Chris-  -■  °  ^ 
tian  knowledge  above  his  de- 
serts. He  died  in  ihe  year 
389,  in  his  own  country. 

His  principal  writings  are  his  sermons. 
The  first  of  them  describes  the  difficulties 
and  importance  of  the  pastoral  office, 
blames  the  forwardness  of  many  to  under- 
take it,  and  describes  himself  confounded 


dies, 

A.  D.  389. 


Cekt.  IV.] 


GREGORY  NAZIANZEN. 


371 


under  a  sense  of  his  insufficiency.  In 
two  other  discourses  he  inveighs  against 
Julian  in  a  manner  that  discovers  more  of 
the  orator  than  the  Christian.  In  another 
discourse,  he  endeavours  to  reconcile  the 
minds  of  the  people  of  Nazianzum  to  the 
payment  of  taxes.  He  observes,  that  Je- 
sus Christ  came  into  the  world  at  a  time 
when  a  tax  was  levied,  to  show  that  God 
is  'present  at  such  scenes ;  that  he  was 
made  man,  and  did  himself  pay  taxes,  to 
comibrt  those  who  were  in  bondage,  and 
to  teach  them  to  bear  it  patiently ;  that 
by  thus  abasing  himself  he  taught  kings 
to  treat  their  subjects  with  moderation  ; 
that  tribute  was  a  consequence  of  the  first 
sin,  because  war,  the  cause  of  tribute, 
was  the  consequence  of  sin,  and  a  just 
punishment  of  God. 

His  warm  and  pathetic  addresses  to 
deceased  saints  were  evidently  little  else 
than  mere  strokes  of  oratory.  They  were 
accompanied  with  the  expression  of  a 
doubt,  whether  the  saints  understood  what 
he  said.  He  seems,  however,  to  have 
strengthened  the  growing  superstition, 
and  encouraged  that  worship  of  saints, 
which  he  certainly  did  not  intend,  in  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  afterwards  prac- 
tised. Unguarded  passages  of  this  sort 
occur  in  othex  writers  of  these  times,  none 
of  whom  really  designed  to  inculcate  idol- 
atry. 

In  another  discourse,  he  protests  against 
the  too  common  practice  of  delaying  bap- 
tism, which,  from  the  example  of  Con- 
stantine,  had  grown  very  fashionable,  for 
reasons  equally  corrupt  and  superstitious. 
Men  lived  in  sin  as  long  as  they  thought 
they  could  safely,  and  deferred  baptism 
till  their  near  approach  to  death,  under  a 
groundless  hope  of  washing  away  all 
their  guilt  at  once.  He  presses  the  bap- 
tism of  infants,  and  refutes  the  vain  pre- 
tences of  those  who  followed  the  fashion- 
able notions. 

His  poems  demonstrate  a  rich  vein  of 
genius  and  a  sensibility  of  mind.  Nor 
is  there  wanting  a  true  spirit  of  piety. 
■  In  the  fifty-eighth  are  some  excellent  re- 
flections on  the  falsehood  of  mere  human 
virtue,  the  necessity  of  divine  grace 
through  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  an  humble 
confidence  in  it,  and  the  danger  of  perish- 


ing through  pride  and  vain  glory.  A 
humility  of  this  sort  was  evidently  at  the 
bottom  of  Gregory's  religion  ;  but  I  much 
doubt  whether  his  less  learned  parents 
did  not  understand  it,  practically,  much 
better  than  he.  Mankind  are  naturally 
more  favourable  to  gifts  than  to  graces, 
and  even  good  men  are  but  too  ready  to 
suppose  there  is  much  of  the  latter,  wher- 
ever there  appears  an  abundance  of  the 
former. 

Epiphanius,  bishop  of  Cyprus,  was  not 
inferior  to  many  in  this  century  for  un- 
feigned purity  of  faith  and  m?.nners.     But 
the  particulars  of  his  life  are 
for  the  most  part  uninterest-     Epiphani- 

Ti    •  u  us  bora 

mg.     It  IS  proper,  however,     ^^^^^ 

to  mention  his  zeal  in  tearing      .    „   ^ 

a  painted  curtain   which  he        •     •    -  > 

saw  in  a  place  of  public  wor-     „?^*^"    „ 

,  ■  riM  ■  ^  Uislion  ot 

ship.     Ihis  seems  at  once  a     Cvm-us  in 

proof  of  his  detestation  of  355 
images  and  pictures  in  reli-  ^jjg^i  j^ 
gion,  and  also  of  the  weak  403. 
beginnings  of  that  supersti- 
tion in  the  fourth  century.  In  this  place 
let  us  not  omit  to  observe  his  very  lauda- 
ble spirit  of  beneficence.  Numbers  from 
all  parts  sent  him  large  sums  to  distribute 
to  the  needy,  in  confidence  of  his  charity 
and  integrity.  His  steward  one  day  in- 
formed him,  that  his  stock  was  nearly 
exhausted,  and  blamed  his  profuse  libe- 
rality ;  but  he  continued  still  as  liberal  as 
before,  till  all  was  gone;  when  he  re- 
ceived suddenly  from  a  stranger  a  large 
bag  of  gold.  Another  story  deserves  to 
be  recorded  as  a  monument  of  Divine 
Providence,  the  rather,  as  it  seems  ex- 
tremely well  authenticated.*  Two  beg- 
gars agreeing  to  impose  on  him,  one 
feigned  himself  dead,  the  other  begged  of 
Epiphanius  to  supply  the  expenses  of  his 
companion's  funeral.  Epiphanius  grant- 
ed the  request ;  the  beggar  on  the  depar- 
ture of  the  bishop  desired  his  companion 
to  rise  ;  but  the  man  was  really  dead  ! — 
To  sport  with  the  servants  of  God,  and 
to  abuse  their  kindness,  is  to  provoke 
God,  himself,  as  the  bishop  told  the  sur- 
vivor. 


♦  Sozom.  B.  VII.  c.  27. 


372 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


CENTURY  V. 


CHAPTER  I. 

JOHN  CHRYSOSTOM. 

Some  brief  account  of  this  renowned 
Father  will  properly  introduce  the  fifth 
century  to  the  acquaintance  of  the  reader, 
because  the  transactions  with  which  his 
story  is  connected  extend  a  few  years 
from  the  last  century  into  this,  and  are 
very  descriptive  of  the  religious  state  of 
the  East  at  that  time. 

He  was,  at  the  commencement  of  the 
century,  bishop  of  Constantinople,  where 
the  emperor  Arcadius  resided,  while  his 
brother  Honorius  reigned  in  the  West: 
these  two  were  the  sons  and  successors  of 
the  great  Theodosius.  But  we  must  look 
back  to  the  rise  of  John  Chrysostom.  He 
p,  was  born  at  Antioch*  about 

torn  bor;  the  year  354.  His  parents 
were  persons  oi  some  rank, 
A.  U.  3j4.     ^^j  j^y  ^j^g  ^^j.g  ^^  j^jg  mother 

(for  he  lost  his  father  soon  after  his  birth) 
his  education  was  attended  to  in  a  very 
particular  manner.  By  her  means,  he 
had  the  advantage  of  being  early  preju- 
diced in  favour  of  Christianity.  Yet, 
being  naturally  studious  of  eloquence,  he 
devoled  himself  to  the  care  of  that  great 
master,  Libanius  of  Antioch,  who  being 
one  day  asked,  who  would  be  capable  of 
succeeding  him  in  his  school;  "John," 
said  he,  "  if  the  Christians  had  not  stolen 
him  from  us."  So  great  was  the  idea  he 
had  formed  of  his  powers  of  eloquence. 

He  prognosticated  right.  It  would  be 
easy  to  produce  abundance  of  instances 
of  his  oratorical  abilities.  I  wish  it  were 
in  my  power  to  record  as  many  of  his 
evangelical  excellencies. 

Having  pleaded  a  little  time  in  the 
Forum,  he  began  to  find  a  vacancy  in  his 
mind  not  to  be  supplied  by  secular  arts 
and  studies.  The  Spirit  of  God  seems, 
from  that  time,  to  have  drawn  him  to 
study  the  Scriptures,  and  one  material 
advantage  he  derived  from  his  master 
Diodorus,  who  was  afterwards  bishop  of 
Tarsus :  By  him  he  was  taught  to  forsake 
the  popular  whims  of  Origen,  and  to  in- 
vestigate the  literal  and  historical  sense 
of  the  Divine  word ;  a  practice,  in  which 


•  Cave's  Life  of  this  Father. 


he  differed  from  most  of  the  fathers  of  his 
times. 

He  contracted  an  intimate  friendship 
with  one  Basil,  whom,  by  a  deceit,  he 
drew  into  the  acceptance  of  a  bishopric  ; 
nor  is  he  ashamed  to  justify  himself  in 
doing  evil  that  good  may  come,*  We 
have  seen  the  deliberate  fraud  practised 
by  Ambrose  to  avoid  a  bishopric.f  And 
I  find  Chrysostom,  in  his  exposition  of 
the  second  chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the 
Galatians,  supposes,  that  both  Paul  and 
Peter  were  laudably  engaged  in  fraud, 
because  their  views  were  charitable  and 
pious.  We  shall  afterwards  have  occa- 
sion to  consider  this  matter  a  little  more 
fully,  when  we  come  to  the  controversy 
between  Jerom  and  Augustine  on  the  sub- 
ject. At  present,  suffice  it  to  observe, 
that  the  decline  in  doctrine  had  evidently 
produced  a  decline  in  ethics ;  that  the  ex- 
amples of  men,  otherwise  so  justly  re- 
putable, as  Ambrose,  Chrysostom,  and 
Jerom, +  must  have  had  a  pernicious  ef- 
fect on  Christian  morals;  and  that  the 
growth  of  austere  superstition  was  unfa- 
vourable to  truth  and  integrity. 

Notwithstanding  the  entreaties  of  his 
pious  mother,  he  lived  in  monastic  aus- 
terities for  some  time;  after  which,  Fla- 
vian, bishop  of  Antioch,  promoted  him  to 
the  ofhce  of  presbyter  in  his  ge.jitionat 
diocese.  About  the  year  379,  Antioch 
a  sedition  broke  out  at  Anti-  .  jj  ^-^ 
och,  on  account  of  taxes,  and 
the  people  dragged  about  the  streets  the 
statues  of  Theodosius,  and  of  his  excel- 
lent lady  Flaccilla,  and  of  their  two  sons, 
in  contempt.  But  finding  afterwards  the 
danger  of  the  emperor's  resentment,  this 
inconstant  and  turbulent  people  were  in 
the  greatest  distress.  Antioch  had  ever 
been  very  favourable  to  the  name,  at  least, 
of  Christianity,  since  the  time  that  the 
disciples  were  first  called  Christians  at 
Antioch.  But  luxury  and  the  love  of  the 
world,  were,  it  is  to  be  feared,  much  more 
common  in  these  times  than  godliness, 

*  Sacerdotio,  B.  I. 

f  See  page  3'29  of  this  Volume. 

:|:  The  reader  will  carefully  observe,  that 
Augustine  is  not  involved  in  this  censure,  in 
the  least  degree.  Let  it  be  observed  also,  that 
these  pious  frauds  had  no  connexion  with  the 
love  of  lucre,  and  arose  more  properly  from 
superstition,  than  from  hypocrisy. 


Cext.  v.] 


JOHN  CHRYSOSTOM. 


373 


even  among  the   Christian  inhabitants. 
About    two    hundred   thousand   citizens 
made  up  the  sum  total;  and  half  of  these 
were  Christians.     John  failed  not  to  im- 
prove  the   opportunity.     Serious    as   he 
himself  was  in  Christian  views,  so  far  as 
he  understood  them,  and  excellent  as  a 
preacher  of  the  law,  he  exhorted  them  to 
repentance,  and  verj"  properly  made  the 
awful  suspense  they  were  then  in,  an  in- 
structive emblem  of  our  expectation  of 
the  daj'  of  judgment.     Hymns  and  lita- 
nies  were  composed  to   solicit   God   to 
move  the  heart  of  the  emperor  to  pity ; 
and  man)'',  who  had  never  attended  the 
house  of  God,  and  had  spent  their  whole 
time  in  the  theatre,  now  joined  in  divine 
worship  with  much  earnestness  and  as- 
siduity,    Flavian  the  bishop,  though  aged 
and  infirm,  undertook  a  journey  to  Con- 
stantinople to  deprecate  the  wrath  of  the 
emperor.     Libanius  the  sophist  also  did 
the  same;  but  the  generality  of  the  phi- 
losophers hid  themselves  in  holes   and 
corners,  end  did  nothing  for  their  country 
in  danger;   while  the  monks  left   their 
cells,  and  flocked  into  the  cit}',  and  en- 
treated the  magistrates  and  judges  to  be- 
have with  lenity.     One  Macedonius  par- 
ticularly* addressed  the  Commissioners, 
and  desired  them  to  admonish  the  empe- 
ror not  to  destroy  the  image  of  God,  lest 
he   should   provoke   the    Divine   Artist ; 
which  he  might  think  would  be  the  case, 
when  he  reflected  how  angry  he  himself 
was  for  the  sake  of  brazen  statues.    Thus, 
even  monks,  who  exhibited  Christianity 
in  a  degenerate  form,  exceeded  in  benevo- 
lence and  active  virtue  the  boasted  and 
boasting  sons  of  philosophy  ! 

The  spirit  of  Chrysostom,  in  the  mean 
time,  was  softened  and  overawed  with 
the  mingled  sensations  of  pity  and  devo- 
tion, while  he  observed  the  severe  pro- 
ceedings of  the  courts,  and  the  vain  in- 
tercessions of  relations  for  husbands  and 
fathers.  He  was  led  to  reflect  how  awful 
the  day  of  judgment  will  be,  when  not  a 
mother,  sister,  or  father  can  arrest  the 
course  of  Divine  justice,  or  give  the  least 
relief  to  nearest  relations ;  asd,  in  his 
homilies,  he  with  much  eloquence  and 
piety  enforced  these  considerations  on  a 
gidd}',  unthinking  people.  Pastors  may 
take  the  hint  from  hence  to  improve  tem- 
poral scenes  to  the  spiritual  benefit  of 
their  audiences. 

The  generous  and  gfood-natured  Theo- 

*  Theodoret,  B.  V.  c.  20. 
Vol.  I.  21 


dosius  expostulated  with  Flavian  on  the 
unreasonableness  and  ingratitude  of  the 
citizens  of  Antioch  to  himself,  who  had 
ever  been  as  a  parent  and  benefactor  to 
them.  Flavian,  admitting  the  truth  of 
his  observations,  and  confessinfr  the  arr- 
gravated  guilt  of  the  city,  pressed  him 
with  the  divine  rule,  If  ye  forgive  men 
their  trespasses,  your  heavenly  Father 
will  also  forgive  you.  And  his  pathetic 
and  pious  admonitions  prevailed.  Theo- 
dosius  owned,  that  if  the  great  Lord  of 
tlie  world  for  our  sake,  became  a  servant, 
and  prayed  for  his  murderers,  it  highly 
became  himself  to  forgive  his  fellow- 
servants;  and  with  great  tenderness  he 
solicited  the  bishop  to  hasten  his  return, 
and  to  deliver  the  citizens  from  their 
fears.  In  the  mean  time  the  active  cha- 
rity of  the  monks  and  clergy  had  pre- 
vailed on  the  judges  to  suspend  their 
proceedings  till  they  heard  from  the  em- 
peror; and  Flavian  himself  returned  at 
length  with  the  news  of  the  city  being 
fully  restored  to  his  favour.  These  are 
some  of  the  triumphs  of  the  Gospel.  Its 
mild  influence  on  society,  in  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  fights  of  gladiators  and  other 
savage  practices,  and  in  the  kind  and  li- 
beral behaviour  of  emperors  towards  their 
subjects,  even  in  limes  when  true  reli- 
gion was  at  no  great  height,  demonstrate, 
not  only  that  states  act  unwisely,  when 
they  venture  to  reject  Christianity  alto- 
gether, and  to  substitute  mere  elhics  in 
its  stead;  but  also,  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
governors  and  legislators,  as  much  as  in 
them  lies,  by  positive  institutions  to  pro- 
mote the  knowledcre  and  influence  of  that 
divine  religion. 

In  the  year  398,  Chrysostom,  by  the 
advice  of  Eutropius,  chief  chamberlain 
of  the  palace,  was  appointed 
bishop  of  Constantinople,  be- 
ing hurried  thither  by  a  frau- 
dulent scheme,  such  as  he 
himself  had  approved  in  like 
cases.  The  qmperor  Arca- 
dius,  a  character  of  the  most  insipid  in- 
significance, fixed  in  the  metropolitical 
chair  a  person  of  great  integrity,  activity, 
and  virtue  indeed  ;  but  surely  not  through 
any  wisdom  of  his  own.  John  began 
immediately  to  attempt  the  reformation 
of  his  diocese.  He  put  an  end  to  a  cus- 
tom of  the  clergy  of  keeping  matrons  in 
their  families,  which  caused  much  scan- 
dal ;  he  censured  their  covetousness  and 
their  luxury  ;  retrenched  the  expenses  of 
the  bishop's  table,  and  applied  the  sur- 


MaJe  Bi- 
shop of 
Constanti- 
nople, 

A.  D.  398. 


374 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  I. 


plus  to  the  needy ;  built  a  large  hospital* 
for  the  infirm,  and  put  it  under  the  most 
salutary  regulations.  Such  ministers  as 
refused  to  amend  their  lives,  he  suspend- 
ed from  their  offices;  and  the  Avidows 
who  were  maintained  by  the  church, 
were  admonished  to  abstain  from  their 
gay  manner  of  living,  or  else  to  marry. 
And  he  pressed  the  laity,  whose  employ- 
ments filled  up  the  day,  to  attend  divine 
worship  in  the  evening. 

The  common  people  heard  him  gladly, 
as,  for  a  time  at  least,  they  generally 
will  hear,  in  all  ages,  a  preacher  who 
speaks  to  the  conscience,  though  severe- 
ly, yet  faithfully,  with  earnest  desire  ex- 
hibited in  his  whole  manner  to  do  them 
good.  Even  some  of  the  Dissenters  at- 
tended on  his  preaching;  nor  did  bela- 
bour in  vain  in  reclaiming  heretics. f 
The  Clergy,  indolent  and  corrupt  as  they 
then  were,  opposed  him  vehemently,  and 
watched  opportunities  against  him.  The 
wealthy  and  the  great,  offended  at  his 
plain  reproofs,  were  as  ill-disposed  as 
the  clergy.     Chrysostom  however  perse- 


*The  superiority  of  Christianit}-,  consider- 
ed ki  an  elliical  and  political  point  of  view,  to 
ail  other  religions,  may  deserve  to  be  an  ob- 
ject of  attention.     We  have  seen  great  proofs 
of  it  already.    It  is  difficult  to  prove  a  negative 
proposition  ;  I  can  only  say,  therefore,  that  I 
do  not  recollect  any  such  humane  and  bene- 
ficent provisions  for  the  poor  in  the  wliole  cir- 
cle of  ancient  Paganism  ;  nor  do  1  remember 
any   one  of  the  philosophers,  who  was  ever 
sedulously  employed,  by  word  or  deed,  for  the 
lower  ranks  of  men.     True  religion  visits  the 
fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction.  With 
]ustice  might  Ambrose,  observing  the  liberal- 
ity which  the  church  exercised  to  the  needy, 
ask  the  Pagans,  Let  them  tell  me,  what  cap- 
tives were  redeemed,  what  hospitals  maintain- 
ed, what  exiles  provided  for,  by  the  income  of 
the  temples  ? 

f  A  visible  reformation  of  manners  in  a 
capital,  which  had  long  suftered  under  Arian 
impiety,  and  had  fallen  into  a  general  relaxa- 
tion of  discipline,  attended  his  labours.  Per- 
sons, who  hitherto  had  frequented  the  public 
shows,  now  came  in  crowds  to  public  worship. 
Here  he  exjjounded  various  parts  of  the  New 
Testament.  He  preached  tliree  times  a  week, 
and  sometimes  seven  days  successively.  The 
crowd  vas  so  great,  that  to  place  himself 
-where  he  miglit  be  heard,  he  was  obliged  to 
sit  in  the  middle  of  the  church,  in  the  reader's 
desk.  He  reformed  likewise  the  churches  of 
the  neighbouring  provinces  of  Thrace,  Asia, 
and  Pontus.  It  appears  that  various  churches 
in  {be  East  were  administered  with  shameful 
corruption  and  profligacy,  and  several  bishops, 
by  the  vigour  of  Chrysosiom's  zeal,  were  de- 
posed. 


vered ;  nor  did  he  confine  his  cares  to 
Constantinople.    In   order  to  overcome 
the  Arianism  of  the  Goths,  he  ordained 
some  persons  of  their  country,  to  whom 
he  assigned  a  church  within  the  city,  and 
by   their   industry   he   reclaimed   many. 
He   himself  often   preached   there,   and 
prevailed  on  others  of  the  clergy  to  do  the 
same.     He  made  liberal  and  active  at- 
tempts to  spread  the  Gospel  among  bar- 
barous nations,  though  the  troubles  which 
afterwards  befel  him,  must  have  checked 
both  these  and  other  Christian  designs.* 
In  an  age  of  luxury  and  extreme  re- 
laxation of  discipline,  it  might  be  expect- 
ed that  the  uprightness  and  inflexible  in- 
tegrity  of    Chrysostom    would    expose 
him   to   many  inconveniences.      During 
the  negligent  administration  of  his  pre- 
decessor Nectarius  the  successor  of  Gre- 
gory Nazianzen,  a  remarkable  alteration 
for  the  worse,  in  point  of  discipline,  had 
taken  place.     There  had  been  a  presby- 
ter, whose  special  office  it  was  to  receive 
the  confession  of  penitents,  and  by  his 
authority  they  were  admitted  to  the  com- 
munion.     Superstition,   most   probably, 
had   guided  too  much  the  formalities  of 
this  discipline;  but  profanenjess  was  still 
worse,  and  the  Lord's  Supper  was  now 
open  to  all  sorts  of  characters,  no  other 
rules   being  prescribed  than  what  men 
chose  to  impose  on  themselves.     It  was 
not  in  the  power  of  Chrysostom,  in  a  me- 
tropolis so  dissolute,  and  so  much  under 
the  secular  influence,  to  restore  the  dis- 
cipline  of  the   church   in   this   respect. 
What    was    wanting,   he    supplied    by 
preaching  with  the  most  laudable  energy, 
and  he  exhorted  men  to  repent  again  and 
again,  and  then  to  attend  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per.    He  was  evidently  speaking  of  pri- 
vate, not  of  public  penitence.     Yet  his 
expressions  were  perversely  interpreted 
by  two  sorts  of  men,  of  very  opposite 
characters,  the  Novatians,  and  the  more 
dissolute  persons  of  the  general  church. 
The  former  still  maintained  their  favour- 
ite point,  of  never  receiving  the  lapsed  at 
all ;  the  latter  accused  him  of  giving  a 
license  to  sin.     Yet  if  the  distinction  be- 
tween private  and  public  penitence  be  at- 
tended to,  the  innocence  of  Chrysostom's 
expressions  will  be  sufficiently  clear,  and 
he   will  appear  to   have   only   exhorted 
them  to  repentance  on  the  encouragement 
of  the  divine  mercies  in  Christ,  which 
offer  pardon  to  repeated  and  multiplied 


*  Fleury,  B.  XX.  40.    Sozom.  B.  VIU.  c.  5. 


Cejtt.  v.] 


JOHN  CHRYSOSTOM. 


375 


transgressions.  With  what  malevolence 
this  great  man  was  treated  by  the  disso- 
lute, may  be  easily  conceived,  when  so 
grave  a  person  as  Socrates  the  historian, 
who  had  a  partial  fondness  for  Novatian- 
ism,  expresses  his  wonder,  that  Chrysos- 
tom  should  have  given  such  encourage- 
ment to  sin,  in  his  sermons,  and  have 
contradicted  the  canons  of  the  church, 
which  had  been  made  with  the  excessive 
rigour  that  characterized  the  third  centu- 
ry, and  had  forbidden  the  indulgence  of 
communion  to  be  granted  any  more  than 
once  to  offenders.*  Nor  is  this  the  only 
instance  in  which  the  zeal  and  upright- 
ness of  good  men  exposes  them,  in  a 
malignant  world,  to  the  censure  of  opposite 
characters;  of  those,  who  carry  the  pro- 
fession of  strictness  too  far,  and  of  those, 
who  scarce  pretend  to  any  at  all.  Chry- 
sostom  was  accused,  on  this  account,  by 
the  profligate  bishops,  and  was  also  cen- 
sured by  Sisinnius,  bishop  of  the  Nova- 
tians  in  Constantinople,  who  wrote  a 
book  against  him  and  censured  him  with 
great  severity. 

Of  this   Sisinnius   I  shall  not  record 
what  Socrates  thinks  it  worth  while  to 
spend  one  chapter  upon.f   For,  though  he 
evidently  desires  to  interest  the  reader  in 
his  favour,  he  records  nothing  but  what 
tends  to  show  him  to  have  been  a  polite, 
facetious,  well-bred  gentleman,  who  made 
himself  very  agreeable  to  all  parties,  and 
was  a  contrast  to  the  severity  of  Chrysos- 
tom  by  his  engaging  manners.     He  sur- 
vived the  latter,  and  lived  on  terms  of 
amity  with  Atticus  his  successor ;  and  I 
should  with  pleasure  reciie  an  account  of 
his  pious  labours  and  success  in  the  mi- 
nistry, could  I  find  any  real  proof  that  he 
was  endowed  with  the  spirit  of  the  Gos- 
pel,  and   exhibited    it   in   his   conduct. 
Though  the  article  of  dress  is  but  an  ex- 
ternal thing,  his  wearing  white  garments, 
against   the  mode  of  the  time,  when  the 
clergy  were  habited  in  black,  was  certain- 
ly indecent;  nor  is  his  saying,  that  there 
was  no  scripture  which  required  the  wear- 
ing of  black,  a  satisfactory  apology. 

It  is  not  from  such  courtly  characters 
as  these,  that  reformation  in  the  Church, 
in  an  age  of  corruption  like  that  at  the  be- 
ginning of  this  century,  is  to  be  expected. 
Chrysostomwas  doubtless  endowed  with 
many  qualities  which  belong  to  a  reformer. 
Socrates  owns  his  extreme  temperance, 
and  at  the  same  time  blames  him  for  the 


vice  of  anger,  and  the  charge  seems  but 
too  just. 

Tills  infirmity,  too  common  to  men  of 
generous  and  noble  minds,  gave,  no  doubt, 
o-reat  advantagfe  to  his  enemies,  and  con- 
curred    with    various    circumstances    to 
crush  the  bishop  of  Constantinople.     A 
synod  at  length,  held  and  managed  by 
Theophilus  bishop  of  Alexandria,  his  de- 
termined enemy,  and  one  of  the  worst  ec- 
clesiastical characters  in  history,  support- 
ed by  the  influence  of  the  proud  Eudoxia, 
the  empress,  condemned  him  with  extreme 
injustice.     I  shall  not  stain  these  pages 
with  a  detail  of  their  iniquitous  proceed- 
ings.*  It  is  more  to  our  purpose  to  notice 
his  conduct  under  the  severe  persecution. 
Chrysostom,  foreseeing  the  effect  of  the 
storm  which  was  gathering  round  him, 
addressed   himself  to  the  bishops  who 
were  his  friends,  assembled  in  the  great 
room   of   his    house. f      "  Brethren,  be 
earnest  in  prayer;  and  as  you  love  our 
Lord  Jesus,  let  none  of  you  for  my  sake 
desert  his  charge.   For,  as  was  St.  Paul's 
case,  I  am  ready  to  be  offered  up,  and  the 
time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand.     I  see  I 
must  undergo  many  hardships,  and  then 
quit  this  troublesome  life.     I  know  the 
subtilty  of  Satan,  who  cannot  bear  to  be 
daily  tormented  with  my  preaching.     By 
your  constancy  you  will  find  mercy  at  the 
hand  of  God  ;  only  remember  me  in  your 
prayers."     The  assembly  being  afflicted 
with  vehement  sorrow,  he  besought  them 
to  moderate  their  grief;  "  for  to  me  to  live 
is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain."    "  I  always 
told  you  this  life  is  a  road  in  which  joys 
and    sorrows   both   pass   swiftly    away. 
The  visible  scene  of  things  before  us  is 
like  a  fair,  where  we  buy  and  sell,  and 
sometimes  recreate  ourselves.      Are  we 
better  than  the  patriarchs  1    Do  we  excel 
the  prophets  and  apostles,  that  we  should 
live  here  for  ever  ]"      When  one  of  the 
company  passionately  bewailed  the  deso- 
lations of  the  Church,  the  bishop,  striking 


*  Among  the  other  charges,  he  was  accused 
of    saying,   "  If    thou   sinnest    again,  repent 
again  ;  and  as  oft  as  liiou  sinnest,  come  to  me 
and  1  will  heal  thee."    This  is  the  ca- 


airain 


lumny  already  spoken  to. 


That  he  spoke  con- 
and  had  written  a 


*  Socrat.  B.  YI.  21. 


t  Chap.  22. 


tenniiibly  of  the  clergy, 
whole  book  stuffed  with  falsehood  against 
them  ;  these  also  were  among  the  articles  of 
accusation,  which,  in  general,  betray  the  folly 
and  malice  of  his  enemies,  and  are  more  than 
sufficiently  confuted  by  the  piety  and  godly 
zeal,  which  appear  in  his  writings  still  extant. 
f  Cave's  Life  of  Chrysostom,  Pallad.  vita 
Chrysost.  p.  67. 


376 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


the  end  of  his  right  fore-finger  on  the 
pahn  of  his  left  hand  (which  he  was  ac- 
customed to  do,  when  much  in  earnest) 
said,  "  Brother,  it  is  enough,  pursue  the 
subject  no  further;  however,  as  I  request- 
ed, desert  not  your  churches.  As  for  the 
doctrine  of  Christ,  it  began  not  with  me, 
nor  shall  it  die  with  me.  Did  not  Moses 
die  ?  and  did  not  Joshua  succeed  him  ? — 
Paul  was  beheaded,  and  left  he  not  Timo- 
thy, Titus,  ApoUos,  and  many  more  be- 
hind him  ]" 

Eu^.ysius  bishop  of  Apamea  answered, 
"  But  if  we  keep  our  churches  we  shall 
,  be  compelled  to  communicate  and  sub- 
scribe." "  Communicate,"  returns  he, 
"  you  may,  that  you  make  not  a  schism 
in  the  church  :*  but  subscribe  not  the  de- 
crees ;  for  I  am  not  conscious  of  having 
done  any  thing,  for  which  I  should  deserve 
to  be  deposed." 

As  Theophilus  assumed  a  power,  which 
doubtless  belonged  not  to  him,  and  as 
Chrysostom  observed,  it  did  not  become 
a  man  that  lives  in  Egypt  to  judge  one 
that  lives  in  Thrace,  the  bishop  of  Con- 
stantinople refused  to  own  the  authority 
of  the  court.  His  enemies  deposed  him 
for  contumacy,  and  to  support  their  views, 
they  informed  the  emperor  Arcadius,  that 
he  had  been  guilty  of  treason,  meaning 
the  affront  he  had  put  on  the  empress  in 
calling  her  Jezebel;  and  it  is  not  impro- 
bable, but  that  he  had,  in  some  of  his 
sermons,  compared  her  to  the  wife  of 
Ahab,  whom,  in  truth,  she  much  resem- 
bled in  pride  and  cruelty. 


*  In  this  he  doubtless  acted  with  great  pro- 
priety. Corrupt  as  the  Eastei-iv  churcli  then 
was,  the  corruption  was  rather  in  pi-aclice 
tlian  in  doctrine.  And  such  a  separation  as 
afterwards  took  place  at  the  Reformation, 
■wouhl  have  been  very  unjustifiable.  Good 
men  by  remaining  in  it  might  do  a  thousand 
times  more  good,  than  thej'  would  be  capable 
of  doing  by  deserting  it.  And  so  long  as  the 
doctrine  itself  is  preserved  sound  and  pure, 
by  the  continuance  of  lioly  men  in  the  church, 
wlio  in  that  case  can  remain  with  a  clear  con- 
science, revivals  may  be  expected  from  time 
to  time.  Of  this  we  shall  sliortly  see  a  solid 
instance  in  the  Western  church,  and  such  we 
have  seen  in  the  church  of  England  in  our  own 
times.  Separation  seems  only  justified  in  the 
case  of  a  total  cori-uption  and  incurable  mala- 
dy, such  as  that  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation. 
Plasty  and  intemperate  schisms  rend  the 
church  into  miserable  fragments,  prevent,  as 
far  as  man  can  prevent,  any  great  and  general 
revival  of  godliness,  and  are  strongly  guai'ded 
against  in  the  epistolary  writings  of  the  New 
Testament. 


The  people  of  Constantinople,however, 
who  sincerely  loved  the  bishop,  insisted 
on  his  being  heard  by  more  equitable 
judges,  and  so  strong  was  their  agitation, 
that  Chrysostom,  fearing  a  popular  insur- 
rection, delivered  himself  up  secretly  to 
the  officer,  who  came  to  execute  the  im- 
perial warrant  against  him.  He  was  con- 
veyed immediately  to  a  port  in  the  Black 
Sea.  As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  he 
was  gone,  the  whole  city  was  in  an  up- 
roar; many  blamed  the  emperor,  who,  in 
so  weak  a  inanner,  had  given  up  the 
most  upright  of  men  to  the  malice  of  his 
wife  and  of  Theophilus.  The  tumtilt  was 
at  length  so  violent,  that  Eudoxia  herself, 
frightened  at  the  danger,  pressed  her  hus- 
band to  recal  him,  and  even  wrote  to  Chry- 
sostom a  letter  full  of  protestations  of 
sorrow  and  respect.  Chrysostom  was, 
therefore,  restored  to  his  bishopric.  But 
the  calm  season  lasted  not  long.  A  silver 
statue  of  the  einpress  was  solemnly  erect- 
ed in  the  street  just  before  the  great  church 
of  St.  Sophia.  It  was  dedicated  with 
many  heathenish  extravagancies;  and  the 
people  used  to  meet  there  in  sports  and 
pastimes,  to  the  distraction  of  the  congre- 
gation. The  bishop,  iinpatient  of  these 
things,  blained  them  from  the  pulpit,  and 
with  great  imprudence  began  his  sermon 
after  this  manner :  "  Now  again  Herodias 
rages  and  is  vexed,  again  she  dances, 
again  she  desires  John's  head  in  a  char- 
ger."* 

The  enemies  of  the  bishop  could  not 
desire  a  greater  advantage.  And  they  im- 
proved it  to  the  utmost.  Numbers  w^ere 
ready  to  gratify  the  resentment  of  Eu- 
doxia. And  Arcadius,  overcome  by  im- 
portunity, again  ordered  his  deposition. 
He  was  suspended  and  confined  :  His 
friends  and  followers  were  dispersed,  ri- 
fled, killed,  or  imprisoned.  Edicts  were 
issued,  severely  threatening  all  that  re- 
fused to  renounce  communion  with  Chry- 
sostom. It  was  the  season  of  Easter, 
when  the  catechumens,  who  had  been  in- 
structed, were  to  receive  baptism.  The 
friends  of  Chrysostom  fled  into  the  fields 
to  keep  the  festival  there.     The  emperor 


*  The  rashness  of  Chrysostom  in  tliis  affair 
was  so  great,  that  I  could  not  easily  believe 
this  account.  But  I  see  the  truth  of  the  story 
is  coi>firmed  by  the  authorily  botli  of  Socrates 
and  Sozomen,  and  on  consuhing  them  it  does 
not  appear  that  any  apology  can  be  made  for 
the  bishop.  He  certainly  mixed  not  the  wis- 
dom of  llie  serpent  with  the  innocence  of  the 
dove. 


Cent.  V.] 


JOHN  CHRYSOSTOM. 


377 


himself  went  out  that  day  into  a  meadow 
adjoining  to  the  city,  and  espied  a  fiekl 
covered  with  white.  These  were  the 
catechumens  who  had  been  baptized  the 
nig-ht  before,  and  had  then  their  white 
garments  upon  them,  being  near  three 
thousand  in  number.  The  emperor,  being 
told  that  they  were  a  conventicle  of  here- 
tics, ordered  a  party  of  soldiers  to  disperse 
them.  Several  women  of  quality  were 
very  rudely  treated  on  this  occasion,  and 
numbers  were  imprisoned  and  scourged. 
Receiving  at  length  a  warrant,  signed  by 
the  emperor,  to  depart,  Chrysostom  ex- 
horted the  deaconesses  to  continue  their 
care  of  the  church,  and  to  communicate 
_,,  with  the  bishop  who  should 

.  „  ••  „  be  chosen  bv  common  consent 
torn  retires     .     ,  .  •'^         ,    ,  .      , 

from  his  1'^  "^^  room,*  and  he  retired 
See.  once  more  from  his  See,  in  the 

year  404. 
Arsacius,  brother  of  Nectarius,  being 
appointed  bishop  in  his  stead,  the  i'riends 
of  Chrysostom,  in  opposition  to  the  ad- 
vice which  he  had  given  them,  refused  to 

submit,  and  formed  separate 
Arsacius  assemblies,  and  were  severely 
Bishop  \n  persecuted  by  the  name  of  Jo- 
his  stead,  annites.  Among  these  friends 
A  D  404  ^^'^^  ^^  opulent  lady,  called 
•  *  *  '  Olympias,  who  had  honoured 
him  abundantly,  and  appears  to  have 
profited  much  by  his  ministry.  She  had 
acted  in  the  church  as  a  deaconess,  and 
was  now  banished  to  Nicomedia,  whence 
she  supplied  the  exiled  prelate  with  mo- 
ney. Here  she  lived  many  years,  an  ex- 
ample of  piety, 

Chrysostom  himself  was  conveyed  to 
Cucusus  in  Armenia,  a  barren   cold  re- 
gion, infested  with  robberjr,  and  mourn 
fully  marked  already  with  the  murder  of 

Paul,  the  former  bishop  of 
Chrysos-  Constantinople.  His  journey 
torn  is  con-     ^^    ^j^j^    ^jj^^g    ^^^^   attended 

CuJu'susin  ^^'i.t'i  ™^"y  grievous  hard- 
Armenia.  ships,  though  sweetened  with 
the  compassionate  care  of  va- 
rious persons,  who  keenly  sympathized 
with  injured  innocence.  At  Cucusus, 
however,  he  met  with  very  generous 
treatment.  Here  he  preached  frequently 
to  a  people  who  heard  him  gladly.  A 
grievous  famine  raging  in  those  parts,  he 
was  enabled,  by  the  liberality  of  Olym- 

*  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  the  appearance 
of  a  popular  election  of  bishops  was  still  kept 
up  at  Constantinople  ;  but  it  could  only  be  the 
appearance. 

2  i2 


pias,  to  relieve  the  poor.  And  he  re- 
deemed many  captives  which  had  been 
taken  by  the  Isaurian  robbers.  He  had 
formerly  conceived  a  plan  for  converting 
the  Pao-ans  which  were  still  in  Phoenicia, 
and  had  made  some  progress  in  it.  But 
understanding  that  the  design  had  met 
with  a  check,  he  an'ain  made  vigorous  at- 
tempts  for  the  support  of  so  good  a  work, 
and  ordered  sums  of  money  for  the  erec- 
tion of  churches,  and  the  support  of  mis- 
sionaries. He  seemed  to  recover  his 
health  for  a  time,  but  winter  approaching 
he  felt  the  usual  effects  of  that  season  on 
persons  of  weak  constitutions.  His  sto- 
mach had  unhappily  received  much  inju- 
ry from  the  austerities  of  his  youth,  and 
never  recovered  its  tone.  The  next  spring 
he  recruited,  but  always  obliged  to  ob- 
serve the  strictest  retrimen.* 

At  Constantinople,  Atticus  was  chosen 
to  succeed  Arsacius,  who  died  in  the  year 
405,  and  the  Joannites  were      . 
still  persecuted  in  the  Eastern     ^j^f  ^'"^ 
church.    Chrysostom  himself  ' 

was   obliged   to   move   from     A.    .       ; 
place  to  place  on  account  of    ^^^  Atti- 
danger  from  robbers,  and,  as     cus  sue- 

•  CfGflS   to 

he  wrote  to  Innocent,  bi-  ^^^^  g^^ 
shop  of  Rome,  who  sincerely, 
though  unsuccessful!}'^,  laboured  in  his 
cause,  he  was  in  the  third  year  of  his 
banishment,  exposed  to  famine,  pesti- 
lence, war,  continual  sieges,  an  incredi- 
ble desolation,  to  death  every  day,  and  to 
the  Isaurian  swords. 

His  enemies,  beholding  with  an  evil 
eye,  the  respect  every  where  paid  to  him, 
procured  an  order  for  him  to  be  removed 
to  Pityus,  the  very  shore  of  the  Black 
Sea.  In  his  way  thither,  he  was  brought 
to  an  Oratory  of  Basiliscus,  who  had  suf- 
fered martyrdom  under  Dioclesian's  per- 
secution. Here  he  desired  to  rest,  but 
his  guards,  who  had  all  along  treated  him 
with  brutish  ferocity,  refused  him  the  in- 

*  This  great  imbecility  was  one  reason  why 
he  had  always  dined  alone,  when  bishop  of 
Constantinople.  It  is  well  known,  that  to 
persons  of  liis  weak  habit,  the  attendance  at 
feasts  and  entertainments  is  one  of  the  severest 
punisliments.  Chrysostom  had  still  more 
weighty  reasons  for  his  recluseness;  the  sump- 
tuousness  of  Constantinople  was  in  a  manner 
proverbial,  and  he  tliought  it  his  duty  to  check 
it.  If  any  thing  can  add  to  the  wickedness  of 
those  accusations  which  drove  him  from  his 
See,  it  is,  that  he  was  charged  with  pride  for 
dining  in  solitude.  Yet  he  had  been  very  hos- 
pitable to  the  poor,  and  was  an  uncomraou 
pattern  of  beneficence  and  liberality. 


378 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


A.  D.  407. 


dulgence.  Nature  was  however  exhaust- 
ed :  he  had  not  gone  four  miles,  before  he 
was  so  extremely  ill,  that  they  were 
oblifred  to  return  with  him.  Here  he  re- 
ceived the  Lord's  Supper,  made  his  last 
prayer  before  them  all,  and  having  con- 
cluded with  his  usual  doxology,  "  Glory 
r-i  ..  „„  be  to  God  for  all  events,"  he 

torn  dies  breathed  out  his  soul,  in  the 
fifty-third  year  of  his  age,  in 
the  year  407.  The  Joannites 
continued  their  separate  assemblies,  till 
the  year  438,  when  Proclus,  then  enter- 
ing on  the  See,  put  an  end  to  the  schism, 
by  making  a  panegyric  on  Chrysostom's 
memory,  and  procuring  an  order  from  the 
emperor  Theodosius  II.  the  son  of  Arca- 
dius,  that  his  body  should  be  brought 
back  to  Constantinojjle  with  great  funeral 
solemnity.  He,  who  in  his  lifetime,  had 
met  with  so  many  enemies,  was  now  uni- 
versally esteemed  and  admired,  and  The- 
odosius himself  sincerely  bewailed  the 
injury  done  to  so  excellent  a  personage 
by  his  parents. 

I  have  formerly  observed,  that  the  cor- 
ruption of  Christianity  was  deeper  and 
stronger  in  great  cities  than  in  the  coun- 
try. The  bishopric  of  Damasus  at  Rome, 
was  an  unhappy  proof  of  this  in  the 
West;  and  in  the  East,  the  bishopric  of 
Chrysostom,  in  the  beginning  of  this 
century,  affords  a  lamentable  proof  of  the 
same  thing.  Never  was  there  a  more 
striking  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  the 
Christian  doctrine,  the  original  and  na- 
tive depravity  of  man.  How  often  have 
we  been  told,  that  whatever  is  said,  in 
the  writings  of  the  New  Testament,  of 
the  carnal  mind,  and  its  enmity  against 
God,  of  the  wo  denounced  against  those 
of  whom  all  men  speak  well,  of  the  per- 
secution which  must  be  sustained  by 
those  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus,  belongs 
only  to  the  apostolical  age,  or  at  least  to 
the  times  preceding  the  era  of  Constan- 
tino, when  heathenism  prevailed  in  the 
Roman  empire!  Behold,  the  empire  is 
become  Christian;  idolatry  and  all  the 
rites  of  heathenism  are  subjected  to  legal 
jjenalties  ;  the  profession  of  the  Gospel  is 
become  exceedingly  honourable;  and  the 
externals  of  religion  are  supported  by  the 
raunificence  of  emperors,  and  by  the  fa- 
shion of  the  age,  even  with  excessive 
sumptuousness.  Behold  a  bishop  of  the 
first  See,  learned,  eloquent  beyond  mea- 
sure, of  talents  the  most  popular,  of  a  ge- 
nius the  most  exuberant,  and  of  a  solid 
understanding  by  nature;  magnanimous 


and  generous,  liberal  I  had  almost  said  to 
excess,  sympathizing  with  distress  of 
every  kind,  and  severe  only  to  himself; 
a  man  of  that  open,  frank,  ingenuous  tem- 
per, which  is  so  proper  to  conciliate 
friendship  ;  a  determined  enemy  of  vice, 
and  of  acknowledged  piety  in  all  his  in- 
tentions !  Yet  we  have  seen  him  exposed 
to  the  keenest  shafts  of  calumny,  expelled 
with  unrelenting  rage  by  the  united  ef- 
forts of  the  court,  the  nobility,  the  clergy 
of  his  own  diocese,  and  the  bishops  of 
other  dioceses.  What  is  to  be  said  1 
His  successor  Atticus  lived  long  in  peace ; 
and,  by  a  cautious  conduct  preserved  the 
good  will  of  men  in  general ;  though  he 
had  joined  in  the  persecution  of  Chrysos- 
tom. Sisinnius  too,  the  Novatian,  had 
in  a  degree  joined  in  the  same  opposition. 
Both  these  men,  however,  by  elegant  and 
affable  manners,  conciliated  the  good  will 
of  man,  and  seem  to  have  passed  through 
life  without  any  persecution.  Whether 
men  are  of  the  general  church,  or  of  the 
dissenters,  it  matters  not:  the  favourer 
the  enmity  of  mankind  depends  not  on 
such  external  distinctions.  What  either 
of  these  two  did  in  opposing  sin,  I  know 
not ;  nor  is  there  enough  recorded  of  them 
to  fix  their  characters  with  certainty. 
With  Chrysostom,  who  was  evidently 
their  superior  in  holiness  and  virtue,  we 
have  seen  how  hard  it  fared.  He  was 
choleric,  and  too  vehement,  no  doubt;  but 
he  knew  the  importance  of  divine  things, 
and  v/as,  therefore,  much  in  earnest,  and 
the  best  charity  was,  doubtless,  at  the 
bottom  of  all  his  zeal.  If  the  world  natu- 
rally loved  what  was  good,  could  it  not 
have  thrown  a  candid  veil  over  one  fault, 
the  frequent  attendant  of  the  most  upright 
minds'?  Should  it  lavish  its  favours  on 
men  of  ambiguous  virtue  and  pusillani- 
mous prudence  1  Certainly  it  seeth  not 
as  God  seeth ;  it  loves  flattery  and  ap- 
proves the  decent  appearance  of  virtue; 
not  plain  truth,  not  genuine  virtue.  Such 
seems  the  just  conclusion  from  the  case: 
real  godliness,  under  Christian  as  well  as 
heathen  governments,  is  hated,  dreaded, 
and  persecuted.  And  the  important  doc- 
trine of  our  native  depravity  is  confirmed 
by  such  events,  and  proves  itself  to  the 
senses  of  mankind. 

I  miss  my  aim  in  this  history,  if  I 
show  not  the  constant  connexion  between 
the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  and  holy  prac- 
tice. This  connexion  is  sufficiently  plain 
in  the  history  of  Chrysostom ;  though, 
had  he  known  divine  truth  more  exactly. 


Ce-xt.  v.] 


JOHN  CHRYSOSTOM. 


379 


and  entered  more  experimentally  into  the 
spirit  of  the  Gospel,  he  would  have  been 
more  humble,  and  would  have  known 
better  how  to  govern  his  own  temper. 

This  great  man,  however,  though  dead, 
YET  SPEAKS  by  his  works.  He  laboured 
much  in  expounding  the  Scriptures,  and 
though  not  copious  in  the  exhibition  of 
evangelical  truth,  still  he  every  where 
shows  that  he  loved  it.*  On  those  words 
of  the  Apostle,  that  we  might  be  made 
the  righteousness  of  God  in  him,  he  says, 
"What  a  saying! — what  mind  can  com- 
prehend it?  He  made  a  just  person  a  sin- 
ner, that  he  might  make  sinners  just. 
But  the  Apostle's  language  is  still  strong- 
er: He  doth  not  say,  he  made  him  a  sin- 
ner, but  sin, — that  we  might  be  made, 
not  righteous,  but  righteousness,  even 
the  righteousness  of  God.  For  it  is  of 
God,  since  not  of  works  (which  would 
require  spotless  perfection)  but  by  grace 
we  are  justified,  where  all  sin  is  blotted 
out."  Here  is  a  plain  testimony  to  the 
Christian  doctrine  of  justification,  and 
under  this  shelter,  this  holy  man,  no 
doubt,. found  rest  for  his  own  soul. 

Those  who  think  every  thing  too  much 
which  is  bestowed  on  a  minister  of  Christ, 
may  read  a  just  defence  of  the  mainte- 
nance of  pastors,  and  a  proper  rebuke  of 
their  own  uncharitableness,  in  his  com- 
ment on  Philippians,  chapter  the  eleventh. 
On  the  fourth  chapter  of  Thessalonians, 
in  opening  the  Apostle's  direction  against 
fornication,  he  forcibly  rebukes  the  pru- 
dential avarice  of  many  parents,  who 
protract  the  marriage  of  their  sons,  till 
they  are  far  advanced  in  life.  In  the 
mean  time  they  are  led  into  various  temp- 
tations ;  and  if  they  do  marry  afterwards, 
are  too  much  corrupted  by  vicious  habits 
to  behave  with  that  decorum  in  the  mar- 
riage-state, which  they  might  have  done 
in  more  early  life.  He  recommends, 
therefore,  early  marriages;  and  the  ad- 
vice deserves  the  more  attention, as  coming 
from  a  man,  who  often  expresses  his  ad- 
miration of  the  monastic  life,  which,  how- 
ever, he  does  without  throwing  any  re- 
proach on  matrimony. 

In  occasionally  speaking  of  that  pas- 
sage of  St.  Paul  to  the  Romans,  "  it  is 
not  of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that 
runneth,"!  he  introduces  the  doctrine  of 
free-will  in  the  same  manner  as  most  of 
the  fathers  did,  who  spake  of  it  at  all, 


*  Horn.  2,  on  2d  Epis.  to  Cor.  chap.  v. 

t  In  his  exposition  on  Hebrews,  7lh  chapter. 


from  the  days  of  Justin,  and  observes, 
that  the  whole  is  said  to  be  of  God,  be- 
cause the  greatest  part  is.  So  hard  press- 
ed is  he  with  the  plain  words  of  the 
Apostle,  which  are  directly  opposite  to 
the  system  he  had  imbibed.  But  Platonic 
philosophy  had  done  this  mischief  to  the 
Church,  to  the  great  hurt  of  Christian 
faith  and  humility.* 

The  chief  use  of  his  Treatise  on  the 
Priesthood,  is  to  excite  in  young  minds 
a  serious  awe  with  respect  to  the  danger 
of  miscarrying  in  an  office  so  important 
and  so  sacred,  and  to  check  the  levity 
and  presumption  with  which  so  many 
undertake  it!  He  lays  down,  however, 
some  good  views  of  the  difficulty  of  steer- 
ing clear  of  extremes,  in  suiting  instruc- 
tions to  particular  cases,  in  checking 
impertinent  curiosity,  and  in  directing 
the  people  to  useful  objects. 

The  practical  views  of  this  writer,  so 
far  as  ihey  relate  to  the  regulation  of  the 
conduct,  are  the  most  striking.  Having 
lived  in  two  great  imperial  cities,  where 
plays  and  shows  were  very  frequent,  he 
earnestly  inveighed  against  those  disor- 
ders. He  calls  the  stage  an  academy  of 
incontinence.  "  What  harm,  say  you,  is 
there  in  going  to  a  play  ]  Is  that  suffi- 
cient to  keep  one  from  the  Communion  ?" 
I  ask  you,  can  there  be  a  more  shameless 
sin,  than  to  come  to  the  holy  table  defiled 
with  adultery  ]  Hear  the  words  of  him 
who  is  to  be  our  Judge.  Jesus  Christ 
saith,  whosoever  looketh  on  a  woman  to 
lust  after  her,  hath  committed  adultery 
with  her  already  in  his  heart.  What  can 
be  said  of  those,  who  passionately  spend 
whole  days  in  those  places,  in  looking 
on  women  of  ill-fame :  with  what  face 
will  they  pretend  to  say,  they  did  not 
behold  them  to  lust  after  them? — They 
see  women  adorned  on  purpose  to  inspire 
lust.  If,  in  the  church  itself,  where 
Psalms  are  sung,  the  Scripture  is  read, 
and  the  fear  of  the  Almighty  appears, 
lust  will  creep  in  like  a  thief,  how  shall 
the  frequenters  of  the  stage|  overcome 
the  motions  of  concupiscence? 

*  It  may  be  worlli  while  just  to  mention, 
that  lie  pathetically  rebukes  the  sloth  and 
negligence  ot  parents  and  masters,  who  would 
tlirow  all  tiie  work  of  instruction  on  ministers, 
and  do  nothing  iheinstlves  tor  the  s|)ii  itual 
benefit  of  thuir  housL-hold.  A  plain  thought, 
but  how  true  at  this  (lay  ! 

f  Balls  and  public  meetings  of  entertainment 
are  as  much  the  objects  of  his  indignation  as 
plays.  Ciames  of  chance  also  he  represents 
as  the  occasions  of  blasphemies,  losses,  anger. 


380 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  II. 


CHAPTER   II. 

Augustine's  confessions  abridged. 

From  the  latter  end  of  the  third  century 
to  the  former  part  of  the  fifth,  we  have 
seen  a  gradual  declension  of  godliness ; 
and  when  we  view,  in  the  West,  the  in- 
crease of  monastic  darkness  and  supersti- 
tion ;  in  the  East,  the  same  evils  to  a  still 
greater  degree,  attended  with  such  an  aug- 
mentation of  iniquity,  that  even  where 
all  the  formalities  of  godliness  are  pre- 
served, the  power  of  it  is  hated  and  per- 
secuted, in  the  same  manner  as  by  Pa- 
gans;  in   fine,    when    the    vestiges    of 
Christian  truth  are  scarcely  discernible, 
we  shall  not  be  far  amiss  in  pronouncing, 
that,  in  such  a   state   of  Religion,   the 
wholesome  effects  of  the  first  elfusion  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  are  brought  to  a  close. 
It  is  evident,  that   real   Christianity, 
notwithstanding  its  nominal  increase  un- 
der Christian  emperors,  must  soon  have 
been  extinct,  if  God  had  not  interposed 
with  a  second  great  effusion  of  his  Spirit. 
He  did  so  in  the  course  of  the  fifth  cen- 
tury, and  the  Church  rose  again  from  its 
ruins  in  one  part  at  least  of  the  Empire.* 
It  behoves  us  to  attend    to  this  gra- 
cious display  of  divine  goodness;   and 
for  this  purpose,  we  must  look  back  into 
the    last    century,   to   trace    the    secret 
springs  of  this  dispensation.     They  par- 
ticularly  involve  the  private  life  of  Au- 
gustine, bishop  of  Hippo.     He  was  the 
great  instrument  of  reviving  the  know- 
ledge of  evangelical  truth.     By  a  very 
remarkable  work  of  divine  grace  on  his 
own  soul,  he  was  qualified  to  contend 
with  the  growing  corruptions.     It  is  a 
happy  circumstance,  that  we  have,  in  his 
Confessions,  a  large  and  distinct  account 
of  his  own  conversion.     And  who  could 
relate  it  like  himself? — I  proceed  to  give 
an  account  of  these  Confessions:  the  pro- 
priety and  importance  of  so  long  a  detail 
will  afterwards  appear.f 


Augustine,'' s  Confessions  Abridged. 

BOOK    I. 

Thou  art  great,  0  Lord,  and  most  wor- 
thy to  be  praised;  great  is  thy  power, 
and  of  thy  wisdom  there  is  no  end.  A 
man,  a  portion  of  thy  creation,  wishes  to 
praise  thee,  a  man  carrying  about  him 
his  mortality,  carrying  about  him  the 
evidences  of  his  sin,  and  a  testimony 
that  thou  resistest  the  proud ;  even  such 
a  man  wishes  to  praise  thee.  Thou  ex- 
citest  him,  that  he  should  delight  to 
praise  thee.  For  thou  hast  made  us  for 
thyself,  and  our  heart  is  restless  till  it 
finds  rest  in  thee. 

Who  shall  give  me  to  rest  in  thee? 
that  thou  mayest  come  into  my  heart, 
and  inebriate  it,  that  I  may  forget  my 
own  evils,  and  embrace  thee,  my  only 
good  ■?  What  art  thou  to  me  1  Pity  me, 
that  I  may  speak.  What  am  I  to  thee, 
that  thou  shouldst  command  me  to  love 
thee,  and  be  displeased  with  me,  if  I  do 
not,  and  threaten  me  with  the  greatest 
miseries'?  Is  that  itself  a  small  misery, 
to  be  destitute  of  the  love  of  thee?  Alas  ! 
alas !  tell  me,  by  thy  compassions,  O 
Lord,  my  God,  what  art  thou  to  me? 
Say  unto  my  soul,  i  am  thy  salvation. 
So  speak,  that  I  may  hear.  Behold  !  the 
ears  of  my  heart  are  before  thee,  O  Lord  ; 
open  them,  and  say  unto  my  soul,  i  am 
thy  salvation.  May  I  run  after  this 
voice  and  apprehend  thee.  Hide  not 
THY  FACE  from  ME.  May  I  Ale,*  that  I 
may  see  it,  lest  I  die  indeed.  My  soul 
is  a  habitation  too  narrow  for  thy  entrance ; 
do  thou  enlarge  it.  It  is  in  ruins ;  do 
thou  repair  it.  It  has  what  must  offend 
thine  eyes,  I  know  and  must  confess  : 
but  who  shall  cleanse  it?  or  to  whom 
shall  I  cry   but  to  thee?     Cleanse  me 

FROM  MY  SECRET  FAULTS,  AND  KEEP  ME 
FROM  PRESUMPTUOUS  SINS.  I  BELIEVE,  AND 

THEREFORE  SPEAK.  0  Lord,  thou  kuowest : 


quarrels,  and  all  manner  of  crimes.  Du  Pin. 
Chrysostom. 

The  trutli  is,  men  who  really  fear  God,  in 
all  ages  have  been  united  against  these  tilings  ; 
and  ^for  this  reason,  whicii  is  felt  by  them, 
though  not  by  others,  namely,  thatthey  have  too 
serious  a  conflict  with  indwelling  sin,  to  give 
themselves  up  to  external  incitements  of  evil. 

*  The  Western,  as  will  appear  in  the  course 
of  the  narrative. 

t  The  life  of  this  great  man  was  written  by 
Possidius,   sometimes  called  Possidonius,   a 


pious  presbyter  of  his  diocese,  afterwards  bi- 
sliop  of  Calama.  Though  poorly  written,  it 
yet  deserves  to  be  mentioned,  as  it  confirms 
the  autlienticity  of  the  historical  parts  of  the 
Confessions.  Augustine  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Tagasta  in  Numidia,  of  creditable  parents. 
His  father,  Patricius,  continued  a  Pagan  till 
near  his  death  ;  his  motlier,  Monica,  was  re- 
nowned for  Christian  Piety.  At  the  time  of 
his  full  conversion  to  the  Gospel  he  was  up- 
wards of  thirty  years  of  age. 

PossiD.  Life  of  August. 
*  He  seems  to  wish  to  undergo  any  mortifi- 
cation, even  loss  of  life  itself,  rather  than  lose 
the  enjoyment  of  his  God. 


Cest.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


381 


Have  I  not  confessed  to  thee  my  sins,  and 
hast  not  thou  pardoned  the  iniquity  of 
my  heart]  I  will  not  contend  in  judo^- 
ment  with  thee,  who  art  truth  itself:  for 
I  would  not  deceive  myself.  I  will  not 
contend  in  judirment  with  thee,  for  if 
thou,  Lord,  shouldst  mark  iniquities,  who 
can  stand'?* 

But,  suffer  me  to  speak,  who  am  dust 
and  ashes.  Suffer  me  to  speak,  because 
I  address  thy  mercy,  and  not  the  scorn- 
fulness  of  proud  men.  Perhaps  thou  de- 
rides! the  simplicity  of  my  thoughts,  yet 
wilt  thou  turn  and  exercise  compassion 
upon  me.  What  else  would  I  say,  O 
Lord,  my  God,  than  that  I  know  not 
whence  I  came  hither  into  this, — shall  I 
call  it  mortal  life,  or  living  death  ?  Thy 
compassionate  consolations  supported  me, 
and  thou  gavest  me  the  nourishment  of 
infancy. 

Hear  me,  0  God.  Wo  to  the  sins  of 
man  I  Thou  pitiest  him,  because  thou 
madest  him,  and  madest  not  sin  in  him. 
Who  shall  inform  me  of  the  sin  of  my  in- 
fancy ■?  For  none  is  clear  from  sin  in  thy 
sight,  not  even  the  infant,  whose  life  is 
only  one  day.  Could  it  be  right  in  me 
to  solicit  with  tears,  what  it  would  be 
noxious  to  receive ;  to  express  vehement 
indignation  against  my  parents  and  bet- 
ters, if  they  did  not  comply  with  my  will ; 
and  to  endeavour,  though  with  feeble 
blows,  to  avenge  myself  upon  them'? 
The  imbecility  of  my  infant  limbs  was 
innocent,  not  so  the  spirit  of  the  infant. 
I  have  seen  and  observed  an  infant  full  of 
envy ;  pale  with  anger,  he  looked  at  his 
fellow-suckling  with  bitterness  in  his 
countenance.  Since  I  was  conceived  in 
iniquity,  and  my  mother  nourished  me  in 
her  womb  in  sin,  where.  Lord,  where,  or 
when  was  I  innocent?  But  I  pass  by 
this  whole  time,  no  traces  of  which  I  re- 
collect, f 

What  miseries.  Lord,  did  I  experience, 
when  I  was  directed,  in  the  plan  of  my 
educatioi^  to  obey  my  teachers,  in  order 

•  It  is  obvious  to  observe,  how  a  mind  like 

Augustine's,  altogether  resting  on  grace,  an(] 
free  justification,  is  freed  from  tiie  solicitude 
of  self-vindication  in  any  piivt  of  iiis  conduct^ 
whereas,  those  who  rest  for  salvation,  in  any 
degree  on  tliemselves,  are  ever  tennjted  to 
extenuate  their  sins. 

-j-  The  serious  reader  will  not  be  inclined  to 
pass  ovei',  in  levity,  these  stiiking  proofs  of 
the  sinful  propensity  of  nature  exerting  itself 
antecedent  to  the  growth  of  reason  or  the  power 
of  habit. 


that  I  might  acquire  that  knowledge, 
which  might  be  subservient  to  the  attain- 
ment of  false  riches  and  honour  ?  Yet,  I 
sinned  ;  O  thou,  who  ordaincst  all  things, 
except  our  sins;  I  sinned  in  rebellion 
against  the  orders  of  parents  and  masters. 
That  literature  which  they  wished  me  to 
acquire,  with  whatever  intention,  was  yet 
capable  of  being  applied  to  a  good  use. 
!My  disobedience  arose  not  from  the  love 
of  better  things,  but  from  the  love  of  play, 
and  from  a  fondness  for  games  and  shows. 
Behold  these  things  with  an  eye  of  mercy, 
and  deliver  us  who  now  call  on  thee ;  de- 
liver also  those  who  do  not  call  on  thee 
as  yet,  that  they  may  call  on  thee,  and 
experience  thy  deliverance  I ! 

I  had  heard  from  childhood  of  the  eter- 
nal life  promised  unto  us  through  the  hu- 
mility of  the  Lord  our  God  condescending 
to  our  pride.  Thou  sawest,  when  I  was 
yet  a  boy,  and  seemed  to  be  on  the  brink 
of  death,  through  a  sudden  and  violent 
pain  of  the  stomach,  with  what  eagerness 
I  begged  Christian  baptism  from  the 
charity  of  my  mother  and  of  the  church. 
My  mother,  who  travailed  in  birth  for  my 
eternal  salvation,  was  hastening  to  com- 
ply with  my  desires,  that  I  might  wash 
away  my  sins,  confessing  thee,  O  Lord 
Jesus ;  when  I  suddenly  recovered  my 
health.  A  relapse  into  presumptuous  sin, 
after  baptism,  being  judged  more  dan- 
gerous, and  the  prospect  of  life  admitting 
too  great  a  probability  of  such  relapse, 
my  baptism  was  still  deferred.  Thus  did 
I  at  that  time  believe  in  Christ,  my  father 
being  the  only  infidel  in  our  family.  My 
mother  was  zealous  that  thou  shouldst 
be  my  Father,  rather  than  he  :  and  in  this 
she  was  favoured  with  thy  help :  obedi- 
ent as  she  was  to  her  husband,  according 
to  thy  command,  in  this  point  she  pre- 
vailed over  him.  Was  the  delay  of  my 
baptism  for  my  benefit?  What  is  the 
cause,  that  we  hear  every  where  such 
sounds  as  these,  let  him  do  what  he 

WILL,    he    is    not    yet     BAPTIZED.       HoW 

much  better  for  me,  had  I  been,  in  more 
early  life,  initiated  into  the  fold  of  Christ  !* 


*  The  narrative  before  us  may  justly  be 
called  a  history  of  the  usual  operations  of  the 
Spirit  of  (iod  on  his  ])eople.  Convictions  in 
early  life,  on  remarkable  occasions,  are  com. 
mon  among  these,  and  usually  wear  a\va)',as  in 
the  case  of  Augustine.  The  examples  of  Con- 
stantine  and  Constantius  deferring  their  bap- 
tism, seems  to  have  made  the  practice  fashion- 
able, not  from  any  idea  of  the  unlawfulness  of 
infant  baptism,  but  from  the  selfish  and  perni- 


382 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


Yet,  in  childhood  itself,  though  little 
dreaded  by  my  mother,  in  comparison  of 
the  dangers  of  youth,  I  was  indolent;  and 
I  improved  in  learning  only  through  ne- 
cessity. A  false  worldly  ambition  Avas 
the  only  motive  laid  before  me  by  my 
teachers;  but  thou,  who  numberest  the 
hairs  of  our  heads,  improvedst  their  error 
to  my  advantage,  whilst  thou  justly 
punishedst  the  great  sins  of  so  young  an 
offender  by  their  corrections.  The  learn- 
ing, which  with  no  holy  intention  they 
taught  me,  was  sanctified  by  thee,  and 
my  guilty  laziness  was  scourged.  So  hast 
thou  ordained,  that  a  mind  disordered  by 
sin  should  be  its  own  punishment. 

But  why  I  hated  Greek  literature,  in 
which  I  was  instructed  when  very  young, 
I  do  not  even  yet  sufficiently  understand. 
For  I  was  fond  of  Latin  learning,  not  in- 
deed the  first  rudiments,  but  those  things 
which  classical  masters  teach.     To  read 
and  write,  and  learn  arithmetic,  would 
have  been  as  severe  drudgery  to  my  spirit, 
as  all  the  Greek  literature.     I  lay  this 
also  to  the  account  of  my  native  depravi- 
ty, which  prefers  the  worse,  and  rejects 
the  better.     The  uses  of  reading,  writing, 
and.  arithmetic,  are  obvious ;  not  so  the 
study  of  the  wanderings  of  jEneas,  which 
I  attended  to  while  I  forgat  my  own. — 
Of   what    use    was   it    to    deplore    the 
self-murdering  Dido,  while  yet  I  could 
bear  unmoved  the  death  of  my  own  soul, 
alienated  from  thee  daring  the  course  of 
these  pursuits, — from  thee,  my  God,  my 
life.     O  thou  light  of  my  heart,  and  bread 
of  my  inward  man,  and  true  husband  of 
my  soul !     I  loved  thee  not.     I  committed 
fornication  against  thee,  and   (such  the 
spirit  of  the  world)  I  was  applauded  with 
"well  done"   on  all  sides,  and  I  should 
have  been  ashamed  to  have  been  found 
otherwise  disposed.     Yet  the  friendship 
of  the  world  is  fornication  against  thee. 
This  is  the  kind  of  literature,  which  has 
arrogated  to  itself  the  name  of  polite  and 
liberal.     Learning,  of  real  utility,  is  look- 
ed on  as  low  and  vulgar.     Thus,  in  my 
childhood  did  I  sin  by  a  vicious  prefer- 
ence.    Two  and  two  make  four,  was  to 
me  an  odious  sing-song ;  but  the  wooden 
horse,  the  burning  of  Troy,  and  the  ghost 
of  Creusa,  were  most  enchanting  specta^ 


cious  notions  which  lie  has  stated.  No  won- 
der that  he  who  justly  thought  that  his  own 
Boul  had  suffered  much  hy  the  delay,  was  af- 
terwards a  strenuous  asserter  of  the  expedien- 
cy of  more  early  haptism. 


cles  of  vanity.  Yet  why  did  I  hate  Greek 
literature,  when  employed  in  the  same 
sort  of  objects?  Homer  is  most  agreea- 
bly trifling;  to  me,  however,  when  a  boy, 
he  was  by  no  means  agreeable.  I  sup- 
pose Virgil  would  be  the  same  to  Grecian 
youths,  on  account  of  the  difficulties  of 
learning  a  foreign  language.  Discipline 
is  needful  to  overcome  our  puerile  sloth, 
and  this  also  is  part  of  thy  government  of 
thy  creatures,  O  God,  for  the  purpose  of 
restraining  our  sinful  impetuosity.  From 
the  ferulas  of  masters  to  the  trials  of  mar- 
tyrs, thy  wholesome  severities  may  be 
traced,  which  tend  to  recal  us  to  thee 
from  that  pernicious  voluptuousness,  by 
which  we  departed  from  thee. 

Hear  my  prayer,  O  Lord,  let  not  my 
soul  faint  under  thy  discipline,  nor  let  me 
faint  in  confessing  to  thee  thy  mercies, 
by  which  thou  hast  delivered  me  from  all 
my  own  evil  ways ;  that  thou  mayest  en- 
dear thyself  to  me,  above  all  the  blan- 
dishments which  I  was  following,  and 
that  I  may  love  thee  most  ardently,  and 
embrace  thy  hand  with  all  my  heart,  that 
thou  mayest  free  me  from  all  temptation, 
even  to  the  end.  O  my  King  and  my 
God,  may  whatever  useful  thing  I  learnt 
when  a  boy,  serve  thee ;  may  -what  I 
speak  and  read  and  number,  serve  thee ; 
because  while  I  was  learning  vain  things, 
thou  gavest  me  thy  discipline,  and  in 
those  vain  things  forgavest  the  sins  of  my 
delights.  For  in  them  I  learnt  many  use- 
ful words,  though  they  might  have  been 
learned,  abstracted  from  this  connexion 
with  vanity. 

Alas !  the  torrent  of  human  custom ! 
who  shall  resist  thee  1  How  long  will  it 
be,  ere  thou  be  dried  up  1  How  long  wilt 
thou  roll  the  sons  of  Eve  into  a  great  and 
tempestuous  sea,  which  even  they,  who 
have  fled  for  refoge  to  the  cross,  can 
scarcely  escape?  Have  not  I  read  of 
Jove,  at  once  the  thunderer  and  the  adul- 
terer ?  What  is  this,  but  to  teach  men  to 
call  their  crimes  no  crimes,  while  they 
have  the  sanction  of  gods  whom  they  imi- 
tate? Terence  introduces  a  profligate 
young  man  justifying  his  lewdness  by 
the  example  of  Jove,  while  he  beholds  on 
the  wall  a  picture  of  Jupiter  and  Danae,* 
and  excites  himself  to  lust  by  divine  tui- 
tion.  Shall   He,  who  shakes   heaven 

WITH    HIS    THUNDER,    DO    THESE    THINGS  ; 
AND    MAY  NOT  I,   A   POOR   MORTAL,  DO    THE 

SAME  ?     Yet  I,  my  God,  now  indulged  by 


*  Terence  in  Eunuch. 


Cejtt.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS, 


383 


thy  grace  to  behold  thee  in  peace,  learnt 
these  things  with  pleasure,  was  delighted 
with  them,  and  was  called  a  boy  of  pro- 
mising genius.     The  motives  of  praise 
and  disgrace  then  spurred  on  my  restless 
heart  to  literary  exertions.     What  accla- 
mations were  made  to  a  puerile  exercise 
of  mine  on  a  particular  occasion!     Were 
not  all  these  things  smoke  and  wind  1 
Was  there  not  another  way  of  exercising 
my  talents, — in  celebrating  ihy  praise] 
But,  what  wonder,  that  I  departed  far 
from  thee,  my  God,  when  men  were  pro- 
posed to  me  as  objects  of  imitation,  who 
would  blush  to  be  detected  in  barbarism 
or  solecism,  in  reciting  their  own  actions, 
though  innocent;  and  at  the  same  time 
might  recite  the  story  of  their  own  lewd- 
ness, not  only  with  impunity,  but  even 
with  commendation,  provided  they  did  so 
with  a  copious  and  elegant  flow  of  dic- 
tion.    O  thou  God  of  long-suffering,  who 
permittest  men  thus  to  affront  thee !    Wilt 
thou  not  deliver  from  this  horrible  pit  the 
soul  that  seeks  thee,  that  thirsts  after  thy 
delights,  and  says.  Thy  face.  Lord,  will 
I  seek]     It  was  by  the  darkness  of  libi- 
dinous affection  that  the  prodigal  son* 
went  to  a  great  distance  from  thee,  his 
Father,  gracious  in  bestowing  on  him  thy 
gifts ;    and   still   more   gracious   to   him 
when  returning  in  indigence.     How  stu- 
diously exact  are  men   in  observing  the 
rules  of  letters  and  syllables,  while  they 
neglect  the   rules   of  eternal   salvation! 
Thou  dwellest  on  high,  in  inaccessible 
light,  and  scatterest  penal  blindness  on 
unbridled  lusts.     A  man  shall  seek  the 
fame    of   eloquence,    while,   before    the 
crowded  audience,  he  guards  against  the 
least  false  pronunciation,  and  guards  not 
at  all  against  the  fiercest  malevolence  of 
his  own  heart,  raging  against  his  fellow- 
creatures. 

In  this  school  did  I  wretchedly  live. 
To  please  men  was  then  to  me  the  height 
of  virtue,  whilst  I  saw  not  the  whirlpool 
of  baseness  in  which  I  was  cast  from  thine 
eyes.  For  what  more  filthy  than  I,  all 
this  time,  deceiving  by  innumerable  false- 
hoods both  masters  and  parents,  through 
the  love  of  play  and  amusements  1  I 
even  robbed  the  store-houses  of  my  pa- 
rents, either  from  the  spirit  of  gluttony, 
or  to  bestow  things  agreeable  to  my  play 
fellows.  In  my  plays,  I  often  sought  to 
obtain  fraudulent  victories,  overcome  by 
the  desire  of  vain  excellence.     Yet,  what 


should  I  dread  so  much  to  suffer,  or  be 
so  ready  to  accuse,  in  another,  if  detected, 
as  that  very  thing  which  I  did  to  others; 
in  which,  however,  if  I  myself  was  de- 
tected, I  was  more  disposed  to  rage  than 
to  submit.  Is  this  puerile  innocence?  far 
from  it,  O  Lord.  Change  the  scene  only 
from  pedagogues  and  masters,  from  nuts 
and  balls,  and  sparrows,  to  prefects,  kings, 
gold,  and  estates,  and  we  see  the  vices  of 
men,  just  as  heavier  punishments  succeed 
to  ferulas. 

Still,  O  Lord,  in  my  childhood  I  have 
much  to  praise  thee  for.  Many,  many 
were  thy  gifts ;  the  sin  was  mine  that  I 
sought  pleasure,  truth,  and  happiness,  not 
in  thee,  but  in  the  creature,  and  thence 
rushed  into  pains,  confusions,  and  errors. 
I  thank  thee,  O  my  delight  and  confi- 
dence, for  thy  gifts  ;  but  do  thou  preserve 
them  for  me,  and  the  things  which  thou 
hast  given  me  shall  be  increased  and  per- 
fected, and  I  shall  be  with  thee,  because 
thou  hast  given  me  to  be  so.* 


BOOK  II. 

I  AM  willing  to  recollect  the  scenes  of 
baseness  and  carnal  corruption  which  I 
passed  through  in  my  youth,  not  that  I 
may  love  them,  but  that  I  may  love  thee, 
my  God.  I  do  it  from  the  love  of  thy 
love,  recollecting  my  own  very  evil  ways 
in  the  bitterness  of  memory,  that  thou 
mayest  be  endeared  to  me,  O  Delight 
that  never  deceives;  Delight  happy  and 
secure ;  thou  which  coUectest  and  bind- 
est  together  the  dispersed  parts  of  my 


*  Luke  XV. 


*  ll  is  a  very  unjust  surmise  of  .Mr.  Gibbon, 
to   infer   from  Augustine's   unwillingness  to 
learn  Greek,  that  he  never  attained  the  know- 
ledge of  that  language;  wlien  he  tells  us,  tliat 
he  was  doubtless  a  person  of  uncommon  (luick- 
ness  of  parts.     His  slotli  and  oilier  vicious 
practices  in  childhood  were,  I  suppose,  such 
as  are  common  to  children.     But  few  are  dis- 
posed to  look  on  them  as  serious  evils.     To 
Augvistine's  mind  they  appeared   what  they 
were,    the    marks    of    an    apostate     nature. 
Though,  since  the  destruction  of  Pagan  idola- 
try, there  is  by  no  means  tlie  same  danger  of 
reading  classic  authors,  yet  how  justly  blama- 
ble  is  the  practice  of  leading  boys  so  much  to 
lewd  poets,  instead  of  acquainting  them  with 
the    more  solitl   excellencies  of  many  prose 
authors?     A. just  selection  of  the  most  inno- 
cent and  useful  auliioi  s,  and  a  perpetual  com- 
parison ot'tlieir  sentiments  with  those  of  Chris- 
tianitv,  will  not  only  guai-d  against  the  poison 
of  the  classics,  but  instruct  youth  in  the  neces- 
sity and  importance  of  Revelation.     School- 
masters, as  well  as  children,  may  learn,  in 
what  we  have  seen,  just  matter  of  rebuke  for 
exulting  literary  above  moral  excellence. 


384 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


broken  soul.  While  averse  from  thee, 
the  only  God,  I  vanished  into  a  variety 
of  vanities  !*  For  in  my  youth  I  even 
burned  to  be  satiated  with  forbidden  plea- 
sures, and  became  as  rottenness  in  thy 
sight,  while  I  pleased  myself,  and  desired 
to  please  the  eyes  of  men. 

What  was  it  that  I  delighted  in,  but 
to  love  and  be  beloved'?  But  by  the  ex- 
cess of  passion,  the  serenity  of  affection 
was  not  distinguished  from  the  darkness 
of  lust.  My  tender  years  vrere  hurried 
along  through  the  whirlpool  of  flagitious- 
ness?  Thy  displeasure  was  all  the  time 
embittering  my  soul,  and  I  knew  it  not. 
The  noise  of  my  carnal  chains,  and  the 
punishment  of  my  pride,  rendered  me 
deaf  to  thy  voice  :  I  went  far  from  thee, 
thou  sufTeredst  it:  I  was  tossed  and  agi- 
tated ;  and  1  overflowed  with  the  ebulli- 
tions of  lewdness,  and  thou  wast  silent, 

0  my  too  tardy  joy  !  At  that  time  thou 
wast  silent,  and  I  wandered  deeply  from 
thee  among  many  barren  seeds  of  woes, 
in  a  state  of  proud  degradation,  and  rest- 
less weaiiness.  Thy  omnipotence  is  not 
far  from  us,  even  when  we  are  very  far 
from  thee ;  I  might  have  heard  thy  voice, 
recommending  a  single  life  devoted  to 
God,  allowing  indeed  matrimony,  and 
frowning  on  lewdness.f  But  I  burst  all 
legal  bonds,  yet  escaped  not  thy  scourges; 
— who  of  mortals  can?  For  thou  wast  al- 
ways prescnt,severely  merciful,  mixingall 
my  unlawful  delights  with  bitter  alloys, 
that  I  might  seek  for  pleasure  without 
alloy  or  obstacle,  and  not  be  able  to  find 
the  possibility  of  this,  but  in  thee  ;  thee, 

1  say,  O  Lord,  who  connectest  pain  with 
the  breach  of  thy  laws,  who  smitest  that 
thou  mayest  heal,  and  slayest  us  that  we 
may  not  die  from  thee.  Where  was  I, 
and  how  long  did  I  live  in  exile  from  thy 
house,  in  that  sixteenth  year  of  my  age, 
when  the  madness  of  lust  seized  me  al- 
together, and  I  willingly  suffered  the 
reins  to  fall  from  my  hands'?  To  the  dis- 
grace of  our  nature,  this  species  of  lust 
is  every  where  tolerated,  though  forbid- 
den by  the  laws.:!:     My  friends  took  no 


•  Tlie  beautiful  thought,  thus  diffusively  ex- 
pressed ii\  oui-  author's  usuhI  maimer,  is  hap- 
pily painted  in  a  single  word  by  tiie  Psalmist, 
UNITE  my  ikeart  to  fear  thy  name.  Psalm 
Ixxxvi.  11,  t  1  Cor.  vii. 

^  Would  to  God  that  this  were  not  the  case 
in  Christian  countries,  as  well  as  Pagan  !  If 
the  reader  feel  himself  inclined  to  ti'eat  with 
levity  the  serious  mannei-  in  wliicii  juvenile 
vjces  are  treated  by  the  author,  he  will,  when 


pains  to  bridle  me  by  the  wholesome  re- 
straint of  marriage;  their  anxiety  was, 
that  1  should  acquire  the  arts  and  graces 
of  eloquence. 

That  year  I  had  vacation  from  my  stu- 
dies, being  returned  from  Madaura,  a 
neighbouring  city,  where  I  had  begun  to 
learn  oratory,  to  my  father's  house  at 
Tagasta.  He,  with  a  spirit  above  his 
circumstances,  for  he  was  but  a  poor 
freeman  of  the  town  just  mentioned,  de- 
termined to  send  me  to  Carthage,  that  I 
might  have  the  greatest  advantages  of 
proficiency.  Why  do  I  relate  these  things 
before  thee,  my  God,  to  my  fellow-crea- 
tures, the  f^w  of  them,  who  may  read 
these  lines'? — ^That  both  I  and  they  may 
consider  out  of  how  great  a  depth  it  be- 
hoves us  to  cry  to  thee.  And  what  is 
nearer  than  thine  ears,  if  the  heart  con- 
fide in  thee,  and  the  life  flow  from  faith '? 
Who  did  not  then  extol  the  noble  spirit 
of  my  father,  laying  out  so  much  money 
on  the  education  of  his  son;  a  spirit,  so 
much  superior  to  that  of  many  much 
richer  citizens,  who  had  not  the  heart  to 
send  their  sons  to  Carthage'?  While  yet 
he  had  no  concern  in  what  manner  I 
grew  up  to  thee.  Whether  I  was  chaste 
or  not,  cost  him  no  thought,  provided  I 
was  eloquent.  In  this  year  of  va^^ation 
my  passions  were  rampant  without  con- 
trol. This  pleased  my  father,  who  ex- 
pressed his  pleasure  on  the  occasion  to 
my  mother.  She  had  lately  begun  to 
feel  thy  holy  love,  and  had  been  washed 
in  the  laver  of  regeneration.  He  was  a 
catechumen  in  profession.  Instantly,  she 
conceived  a  pious  trepidation  on  my  ac- 
count. My  God,  thou  spakest  to  me  by 
her,  and  warnedest  me  strongly  against 
the  ways  of  vice.  Thy  voice  in  her  I 
despised,  and  thought  it  to  be  only  the 
voice  of  a  woman,  which  made  not  the 
least  impression  on  my  mind.  So  blind- 
ed was  I,  that  I  should  have  blushed  to 
be  thought  less  wacked  than  my  compa- 
nions, and  even  invented  false  stories  of 
my  sinful  exploits,  to  obtain  their  com- 
mendation. My  pious  parent  was  pre- 
vented from  encouraging  me  to  marry, 
because  she  thought  the  usual  studies, 
which  I  was  now  to  enter  upon,  might 
be  serviceable  to  promote  in  me  the  work 
of  true  religion.     My  father  thought  lit- 


better  informed  of  the  malignity  of  sin,  con- 
demn his  own  taste,  not  tiiat  of  Augustine. 
The  same  contrast  may  he  extended  to  the 
case  of  his  theft,  which  follows. 


Cest.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


385 


tie  of  thee,  but  much  of  his  son  in  vain 
expectations.  Thus  vviiile  they  both  were 
too  anxious  for  my  literary  improvements, 
I  made  progress  in  vice,  and  shut  myself 
up  in  the  darkness  of  sin,  so  as  to  bar  up, 
against  myself,  the  admission  of  thy 
truth  as  much  as  possible. 

Thy  law  certainly  punishes  theft,  O 
Lord,  and  so  does  the  law*  writtex  in 
the  hearts  of  men.  For,  what  thief  can 
bear  another?  Yet,  compelled  by  no 
want,  I  deliberately  committed  theft ; 
through  the  wantonness  of  iniquity  and 
the  contempt  of  justice.  It  was  not  the 
effect  of  the  theft,  but  the  sin  itself, 
which  I  wished  to  enjoy.  There  was  a 
pear-tree  in  the  neighbourhood  of  my 
father's  vineyard,  loaded  with  fruit, 
though  not  of  the  most  tempting  kind. 
At  dead  of  night,  in  company  with  some 
profligate  youths,  I  plundered  the  tree: 
the  spoil  was  principally  thrown  to  the 
hogs;  for  I  had  abundance  of  better  fruit 
at  home.  Behold  my  heart,  my  God, 
behold  my  heart,  which  thou  hast  pitied 
in  its  deep  abyss  of  sin.  What  did  I 
mean,  that  I  should  be  gratuitously  wick- 
ed? I  loved  destruction  itself.  In  the 
common  course  of  wickedness  men  have 
some  end  in  view.  Even  Catiline  him- 
self loved  not  his  crimes,  but  something 
else,  for  the  sake  of  which  he  perpetrated 
them.  We  are  deceived  by  appearances 
of  good,  embracing  the  shadows,  while 
we  follow  our  own  lusts,  instead  of  seek- 
ing the  substance,  which  is  only  in  thee. 
Thus,  the  soul  commits  fornication,  when 
it  is  turned  from  thee,  and  seeks,  out 
of  thee,  that  pleasure,  honour,  power, 
wealth,  or  wisdom,  which  it  never  will 
find  in  its  genuine  purity,  till  it  return 
to  thee.  All,  who  remove  themselves 
far  from  thee,  and  set  up  themselves  in 
opposition,  perversely  imitate  some  attri- 
bute of  God;  though  even  by  such  imitation 
they  own  thee  to  be  the  Creator  of  the 
universe.  This  is  the  general  nature  of 
sin.  It  deceives  by  some  fictitious  sha- 
dow of  that  good,  which  in  God  alone  is 
to  be  found.  But  what  vicious  or  per- 
verse imitation  of  my  Lord  was  there  in 
my  theft?  lean  conceive  none,  unless 
it  be  the  pleasure  of  acting  arbitrarily 
and  with  impunity  against  law  ; — a  dark 
similitude  of  Omnipotence.  O  rotten- 
ness !  O  monster  of  life,  and  profundity  of 
death!    Could  I  delisfht  in  what  was  not 


*  lie  means  the  voice  of  natural  conscience. 
See  Romans,  ch.  ii.  ver.  15. 
Vol.  I.  2  K 


lawful,  merely  because  it  was  not  lawful  ? 
What  reward  shall  I  give  to  the  Lord,  that 
I  can  now  recollect  these  things  without 
fear  of  damnation?  I  will  love  and  bless 
thee.  Lord,  because  thou  hast  pardoned 
such  horrible  evils.  I  impute  it  to  thy  grace 
that  thou  hast  melted  my  sins  as  ice  is  melt- 
ed. I  impute  also  to  thy  grace  my  exemp- 
tion from  those  evils  which  I  have  not  com- 
mitted. For  of  what  was  I  not  capable, 
who  loved  even  gratuitous  wickedness? 
I  am  sensible  that  all  is  forgiven  ;  not 
only  the  evils  which  I  have  actually  com- 
mitted, but  also  those  evils  which  by  thy 
guidance  I  have  been  kept  from  commit- 
ting. He  who,  called  b}''  thee,  hath 
avoided  the  evils  which  he  hears  me 
confessing,  should  not  deride  me  a  poor 
patient  healed  by  the  Physician,  since  he 
himself  is  indebted  to  the  same  Benefac- 
tor for  his  health,  or,  to  speak  more  pro- 
perly, for  his  being  afflicted  with  a  less 
degree  of  sickness. 

0  the  unsearchable  seduction  of  per- 
nicious friendship,  the  avidity  of  doing 
mischief  from  sport,  the  pleasure  of  mak- 
ing others  suffer;  and  this  without  any 
distinct  workings,  either  of  avarice  or  of 
revenge!  We  hear  others  sajs  Let  us 
go,  let  us  do  it,  and  we  are  ashamed  to 
appear  defective  in  impudence.  Who 
can  unfold  to  me  the  intricacies  .f  this 
knot  of  wickedness  ?  It  is  filthy,  I  will 
pry  no  more  into  it.  I  will  not  see  it. 
Thee  will  I  choose,  O  righteousness  and 
innocence,  light  truly  honourable,  and 
satiety  insatiable !  With  thee  is  perfect 
rest,  and  life  without  perturbation.  He 
who  enters  into  thee,  enters  into  the  joy 
of  his  Lord,  and  shall  not  fear,  and  shall 
be  in  the  best  situation  in  thee,  the  Best 
of  Beings.  I  departed  from  thee;  I  erred 
and  strayed,  O  my  God,  from  thy  firm 
and  upright  ways ;  and  in  my  youth  I 
became  to  myself  a  region  of  desolation. 

BOOK    III. 

1  CAME  to  Carthage  surrounded  and 
agitated  with  flagitious  lusts.  After  thee, 
O^my  God,  the  true  bread  of  life,  I  hun- 
gered not;  and  though  famished  with 
real  indigence,  and  longing  after  that 
which  satisfieth  not,  I  had  no  desire  for 
incorruptible  food,  not  because  I  was  full 
of  it,  for  the  more  empty  I  was,  the  more 
fastidious  I  grew.  My  sordid  passions, 
however,  were  gilded  over  with  the  de- 
cent and  plausible  appearances  of  love 
and  friendship.  Foul  and  base  as  I  was, 
I  affected  the  reputation  of  liberal  and 


386 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  H. 


polite  humanity.     I  rushed  into  the  lusts 
with  which  I  desired  to  be  captivated. 
My  God,  my  mercy,  with  how  great  bit- 
terness didst  thou,  in  thy  extraordinary 
kindness,  mix  those  vain  allurements  by 
which   I   was    miserably   enslaved   and 
beaten !  for  beaten  I  truly  was  with  all 
the  iron  rods  of  envy,  suspicion,  fear,  in- 
dignation, and  quarrelling.     The  specta- 
cles of  the   theatre,  in  particular,  now 
hurried  me  away,  full  of  the  images  of  my 
miseries,  and  the  fomentations  of  my  fire. 
The  arts  of  the  Fornm  also  engaged 
my  ambition;   the  more  fraudulent   the 
more  laudable.     Pride  and  arrogance  now 
elated  my  soul,  though  I  was  far  from 
approving  the  frantic  proceedings  of  the 
men  called  eversores,  who  made  a  prac- 
tice of  disturbing  modest  pleaders,  and 
confounding  their  minds  by  riots.  Amidst 
these  things,  in  that  imbecility  of  judg- 
ment which  attends  youth,  I  studied  the 
books  of  eloquence  with  the  most  ardent 
desire  of  vain-glory,  and  in  the  course  of 
my  reading  dipped  into  the  Hortensius 
of  Cicero,  which  contains  an  exhortation 
to  the  study  of  philosophy.     This  book 
was  the  instrument  of  effecting  a  remark- 
able change  in  my  views.     I  suddenly 
gave  up  the  fantastic  hope  of  reputation 
by   eloquence,   and   felt   a  most   ardent 
thirst  after  wisdom.     In  the  mean  time, 
I  was  maintained  at  Carthage  at  my  mo- 
ther's expense,  being  in  the   nineteenth 
year  of  my  age,  my  father  having  die'd 
two  years  before.     How  did  I  long,  my 
God,  to  fly  from  earthly  things  to  thee, 
and  yet  I  know  not  what  thou  wert  doing 
with  me.     At  that  time,  O  light  of  my 
heart,  though  I  was  unacquainted  with 
the  apostolical  admonition,  take  heed, 

LEST  ANY  MAN  SPOIL  YOU  THROUGH  PHILO- 
SOPHY AND  VAIN  deceit;*  thou  knowest 
what  was  the  sole  object  of  my  delight 
in  the  Ciceronian  volume,  namely,  that  I 
was  vehemently  excited  by  it  to  seek  for 
wisdom,   not   in   this  or   that   sect,  but 
wherever  it  was  to  be  found.     And  the 
only  thing  which  damped  my  zeal  was, 
that  the  name  of  Christ,  that  precious 
name,  which  from  my  mother's  milk  I  had 
learned  to  reverence,  was  not  there.  And, 
Avhatever  was  without  this  name,  however 
just,  and  learned,  and  polite,  could  not 
wholly  carry  away  my  heart.     I  deter- 
mined therefore  to  apply  my  mind  to  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  to  see  what  they  were ; 
and  I  now  see  the  whole  subject  was  im- 


penetrable to  the  proud,  low  in  appear- 
ance, sublime  in  operation,  and  veiled 
with  mysteries;  and  my  frame  of  heart 
was  such  as  to  exclude  me  from  it,  nor 
could  I  stoop  to  take  its  yoke  upon  me. 
I  had  not  these  sensations  when  I  attend- 
ed to  the  Scriptures,  but  they  appeared 
to  me  unworthy  to  be  compared  with  the 
dignity  of  Cicero.  My  pride  was  dis- 
gusted with  their  manner,  and  my  pene- 
tration could  not  enter  into  their  meaning.* 
It  is  true,  those  who  are  content  to  be 
little  children,  find  by  degrees  an  illu- 
mination of  their  souls  ;  but  I  disdained 
to  be  a  child,  and  elated  with  pride  im- 
agined myself  to  be  possessed  of  manly 
wisdom. 

In  this  situation  I  fell  in  with  the 
Manichees,  men  who  had  in  their  mouths 
the  mere  sound  of  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost,  and  were  always  talking  of  the 
TRUTH,  THE  TRUTH,  and  yet  formed  the 
most  absurd  opinions  of  the  works  of  na- 
ture, on  which  subjects  the  heathen  phi- 
losophers far  excelled  them.  O  truth, 
how  eagerly  did  I  pant  after  thee,  while 
they  only  used  the  word  with  their 
mouths,  or  repeated  it  in  many  huge 
volumes !  But  they  taught  me  to  look  for 
my  God  in  the  Sun  and  Moon,  and  also 
in  a  number  of  splendid  phantasms  of 
their  own  creation. f  I  endeavoured  to 
feed  on  these  vanities,  but  they  being  not 
my  God,  though  I  then  supposed  so,  I 
was  not  nourished,  but  exhausted.  How 
far  did  I  wander  tlien  from  thee  !  exclud- 


*  Coloss.  ii. 


*  An  excellent  description  of  the  usual  ef- 
fect of  a  liltle  Scriptural  study  on  a  proud 
mind,  which,  by  the  just  judgment  of  God,  is 
given  up  to  judicial  infatuation  and  specious 
delusion,  in  some  way  or  odier. 

t  The  Manichees,  so  called  from  Manes 
their  founder,  had  existed  about  a  hundred 
years.  It  would  not  be  worth  while  to  notice 
them  at  all,  were  it  not  for  their  connexion 
with  the  life  of  Augustine.  Like  most  of  the 
ancient  heretics,  they  abounded  in  senseless 
whims,  not  worthy  of  any  solicitous  explana- 
tion. This  tliey  had  in  common  with  the  Pa- 
gan Philosophers,  that  they  supposed  the  su- 
preme Being  to  be  material,  and  to  penetrate 
all  nature.  Their  grand  peculiarity  was  to 
admit  of  two  independent  principles,  a  good 
and  an  evil  one,  in  order  to  solve  the  arduous 
question  concerning  die  oi-igin  of  evil.  Like 
all  heretics,  they  made  a  great  i)aradeof  seek- 
ing truth  with  liberal  impartiality,  and  were 
dius  qualified  to  deceive  unwary  spirits,  who, 
far  from  suspecting  their  own  imbecility  of 
judgment,  and  regardless  of  the  word  of  God, 
and  hearty  prayer,  have  no  idea  of  attaining 
religious  knowledge  by  any  other  method  than 
by  natural  reason. 


Cext.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


387 


HUSKS     WHICH    THE 


ed  even  from   the 

SWINE   DID   eat!    For  the  fables  of  the 
poets,  which  I  did  not  believe,  though  I 
was  entertained  with  them,  were  prefer- 
able to  the  absurdities  of  these  lovers  of 
truth.     Alas  !  alas!  by  what  steps  was  I 
led   into  Satanic  depths!    Panting   after 
truth,  I  sought  thee,  my  God,  not  in  in- 
tellectual, but  in  carnal  speculations;  for 
I  would  confess  all  to  thee,  who  didst 
compassionate  my  misery,  even  while  I 
was  hardened  against  thee.     The  Mani- 
chees  seduced  me,  partly  with  their  subtle 
and   captious    questions   concerning   the 
origin  of  evil,  partly  with  their  blasphe- 
mies against  the  Old  Testament  Saints.* 
I   did  "not   then  understand,  that  though 
the  divine  rule  of  right  and  wrong  is  im- 
mutable in  the  abstract,  and  the  love  of 
God  and  our  neighbour  is  always  indis- 
pensably necessary,  yet  that  there  were 
particular   acts   of  duty  adapted   to  the 
times  and  seasons  and  circumstances  in 
which  they  were  placed,  which  abstract- 
ed from  such  consideration  \yould  be  un- 
lawful.     In    much   ignorance  I   at   that 
time  derided  thy  holy  servants,  and  was 
justly  exposed  to  believe  most  ridiculous 
absurdities.     And  thou  sentest  thy  hand 
from   above,  and   freedst  me   from   this 
depth   of   evil,   while    my   mother   was 
praying  for  me,  more   solicitous  on  ac- 
count of  the  death  of  my  soul,  than  other 
parents  for  the  death  of  the  body.     She 
was  favoured  wiih  a  dream,  by  which 
thou  comfortedst  her  soul  with  hope  of 
my  recovery.     She   appeared  to  herself 
to  be  standing  on  a  plank,  and  a  person 
came  to  her  and  asked  her  the  cause  of 
her   affliction;  and   on  being  answered, 
that  it  was  on  my  account,  he  charged 
her  to  be  of  good  cheer,  for  that  where 
she   was,   there  also  I  should   be.     On 
which  she  immediately  beheld  me  stand- 
ing by  her  on  the  same  plank.     Whence 
was  this  but  from  thee,  gracious  Omni- 
potent, who  takest  care  of  each  and  all 
of  us,  as  of  single  persons  T     When  she 
related    this   to   rne,    1   endeavoured    to 
evade  the  force  of  it,  by  observing,  that 
it  might  moan  to  exhort  her  to  be  what  I 
was.     Without  hesitation  she  replied,  it 
was  not  said,  where  he  is,  there  thou 


shall  be;  but,  where  thou  art,  there  he 
shall  be.     Her  prompt  answer  made  a 
stronger  impression  on  my  mind  than  the 
dream  itself.     For  nine   years,  while  I 
was  rolling  in  the  filth  of  sin,  often  at- 
tempting to  rise,  and  still  sinking  deeper, 
did  she  in  vigorous  hope  persist  in  inces- 
sant prayer.     I  remember,  also,  that  she 
entreated  a  certain  bishop  to  undertake  to 
reason  me  out  of  my  errors.     He  was  a 
person   not    backward   to   attempt   this, 
where  he  found  a  docile  subject.     "  But 
your  son,"  says  he,  "is  too  much  elated 
at  present,  and  carried  away  with  the 
pleasing  novelty  of  his,  error,  to  regard 
any  arguments,  as  appears  by  the  plea- 
sure he  takes  in  puzzling  many  ignorant 
persons  with  his  captious  questions.   Let 
him  alone ;  only  continue  praying  to  the 
Lord  for  him;   he  will  in  the  course  of 
his  study  discover  his  error.     I  myself, 
perverted   by   my   mother,   was   once  a 
Manichee  and  read  almost  all  their  books, 
and  yet  at  length  was  convinced  of  my 
error,  without  the  help  of  any  disputant." 
All  this  satisfied  not  my  anxious  parent ; 
with  floods  of  tears  she  persisted  in  her 
request;  when  at  last  he  a  little  out  of 
temper   on  accovmt  of  her   importunity, 
said,  "■  Begone,  good  woman ;  it  is  not  pos- 
sible that  the  child  of  such  tears  should 
perish."     She  has  often  told  me  since, 
that  this  answer  impressed  her  mind  like 
a  voice  from  Heaven. 


*  The  Manichees  objected  to  the  cliarae- 
ters  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacoh,  Moses,  David, 
kc.  on  account  of  various  actions  allowed  un- 
der the  dispensation  of  their  times,  hiU  for- 
bidden under  tlie  New  Testament,  and  ihence 
formed  an  argument  against  the  Divinity  ot 
the  Old  Testament. 


BOOK  IV. 

For  the  space  of  nine  years,  namely, 
from  the  nineteenth  to  the  twenty-eighth 
year  of  my  age,  I  lived  deceived  and  de- 
ceiving others,  seducing  men  into  various 
lusts,  openly  by  what  are  called  the  lib- 
eral arts,  and  secretly  by  a  false  religion: 
in  the  former  proud,  in  the  latter  super- 
stitious; in  all  things  seeking  vain  glory, 
even  to  theatrical  applauses  and  conten- 
tious contests;  and  to  complete  the  dis- 
mal picture,  a  slave  to  the  lusts  of  the 
flesh.      So   infatuated   was   I   with   the 
Manichean  follies,  that  I  drew  my  friends 
into  them,  and  with  them  practised  the 
impieties  of  the  sect.     The  arrogant  may 
despise  me,  and  all  who  have  never  felt 
a  salutary  work  of  self-humiliation  from 
thee,  my  God.     But  I  would  confess  to 
thee  my  own  disgraces,  for  thy  glory. 
What  am  I,  left  to  myself,  but  a  guide 
rashly  conducting  others  to  a  precipice] 
And  when  I  am  in  a  better  state,  what 
am  I,  but  an  infant  feeding  upon  thee, 
the  bread  that  perisheth  not]     What  is 


388 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  U. 


any  man,  since  he  is  flesh  1  Let  the 
proud  and  the  strong-  despise  us;  but  we 
who  are  weak  and  poor  would  confess  to 
thee. 

At  this  time  I  maintained  myself  by 
teaching  rhetoric ;  and  without  fraud  I 
taught  my  scholars,  not  how  to  oppress 
the  innocent,  but  sometimes  how  to  vin- 
dicate the  guilty.  I  lived  also  with  one 
woman,  but  without  matrimony.  At  this 
time  I  ceased  not  also  to  consult  astrolo- 
gers; nor  could  I  be  induced  by  the  argu- 
ments of  a  very  sensible  physician,  nor 
by  the  admonitions  of  my  excellent  friend 
Nebridius,  to  reject  these  follies. 

While  I  was  teaching  rhetoric  in  this 
manner  in  my  native  town,  I  enjoyed  the 
friendship  of  a  young  man  of  my  own 
age,  a  school-fellow  and  companion  from 
infancy.     Indeed  there  is  no  true  friend- 
ship, except  thou  cement  it  among  those 
who  cleave  to  thee,  through  the  love  shed 
abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
which   is   given   to   us.     But   it   was  a 
friendship  too  sweet,  inflamed  by  the  fer- 
vour of  similar  studies.     For  I  had  drawn 
him  aside  from  the  true  faith,  which  he 
held  not  in  a  deep  and  genuine  manner, 
into  the  Manichean  follies,  on  account  of 
which  my  mother  bewailed  me.     And  lo ! 
thou  who  pursuest  thy  fugitives,  O  God 
of  vengeance  and  source  of  mercies,  and 
convertest   us   to   thyself  by   wonderful 
methods,  lo !  thou  removedst  him  from 
tills  life,  when  I  had  scarcely  enjoyed  his 
friendship  a  year  after  my  return  to  Ta- 
gasta.     While  he  lay  a  long  time  sense- 
less in  a  fever,  and  his  life  was  despaired 
of,   he   was   baptized   without   his   own 
knowledge;   a  thing  which   I   regarded 
with  great  indifference,  as  not  doubting 
but  he  would  retain  my  instructions  which 
had  been  instilled  into  his  mind,  rather 
than  that  which  had  been  applied  to  his 
body,  when  he  was  ignorant  of  the  mat- 
ter.    However,  against  all  expectation  he 
recovered.     As  soon  as  I  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  conversing  with  him,  I  attempted 
to  turn  into  ridicule  his  late  baptism,  in 
which  I  expected  his  concurrence.     But 
he  dreaded  me  as  an  enemy,  and  with 
wonderful  freedom  suddenly  admonished 
me,  that  if  I  would  be  his  friend,  I  should 
drop  the  subject.     Confounded  at  this  un- 
expected behaviour,  I  deferred  the  con- 
versation, till  he  should  be  thoroughly 
recovered.     But   he   was   removed  from 
my  madness,  that  he  might  be  saved  with 
thee,  my  God,  and  that  I  might  have  com- 
fort afterwards  in  reflecting  on  his  salva- 


tion. In  a  few  days  the  fever  returned, 
and  he  died.  How  miserable  was  my 
life !  My  country  was  a  punishment,  my 
father's  house  a  wonderful  infelicity,  and 
whatever  I  had  enjoyed  in  common  with 
him,  without  him  was  torment  itself.  I 
found  I  could  now  no  longer  say.  He  will 
come  shortly,  as  I  was  wont  to  do.  If  I 
said,  Hope  in  God,  my  soul  refused;  for 
the  man  whom  I  had  lost  was  an  object 
preferable  to  the  phantasm,*  on  which  I 
was  bid  to  fix  my  hopes.  Weeping  alone 
was  sweet  to  me,  and  supplied  the  ab- 
sence of  my  friend. 

Wretched  I  now  was,  and  wretched  is 
every  soul  that  is  bound  by  the  friendship 
of  mortal  things.  Behold  my  heart,  my 
God,  my  hope,  who  cleansest  me  from 
the  contagion  of  such  affections,  and  di- 
rectest  my  eyes  to  thee,  and  pluckest  my 
feet  out  of  the  net.  O  madness!  not 
knowing  how  to  love  men  as  men. — O 
foolish  man  !  bearing  with  no  moderation 
the  lot  of  humanit}'.  The  load  of  misery 
burdened  me,  which  I  knew  thou  alone 
couldst  cure;  but  I  was  unwilling  and 
impotent,  because  when  I  thought  of  thee, 
I  had  only  a  shadowy  idol  before  me.  If 
I  attempted  to  throw  my  burden  on  thee, 
it  returned  upon  myself,  as  I  found  no- 
thing that  would  support  it.  I  fled  how- 
ever from  my  country,  and  came  to  Car- 
thage. 

Time,  other  objects,  and  other  friend- 
ships, gradually  lessened  my  sorrow. 
But  happy  is  he  who  loves  thee,  and  his 
friend  in  thee,  and  his  enemy  for  thy  sake. 
For  he  only  loses  no  friend  to  whom  all 
are  dear  in  him  who  is  never  lost ;  and 
Avho  is  he  but  our  God,  who  made  and 
fills  heaven  and  earth.  None  loses  thee 
but  he  who  lets  thee  go  ;  and  he  who  dis- 
misses thee,  whither  does  he  fly,  but  from 
the  PROPITIOUS  to  the  adverse  1  God  of 
power!  turn  us,  and  show  thy  face,  and 
we  shall  be  saved.  For,  wherever  the 
soul  of  man  turns  itself,  it  fixes  upon  sor- 
row, except  in  thee.  Be  not  vain,  my 
soul,  and  make  not  the  ear  of  thy  heart 
deaf  with  the  tumult  of  vanity.  The 
word  itself  calls  to  thee  to  return ;  there 
is  the  place  of  rest  not  to  be  disturbed. 
There  with  God  fix  thy  mansion;  there 
entrust  whatever  thou  hast,  my  soul, 
when  fatigued  with  vanities.  If  souls 
please  thee,  love  them  in  God,  and  carry 
them  with  thee  to  him  as  many  as  thou 


*  He  means  the  fantastic  idea  of  God> which 
is  a  Maiiicliee  he  had  embraced. 


Cent.  V.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


389 


canst,  and  say  to  them,  let  us  love  him, 
he  made  these  things,  and  he  is  not  far 
off.  The  good  ye  love  is  from  him,  but 
it  will  deservedly  be  bitter,  if  ye  love  it 
to  excess,  deserting  him.  Ye  seek  a 
happy  life :  he  who  is  our  life  descended 
hither  and  destroyed  death.  After  his 
descent,  will  ye  not  ascend  and  live] 
But  why  ascend,  since  ye  are  too  high 
already]  Come  down,  that  ye  may  as- 
cend to  God.  For  by  rising  up  against 
him  ye  have  fallen.  Tell  your  friends 
these  things,  that  they  may  weep  ;  and 
so  take  them  with  thee  to  God,  if  indeed 
thou  sayest  these  things  from  his  Spirit, 
and  if  indeed  the  fire  of  his  love  burn  in 
thee. 

I  made  approaches  to  thee,  O  Lord, 
and  thou  repelledst  me,  because  thou  re- 
sistest  the  proud ;  and  what  was  prouder, 
than  to  assert  that  I  vv'as  naturally  what 
thou  art]*     Alas!  of  what  avail  was  it 
that  I  understood  the  logic  of  Aristotle, 
and  what  are  called  the  liberal  arts !     I 
had,  it  is  true,  a  facility  of  comprehen- 
sion, and  an  acuteness  in  argumentation, 
thy  gift ;   but  I  sacrificed  not  thence  to 
thee.     Hence  they  were  to  me  a  curse, 
and  not  a  blessing.     Yet,  all  this  time,  I 
looked  on  thee  as  an  immense  lucid  body, 
of  which  I  myself  was  a  fragment.     How 
much  better  was  it  with  thy  children  of 
more  tardy   genius,  who  did  not  recede 
from  thy  nest,  but  were  fledged  and  grew 
up  in  safety  in  thy  Church,  and  nourished 
the  wings  of  love  with  the  food  of  sound 
faith  I   0  Lord  our  God,  let  us  trust  in  the 
shadow  of  thy  wings.     "Do  thou  carry 
us  to  hoary  hairs. "f    When  thou  art  our 
strength,  we  have  strength ;  our  own  is 
weakness. 

BOOK  V. 

Receive  the  sacrifice  of  my  confessions, 
and  heal  all  my  bones,  that  they  may  say. 
Lord,  who  is  like  unto  thee  ]  The  heart 
that  is  shut  against  thee  excludes  not 
thine  eye,  nor  does  the  hardness  of  men's 
hearts  repel  thine  hand,  but  thou  soften- 
est  them  when  thou  pleasest,  in  compas 
sion  or  in  vengeance,  and  none  can  hide 
himself  from  thy  flame.  But  may  my 
soul  praise  thee,  that  it  may  love  thee, 
and  may  it  acknowledge   thy  compas- 


sions, that  it  may  praise  thee  I  Let  men 
be  converted  and  seek  thee;  and  behold, 
thou  art  in  the  heart  of  those  who  confess 
to  thee,  and  cast  themselves  upon  thee, 
and  in  thy  bosom  deplore  their  evil  ways ; 
and  thou  in  mercy  wilt  wipe  away  their 
tears,  that  they  may  weep  the  more,  and 
rejoice  in  tears,  because  thou.  Lord,  re- 
freshest  and  comfortest  them. 

In  the  sight  of  my  God  I  will  give  an 
account  of  the  twenty-ninth  year  of  my 
age.     A  Manichee  bishop,  named  Faus- 
tus,  had  now  come  to  Carthage,  a  great 
snare  of  the  devil,  and  many  were  en- 
chanted by  his  eloquence,  which  though 
I  could  not  but  commend,  I  yet  distin- 
guished from  truth.     Report  had  repre- 
sented him  as  a  very  liberal  and  accom- 
plished scholar.     And  as  1  had  read  many 
things  of  the  philosophers,  I  compared 
them  with  the  tedious  fables  of  the  Mani- 
chees,  and  found  the  former  more  proba- 
ble.    Thou  regardest,  Lord,  the  humble; 
the  proud  thou  beholdest  afar  off.     No 
doubt  the  foretelling  of  eclipses,  and  other 
things  that  might  be  mentioned,  demon- 
strate the  truth  of  the  philosophical  sci- 
ences in  secular  things.     Unhappy  is  that 
man   who   knows   all   these   things  and 
knows  not  Thee;  but  blessed  is  he  who 
knows  the'e,  though  he  knows  not  these 
things.     But  he   who  knows  both  thee 
and  them,  is  not  happier  on  their  account, 
but  on  account  of  thee  alone  is  happy,  if 
knowing  thee  he  glorify  thee  as  God,  and 
be  thankful,  and  be  not  vain  in  his  imagi- 
nations.    For,  as  he  is  in  a  better  situa- 
tion, who  possesseth  a  tree,  and  is  thank- 
ful to  thee  for  the  use  of  it,  though  he 
knows  neither  its  height  nor  breadth,  than 
he  who  measures  it,  and  counts  all  its 
branches,  and  neither  possesses   it,  nor 
knows  nor  has  learned  his  Creator;  so 
the  believer,  whose  property  all  the  riches 
of  the  world  are,  and  who  having  no- 
thing,   YET    POSSESSETH    ALT,    THINGS,   by 

cleaving  to  thee  whom  all  things  serve, 
is  indisputably  better  than  the  most  know- 
ing natural  philosopher  upon  earth,  who 
lives  in  the  neglect  of  thee.* 

Yet  the  rashness  of  the  Manichee  wri- 
ter, who  undertook  to  write  of  Astronomy, 
though  completely  ignorant  of  the  science, 
■    inexcusable,  especially  as  he  contended 


IS 


*  In  this  blasphemy  the  Manichees  followed 
"  the  Pagan  philosophers.     They  had  no  idea, 
also,  that  God  was  a  spirit.     Hence  our  Au- 
thor's long  conflict,  before  he  could  form  a 
spiritual  idea  of  God. 
f  Isaiah  xlvi.  4. 

2  k2 


*  An  excellent  comparison  between  the  state 
of  an  illiterate  believer,  who  feeds  on  Christ  by 
(aith.and  that  of  an  accomplished  man  of  science, 
even  of  one  skilled  in  speculative  theology 
among  other  branches  of  knowledge,  but  desti* 
lute  of  spiritual  life. 


390 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  IT. 


that  the  Holy  Ghost  resided  personally 
in  hira.     The  ignorance  of  a  believer  in 
such  subjects  is  very  excusable  ;  even  if 
he  fancy' his  mistaken  notions  in  natural 
philosophy  to  be  branches  of  religion. 
But  who  can  bear  to  hear  a  pretender:  to 
infallible  inspiration  vending  absurdities 
on  the  works  of  nature  1  Here  then  I  had 
my   doubts   concerning   the   divinity   of 
Manicheism,  and  in  vain  proposed  them 
to  those  of  the  sect  whom  I  met  with. 
"  You  must  wait  till  the  all-accomplished 
Faustus  come  to  Carthage,"  was  all  the 
answer   I   received.      On   his   arrival   I 
found  him  an  agreeable  speaker,  and  one 
who  could  deliver  their  dotages  in  a  more 
persuasive  tone.     But  by  this  time  I  was 
surfeited  with  these  subjects,  and  I  had 
been  taught  by  thee,  my  God,  who  hast 
instructed  me  marvellously,  but  secretly, 
that  style  and  manner,  however  excellent, 
were  not  the  same  thing  as  sound  argu- 
ment.    The  address,  indeed,  the  pathos, 
the  propriety  of  language,  and  facility  of 
expression  in  clothing  his  sentiments,  de- 
lighted me ;  but  my  mind  was  unsatisfied. 
The  proofs  of  ignorance  in  science  which 
I  saw  in  Manicheism,  connected  with  pre- 
tensions   to   infallibility,   staggered   my 
mind  with  respect  to  their  whole  system. 
On  freely  conversing  with  him,  I  found 
him  possessed  of  an  ingenuous  frankness, 
more  valuable  than  all  the  subjects  of  my 
investigation.     He  owned  his  ignorance 
in  all  philosophy,  and  left  me  convinced 
of  it.     Grammar  alone,  and  some  Cicero- 
nian and  other  classical  furniture,  made 
up  his  stock  of  knowledge,  and  supplied 
him  with  a  copiousness  of  diction,  which 
received  additional  ornament  from  his  na- 
tural vivacity  of  imagination.     My  hope 
of  discovering  truth  was  now  at  an  end : 
I  remained   still  a  Manichee,  because  I 
despaired  of  succeeding   better  on   any 
other   plan.     Thus  that   same   Faustus, 
who  had  been  the  snare  of  death  to  many, 
was   the  first  who   relaxed   my  fetters, 
though   contrary   to  his  own   mtention. 
ThyTiands,  my  God,  in  the  secret  of  thy 
providence,  forsook  not  my  soul :  day  and 
night  the  prayers  of  my  mother  came  up 
before  thee,  and  thou  wroughtest  upon 
me  in  ways  marvellous  indeed,  but  secret. 
Thou  didst  it,  my  God  :  for  man's  goings 
ARE  FROM  THE   LORD:    and  who  affords 
salvation  but  thy  hand,  which  restores 
what  thou  hast  made  1     It  was  from  thy 
influence  that  I  was  persuaded  to  go  to 
Rome  to  teach,  instead  of  Carthage.  The 
deep  recesses  of  thy  wisdom  and  mercy 


must  be  confessed  by  me  in  this  dispen- 
sation.    I  understood,  that  at  Rome  a 
teacher  was  not  exposed  to  those  turbu- 
lent proceedings,  which  were  so  common 
at  Carthage.     Thus  the  madness  of  one 
set  of  men,  and  the  friendship  of  others, 
promising  me  vain  things,  were  thy  means 
of  introducing  me  into  the  way  of  life  and 
peace,  and  in  secret  thou  madest  use  of 
their  perverseness  and  my  own.     Here  I 
detested  real  misery,  there  sought  false 
felicity.     But  the  true  cause  of  this  re- 
moval was  at  that  time  hidden  both  from 
me  and  my  mother,  who  bewailed  me 
going  away,  and  followed  me  to  the  sea- 
side ;  but  I  deceived  her,  though  she  held 
me  close  with  a  view  either  to  call  me 
back,  or  to  go  along  with  me.    I  pretend- 
ed that  I  only  meant  to  keep  company 
with  a  friend  till  he  set  sail ;  and  with 
difficulty  persuaded  her  to  remain  that 
night  in  a  place  dedicated  to  the  memory 
of  Cyprian.    But  that  night  I  departed  pri- 
vily; and  she  continued  weeping  and  pray- 
ing.    Thus  did  I  deceive  my  mother,  and 
SUCH  a  mother !  \^et  was  I  preserved  from 
the  dangers  of  the  sea,  foul  as  I  was  in 
all  the  mire  of  sin,  and  a  time  was  coming, 
when  thou  wouldest  wipe  away  my  mo- 
ther's tears,  with  which  she  watered  the 
earth,  and  even  forgive  this  my  base  un- 
dutifulness.     And  what  did  she  beg  of 
thee,  my  God,  at  that  time,  but  that  I 
might  be  hindered  from  sailing  ?   Thou, 
in  profound  wisdom  regarding  the  hinge 
of  her  desire,  neglectedst  the  particular 
object  of  her  present  prayers,  that  thou 
mightest  gratify  the  general  object  of  her 
devotions.     The  wind  favoured  us,  and 
carried  us  out  of  sight  of  the  shore  when 
in  the  morning  she  was  distracted  with 
grief,  and  filled  thine  ears  with  groans  and 
complaints  ;  whilst  thou,  in  contempt  of 
her  violent  agonies,  hurriedst  me  along  by 
my  lusts  to  complete  their  desires,  and 
punishedst  her  carnal  desire  with  the  just 
scourge  of  immoderate  griefs.*  She  loved 
my  presence  with  her,  as  is  natural  to 
mothers,  though  in  her  the  affection  was 
uncommonly  strong,  and  she  knew  not 
what  joy  thou  wast  preparing  for  her  from 
my  absence.     She  knew  not;   therefore 
she  wept  and  wailed.     Yet  after  she  had 


*  It  requires  a  mind  well  seasoned  with 
Christian  discernment  and  humility,  to  admire  in 
all  this  the  Providence  of  God  working  good 
out  of  evil;  to  separate  what  is  truly  holy  and 
humble  in  the  affections  of  our  author's  mother, 
Crom  what  was  really  carnal  and  earlhly ;  and 
hence  to  discover  the  justness  of  his  reflections. 


Cext.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


391 


wearied  herself  in  accusing  my  perfidy 
and  cruelty,  she  returned  to  her  former 
employment  of  praying  for  me,  and  went 
home,  while  I  went  to  Rome. 

And  there  I  was  punished  with  the 
scourge  of  bodily  sickness,  and  I  drew 
nigh  to  hell,  carrying  the  load  of  all  my 
sins,  original  and  actual.   For  Christ  had 
not  freed  me  from  them  by  the  body  of 
his  flesh  through  death.     For  how  could 
a  fantastic  death,  such  as  I,  a  INIanichee, 
then  believed  his  to  be,  deliver  my  soi.il ! 
Whither  must  I  have  gone,  had  I  at  that 
time  departed  hence,  but  to  the  fire  and 
torments  worthy  of  my  deeds,  according 
to  the  truth  of  thy  appointment  !*      She 
was  ignorant  of  this,  and  yet  prayed  for 
me,  being  absent.    But  ihou,  every  where 
present,  heardest  her,  and  pitiedst  me. 
Still  in  the  crisis  of  my  danger,  I  desired 
not  thy  baptism  as  I  had  done  when  a 
boy  :  I  had  grown  up  to  my  own  disgrace, 
and  madly  derided  thy  medicine  of  hu- 
man misery.     How  my  mother,   whose 
affection   both   natural    and  spiritual  to- 
ward me  was  inexpressible,  would  have 
borne  such  a  stroke,  I   cannot  conceive. 
3Iorning  and  evening  she  frequented  the 
church,  to  hear  thy  word  and  to  pray,  and 
the  salvation  of  her  son  was  the  constant 
burden  of  her  supplications.   Thou  heard- 
est her,  O  Lord,  and  performedst  in  due 
season  what   thou   hadst   predestinated. 
Thou  recoveredst  me  from  the  fever,  that 
at  length  I  might  obtain  also  a  recovery 
of  still  greater  importance. 

The  Manichees  are  divided  into  two 
bodies,  auditors,  and  elect.  He,  in  whose 
house  I  lodged,  was  of  the  former  sort.  I 
myself  was  ranked  among  the  latter. 
With  them  I  fancied  myself  perfectly  sin- 
less, and  laid  the  blame  of  the  evils  I  com- 
mitted on  another  nature,  that  sinned  with- 
in me|,  and  my  pride  was  highly  gra- 
tified with  the  conception.  jMy  attachment 
to  this  sect,  however,  grew  more  lax,  as 
I  found  the  impossibility  of  discovering 
truth,  and  felt  a  secret  predilection  in  fa- 
vour of  the  academic  philosophy,  which 
commends  a  state  of  doubt  and  uncertain- 
ty.:]:   My  landlord,  who  had  not  so  much 


experience  of  the  sect  as  I  had,  was  ele- 
vated with  their  fancies.     I  checked  his 
sanguine  views  ;  and  though  the  intimacy 
I  had  contracted  with  this  people  (for  a 
number  of  them  live  at  Rome)  made  me 
backward  to  seek  elsewhere  for  truth,  I 
was  however  little  solicitous  to  defend  the 
reputation  of  their  tenets.  It  was  a  deplora- 
ble evil  with  me,  that  my  prejudice  was  so 
strono^  atjainst  the  Christian  faith.   When 
I  thought  of  thee,  my  God,  I  could  not  con- 
ceive any  thing  but  what  was  corporeal, 
though  of  the  most  excellent  subtil ty  ;  but 
what  was  immaterial,  appeared  to  be  no- 
thing.    And  here  I  seemed  incurable  in 
error.  I  did  not  conceive  it  possible,  that  a 
good  Being  should  create  an  evil  one, 
and  therefore  chose  to  admit  limits  to  the 
infinite  Author  of  Nature,  by  supposing 
him  to  be  controlled  by  an  independent 
evil   principle.      Yet,  though  my  ideas 
were  material,  I  could  not  bear  to  think 
of  God  being  flesh.     That  was  too  gross 
and  low  in  my  apprehensions.    Thy  only 
begotten  >Son  appeared  to  me  as  the  most 
lucid  part  of  thee,  afforded  for  our  salva- 
tion.     I  concluded,  that  such  a  nature 
could  not  be  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary 
without  partaking  of  human  flesh,  which 
I  thought  must  pollute  it.     Hence  arose 
my  fantastic  ideas  of  Jesus,*  so  destruc- 
tive of  all  piety.     Thy  spiritual  children 
may  smile  at  me  with  charitable  sympa- 
thy, if  they  read  these  my  confessions ; 
such,  however,  were  my  views.     Indeed, 
while  I  was  at  Carthage  the  discourse  of 
one  Helpidius  had  moved  me  in  some  de- 
gree, who  produced  from  the  New  Testa- 
ment several  powerful  arguments  against 
their  positions ;  and  their  answer  appeared 
to  me  to  be  weak,  which  yet  they  did  not 
deliver  openly,  but  in  secret.     They  pre- 
tended that  the  Scriptures  of  the  New 
Testament  had   been  falsified  by  some, 
who  desired  to  insert  Judaism  into  Chris- 
tianity, but  they  themselves  produced  no 


*  Does  the  reader  think  this  liarsh?  Let  him 
consider  whether  it  can  be  any  thing  else  than 
the  want  ofa  firm  belief  of  the  word  of  God, and 
a  contempt  of  his  holiness  and  authority,  that 
can  make  him  think  so,  and  he  will  do  well  to 
applv  the  awful  case  to  his  own  conscience. 

t  tvery  human  soul  was  supposed  by  the  Ma- 
nichees to  have  in  it  a  mixture  of  the  gi>od  and 
the  evil  principle. 

t  A  very  natural  and  common  effect  of  rea- 


soning pride.  When  a  man  attempts  to  discover 
and  adjust  religious  truth  by  leaning  to  his  own 
understiinding,  he  frequenlly  finds  scepticism  the 
sole  result  of  his  most  painful  investigations;  and 
every  thing  appears  doubtful  to  him,  except  the 
incompetency^ of  liillcn  man  to  understand  these 
things,  and  tfie  projiriety  of  seeking  a  new  na- 
ture and  a  spiritual  understanding  from  above. 
If  the  errors  of  Maiiichcism  appear  very  absurd, 
there  are  other  modes  of  deviation  from  Scrip- 
ture truth,  which  would  appear  no  less  so,  were 
they  as  unfa.shionable  in  our  times. 

*  It  is  evident  that  this  sect  comprehended  in 
it  the  fundamental  errors  of  the  Docile*,  of  whom 
we  have  spoken  repeatedly. 


392 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[CuAP.n. 


uncorrupted  copies.*  Still  did  I  pant 
under  those  masses  of  materialism,  and 
was  prevented  from  breathing  the  simple 
and  pure  air  of  thy  truth. 

Some  unexpected  disadvantages  in  the 
way  of  my  profession  laid  me  open  to 
any  probable  offer  of  employ  in  other  parts 
of  Italy.  From  Milan,  a  requisition  was 
made  to  Symmachus,  prefect  of  Rome,  to 
send  a  professor  of  rhetoric  to  that  city. 
By  the  interest  of  my  Manichean  friends 
I  obtained  the  honour,  and  came  to  Milan. 
There  I  waited  on  Ambrose  the  Bishop, 
a  man  renowned  for  piety  through  the 
world,  and  who  then  ministered  the  bread 
of  life  to  thy  people  with  much  zeal  and 
eloquence.  The  man  of  God  received  me 
like  a  father,  and  I  conceived  an  affection 
for  him,  not  as  a  teacher  of  truth,  which 
I  had  no  idea  of  discovering  in  thy  Church, 
but  as  a  man  kind  to  me  ;  and  I  studious- 
ly attended  his  lectures,  only  with  a  cu- 
rious desire  of  discovering  whether  fame 
had  done  justice  to  his  eloquence  or  not, 
I  stood  indifferent  and  fastidious  with  re- 
spect to  his  matter,  and  at  the  same  time 
was  delighted  with  the  sweetness  of  his 
language,  more  learned  indeed,  but  less 
soothing  and  agreeable  than  that  of  Faus- 
tus.  In  their  thoughts  there  was  no  com- 
parison ;  the  latter  erred  in  Manichean 
fallacies,  the  former  taught  salvation  in 
the  most  salutary  manner.  But  salvation 
is  far  from  sinners,  such  as  I  then  was, 
and  yet  I  was  gradually  approaching  to 
it,  and  knew  it  not.  As  I  now  despaired 
of  finding  the  way  to  God,  I  had  no  con- 
cern with  sentiment ;  language  alone  I 
chose  to  regard.  But  the  ideas  which 
I  neglected  came  into  my  mind,  together 
with  the  words  with  which  I  was  pleased. 
I  gradually  was  brought  to  attend  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  bishop.  I  found  rea- 
son to  rebuke  myself  for  the  hasty  con- 
clusions I  had  formed  of  the  perfectly 
indefensible  nature  of  the  law  and  the 
prophets.     A  number  of  difficulties,  start- 

*  The  Manichees,  like  all  other  heretics,  could 
not  stand  belbre  the  Scriptures.  They  profess- 
edly rejected  the  Old  Testament,  as  helonsing 
to  the  malignant  principle;  and  when  they  were 
pressed  with  the  authority  of  the  New,  as  cor- 
roborating the  Old,  they  pretended  the  New  was 
adulterated.  Is  there  any  new  thing  under  the 
sun  ?  Did  not  Lord  Bolingbroke  set  up  the  autho- 
rity of  St.  John  against  St.  Paul?  Have  we  not 
heard  of  some  pans  of  the  Gospels  as  not  genu- 
ine, because  they  suit  not  Socinian  views?  Ge- 
nuine Christian  principles  alone  will  bear  the 
test,  nor  fear  the  scrutiny  of  the  whole  word  o( 
God. 


ed  upon  them  by  the  Manichees,  found 
in  the  expositions  of  Ambrose  a  satisfac- 
tory solution.  The  possibility  of  finding 
truth  in  the  Church  of  Christ  appeared  ; 
and  I  began  to  consider  by  what  argu- 
luents  I  might  convict  Manicheism^of 
falsehood.  Could  I  have  formed  an  idea 
of  a  spiritual  substance,  their  whole  fa- 
bric had  been  overturned,  but  I  could  not. 
Moreover,  I  found  that  the  philosophers 
in  general  explained  the  system  of  nature 
better  than  the  Manichees.  It  seemed 
shameful  to  continue  in  connexion  with 
a  sect  replete  with  such  evident  absurdi- 
ties, that  I  could  not  but  prefer  to  them 
the  Pagan  philosophers,  though  I  dared 
not  trust  these  with  the  healing  of  my 
soul,  because  they  were  without  the  sav- 
ing name  of  Christ.  In  conclusion,  I  de- 
termined to  remain  a  catechumen  in  the 
church  recommended  to  me  by  my  pa- 
rents, till  I  saw  my  way  more  clearly. 

BOOK  VI. 

O  Thou  !  my  hope  from  my  youth, 
where  wast  thou  1  Thou  madest  me  wiser 
than  the  fowls  of  heaven ;  yet  I  walked 
through  darkness  and  slippery  places. 
My  mother  was  now  come  to  me,  coura- 
geous through  piety,  following  me  by 
land  and  sea,  and  secure  of  thy  favour  in 
all  dangers.  She  found  me  very  hopeless 
with  respect  to  the  discovery  of  truth. 
However,  when  I  told  her  luy  present 
situation,  she  answered,  that  she  believed 
in  Christ,  that  before  she  left  this  world 
she  should  see  me  a  sound  believer.  To 
thee  her  prayers  and  tears  were  still  more 
copious,  that  thou  wouldest  perfect  what 
thou  had  St  begun,  and  with  much  zeal 
and  affection  she  attended  the  ministry 
of  Ambrose.  Him  she  loved  as  an  angel 
of  God,  because  she  understood  that  I 
had  broken  off  from  Manichean  con- 
nexions through  his  means,  and  she  con- 
fidently expected  me  to  pass  from  sick- 
ness to  health,  though  with  a  critical 
danger  in  the  interval. 

She  had  been  used  to  bring  bread  and 
wine  for  the  coiumemoration  of  the  saints ; 
and  still  retaining  the  African  custom, 
she  was  prohibited  by  the  door-keeper, 
understanding  that  the  l)ishop  had  forbid- 
den the  practice.  Another  person  would 
not  soon  have  been  obej^ed,  but  Ambrose 
was  her  favourite,  and  Avas  himself 
amazed  at  the  promptitude  of  her  obedi- 
ence. The  reasons  of  the  prohibition 
were,  the  fear  of  excess,  and  the  danger 
of  superstition,  the  practice  itself  being 


Cext.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


393 


very  similar  to  those  of  the  Paj^ans.*  In- 
stead therefore  of  a  canister  full  of  the 
fruits  of  the  earth,  she  henceforward,  on 
the  commemoration-days  of  the  martyrs, 
gave  alms,  according-  to  her  ability,  to  the 
poor,  and  received  the  Lord's  Supper,  if 
it  was  celebrated  on  those  occasions.  Am- 
brose himself  was  charmed  with  the  fer- 
vour of  her  piety  and  the  amiableness  of 
her  good  works,  and  often  brake  out  in 
his  preaching,  when  he  saw  me,  congra- 
tulating me  Ihat  I  had  such  a  mother, 
little  knowing  what  sort  cf  a  son  she 
had,  who  doubted  of  all  these  things,  and 
even  apprehended  that  the  way  of  life 
could  not  be  found.  Nor  did  I  groan  to 
thee  in  prayer  for  help,  being  intent  only 
on  study,  and  restless  in  discussions  and 
investigations.  In  a  secular  view,  Am- 
brose himself  appeared  to  be  a  happy 
man,  revered  as  he  was  by  the  imperial 
court;  only  his  celibacy  appeared  tome 
in  a  melancholy  light.  But  what  hope 
he  bore  within,  what  struggles  he  had 
against  the  temptations  of  grandeur,  what 
was  his  real  comfort  in  adversity,  his 
hidden  strength  and  joy  derived  from  the 
bread  of  Life,  of  these  things  I  could  form 
no  idea  ;  for  I  had  no  experience  of  them  ; 
nor  did  he  know  the  fluctuations  of  my 
soul,  nor  the  dangerous  pit  in  which  I 
was  enslaved.  It  was  out  of  my  power 
to  consult  him  as  I  could  wish,  surround- 
ed as  he  was  with  crowds  of  persons, 
whose  necessities  he  relieved.  During 
the  little  time  in  which  he  was  from 
them,  (and  the  time  was  but  little)  he 
either  refreshed  his  body  with  food,  or  his 
mind  vith  reading.  Hence  I  had  no  op- 
portunity to  unbosom  myself  to  him.  A 
few  Mords  of  conversation  sufficed  not. 
I  expected  in  vain  to  find  him  at  leisure 
for  a  long  conversation.!  I  profited,  how- 
ever, by  his  sermons.  Every  Lord's  day 
I  heard  him  instructing  the  people,  and  I 
was  more  and  more  convinced  of  the  fal- 
sity of  the  calumnies  which  those  de- 
ceivers had  invented  against  the  divine 
books.  And  when  I  found,  that  the  Mo- 
saic expression  of  man  made  after  the 
image  of  God,  was  undsrstood  by  no  be- 


*  Here  is  a  striking  instance  of  the  growth  ol 
Pasjan  superstition  in  tlie  church.  Tlie  torrent 
was  strong,  and  notwithstaniiing  occasional 
checks  which  it  received.at  length  overspread  all 
Christendom,  and  quite  obscured  the  light  of  the 
Gospel. 

t  Doubtless,  could  the  modesty  of  Augustine 
have  prevailed  on  him  to  desire  such  a  confer- 
ence, he  might  have  obtained  it.  And  what  a 
bishop  then  was,  may  be  seen  in  Ambrose. 


liever  to  imply  that  God  was  in  human 
form,  though  I  still  could  form  no  idea  of 
a  spiritual  substance,  I  was  glad,  and 
blushed  to  think  how  many  years  I  had 
falsely  accnsed  the  Church,  instead  of 
learning  by  careful  inquiry.* 

The  state  of  my  mind  was  now  some- 
thing altered ;  ashamed  of  past  miscar- 
riages and  delusions,  and  hence  the  more 
anxious  to  be  guided  right  for  the  time 
to  come.  I  was  completely  convinced  of 
the  falsehood  of  the  many  things  I  had 
once  uttered  with  so  much  confidence.  I 
was  pleased  to  find,  that  the  Church  of 
Christ  was  plainly  free  from  the  mon- 
strous absurdity  of  which  I  had  accused 
her.  I  found,  too,  that  thy  holy  men  of 
old  held  not  those  sentiments  with  which 
they  were  chal-ged.  And  I  was  pleased 
to  find  Ambrose  very  diligently  com- 
mending a  rule  to  his  people,  "the  letter 
killeth,  but  the  spirit  giveth  life  ;"f  when 
the  bishop,  removing  the  mystic  veil, 
opened  to  us  those  things,  which  accord- 
ing to  the  letter  might  seem  to  teach  per- 
verseness :  what  he  said  was  agreeable 
to  me,  thousrh  I  was  far  from  being  con- 
vinced  of  its  truth. :t^  My  former  mistakes 
and  blameable  rashness  rendered  me  now 
exceedingly  sceptical,  and  I  wanted  the 
fullest  intuitive  evidence.  By  faith,  in- 
deed, I  might  have  been  healed  ;  but  hav- 
ing experienced  a  bad  physician,  I  now 
dreaded  a  good  one.  By  believing  alone 
could  I  be  cured;  yet  for  fear  of  believ- 
ing false  things,  I  refused  to  be  healed, 
resisting  thy  hands,  who  hast  made  for  us 
the  medicines  of  faith,  and  hast  sprinkled 
them  over  the  diseases  of  the  world, 
and  hast  attributed  so  great  authority  to 
them. 

I  could  not,  however,  but  prefer-  the 
general  doctrine  of  the  church,  and  think 

*  A  remarkable  iiistanceof  partiality, attended 
with  a  remarkable  I'rankncss  of  confession.  Au- 
gustine l()r  nine  years  believed  that  the  general 
church  held  the  "corporeal  foi;m  of  the  Supreme 
Being,  though  he  might  with  ease  have  learned 
the  contrary  at  any  time.  But  heresy  in  all  ages 
acts  in  the  same  disingenuous  spirit. 

t  An  im|)ortant  observation  surely!  abused 
much  by  Origen,  and  many  of  his  followers,  to 
liinciful  and  capricious  purposes.  In  Augustine, 
however,  the  distinction  between  letter  and  spi- 
rit was  generally  made  comniensuratc  with  that 
between  flesh  and  spirit,  and  in  effect  distin- 
guishi'd  self-righteous  from  evangelical  religion. 

I  it  would  be  well,  if  many,  who  stumble  at 
the  Old  Testament,  were  more  convunced  of 
their  own  ignorance  and  incompetency,  for  want 
of  a  just  and  solid  acquaintance  with  its  typical 
nature,  and  the  laws  of  interpreting  it. 


394 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


it  was  more  reasonable  to  enjoin  faith  in 
subjects  incapable  of  demonstration,  than 
to  require  the  belief  of  most  absurd  fa- 
bles after  pretending  to  promise  us  know- 
ledge. 

By  degrees,  thou.  Lord,  with  a  mild  and 
merciful  hand  regulating  and  composing 
my  heart,  enabledst  me  to  consider  how 
many  things  I  believed  which  I  had  never 
seen,  what  credit  I  gave  to  friends,  to 
physicians,  to  many  others,  without  which 
the  common  affairs  of  life  could  never  be 
transacted ;  also,  how  firmly  I  believed 
who  were  my  parents,  though  I  could  not 
possibly  have  any  demonstration  concern- 
ing the  matter.     Thus   thou  persuadest 
me,  that  those  who  believed  thy  books 
were  not  to  be  condemned  for  credulity, 
but  those  who  disbelieved  them  were  to 
be  condemned  for  unreasonable  obstinacy, 
especially  as  their  credibility  was  esta- 
blished   by   the    great   authority    which 
they  had  obtained  throughout  the  world. 
"  How   do  you  know   that  those  books 
were  divinely  inspired?"  appeared  to  me 
now   a   question   implying  a   doubt   not 
worthy  to  be  attended  to.     For,  amidst 
all  the  contentiousness  of  philosophers, 
which  had  so  much  agitated  my  mind,  I 
had  ever  preserved  the  belief  of  thy  ex- 
istence and  Divine  providence.     Some- 
times, indeed,  this  belief  was  stronger, 
sometimes  weaker,  yet  it  never  left  me, 
notwithstanding  my  great  perplexity  con- 
cerning thy  nature,  or  the  way  of  ap- 
proaching thee.     As  we  are  too  infirm  to 
discover    truth    by    abstract    reasoning, 
and  therefore  need  the  authority  of  di- 
vine revelation,  I  apprehended,  that  thou 
wouldest  never  have  given  such  high  au- 
thority and  influence   to  the   Scriptures 
through  the  world,  unless  this  had  been 
the  appointed  means  of  our  knowing  thee, 
and  seeking  thy  will ;  and  now  the  ab- 
surdities, which  the  literal  interpretation 
of  many  things  seem  to  involve,  after  I  had 
heard  a  probable  exposition  of  several  of 
them,  I  referred  to  the  depth  of  mysteries ; 
and  hence  the  authority  of  thy  book  ap- 
peared more  venerable  and  more  credible, 
as  it  lay  open  to  every  one's  view,  and 
yet  reserved   the   dignity  of  the   secret 
by  the  most  profound  sentiments ;  oifering 
themselves  to  all  in  a  language  the  most 
open  and  the  most  humble,  and  exercising 
the  attention  of  serious  minds.     I  con- 
sidered these  things,  and  thou  wast  pre- 
sent with  me ;  I  sighed,  and  thou  heard- 
est  me ;  I  fluctuated,  and  thou  directedst 
my  course ;  I  went  along  the  broad  way 


of  the  world,  and  thou  didst  not  desert 
me.* 

My  heart  was  thirsting  after  honours, 
profits,  and  marriage,  and  thou  deridest 
me.  In  these  lusts  I  suifered  the  bitter- 
est difficulties;  thou  being  so  much  the 
more  propitious,  the  less  thou  sufferedst 
any  thing  to  be  pleasant  to  me  which  was 
not  thyself.  See,  Lord,  my  heart.  Now 
let  it  stick  close  to  thee,  which  thou  hast 
freed  from  the  tenacious  glue  of  death. 
How  miserable  was  I,  and  how  didst 
thou  cause  me  to  feel  my  misery  on  that 
day,  when  I  was  preparing  to  excite  a 
panegyric  to  the  emperor,  in  which  there 
were  many  falsehoods,  and  I  expected 
applause,  even  from  those  who  knew 
them  to  be  falsehoods,  when  my  heart 
brooded  over  its  anxieties,  and  passing 
through  a  certain  street  of  Milan,  I  saw  a 
poor  beggar,  I  suppose  at  that  time  with 
a  full  belly,  jocund  and  merry !  I  sighed, 
and  spake  to  my  friends  who  were  with 
me,  of  the  many  pains  of  our  madness, 
because  from  all  the  toils,  which  with  so 
much  labour  and  vexation  we  underwent, 
we  expected  only  that  same  rest  and  se- 
curity, which  that  beggar  had  already  at- 
tained, though  we  were  uncertain  whe- 
ther we  should  ever  reach  it.  In  truth, 
he  was  not  possessed  of  true  joy,  but  I, 
by  the  ambiguous  windings  of  art,  sought 
it  in  a  more  delusory  way.  He,  however, 
was  evidently  merry,  I  full  of  anxiety ; 
he  at  his  ease,  I  full  of  fear.  Were  I 
asked,  whether  frame  of  mind  I  should 
prefer,  I  should  without  hesitation  choose 
his.  Yet  if  I  were  asked,  whether  I 
would  be  Augustine,  or  the  beggar,  I 
should  say  the  former.  How  perverse 
was  this!  Much  to  this  purpose  did  I 
say  to  my  friends,  and   often   observed 


*  We  have  seen  here  the  close  thoughts  of  an 
original  thinker,  who  had  once  as  strong  a  preju- 
dice as  any  against  Scripture-truth;  owning  his 
rashness  in  condemning  what  he  had  not  un- 
derstood ;  convinced  of^  the  rationality  of  the 
Scriptures,  after  he  had  in  some  measure  disco- 
vered the  true  key  to  their  meaning;  persuaded 
of  their  divinity,  trom  their  providential  propa- 
gation in  the  world ;  owning  the  unreasonable- 
ness ofexpecting  demonstration,  and  of  refusing 
assent  to  grounds  of  faith  such  as  determine  us 
in  common  life;  spying  a  divine  beauty  in  the 
plainness  and  simplicity  of  their  language, 
adapted  to  all  capacities:  and  comprehending  at 
length  the  necessity  of  a  serious  mind,  in  order 
to  render  them  effectual  to  saving  purposes. — 
Sceptics  and  infidels  would  do  well  to  follow 
him  in  this  train  of  thought:  they  need  not  to  be 
ashamed  to  imitate  a  person  so  acute  and  inge- 
nuous. 


Cejtt.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


395 


how  things  were  with  me ;  and  I  found 
myself  miserable,  and  I  grieved,  and 
doubled  that  misery.  And  if  any  thing- 
prosperous  smiled  upon  me,  I  was  back- 
ward to  lay  hold  of  it,  because  it  flew 
away  almost  before  I  could  lay  hold  of 
it.* 

My  most  intimate  conversations  on 
these  subjects  were  with  Alypius  and 
Nebridius.  The  former,  my  townsman, 
had  studied  under  me  both  at  Tagasla 
and  at  Cartilage,  and  we  were  very  dear 
to  each  other.  The  torrent  of  fashion  at 
the  latter  place  hurried  him  into  the  Cir- 
censian  games,  of  which  he  became  ex- 
travagantly fond.  I  was  vexed  to  see 
him  give  into  a  taste  so  destructive  of  all 
sobriety  and  prudence  in  youth,  and  can- 
not but  take  notice  of  the  providential 
manner  in  which  he  was  delivered. 
While  I  was  one  day  expounding  in  my 
school  at  Carthage,  an  allusion  to  the 
Circensian  games  occurred  as  proper  to 
illustrate  my  subject,  on  which  occasion 
I  severely  censured  those  who  were  fond 
of  that  madness.  I  meant  nothing  for 
Alypius;  but  thou.  Lord,  who  hadst  de- 
signed him  for  a  minister  of  thy  word, 
and  who  would  est  make  it  manifest,  that 
his  correction  should  be  thy  own  work, 
infixedst  a  deep  sting  of  conviction  into 
his  heart;  he  believed,  that  I  spake  it  on 
his  account,  loved  me  the  more  for  it,  and 
shook  off  the  Circensian  follies.  But  he 
was  afterwards  involved  in  Manicheism 
with  me,  deceived  by  the  appearance  of 
good.  Afterwards  he  came  to  Rome,  to 
learn  the  law,  and  there  was  ensnared 
with  a  new  evil,  a  fondness  for  the  bar- 
barous sports  of  gladiators,  to  which  he 
had  a  strong  aversion.  Some  friends  of 
his  carried  him  to  them  by  force,  while 
he  declared  with  great  confidence,  that 
his  mind  and  eyes  should  still  be  alienated 
from  those  spectacles.  For  a  while  he 
closed  his  eyes  with  great  resolution,  till, 
on  a  certain  occasion,  when  the  whole 
house  rang  with  shouting,  overcome  by 
curiosity,  he  opened  his  eyes  to  see  what 
was  the  matter.  Beholding  a  gladiator 
wounded,  on  the  sight  of  the  blood  he 
was  inebriated  with  the  sanguinary  plea- 
sure. He  gazed,  he  shouted,  he  was  in- 
flamed, he  carried  away  with  him  the 


madness,  which  stimulated  him  to  repeat 
his  visits ;  he  became  enamoured  of  the 
sports,  even  more  than  those  who  had 
dragged  him  thither  against  his  will,  and 
seduced  others.  Thence  thou  with  a 
strong  and  merciful  hand  recoveredst  him 
at  leno-th,  but  long  after,  and  tauo-htest 
him  to  put  his  confidence  not  m  himself, 
but  in  thee.*  On  another  occasion, 
Alypius  was  apprehended  as  a  thief,  and 
circumstances  seemed  to  tell  so  much 
against  him,  that  it  was  by  a  particular 
providence  his  innocence  was  cleared. 
But  he  was  to  be  a  dispenser  of  thy  word, 
an  examiner  of  many  causes  in  thy 
Church,  and  he  learned  caution  and  wis- 
dom from  this  event.  Him  I  found  at 
Rome,  and  he  removed  with  me  to  Milan, 
and  practised  in  the  law  with  uncommon 
uprightness  and  integrity.  With  me,  he 
was  uncertain  with  respect  to  his  plan  of 
religion  and  the  way  of  happiness. 

My  friend  Nebridius  also  left  a  good 
paternal  estate  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Carthage,  for  the  sake  of  enjoying  my 
company  ;  and  we  three  were  panting  af- 
ter happiness,  till  thou  shouldest  give  us 
meat  in  due  season ;  and  amidst  all  the 
bitterness  which  attended  our  worldly 
concerns,  while  we  were  wishing  to  see 
the  end  of  these  things,  we  found  our- 
selves in  darkness,  and  we  said  with 
siffhs,  How  loner  1  Yet  we  still  followed 
objects  with  which  we  were  dissatisfied, 
because  we  knew  nothing  better  to  sub- 
stitute  in  their  room. 

As  to  myself  in  particular,  I  reviewed 
attentively  how  long  I  had  been  in  pur- 
suit of  the  true  wisdom,  with  a  determi- 
nation to  give  up  secular  pursuits  in  case 
of  success.  I  had  begun  at  nineteen,  and 
I  was  now  in  my  thirtieth  year,  still 
miserable,  anxious,  procrastinating,  fed 
with  tantalizing  hopes,  solicited  in  my 
conscience  to  set  apart  a  portion  of  time 
each  day  for  the  care  of  my  soul.  "  Your 
mornings  are  for  your  pupils  :  why  do  not 
you  employ  to  serious  purpose  thovaf- 
ternoons'?  But  then  what  time  shall  I 
have  to  attend  the  levees  of  the  Great, 
and  to  unbend  my  mind  with  necessary 
relaxation  ?     What,  then,  if  death  should 


*  A  lively  picture  ol'  human  vanity,  perfectly 
agreealiie  to  the  whole  tenuur  of  ecci-esiastes, 
and  evidencing  the  distress  of  those  in  hiyh  lile 
to  be  at  least  equal  to  that  of  their  inferiors. 
Ambition  receives  no  cure  from  the  review, 
till  the  man  knows  what  is  better. 


*  It  is  obvious  to  observe  licnce  the  folly  of 
self-confidence,  and  the  bewildiing  power  of 
temi)taIion  over  so  weak  and  corrupt  a  creature 
as  man.  Many  who  would  deem  it  impossible 
thai  llioy  should  enter  with  spirit  into  the  obsce- 
nity of  tlic  stage,  or  the  cruelties  of  the  slave 
trade,  by  a  little  indulgence,  may  soon  becoiue 
what  belbrehand  they  would  abhor. 


396 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  11. 


suddenly  seize  you,  and  judgment  over- 
take you  unprepared  1  Yet,  on  the  other 
side,  what  if  death  itself  be  the  extinc- 
tion of  my  being!  But  far  be  from  my 
soul  the  idea.  God  would  never  have 
given  such  high  proofs  of  credibility  to 
Christianity,  nor  have  shown  himself  so 
marvellously  among  men,  if  the  life  of 
the  soul  be  consumed  with  the  death  of 
the  body.  Why,  then,  do  I  not  give  my- 
self wholly  to  seek  God  1  But  do  not 
be  in  too  great  a  hurry  :  you  have  friends 
of  consequence,  by  whom  you  may  rise 
in  the  world !" 

In  such  an  agitation  of  mind  as  this 
did  I  live,  seeking  happiness,  and  yet 
flying  from  it.  To  be  divorced  from  the 
enjoyments  of  the  world  I  could  not  bear, 

farticularl}^  from  female  society ;  and  as 
had  no  idea  of  acquiring  continency 
but  by  my  own  strength,  I  was  a  stranger 
to  the  way  of  prayer  and  divine  supply 
of  grace.  Thou,  Lord,  wilt  give,  if  we 
solicit  thine  ears  with  internal  groaning, 
and  in  solid  faith  cast  our  care  on  thee. 
My  mother  was  solicitous  and  importu- 
nate for  my  being  married,  that  I  might 
in  that  state  receive  baptism.  I  promis- 
ed marriage  to  a  person  who  was  then 
too  young;  and  as  she  was  agreeable  to 
me,  I  consented  to  wait  almost  two  years. 
During  this  interval,  a  number  of  us, 
about  ten  in  all,  formed  a  scheme  of  liv- 
ing in  common  in  a  society  separate  from 
the  world  in  which  a  townsman  of  mine, 
Romanianus,  a  man  of  considerable  opu- 
lence, was  particularly  earnest.  But  some 
of  us  being  married  men,  and  others  desi- 
rous of  becoming  so,  the  scheme  came  to 
nothing.  Thou  deridedst  our  plans,  and 
preparedst  thy  own,  meaning  to  give  us 
food  in  due  season,  and  to  open  tliine 
hand,  and  fill  our  souls  with  blessedness. 
In  the  mean  time  my  sins  were  multi- 
plied, and  the  woman  with  whom  I  had 
cohabited,  returning  into  Africa  under  a 
vow  of  never  more  being  acquainted  with 
cnir  sex,  and  leaving  with  me  a  natural 
son  which  I  had  by  her,  I,  impatient  of 
the  delay,  took  another  woman  in  her 
room.  Praise  and  glory  be  thee,  O 
Fountain  of  Mercies !  I  became  more 
miserable,  and  thou  approachedst  nearer. 
Thou  wast  going  to  snatch  me  out  of  the 
mire  of  pollution,  and  I  knew  it  not.  The 
fear  of  death  and  future  judgment  was 
the  check  which  restrained  me.  Tliis  had 
never  left  me  amidst  the  variety  of  opin- 
ions with  which  I  was  agitated,  and  I 
owned  to  Alypius  and   Nebridius,  that 


the  Epicurean  doctrine  would  have  had 
the  preference  in  my  judgment,  could  I 
have  fallen  in  with  Epicurus's  idea  of 
the  annihilation  of  man  at  death  ;  and  I 
inquired  why  we  might  not  be  happy,  if 
we  were  immortal,  and  were  to  live  in  a 
perpetual  state  of  voluptuousness  without 
any  fear  of  losing  it;  ignorant  as  I  was 
of  the  misery  of  being  so  drenched  in 
carnality,  as  not  to  see  the  excellency  of 
embracing  goodness  itself  for  its  own 
sake.  I  did  not  consider,  that  I  confer- 
red on  these  base  topics  with  friends 
whom  I  loved,  and  was  incapable  of 
tasting  pleasure,  even  according  to  the 
carnal  ideas  I  then  had  of  pleasure  with- 
out friends.* 

O  my  serpertine  ways  !  Wo  to  the  soul 
which  presumed,  if  it  departed  from  thee, 
that  it  should  find  any  thing  better.  I 
turned  on  every  side,  and  all  things  were 
hard,  and  thou  alone  wast  my  rest ;  and 
lo !  thou  comest  and  freest  us  from  our 
miserable  delusions,  and  placest  us  in 
thy  way,  and  comfortest  us,  and  sayest, 
"  Run,  and  I  will  bear  you  ;  I  will  carry 
you  through,  and  bear  you  still." 

BOOK  VII. 

And  now  the  older  I  grew,  the  more 
defiled  was  I  with  vanity,  still  destitute 
of  the  spiritual  idea  of  God  ;  not  conceiv- 
ing however  of  thee,  0  Lord,  as  existing 
in  human  form,  an  error  of  which,  I  now 
saw,  I  had  unjustly  accused  the  catholic 
church,  but  still  viewing  thee  as  an  ob- 
ject of  sense,  however  refined  ;  and  when 
I  removed  the  ideas  of  space  and  quanti- 
ty, thou  seemest  to  be  nothing  at  all. 
For  thou  hadst  not  yet  illuminated  my 
darkness.  The  arguments  of  my  friend 
Nebridius  appeared  to  me  conclusive 
against  the  Manichean  idea  of  an  inde- 
pendent evil  principle  in  nature.  I  was 
grown  firm  in  the  belief,  that  in  the  Lord 
is  nothing  corruptible,  mutable,  or  in  any 
sense  imperfect;  that  evil  must  not  be 
imputed  to  him,  in  order  that  we  may 
clear  ourselves  of  blame,  with  the  Mani- 
chees.  Still  however,  a  question  distressed 
me,  how  came  evil  into  being  at  all "?  Ad- 
mitting that  it  lies  in  the  will  of  man, 
that  the  distinction  between  a  natural  and 
moral  inability  is  real  and  just,  and  that 


*  A  strong  intimation  that  happiness  con- 
sists in  love  of  friendsliip.  Wlience  the  plea- 
sure of  friendship  wiili  Jesus,  an  Almiglitj, 
all-sufficient  friend,  made  man  for  us,  and 
sympathizing  with  us,  appears  to  give  us  tiie 
jiist  and  adequate  idea  of  bliss. 


Cext.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


397 


the  former  is  not  the  proper  subject  of 
blame  as  the  latter  is;  still  I  incjuired, 
wUo  ingrafted  into  my  stem  this  cyon  of 
bitterness,  seeing  that  I  was  created  by 
Him  who  is  intiuite  sweetness!  I  in- 
quired whence  came  evil,  and  I  saw  not 
the  evil  which  was  in  my  investigations.  I 
stated  the  great  ditHculty  in  various  lights, 
and  it  still  appeared  as  inexplicable  as 
ever.  The  taith,  however,  of  Christ  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  remained  firm  with  me, 
rude  and  uninformed  indeed ;  yet  my 
mind  forsook  it  not,  and  was  imbibing  it 
daily  more  and  more.* 

From  the  vain  science  of  astrology  also, 
which  I  had  cultivated  with  obstinacy,  I 
was  delivered,  partly  by  the  reasonings  of 
my  excellent  friend  Nebridius,  and  partly 
by  a  story  which  I  heard  of  a  master  and 
slave  born  at  the  same  point  of  time, 
whose  different  fortunes  in  life  appeared 
to  be  a  sufficient  confutation  of  all  pre- 
dictions by  the  stars  ;f  and  the  case  of 
Esau  and  Jacob  in  holy  writ  illustrated 
the  same  thing.  But  it  was  thou,  and 
thou  only,  who  recalledst  me  from  the 
death  of  all  error,  O  thou  life  that  know- 
est  not  death,  and  thou  wisdom  who  il- 
luminatest  indigent  minds.  Thou  break- 
est  this  bond  for  me;  still  I  was  seeking 
whence  comes  evil.  Yet,  by  all  the 
fluctuations  of  thought  thou  didst  not 
suifer  me  to  be  seduced  from  the  faith  of 
thy  existence,  of  thy  perfections,  of  thy 
providence,  or  to  doubt  that  in  Christ  thy 
Son  and  in  the  Scriptures  thou  hast  laid 
down  the  way  of  salvation.  What  were 
the  groanings,  the  labours  of  my  heart ! 
While  I  silently  inquired,  distressed  and 
confounded,  thou  knewest  the  whole,  thou 
knewest  what  I  suffered,  and,  no  man 


*  I  have  emleavoured  to  compress  the  au- 
thor's accouiils  of  his  difficulties  in  these  two 
questions  of  liie  substance  of  God,  and  of  tlie 
origin  of  evil,  into  a  small  compass,  not  lliink- 
ing  it  needful  to  translate  ihem  at  large.  Ma- 
niclieism  was  the  cause  of  his  trouble  in  regard 
to  the  former.  The  latter  is  in  all  ages  a 
natural  temptation  to  our  proud  minds,  and 
we  are  slow  to  learn  to  answer  it  with  St.  Paul: 
Nay  but,  O  man,  who  art  thou  that  repliest 
against  God?  Rom.  ix.  Humility  will  end 
the  subject  there  ;  and  pride  is  not  to  be  satis- 
fied by  any  investigations. 

f  Few  men  have  candour  enough  to  put 
themselves  in  the  places  and  scenes  of  others. 
Nothing  is  more  certain  than  this,  that  Augus- 
tine and  Melanctbon  were  men  of  extraordi- 
nary understan(hng  ;  both  however  were  ad- 
dicted to  astrology,  an  absurdity,  which  even 
the  weakest  in  our  age  escapes.  Such  is  the 
difference  of  the  times  ! 


whatever,  not  my  most  intimate  friends, 
could  know,  by  any  description  which  I 
could  give,  the  bitterness  of  my  soul. 
My  folly  was,  to  look  for  a  local,  external 
happiness.     No  such  was  found   to  re- 
ceive me.     By   the   original   dignity  of 
my  nature,  I  was  above  all  sensual  ob- 
jects ;  and  thou,  my  true  joy,  madest  me 
subject  to  thyself,  and  subjectedst  to  me 
the  works  of  thy  hands.     This  was  the 
middle  region  of  health,  in  which  I  might 
serve   thee   and  rule  the   body.     But  I 
proudly  rose  up  against  thee,  and  was 
justly   punished,  by   being   enslaved   to 
those  things  which  should  have  been  my 
subjects ;  they  gave  me  no  respite  nor 
rest.     My  pride  separated  me  from  thee, 
and  closed  my  eyes  with  its  own  tumid 
importance.     But  thou.  Lord,  remninest 
for  ever,  and  retainest  not  anger  for  ever; 
thou  pitiest  us,  and  rememberest  that  we 
are  dust  and  ashes.     It  pleased  thee  to 
remove  my  deformities,  and  by  internal 
incentives    thou    agitatedst   me,   that   I 
might  be  impatient  till  thou  madest  thy- 
self assuredly  known  to  me  by  interna' 
illumination.      The   morbid    tumours   of 
my  mind  were  gradually  lessening  under 
thy  secret  medicinal  hand,  and  the  eyes 
of  my  understanding,  darkened  and  con- 
founded as  they  were,  by  the  sharp  eye- 
salve  of  salutary  pains,  were  healing  day 
by  day. 

And  first  as  thou  wouldst  show  me 
how  thou  resistest  the  proud,  and  givest 
grace  to  the  humble;  and  how  great  thy 
mercy  is  shown  to  be  in  the  way  of  hu- 
mility; thou  procnredst  for  me,  by  means 
of  a  person  highly  inflated  with  philoso- 
phical pride,  some  of  the  books  of  Plato 
translated  into  Latin,  in  which  I  read 
passages  concerning  the  divine  Word, 
similar  to  those  in  the  first  chapter  of  St. 
John's  Gospel ;  in  which  his  eternal  di- 
vinity was  exhibited,  but  not  his  incarna- 
tion, his  atonement,  his  humiliation,  and 
glorification  of  his  human  nature.  For 
Thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  tlie  wise 
and  prudent,  and  revealed  them  to  babes  ; 
that  men  might  come  to  thee  weary  and 
heavy  laden,  and  that  thou  mightest  re- 
fresh them  ;  thou,  who  art  meek  and  low- 
ly in  heart,  who  directest  the  meek  in 
judgment,  and  teachest  the  gentle  thy 
ways,  seeing  our  low  estate,  and  forgiv- 
ing all  our  sins.  This  is  a  knowledge 
no't  to  be  attained,  while  men  are  lifted 
up  by  the  pomp  and  grandeur  of  what 
appears  to  them  a  sublimer  doctrine. 
Thus  did  I  begin  to  form  better  views  of 


Vol.  L 


2L 


398 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  II. 


the  Divine  nature,  even  from  Plato's 
■writings,  as  thy  people  of  old  spoiled  the 
Egyptians  of  their  gold,  because  what- 
ever good  there  is  in  any  thing  is  all  thy 
ovrn ;  and  at  the  same  time  I  was  ena- 
bled to  escape  the  evil  which  was  in 
those  books,  and  not  to  attend  to  the 
idols  of  Egypt. 

However,  I  was  hence  admonished  to 
retire  into  myself  under  thy  guidance, 
and  I  was  enabled  to  do  it,  because  thou 
art  my  helper.  I  entered,  and  saw  with 
the  eye  of  my  mind  the  immutable  light 
of  the  Lord,  perfectly  distinct  from  sensi- 
ble light,  not  only  in  degree,  but  in  kind. 
Nor  was  it  in  the  same  manner  above  my 
mind,  that  oil  is  above  water,  or  as  hea- 
ven is  above  earth,  but  superior,  because 
he  made  me,  and  I  was  inferior,  because 
made  by  him.*  He  who  knows  truth, 
knows  this  light,  and  he  who  knows  it, 
knows  eternity.  Love  knows  it.  O  eter- 
nal truth,  true  love,  and  loving  eternity  ! 
Thou  art  my  God,  I  pant  after  thee  day 
and  night.  And  when  I  first  knew  thee, 
thou  tookest  me  that  I  might  see  that  "  to 
be"  which  I  saw ;  and  that  I  who  saw, 
"as  yet  was  not."  Thou  impressedst 
repeatedly  my  infirm  sight,  thou  shinedst 
on  me  vehemently,  and  I  trembled  with 
love  and  horror,  and  I  found  that  I  was 
far  from  thee  in  a  region  of  dissimilitude, 
as  if  I  heard  thy  voice  from  on  high,  "  I 
am  the  food  of  those  that  are  of  full  age  ; 
grow,  and  thou  shalteat  me."  Nor  shalt 
thou  change  me  into  thyself,  but  shalt  thy- 
self be  changed  into  me.  And  I  said,  can 
God  be  nothing,  since  he  is  neither  dif- 
fused through  finite  nor  infinite  space? 
And  thou  criedst  from  afar,  "  I  am  that  I 
am,"-|-  and  I  heard  with  my  heart,  and 
could  not  doubt.  Nay  I  should  sooner 
doubt  my  own  existence,  than  the  truth 
of  that  which  is  understood  by  the  things 
that  were  made. 

I  now  began  to  understand,  that  every 
creature  of  thine  hand  is  in  its  nature  good, 
and  that  universal  nature  is  justly  called 


on  to  praise  the  Lord  for  his  goodness.* 
The  evil  which  I  sought  after  has  no  po- 
sitive existence;  were  it  a  substance,  it 
would  be  good,  because  every  thing  in- 
dividually, as  well  as  all  things  collec- 
tively, is  good.  Evil  appeared  to  be  a 
want  of  agreement  in  some  parts  to  others. 
My  opinion  of  the  two  independent  prin- 
ciples, in  order  to  account  for  the  origin 
of  evil,  was  without  foundation.  Evil 
is  not  a  thing  to  be  created  ;  let  good 
things  only  forsake  their  just  place,  office 
and  order,  and  then,  though  all  be  good 
in  their  nature,  evil,  which  is  only  a  pri- 
vative, abounds  and  produces  positive 
misery.  I  asked  what  was  iniquity,  and  I 
found  it  to  be  no  substance,  but  a  perver- 
sity of  the  will,  which  declines  from  thee 
the  Supreme  Substance  to  lower  things, 
and  casts  away  its  internal  excellencies, 
and  swells  with  pride  externally.f 

And  I  wondered  that  I  now  began  to  have 
a  desire  after  thee,  and  no  longer  took  a 
phantasm  for  thee.  I  was  not  urgent  to 
enjoy  thee,  my  God,  for  though  I  was 
hurried  toward  thee,  by  thy  beauty,  I 
was  presently  carried  downward  from 
thee  by  my  own  weight,  and  I  could  no 
longer  sin  without  groaning;  the  weight 
was  carnal  habit.  The  memory  of  thee  was 
with  me,  and  I  did  not  doubt  of  the  reality 
of  that  divine  essence  to  which  I  should 
adhere,  but  of  myself  being  ever  brought 
into  a  state  of  spiritual  existence.  I  saw 
thy  invisible  things,  by  the  things  which 
were  made,  but  I  could  not  fix  my  atten- 
tion to  thee ;  my  corruption  exerting  it- 
self, I  returned  to  my  usual  habits,  but  I 
could  not  shake  off  the  fragrance  of  me- 
mory, smelling  the  true  good,  regretting 
the  loss,  and  impotent  to  taste  and  en- 

I  now  sought  the  way  of  obtaining 
strength  to  enjoy  thee,  and  found  it  not, 
till  I  embraced  the  mediator  between  God 


*  He  had  been  long  corrupted  by  tbe  Atlie- 
istic  views  wbich  lie  liad  lesrned  from  the 
Mauichees,  and  no  wonder  that  he  now  found 
it  so  difficuh  to  conceive  aright  of  God.  There 
appears  somelliing;  divinely  spiritual  in  the 
manner  of  his  deliverance.  That  the  Platonic 
Looks  also  should  give  the  first  occasion  is 
very  remarkable  ;  though  I  ajiprehend  tlie 
Latin  translation  which  he  saw,  liad  ini[)roved 
on  Plato,  by  the  mi.xture  of  something  scrip- 
tural, according  to  the  manner  of  the  Ammo- 
nian  ))hiloso])hers. 

■J-  Exodus  iii. 


*  Psalm  cxlviii. 

f  Perhaps  a  more  just  account  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  evil  is  produced  can  scarcely  be 
"■iven  ;  it  is  certainly  well  calculated  to  confute 
the  i)rinciiiles  of  ManicheisiTi. 

:j:  In  many  true  converts  this  was  their  state 
exactly,  while  God  was  turning  them  from 
darkness  lo  light.  Such  a  sense  of  God,  as 
never  before  was  known,  is  attained,  sufficient 
to  conquer  the  false  and  injurious  thoughts  of 
him,  -which  had  been  before  imbibed,  be  they 
what  they  may.  Bui  the  man  feels  his  impo- 
tence with  respect  to  good,  and  he  must,  with 
Augustine,  struggle  and  endure  for  a  time, 
till  the  strength  of  Jesus  is  perfected  in  his 
weakness. 


Cext.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


399 


and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  who  is 

ABOVE  ALL,  GOD  BLESSED  FOR  EVER,*  Call- 
ing-and  saying,  I  am  the  Way,  the  Truth, 
and  the  Life.  For  the  Word  was  made 
flesh,  that  thy  wisdom  mi^ht  suckle  our 
infancy.  But  I  did  not  yet  in  humility 
hold  the  huuil)le  Jesus,  ray  Lord,  nor 
know  the  mysterious  power  of  his  weak- 
ness, that  he  mi^ht  humble,  nourish,  and 
at  length  exalt  heavy-laden  souls.  Far 
other  thoughts  had  I  conceived  of  Christ. 
I  had  viewed  him  only  as  a  man  of  une- 
qualled wisdom.  But,  of  the  mystery  of 
the  Word  made  flesh,  I  had  not  formed 
the  least  suspicion.  Only  I  concluded 
from  the  things  written  of  him,  that  he 
must  have  had  a  human  soul.  Alypius 
indeed  had  conceived,  that  the  catholic 
faith  denied  him  the  spirit  of  a  man,  and 
was  a  longer  time  prejudiced  against  the 
truth,  because  he  confounded  the  Church 
with  the  Apollinarian  heresy.  As  to  my- 
self, I  was  not  till  some  time  after  taught 
to  distinguish  the  truth  from  the  opinion 
of  Photiuus;[  but  there  must  be  heresies, 
that  they  who  are  of  the  truth  may  be 
made  manifest. 

But   when,  by   reading  the   Platonic 
books  I  began  to  conceive  of  the  immate- 
rial infinite  Supreme,  I  talked  of  these 
things  like  a  person  of  experience,  but 
was  perishing,  because  void  of  Christ,  I 
desired  to  appear  wise,  was  puffed  up 
with  knowledge,  and  wept  not.     Love, 
on  the  foundation  of  humility,  which  is 
Christ  Jesus,  was  to  me  unknown.     The 
books  of  Plato  knew  not  this ;  still  would 
I  remark  the  providence  of  my  God,  in 
leading  me  to  study  them,  before  I  search- 
ed the  Scriptures,  that  I  might  remember 
how  I  had  been  affected  by  thorn ;  and 
when  afterwards  my  wounds  should  be 
healed  by  thy  hands  through  the  Scrip- 
tures, I  might  distinguish  the  difference 
between  presumption  and  confession,  be- 
tween those  who  see  whither  we  ought 
to  go,  without  knowing  the  means,  and 
those  who  see  the  way  itself  leading  to 
the  actual  inheritance.     Had  1  been  in 
formed  at  first  by   thy   Scriptures,  and 
thou   hadst   endeared    thyself  to  me   in 
their    familiarity,   an   after-acquaintance 

*  Here  is  a  clear  testimony  to  the  authenti- 
city and  genuine  interpretation  of  tiiitt  remark- 
able text,  Horn.  ix.  5.  the  liglit  ol'  wiiich  has 
been  so  |>eculiarly  ofTensive  to  those  wlioni 
fashionable  heresies  in  our  age  have  dark- 
ened. 

f  Which  seems  to  have  been  the  same  with 
Sabellianisra. 


with  Plato  might  either  have  shaken  my 
faith,  or  raised  in  me  an  undue  estimation 
of  the  worth  of  his  writings. 

With  eagerness,  therefore,  I  took  up 
the  inspired  volume,*  and  particularly 
the  Apostle  Paul ;  and  those  questions, 
in  which  he  once  had  seemed  inconsistent 
with  himself,  and  the  law,  and  the  pro- 
phets, were  now  no  more.  There  now 
appeared  one  uniform  tenor  of  godliness, 
and  I  learnt  to  rejoice  with  trembling, 
and  I  took  up  the  book,  and  found  what- 
ever truth  I  had  read  there,  is  said  with 
this  recommendation  of  thy  grace,  that 
he  who  sees  should  not  so  glory  as  if 
HE  HAD  not  RECEIVED,  not  Only  that  which 
he  sees,  but  the  power  of  seeing  itself. f 
For  what  hath  he,  which  he  hath  not  re- 
ceived ■?  And  he  who  cannot  see  afar, 
should  however  walk  in  the  way,  by 
which  he  may  come,  see,  and  lay  hold. 
For  though  he  be  delighted  vi^ith  the 

LAW  OF  GOD  I.V  THE  INWARD  MAN,  YET 
WHAT  SHALL  HE  DO  WITH  THE  OTHER  LAW 
IN  HIS  MEMBERS  WARRING  AGAINST  THE 
LAAV  OF  HIS  MIND,  AND  BRINGING  HIM  INTO 
CAPTIVITY  TO  THE  LAW  OF    SIN,  WHICH    IS 

IN  HIS  MEMBERS  ^  For  thou.  Lord,  art 
just,  but  we  have  sinned  and  dealt  wick- 
edly, and  thy  hand  is  heavy  upon  us,  and 
we  are  justly  delivered  up  to  the  power 
of  the  old  sinner  who  has  the  power  of 
death,  because  he  persuaded  us  to  follow 
his  will,  by  which  he  did  not  stand  in  the 
trt.th.  Who  shall  deliver  us  from  the 
body  of  this  death,  but  thy  grace  through 
Jesiis  Christ  our  Lord,  in  whom  the  prince 
of  this  world  could  find  nothing  worthy 
of  death,  and  who  by  his  death  blotted 
out  the  hand-writing  that  was  against  us  ? 
The  Platonic  books  had  nothing  of  this, 
nor  the  face  of  piety,  the  tears  of  confes- 
sion, the  sacrifice  of  a  troubled  spirit,  a 
broken  and  contrite  heart,  salvation,  the 
spouse,  the  holy  city,  the  earnest  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  the  cup  of  our  redemption. 
In  them  no  one  hears,  "Come  unto  me 
all  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and 


*  It  may  be  remarked  liere,  how  depraved 
the  taste  of  man  is,  and  liow  mutii  and  how 
jon;^  he  will  siificr  before  lie  give  himself 
simply  to  the  inslruclion  of  God's  own  words.^ 

f  He  means  tlie  iiicstiin:il)le  ])rivilege  of 
spirinial  MtKlerstandiiig,  tbi-ougli  his  want  of 
Hhicii  St.  Paul  had  long  appeared  to  him  con- 
trailictory,  confused,  and  disgusting.  The 
man  is  well  (nullified  to  recommend  toothers 
tlie  value  of  divine  teaching,  who,  like  Augus- 
tine, is  experiencing  it  in  himself.  Nothing 
teaclies  humility  like  such  experience. 

4:  Rom.  vii. 


400 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  U. 


I  will  give  you  rest."  It  is  one  thing  to 
see  a  land  of  peace  at  a  distance,  Avith  no 
practicability  of  attaining  it,  and  another 
to  pursue  the  right  road  towards  it,  under 
the  care  of  the  heavenly  Commander, 
who  made  the  road  for  our  use.  I  was 
wonderfully  affected  with  these  views, 
while  I  read  the  least  of  thine  apos- 
tles, and  I  considered  thy  works  and 
trembled. 

book  viii. 

All  my  bones  shall  say,  Lord,  who 
IS  like  unto  thee!  Thou  hast  broken 
my  bones  in  sunder.  How  thoubreakest 
them,  I  will  relate;  and  all  who  worship 
thee,  when  they  hear  these  things,  shall 
bless  the  Lord.  Though  now  confirmed 
in  my  doctrinal  views,  my  heart  was  yet 
uncleansed.  I  approved  of  the  Saviour, 
in  general,  who  is  the  Way,  but  was  of- 
fended with  his  narrow  way,  and  thou  in- 
spiredst  me  with  a  desire  of  going  to  Sim- 
plician,  an  aged,  experienced  Christian, 
even  from  his  youth,  who  seemed  capable 
of  instructing  me  in  my  present  fluctua- 
tions. My  desires  no  longer  being  in- 
flamed with  the  hope  of  honour  and  mo- 
ney, I  was  displeased  with  the  servitude 
of  the  world  in  which  I  lived.  Thy 
sweetness  was  now  more  agreeable  in 
mine  eyes  ;  but  another  tie  still  detained 
me,  in  which  I  had  permission  indeed  in 
a  legal  way,  though  exhorted  to  the  high- 
er and  nobler  practice  of  celibacy.*  I 
had  heard  from  the  mouth  of  Truth,  that 
there  are  eunuchs,  who  have  made  them- 
selves eunuchs  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven's  sake. 

I  went  to  Simplician,  the  spiritual  fa- 
ther of  bishop  Ambrose  himself,  who 
loved  him  as  his  father.  I  explained  to 
liim  luy  religious  situation.  When  I  was 
relating,  that  I  had  read  some  Platonic 
books  translated  by  Yictorinus,  a  Koman 
rhetorician,  who  had  died  a  Christian,  he 
conofratulated  me  on  having  met  with  that 
philosopher  rather  than  any  of  the  rest; 
because  they  are  full  of  fallacy,  but  in 
him  intimations  are  given  of  God  and  of 
his  word.f  Then  for  my  practical  in- 
struction, he  gave  me  the  narrative  of  the 
conversion  of  Victorinus,  with  whom  he 

*  Corinthians  vii. 

f  Hltc  I  ai)prehend  is  a  proof  of  (lie  decay 
of  Cliristian  taste  in  the  Churcli  at  tliat  time, 
the  consequence  of  Amnionianisrn  and  Oi-i- 
genisni,  n;imelv,  a  disposition  to  find  in  Plato 
■what  he  lias  not.  What  communion  hath  the 
temple  of  God  with  idols  ? 


had  been  intimate  at  Rome.     Thy  grace 
was   indeed  admirable   in  that   convert. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  learning,  far  ad- 
vanced in  life,  well  skilled  in  all  liberal 
knowledge;  he  had  read,  criticised,  and 
illustrated   many  philosophers;    he   had 
taught  many   illustrious   senators;    had 
been  honoured  by  a  statue  erected  in  the 
Roman  Forum,  as  a  reward  of  his  labours; 
and  even  to  his  old  age  was  a  worshipper 
of  idols,  and  a  partaker  of  all  the  rites,  to 
which  almost  the  whole  Roman  nobility 
at  that  time  were  addicted  ;  moreover,  he 
had,  many  years,  defended  the  monstrous 
and  absurd  objects  of  worship,  to  which 
the  common  people  had  been  accustomed, 
but  now  he  was  not  ashamed  to  become 
a  child  of  thy  Christ,  an  infant  of  thy 
fountain,  with  his  neck  subjected  to  the 
yoke  of  humility,  and  his  forehead  sub- 
dued to  the  reproach   of  the   cross.     O 
Lord,  thou,  who  bowedst  the  heavens  and 
earnest  down,  who  touchedst  the  moun- 
tains, and  they  smoked,  by  what  means 
didst  thou  insinuate  thyself  into  his  heart ! 
He  read,  as  Simplician  told  me,  the  holy 
Scripture,  and  studiously  investigated  all 
Christian  literature,  and  told  luy  instruct- 
or, not  openly,  but  in  secrecy  as  to  a  friend, 
"Know  that  I  am  already  a  Christian." 
He  answered,  "  I  shall  not  believe  it,  nor 
rank  you  among  Christians,  till  I  see  you 
in  the  Church  of  Christ."     But  he  smil- 
ing,  answered,    "  Do   walls    then  make 
Christians  V     This  kind  of  dialogue  was 
frequently  repeated  between  them.     For 
Victorinus  feared  to  ofl'end  his  friends,  men 
of  rank  and  dignity,  and  he  dreaded  the  loss 
of  reputation.     ]3ut  after  that,  by  further 
studying  of  the  word,  and  by  secret  pray- 
er, he  had  acquired  more  strength,  and 
feared  to  be  denied  by  Christ  before  the 
angels,  if  he  denied  hiiu  before  men,  and 
felt  himself  condemned  for  being  ashamed 
of  Christian  sacraments,  though  he  had 
not  been  ashamed  of  demon-worship,  he 
blushed  at   his  false  modesty,  and  sud- 
denly said  to  Simplician,  "  Let  us  go  to 
the  Church,  I  wish  to  be  made  a  Chris- 
tian."    The  venerable  old  saint,  unable 
to  contain  his  joy,  went  with  him  when 
he  was  imbued  with  the  first  sacraments 
of  instruction.     Not  long  after,  he  gave 
in  his  name,  that  he  might  have  the  bene- 
fit of  Christian  baptism.     Rome  was  as- 
tonished ;  the  church  rejoiced.    The  proud 
saw   and   were    indignant,  and    gnashed 
with  their  teeth  and  pined  away  ;  but,  the 
Lord  his  God  was  the  hope  of  thy  ser- 
vant, and  he  no  longer  regarded  lying 


CEyT.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S   CONFESSIONS. 


401 


vanities.     At   length,   when   the   season 
came  on  of  professing'  his  belief,  which 


The  joy  of  Victorinus's  conversion  indeed 
was  greater,  because  his  influence  and 


profession  is  usually  delivered  at  Rome  authority,  it  was  hoped,  miffht  be  useful 
from  a  high  place,   in  the  sight  of  the  to  the  salvation  of  many.     For,  far  be  it 
faithful,  in  a  certain  form  of  words  gotten  j  from  thee,  that  in  thy  house  there  should 
by  heart,  by  those  who  are  to  partake  of 
thy  grace  in  baptism,  an  ofler  was  made 
by  the  presbyters,  that  he  should  repeat 
them  more  secretly,  as  was  the  custom 
for  some  who  were  likely  to  be  disturbed 
through  bashfulness.     But  he  chose  ra- 
ther to  profess  his  salvation  in  the  sight 
of  the  holy  multitude  ;  for  there  was  no 
salvation  in  rhetoric,  and  yet  he  had  pub- 
licly professed  it.     When  he  mounted  the 
pulpit   to   repeat, — all   who   knew   him, 
(and  who  was  there  that  did  not  know 
him?)  with  a  whisper  of  congratulation 
resounded  his  name.     Amidst  the  general 
joy,  the  sound,  though  checked  with  de- 
cent reverence,  went  round,  "  Victorinus, 
Victorinus  !"     They  exulted  at  the  sud- 
den sight  of  him;  and  were  as  suddenly 
silent,   that  they  might   hear  him.     He 
pronounced  the  form  of  words  with  an 
excellent  confidence,  and  all   wished  to 
hold  him  in  their  bosom,  and  they  actual- 
ly did  so  in  love  and  joy.* 

O  gracious  God  !  what  is  the  cause, 
that  men  more  rejoice  in  the  salvation  of 
a  soul  despaired  of,  than  if  it  had  always 
been  in  a  state  of  se.-urity  !  For  even 
thou,  merciful  Father !  rejoicest  more  over 
one  penitent,  than  over  ninety  and  nine 
just  persons,  that  need  no  repentance, 
and  we  hear  with  peculiar  pleasure  the 
recovery  of  thy  prodigal  son.  Now  what 
is  the  reason,  that  the  mind  i.s  more  de- 
lighted with  things  recovered,  than  with 
things  never  lost?  Human  life  is  full  of 
such  instances.  Is  this  the  law  of  human 
happiness?  How  high  art  thou  in  the 
highest,  and  how  inscrutable  in  the  deep- 
est I  Thou  never  recedest  from  us,  and 
with  reluctance  we  return  to  thee.  Awake, 
O  Lord,  and  do,  quicken  and  recal  us,  in- 
flame and  carry  us  along;  burn,  be  sweet 
to  our  taste,  and  let  us  now  love  and  run. 


be  respect  of  persons,  since  thou  rather 

HAST  CHOSEN  THE  WEAK  THINGS  OF  THE 
WORLD     TO     CONFOUND     THE    STRONG,    AND 

BASE  THINGS  OF  THE  WORLD,  yea,  and 
things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought 
things  that  are.*  What  a  treasure  had 
the  heart  and  tongue  of  Victorinus  been 
to  Satan  I  Well  did  it  become  thy  sons 
to  exult,  because  our  king  had  bound  the 
strong  man,  and  they  saw  his  goods  taken 
from  him,  and  cleansed,  and  fitted  for  thy 
honour,  and  to  every  good  work. 

Hearing  these  things  from  Simplician, 
I  was  inflamed  with  the  desire  of  imita- 
tion. But  after  he  had  informed  me  further 
that  Victorinus,  on  occasion  of  Julian's 
prohibitory  law,  had  given  up  his  profes- 
sorship, I  found  an  inclination  to  imitate 
him,  bound  as  I  was,  to  the  same  calling, 
not  by  a  foreign  chain,  but  by  my  owa 
iron   will.     The   enemy   held    my   will, 
thence  formed  my  chain,  and   held  me 
fast.     From  a  perverse  will  was  formed 
lust,   from   the   indulgence   of  lust   was 
formed  habit,  and  habit  unresisted  became 
necessity.     Of  such  links  was  my  chaia 
of  slavery  composed  ;  and  the  new  will, 
which  was  beginning  in  me,  to  worship 
thee  freely,  and  enjoy  thee,  my  sole  cer- 
tain pleasure,  was  not  yet  strong  enouo-h 
to   overcome   the  old  one,  hardened   by 
custom.     Thus   two   wills,  the   old   and 
the  new,  the  flesh  and  the  spirit,  contend- 
ed within  ni3,  and  between  them  tore  my 
very  soul.f     Thus  did  I  understand  by 
my  own  experience  what  I  had  read,  that 
the  flesh  lusteth  against  the  spirit,  and 
the    spirit    against    the    flesh. t     I    in- 
deed was  actuated  by  both,  but  more  by 
that  which  I  approved,  than  Ijy  that  which 
I  disapproved.    I  had  now  no  just  excuse; 
truth  was  certain  to  me,  yet  I  was  loth  to 


•  I  thought  a  careful  translation  of  this 
story  was  proper.  It  is  an  instance  of  vic- 
torious grace,  something  like  that  which  we 
have  more  at  large  related  by  Augustine  con- 
cerning himself.  It  shows  how  disreputable 
real  Christianity  was  among  the  great,  even 
in  countries  where  it  was  the  established  re- 
ligion, as  was  then  the  case  at  Rome;  and  what 
grace  is  needful  to  cause  men  to  be  willing  to 
bear  the  cross  of  Christ;  and  it  illustrates  also 
some  Christian  customs  and  discipline  at  that 
time. 

2l2 


*  1  Cor.  i. 

t  Excellent  comment  on  Rom.  vii. — A  de- 
scription only  to  be  fully  understood  by  expe- 
rienced Christians. 

^  Galat.  V.  where  the  same  subject  is  more 
briefly  handled:  the  conflict  is  well  known  to 
true  Christians  all  their  days,  though  it  most 
strikes  their  minds  at  first.  In  the  unconvert- 
ed it  can  have  no  existence,  because  the  will  is 
inclined  only  one  way,  and  it  is  therefore  quite 
a  different  thing  from  the  conflict  between 
reason  and  passion,  with  which  it  has  beea 
confounded. 


402 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


serve  thee,  and  was  as  afraid  to  be  rid  of  gave  themselves  up  to  God  in  the  same 
my  impediments,  as  I  ought  to  have  been  way,  and  forsook  tlie  world,  I  felt  myself 
of  contracting  them.  My  meditations  on  confounded.  About  twelve  years  had  now 
thee,  were  like  the  attempts  of  men  de-  elapsed  from  the  nineteenth  year  of  my 
sirous  of  awaking,  but  sinking  again  into  life,  when  I  read  Cicero's  Hortensius,  to 
sleep.  I  had  not  a  heart  to  answer  thee,  this  time  since  I  had  begun  to  seek  wis- 
AWAKE  THOU  THAT  SLEEPEST,  AND  ARISE  dom,  and  I  was  yet  at  a  distance  from 
FROM  THE  DEAD,  AND  CHRIST  SHALL  GIVE  joy.  In  the  entrance  on  youth,  I  had 
THEE  LIGHT.*  By  and  b)^ — shortly — let  prayed  for  chastity,  and  had  said,  "  Give 
me  alone  a  little — these  were  the  answers  me  chastity  and  continence,  but  grant 
of  my  heart.  But,  by  and  by  had  no  |  not  my  request  immediately."  For  I  was 
bounds,  and  let  me  alone  a  little,  went  to  afraid,  lest  thou  shouldest  quickly  hear 
a  great  length.  In  vain  was  I  delighted,  my  prayer,  and  heal  this  distemper  of 
with  thy  law  in  the  inner  man,  when;  concupiscence,  which  I  wished  rather  to 
another  law  in  my  members  warred;  be  fully  gratified  than  extinguished.  And 
against  the  law  of  my  mind.  Wretched  I  had  gone  on  perversely  in  depraved  su- 
man  that  I  am  !  who  shall  deliver  me  from  perslition,  with  a  heart  at  enmity  against 
the  body  of  this  death,  but  thy  grace  thy  truth,  and  had  deferred  from  day  to 


through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord] 

jNIy  anxiety  increasing,  I  daily  groaned 
to  thee,  I. frequented  thy  church  as  often 
as  I  had  leisure  from  those  employments 
under  the  weioht  of  which  1  p-roaned. 
Alypius  was  with  me  during  his  vacation 


day  to  devote  myself  to  thee,  under  the 
pretence  that  I  was  uncertain  where  the 
truth  lay.  Now  that  it  was  certain,  I  was 
still  a  slave,  and  "  1  hear  of  others,  who 
have  not  studied  ten  or  twelve  years  as  I 
have  done,  and  who,  notwithstanding, 
from  the  law,  which  was  his  practice,  as;  have  given  themselves  up  to  God."  Such 


rhetoric  was  mine.  Our  other  friend,  Ne 
bridius,  was  gone  to  assist  Verecundus  at 
Milan,  in  teaching  grammar,  who  studi- 
ously avoided  attendance  upon  the  great, 
that  he  might  command  leisure  to  im- 
prove his  mind.  On  a  certain  day,  Poli- 
tian,  an  African,  one  of  our  townsmen, 
came  to  visit  me  and  Alypius.  We  sat 
down  to  converse,  and  upon  the  play-ta- 
ble which  was  before  us,  he  saw  a  book, 
opened  it,  and  found  it  to  be  the  Apostle 
Paul,  to  his  great  surprise;  for  he  sup- 
posed it  to  have  been  a  book  relating  to 
my  profession.  He,  though  a  soldier  at 
court,  was  a  devout  person,  and  congratu- 
lated me  on  my  taste.  On  my  informing 
him,  how  earnestly  I  studied  those  epis- 
tles, he  gave  me  an  account  of  Anihony 
the  Egyptian  monk,  a  character  to  that 
hour  unknown  to  us  ;  he  informed  us  also 
of  a  number  of  monasteries,  of  which  we 
knew  nothing.  There  was  even  a  monas- 
tery at  Milan  under  the  care  of  Ambrose 
at  that  time,  of  which  we  had  not  heard. | 
Wlien  he  had  given  a  narration  also  of 
two  of  his   companions,  who   suddenly 


*  Ephesians  v. 

t  Should  the  serious  reader  find  himself  in- 
clined to  blame  this  monastic  taste,  I  agree 
■with  him  :  but  let  the  principle  have  its  just 
praise  ;  it  originated  in  a  desire  of  freedom 
froij  the  temptations  of  the  world  ;  and  hi 
professors  of  godliness  observe,  how  much  the 
excessive  indulgence  of  the  commercial  spirit 
prevents  their  own  progress  in  our  times. 


were  my  thoughts.  What  pains  did  I 
not  take  to  spur  my  reluctant  spirit !  My 
arguments  were  spent,  a  silent  trepida- 
tion remained,  and  I  dreaded  deliverance 
itself  as  death.  "  What  is  this,"  said  I 
to  Alypius,  "  which  you  have  heard  1  Il- 
literate men  rise  and  seize  heaven,  while 
we,  with  all  our  learning,  are  rolling  in 
the  filth  of  sin."  In  the  agitation  of  my 
spirit  I  retired  into  the  garden  belonging 
to  the  house,  knowing  how  evil  I  was, 
but  ignorant  of  the  good  thou  hadst  in 
store  for  me.  Alypius  followed  me,  and 
we  sat  remote  from  the  house,  and  with 
vehement  indignation  I  rebuked  my  sin- 
ful spirit,  because  it  would  not  give  itself 
up  to  God.  I  found  I  wanted  a  will. 
tStill  was  I  restrained,  and  thou,  in  secret, 
wast  urgent  upon  me  with  severe  mercy. 
Vanities  of  vanities,  my  old  mistresses, 
shook  my  vesture  of  flesh,  and  whisper- 
ed. Are  we  to  part]  and  for  ever]  The 
evil  suggestions  which  I  felt,  may  thy 
mercy  avert  from  the  soul  of  thy  servant! 
Canst  thou  live  without  us]  they  said; 
but  with  less  and  less  power.  On  the 
other  hand  appeared  the  chaste  dignity  of 
Continence.  Canst  thou  not,  said  she, 
perform  what  many  of  both  sexes  have 
performed,  not  in  themselves  indeed,  but 
in  the  strength  of  the  Lord]  Cast  thyself 
on  him,  fear  not,  he  will  not  suffer  thee 
to  fall.  Turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  sugges- 
tions of  the  flesh ;  they  speak  of  pleasure, 
but  not  as  the  law  of  thy  God.     Such 


Cent.  V.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CON'FESSIONS, 


403 


was  my  internal  controversy.  When 
deep  meditation  had  collected  all  my 
misery  into  the  view  of  my  heart,  a 
great  storm  arose,  producing  a  large 
shower  of  tears.  To  give  it  vent,  I  rose 
up  hastily  from  Alypius.  The  sound  of 
my  voice  appeared  pregnant  with  weep- 
ing, and  he  remained  motionless  in  the 
same  place.  I  prostrated  myself  under  a 
fig-tree,  and  with  tears  bursting  out,  I 
spake  to  this  effect :  How  long.  Lord, 
wilt  thou  be  angry  1  for  ever  1  remember 
not  my  old  inicpiities.  For  I  perceived 
myself  entangled  by  them.  How  long 
shall  I  say  to-morrow  1  why  should  not 
this  hour  put  an  end  to  my  slavery  1  Thus 
I  spake,  and  wept  in  the  bitterness  of  my 
soul,  and  I  heard  a  voice,  as  from  a  neigh- 
bouring house,  repeating  frequently, 
"  Take  up  and  read,  take  up  and  read." 
I  paused,  and  began  to  think,  whether  I 
ever  had  heard  boys  use  such  a  speech 
in  any  play,  and  could  recollect  nothing 
like  it.  I  then  concluded  that  I  was  or- 
dered from  heaven,  to  take  up  the  book, 
and  read  the  first  sentence  I  cast  mine 
eyes  upon.  I  returned  hastily  to  the  place 
where  Alypius  was  sitting;  for  there  I  had 
placed  the'book  of  St.  Paul's  Epistles.    I 


me,  and  say  to  my  soul,  I  am  thy  salva- 
tion.    Who  and  what  am  I  ]   what  evil 
am  I  notl     Was  it  my  will,  or  words,  or 
deeds,  that  have  done  it]     No:  but  thou, 
Lord,  good  and  merciful,  by  thy  power- 
ful  right   hand   delivered    me   from    the 
depths  of  misery ;  and  thoroughly  cleansed 
the  very  bottom  of  my  heart  of  all  its  cor- 
ruptions.    The  whole  of  my  evil  lay  in  a 
will  stubbornly  set  in  opposition  to  thine. 
But  where  lay  my  free-will  of  old  time, 
and  from  what  deep  secret  was  it  called 
out  in  a  moment,  by  which  I  bowed  my 
neck  to  thy  easy  yoke,  and  my  shoulders 
to  thy  light  burden,  Christ  Jesus,  my 
helper  and  Redeemer  1     How  sweet  was 
it,  in  a  moment  to  be  free  from  those  de- 
lightful vanities,  to  lose  which  had  been 
my  dread,  to  part  with  which  was  now 
my  joy  !     Thou   ejectedst   them,  O  my 
true  and  consummate  delight,  and  thou 
enteredst  in  their  room,  0  sweeter  than 
all  pleasure,  but  not  to  flesh  and  blood; 
clearer   than   all  light,  but  to  the  inner 
man;  higher  than  all  honour,  but  not  to 
those  who  are  high  in  their  own  conceits. 
Now  was  my  mind  set  free  from  the  cor- 
roding cares  of  avarice  and  ambition  and 
lust,  and  I  conversed  familiarly  with  thee, 


seized    it,   opened,  and    read   what  first  my  light,   my  riches,  my  Saviour,  and 

my  God. 

I  determined  in  thy  sight  to  give  up 
my  employments,  not  abruptly,  but  gra- 
dually.*    And  opportunely,  the  vintage 


struck   my  eyes ;    '*  Not   in   rioting  and 
drunkenness,  not  in  chambering  and  wan- 
tonness, not  in  strife  and   envying;  but 
put   ye   on   the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
make  not  provision  for  the  flesh,  to  fulfil 
the  lusts  thereof."     Nor  did  I  choose  to 
read  any  thing  more,  nor  had  I  occasion. 
Immediately  at  the  end  of  this  sentence, 
all  my  doubts    vanished.     I    closed  the 
book,  and  with   a  tranquil  countenance 
gave  it  to  Alypius.     He  begged  to  see 
what  I  had  read,  I  showed  him  it,  and  he 
read  still  further.*     "  Him  that  is  weak 
in  the  faith  receive  ye  ;"  which  he  ap- 
plied to  himself,  as  he  told  me.     With  a 
placid  serenity  and  composure  suitable  to 
his  character,  in  which  he  far  excelled 
me,  he  joined  with   me  in  going  to  my 
mother,  who  now  triumphed  in  the  abun- 
dant answers  given  to  her  petitions.  Thus 
didst  thou  turn  her  mourning  into  joy. 

BOOK  IX. 

O  Lord,  I  am  thy  servant,  and  the  son 
of  thine  handmaid,  thou  hast  broken  my 
bonds  in  sunder.  Let  my  heart  and 
tongue,  and  all  my  bones  say.  Lord,  who 
is  like  unto  theel  and  do  thou  answer 


Rom. 


end,  and  xir, 


beginning. 


*  I  would  suggest  four  particular  remarks 
on  the   narrative  of  our  author's  conversion. 

1.  That  it  does  please  God  in  every  age  to 
distinguish  some  of  the  works  of  his  Holy  Spi- 
rit l)v  extraorditiarv  circunisiances.  It  is  of 
liule  consequence,  to  deliate  whether  the  voice 
heard  in  tlie  garden  was  miraculous  or  not, 
whether  literally  true,  or  an  impression  on 
his  mind.  Eiliier  way  it  was  equally  from 
God,  and  sheds  a  lustre  on  the  conversion  of  a 
great  and  eminently  holy  personage,  who  was 
called  to  testify  remarkal)ly  for  God  in  his  day. 

2.  There  is  generally  some  master-sin,  which 
impedes  the  work  of  God  in  all  his  people; 
Augustine's  was  sensuality,  and  in  the  morli- 
ficaUnn  of  that  master-sin  the  grace  of  God  is 
peculiarly  illustrated.  3.  The  great  medium 
of  deliverance  always  is,  the  written  word  of 
God  testifying  of  Jesus,  and  salvation  only  hy 
putting  him  on  through  faith.  4.  Man's  ex- 
tremity is  God's  opjiortnnily.  In  our  weak- 
ness thoroughly  felt  God  appears.  Is  it  to  be 
wondered,  that  the  Saint  before  ns  proved  so 
strong  and  zealous  a  champion  of  the  effectual 
grace  of  God,  and  was  made  use  of  to  revive 
the  clear  doctrine  of  it  in  the  church,  and  was 
trained  up  by  his  own  experience  to  defend  it 
against  the  suhtilties  of  Pelagius  :■  He  who 
foresaw  what  Pelagius  would  introduce,  in  his 


404 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  H. 


vacation  being  at  hand,  I  resolved  to  con- 
tinue in  my  employment  till  that  time.  I 
was  glad  also,  that  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  saying  to  my  scholars,  what  was  true, 
that  the  care  of  my  health,  which  had 
suffered  much  from  fatigue,  obliged  me  to 
cease  from  the  laborious  office  of  teach- 
ing. And  to  have  given  up  the  work  be- 
fore the  vacation  might  have  appeared  ar- 
rogant, and  exposed  me  to  the  censure  of 
vanity.  But  should  any  of  thy  servants 
think,  that  I  did  wrong  in  remaining  in 
the  chair  of  deceit  a  day  longer,  1  will 
not  contend.  But  hast  not  thou,  most 
merciful  Lord,  washed  away  this,  with 
all  my  other  deadly  sins,  in  the  laver  of 
refeneration  1 

Our  friend  Verecundus  was  seized  with 
a  distemper,  and  receiving  baptism  in  the 
midst  of  it,  departed  this  life  in  thy 
faith  and  fear.  Not  long  after  my  con- 
version, my  friend  Nebridius  also,  though 
he  had  sunk  into  the  error  which  takes 
away  the  proper  manhood  of  thy  Son, 
was  recovered  ;  and  becoming  a  faithful 
Christian,  in  Africa  his  own  country, 
quitted  this  tabernacle  of  clay,  and  now 
lives  in  Abraham's  bosom.  He  no  more; 
puts  his  ear  to  my  mouth,  but  his  spirit- 
ual mouth  to  thy  fountain  to  receive  as 
much  wisdom  as  he  is  capable  of — happy 
without  end. 

It  is  pleasant  to  me  to  remember  and 
confess  how  thou  didst  teach  me  and  my 
friend  Alypius,  in  the  country,  where  we 
enjoyed  the  affectionate  and  sedulous  care 
of  my  mother.  We  were  both  in  the 
capacity  of  catechumens,  and  I  read  with 
pleasure  the  Psalms  of  David.  With  what 
mingled  pity  and  indignation  did  I  look 
on  the  Manichees,  who  madly  rejected 
the  antidote  of  life.  O  that  they  saw  the 
internal  eternal  life,  whicii  because  I  had 
tasted,  I  grieved  that  I  could  not  show 
it  to  tliem  ! 

Tlie  holidays  being  finished,  I  signified 
to  my  scholars,  that  they  must  provide 
themselves  another  teacher.  And  I  wrote 
to  Ambrose  an  account  of  my  errors,  and 
of  my  present  desire  ;  and  begged  him  to 
recommend  some  part  of  thy  word  more 
particularly  to  my  attention,  as  a  proper 
preparative  for  baptism.  He  pointed  out 
to  me  the  prophet  Isaiah,  I  apprehend,  on 
account  of  his  superior  perspicuity  in  ope- 
ning the  Gospel.     However,  finding  the 

adorable  wisdom,  tliusprovided an  experienced 
Yjastor  of  his  churcli,  who  in  due  time  should 
■withstand  his  corruptions. 


first  part  of  this  prophet  more   obscure, 
and  apprehending  the  rest  to  be  similar, 
I  deferred  the  reading  of  him,  till  I  was 
more  experienced  in  the  Scriptures.    The 
time  approaching  in  which  I  must  give  in 
my  name,  I  left  the  country  and  returned 
to  Milan.     There  I  received  baptism  with 
Alypius  and  the  boy  Adeodatus,  the  fruit 
of  my  sin.     He  was  almost  fifteen  years 
old,  and,  in  understanding,  he  exceeded 
many  learned  men.     I  glorify  thee  for  thy 
gifts,  my  God  ;  for  I  had  nothing  in  the 
boy  but  sin.     For  that  I  brought  him  up 
in  thy  religion,  thou,  and  thou  only,  in- 
spiredst  me.     I  looked  with  trembling  at 
his  prodigious  genius.     But   thou   soon 
removedst  him  from  the  earth,  and  I  re- 
member him  with  greater  satisfaction,  as 
I  have  now  no  anxiety  for  his  childhood, 
his  youth,  or  his  manhood.     Nor  could 
I  at  that  time  be  satisfied  with  contempla- 
ting the  mystery  of  redemption.      The 
hymns  and  songs  of  thy  church  moved  my 
soul  intensely  ;  thy  truth  was  distilled  by 
them  into  my  heart;  the  flame  of  piety 
was  kindled,  and  my  tears  flowed  for  joy. 
This  practice  of  singing  had  been   of  no 
long  standingat  Milan.  It  began  about  the 
year  when  Justina  persecuted  Ambrose. 
The  pious  people  watched  in  the  church, 
prepared  to  die  with  their  pastor.     There 
my  mother  sustained  an  eminent  part  in 
watching  and  praying.     Then  hymns  and 
psalms,   after  the  manner  of  the   East, 
were  sung,  with  a  view  of  preserving  the 
people  from  weariness  ;    and  thence  the 
custom   has    spread    through    Christian 
churches. 

Thou,  who  makest  men  to  be  of  one 
mind  in  a  house,  unitedst  to  us  one  of 
our  young  townsmen,  Euodius,  who  had 
served  in  the  army,  and  was  now  regene- 
rated. We  determined  to  return  to  Africa ; 
and  when  we  were  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Tiber,  my  mother  departed  this  life.  I 
must  not  pass  by  the  conceptions  of  my 
soul  concerning  her,  who  endured  labour 
for  my  temporal  birth,  and  laboured  in 
heart  for  my  spiritual  birth.  She  had 
been  brought  up  in  a  Christian  family, 
but  did  not  so  much  commend  her  moth- 
er's care,  as  that  of  a  decrepid  old  servant 
of  the  house,  who  had  nursed  her  father, 
whose  years  and  character  were  highly 
respected,  and  who  superintended  the  ed- 
ucation of  her  master's  daughters.  She 
never  suffered  them  to  drink  even  water, 
except  at  meals,  telling  them  that  if  ever 
they  became  mistresses,  the  custom  of 
drinking  would  remain,  but  they  would 


Cext.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


405 


then  indulge  it  in  -wine,  not  water.  Yet 
my  mother  Monica,  notwithstanding  the 
care  of  this  provident  governess,  when 
young,  had  learned  by  degrees  to  drink 
wine,  having  been  sent  to  draw  it  for  the 
use  of  the  family.  By  what  method  was 
she  delivered  from  this  snare  ?  Thoii 
providedst  for  her  a  malignant  reproach 
from  a  m^id  of  the  house,  who,  in  a  pas- 
sion, called  her  drunkard.  From  that 
moment  she  gave  np  the  practice  forever. 
Thus  didst  thou  prepare  a  cure  for  her 
evil  practice,  by  the  malevolent  railing  of 
another,  that  no  man  may  attribute  it  to  his 
own  power,  if  his  admonitions  of  another 
be  attended  with  salutary  effect.* 

After  her  marriage  with  my  father  Pa- 
tricius,  she  endeavoured  to  win  him  over 
to  thy  service  by  the  amiableness  of  her 
manners,  and  patiently  bore  the  injuries 
of  his  unfaithfulness.     She  still  looked 
for  thy  mercy,  that,  learning  to  believe  in 
thee,  he  might  become  chaste.     His  tem- 
per  was    passionate,  but  his   spirit  be- 
nevolent.    She  knew  how  to  bear  with 
him  when  angry,  by  a  perfect  silence  and 
composure  ;  and  when  she  saw  him  cool, 
■would    meekly    expostulate   with    him. 
Many   matrons   in   her   company  would 
complain  of  the  blows  and  harsh  treatment 
they  received  from  their  husbands,  whose 
tempers  were  yet  milder  than  that  of  Pa- 
tricius  ;  then  she  would  exhort  them  to 
govern  their  tongues,  and  remember  the 
inferiority  of  their  condition.     And  when 
they  expressed  their  astonishment,  that  it 
was  never  heard  that  Patricius,  a  man  of 
so  violent  a  temper,  had  beaten  his  wife, 
or  that  they  ever  were  at  variance  a  single 
day,    she   informed    them    of   her   plan. 
Those  who   followed  it,  thanked  her  for 
the  good  success  of  it ;  those  who  did  not, 
experienced   vexation.      Her   mother-in- 
law,  nt  first,  was  irritated  against  her  by 
the  whispers  of  servants.     But  she  over- 
came her  by  mild  obsequiousness,  inso- 
much that  she  at  length  informed  her  son 
of  the  slanders  of  those  backbiters,  and 
desired  that   they  might  be   restrained. 
Thus  she  and  her  mother-in-law  lived  in 
perfect  harmony.     It  was  a  great   gift, 
which,  O  my  God,  thou  gavest  to  her. 


•  I  could  not  prevail  willi  myself  to  puss  over 
aUogtlliL-r  lliis,  and  a  t\:w  more  circumstantes. 
ol'domesiic  lite,  uliicli  follow.  Let  llie  pietv 
and  prudence,  which  they  breathe,  compen- 
sate for  theii'  simplicity.  'To  a  serious  mind 
they  will  i)erhaps  appear,  not  only  not  con- 
temptible, but  even  iustructive. 


that  she  never  repeated  any  of  the  fierce 
things,  which  she  heard  from  persons  who 
were  at  variance  with  one  another,  and 
was  conscientiously  exact,  in  sayincr  no- 
thing but  what  might  tend  to  heal  and 
to  reconcile. 

I  might  have  been  tempted  to  think  this 
a  small  good,  had  I  not  known  by  grie- 
votis  experience  the  innumerable  evils 
resulting  to  society  from  the  contrary 
spirit,  by  which  men  extend  mischief  like 
a  pestilence,  not  only  repeating  the  words 
of  angry  enemies  to  angry  enemies,  but  also 
adding  what  never  had  been  said  ;  where- 
as the  human  mind  should  not  be  content 
with  negative  goodness  in  such  cases,  but 
should  endeavour  to  promote  peace  by 
speaking  what  is  good,  as  my  amiable 
mother  did.  through  the  effectual  teaching 
of  thy  Spirit.  At  length,  in  the  extremity 
of  life,  she  gained  her  husband  to  thee, 
and  be  died^in  the  fiith  of  Christ. 

It  was  through  thy  secret  appointment 
that  she  and  I  stood  alone  at  a  window 
facing  the  East,  in  a  house  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Tiber,  where  we  were  preparing 
for  our  voyage.  Our  discourse  was  high- 
ly agreeable,  and  forgetting  the  past,  we 
endeavoured  to  conceive  aright  the  nature 
of  the  eternal  life  of  the  saints.  It  was 
evident  to  us,  that  no  carnal  delights  de- 
served to  be  named  on  this  subject; 
erecting  our  spirits  more  ardently,  we  as- 
cended above  the  noblest  parts  of  the 
material  creation  to  the  consideration  of 
our  own  minds,  and  passing  above  them, 
we  attempted  to  reach  heaven  itself,  to 
come  to  thee,  by  whom  all  things  were 
made.  There  our  hearts  were  enamoured, 
and  there  we  held  fast  the  first  fruits  of 
the  Spirit,  and  returned  to  the  sound  of 
our  own  voice,  which  gave  us  an  emblem 
of  the  Divine  Word.  We  said,  if  the 
flesh,  the  imagination,  and  every  tongue 
should  be  silenced,  for  they  proclaim,  we 

MADE     XOT    OURSELVES,     BUT    HE    AVHO    RE- 

MAiNETH  FOR  EVER  :  If  thcse  thiugs  should 
now  hold  their  peace,  and  God  alone 
should  speak,  not  by  any  emblems  or 
created  things,  but  by  himself,  so  that  we 
could  hear  his  word  ;  should  this  be  con- 
tinued, and  other  visions  be  withdrawn, 
and  this  alone  seize  and  absorb  the  spec- 
tator forever,  is  not  this  the  meaning  of, 
"  Enter  ihou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  1"* 


*  Matth.  XXV.  In  Kev.  xxi.  23.  the  same 
sublime  tliou<;bt  is  described  under  the  medi- 
um of  si<^lit,  which  here  is  couveyed  under  the 
medium  of  hearing. 


406 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHUKCH 


[Chap.H. 


At  that  moment  the  world  appeared  to  us 
of  no  value  :  and  she  said,  Son,  I  have 
novr  no  delight  in  lile.  What  I  should 
do  here,  and  why  I  am  here,  I  know  not, 
the  hope  of  this  life  being  quite  spent. 
One  thing  only,  your  conversion,  was  an 
object  for  which  I  wished  to  live.  My 
God  has  given  me  this  in  larger  measure. 
What  do  I  here? — Scarcely  five  days 
after,  she  fell  into  a  fever.  A  brother  of 
mine,  who  was  with  us,  lamented  that 
she  was  likely  to  die  in  a  foreign  land. 
She  looked  at  him  with  anxiety,  to  see 
him  so  grovelling  in  his  conceptions,  and 
then  looking  at  me,  said,  Place  this  body 
any  where;  do  not  distress  yourselves 
concerning  it.  I  could  not  but  rejnice  and 
give  thee  thanks,  that  she  was  delivered 
from  that  anxiety,  with  which  I  knew^  she 
always  had  been  agitated  in  regard  to 
a  sepulchre,  -which  she  had  provided  for 
herself,  and  prepared  near  the  body  of  her 
husband.  1  knew  not  the  time  when  this 
void  had  been  filled  by  the  fulness  of  thy 
grace,  but  I  rejoiced  to  find  this  evidence  of 
it.  I  heard  afterwards,  that  while  we  were 
at  Ostia  she  had  discoursed  with  some 
friends,  in  my  absence,  concerning  the 
contempt  of  life,  and  they,  expressing 
their  surprise  that  she  did  not  fear  to  leave 
her  body  so  far  from  her  own  country ; 
"  Nothing,"  said  she,  "  is  far  to  God,  and 
I  do  not  fear  that  he  should  not  know 
where  to  find  me  at  the  resurrection." 
She  departed  this  life  on  the  ninth  day  of 
her  illness,  in  the  fifty-sixth  year  of  her 
age,  and  the  thirty-third  of  mine.* 

BOOK  X. 

Now,  Lord,  my  groaning  testifies  that 
I  am  displeased  with  myself;  but  thou 
art  light  and  pleasure,  and  art  loved  and 
desired,  that  I  may  blush  for  myself,  and 
renounce  myself,  and  choose  thee  :  and 
neither  attempt  to  please  thee,  nor  myself, 
but  by  depending  on  thee.  For  when  I 
am  wicked,  then  to  confess  to  thee  is  no 
other  thing  than  to  be  displeased  with 
myself;  and  when  godly,  this  is  nothing 
else,  but  to  confess  that  thou  aff'ordest 
that  gift  to  me.     The  confessions  of  my 


*In  what  follows  to  llie  end  of  this  Book, 
the  Author  gives  a  very  amiable  picture  of 
the  filial  affections,  tempered  by  piety  and  re- 
signation, which  he  felt  on  this  occasion,  not 
indeed  without  a  mixture  of  the  superstition 
of  praying  for  the  dead,  which  was  growing  in 
this  ceiiturj'.  In  him  the  evangelical  spirit, 
however,  predominates  extremely,  even  while 
he  is  indulging  the  superstitious.  But  let  it 
sufhce  to  have  given  this  general  account. 


past  evils,  which  thou  hast  forgiven, 
changing  my  mind  by  faith  and  by  bap- 
tism, when  they  are  read  and  heard,  ex- 
cite the  heart,  that  it  sink  not  in  despair, 
but  may  watch  in  the  love  of  thy  mercy, 
and  the  sweetness  of  thy  grace,  by  which 
the  weak,  brought  to  feel  liis  own  weak- 
ness,  is  made  strong.  But  what  advan- 
tage will  result  from  my  confessing,  as 
I  now  propose,  not  what  I  was,  but  what 
I  now  am  ]  I  will  discover  myself  to 
such  as  will  rejoice  over  me  for  what  is 
good,  and  will  pray  for  and  syinpathize 
with  we  in  regard  to  what  is  evil,  more 
secure  as  I  am  through  thy  mercy,  than 
my  innojcence.  I  am  a  little  child,  but 
my  P^ather  always  lives,  and  is  my  sufil- 
cient  guardian.  What  temptations  I  can 
or  cannot  resist,  I  know  not.  But  my 
hope  is  this,  that  thou  art  faithful,  that 
thou  dost  not  suffer  us  to  be  tempted 
above  that  we  are  able,  but  with  the 
temptation  also  makest  a  way  to  escape, 
that  we  may  be  able  to  bear  it.*  Lord, 
1  love  thee;  thou  hast  smitten  my  heart 
with  thy  Word,  and  I  have  loved  thee. 
But  what  do  I  love,  when  I  love  thee  ? 
not  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  nor  any 
created  beauty.  They  cry  aloud,  we 
are  not  God,  he  made  us.  Where  shall 
I  find  thee,  but  in  thyself,  above  me '?  Too 
late  did  I  love  thee,  thou  primaeval  Beau- 
ty !  Thou  calledst  aloud,  and  overcamest 
my  deafness :  thou  shonest,  and  dispell- 
edst  iny  darkness.  Thou  wast  fragrant, 
and  I  panted  after  thee.  I  tasted,  and 
hungered  and  thirsted  after  thee:  thou 
touchedst  me,  and  I  was  inflamed  into 
thy  peace.  When  I  shall  stick  wholly 
to  thee,  I  shall  no  more  have  pain  and 
fatigue,  and  my  whole  life  shall  live  full 
of  thee.  But  now,  because  thou  sup- 
portest  him  whom  thou  fillest,  because  I 
am  not  full  of  thee,  I  am  a  burden  to  my- 
self. My  wholesome  griefs  and  perni- 
cious pleasures  contend  together,  and  I 
know  not  on  which  side  the  victory 
stands.  Woe  is  me!  Thou  art  my  phy- 
sician, I  am  sick.  Thou  art  merciful,  I 
am  wretched.  All  my  hope  lies  in  thy 
immense  mercy.  Give  w4iat  thou  com- 
mandest,  and  coumiand  what  thou  wilt. 
Thou  commandest  us  to  keep  from  the  lust 
of  the  flesh,  from  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and 
from  the  pride  of  life  :  and  what  thou  com- 
mandest, thou  hast  given  me.  Yet  there 
still  live  in  my  memory  the  images  of 
evils,  to  which  I  had  been  habituated, 


*  1  Cor.  X. 


Cent.  V.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CONFESSIONS. 


407 


and  they  occur  to  me  even  in  sleep.  Is 
not  thy  hand,  O  God,  able  to  heal  all  the 
diseases  of  my  soul,  and  to  sanctify  even 
the  hours  of  rest]  I  would  rejoice  vv^ith 
trembling  in  what  thou  hast  given  me, 
and  mourn  over  that  which  is  imperfect, 
and  hope  that  thou  wilt  perlect  thy  mer- 
cies, when  death  shall  be  swallowed  up 
in  victory. 

There  is  another  evil  of  the  day,  and  1 
wish  the  day  may  be  sufficient  for  it. 
We  refresh  the  continual  ruins  of  the 
body  by  food,  till  this  corruptible  shall 
put  on  incorruption.  Thou  hast  taught 
me  to  use  food  as  medicine.  But  while 
I  am  passing  from  the  uneasiness  of  hun- 
ger to  the  rest  of  satiety;  in  the  very 
passage  the  snare  of  concupiscence  is 
laid  for  me;  and  the  bounds  of  innocence 
are  not  easily  defined,  and  a  pretence  for 
indulgence  is  made  on  that  very  account. 
These  temptations  I  daily  endeavour  to 
resist,  and  I  call  on  thy  right  hand  ibr 
my  salvation,  and  make  known  to  tliee 
my  agitations  of  soul,  because  I  am  not 
yet  clear  on  this  subject.  I  hear  my 
God,  "let  not  your  heart  be  overcharged 
with  surfeiting  and  drunkenness."*  The 
latter  is  far  from  me,  let  it  not  approach 
me ;  the  former  sometimes  steals  ujjon 
me,  keep  it  at  a  distance  from  me.  Who 
is  there.  Lord,  that  is  perfectly  temper- 
ate'? Whoever  he  be,  let  him  magnify 
thy  name.  But  I  am  not  he,  I  am  a  sin- 
ful man.  However,  I  magnify  thy  name, 
and  he  who  overcame  the  world,  and 
numbers  me  among  the  weak  members 
of  his  body,  intercedes  for  my  sins. 

In  regard  to  the  enticement  of  smells, 
I  am  not  solicitous.  When  they  are  ab- 
sent, I  want  them  not :  when  present,  I 
do  not  refuse  them,  content  to  be  without 
them  entirely.  So  I  think ;  but  such  is 
my  miserable  darkness,  that  I  must  not 
easily  credit  myself,  because,  what  is 
within,  generally  lies  hid,  till  experience 
evidence  it.  The  only  hope,  the  only  confi- 
dence, the  only  firm  promise,  is  thy  mercy. 

The  pleasures  of  the  ear  have  deeper 
hold  on  me.  I  find  even  while  I  am 
charmed  with  sacred  melody,  I  am  led 
astray  at  times  by  the  luxury  of  sensa- 
tions, and  oifend,  not  knowing  at  the 
time,  but  afterwards  I  discover  it.  Some- 
times, guarding  against  this  fallacy,  I  err 
in  the  other  extreme,  and  could  wish  all 
the  melody  of  David's  Psalms  were  re- 
moved i'rom  my  ears,  and   those  of  the 


*  Luke  xxi. 


church,  and  think  it  safer  to  imitate  the 
plan  of  Athanasius,  bishop  of  Alexandria, 
who  directed  a  method  of  repeating  the 
psalms  more  resembling  pronunciation 
than  music.  But  when  I  remember  my 
tears  of  affection  at  my  conversion  under 
the  melody  of  thy  church,  with  which 
I  am  still  effected,  I  again  acknowledtre 
the  utility  of  the  custom.  Thus  do°I 
rtuctuate  between  the  danger  of  pleasure, 
and  the  experience  of  utility,  and  am  in- 
duced, though  with  a  wavering  assent, 
to  own  that  the  infirmity  of  nature  may 
be  assisted  in  devotion  by  psalmody. 
Yet  when  the  tune  has  moved  me  more 
than  the  subject,  I  feel  guilty,  and  am 
ready  to  wish  I  had  not  heard  the  music. 
See  where  I  am,  and  mourn  with  me,  ye 
who  are  conscious  of  any  inward  feelings 
of  godliness.  I  cannot  expect  the  sym- 
pathy of  those  who  are  not.  Thou,  Lord, 
my  God,  hear  and  pity  and  heal  me. 

The  pleasures  of  the  eye  I  find  to  en- 
tangle me  from  time  to  time.  But  thou 
deliverest  me,  sometimes  without  pain, 
because  I  fall  into  them  gently;  at  other 
times  with  pain,  because  I  stick  in  them. 

Another  form  of  manifold  danger  is 
added,  a  curious  spirit,  ptiUiated  by  the 
name  of  knowledge.  Surrounded  as  we 
are  with  objects,  when  can  I  say  I  am 
freed  from  this  ]  What  vehement  tempta- 
tions have  I  had  from  the  enemy,  to  ask 
of  thee  a  sign  :  But  I  beseech  thee  by 
our  king,  Jesus  Christ,  that,  as  I  am  far 
from  consenting  to  it,  so  I  may  be  farther 
and  farther.  What  a  trifle  diverts  me 
from  a  thought  of  great  importance,  and 
unless  thou  quickly  admonish  me  by  the 
conviction  of  my  infirmity,  either  to  di- 
vert the  thought  by  some  serious  medita- 
tion, or  to  despise  it  altogether,  I  should 
become  absolutely  dull.  My  life  is  full 
of  these  evils,  and  even  my  prayers  are 
often  disturbed,  and  while  1  apply  my 
heart  to  thine  ears,  I  am  overborne  by  a 
torrent  of  vanities. 

What  can  give  hope, .except  thy  mercy, 
by  which  thou  hast  begun  to  renew  us  ? 
And  thou  knowest  how  much  thou  hast 
done  for  me  already.  I  carry  thy  yoke, 
and  find  it  easy,  as  thou  hast  promised. 
It  always  was  so,  but  I  did  not  believe  it, 
when  I  was  afraid  to  take  it  upon  me; 
but  thou,  O  Lord,  thou  who  alone  rulest 
without  pride,  because  thou  hast  no  su- 
perior, can  I  in  this  life  be  exempt  from 
pride  ?  Well  done,  well  done,  I  find 
scattered  in  the  nets  by  the  enemy  every 
where.    Daily,  Lord,  we  feel  these  temp- 


408 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


tations.  Thou  knowest,  on  this  head,  the 
groans  of  my  heart,  and  the  floods  of 
mine  eyes.  Nor  can  I  easily  see,  that  I 
grow  more  free  from  this  pest  of  pride  ; 
and  I  much  fear  my  secret  evils,  which 
thou  knowest.  1  am  poor  and  needy,  and 
my  best  method  is  to  seek  thy  mercy  in 
secret  groans  and  in  self-abhorrence,  till 
thou  perfect  that  which  concerneth  me. 

There  is  another  internal  evil,  by  which 
a  man,  without  seeking  to  please  others, 
pleases  himself  with  thy  good  things,  as 
if  they  were  his  own ;  or  if  he  allows 
them  to  be  thine,  yet  he  is  apt  to  fancy 
them  bestowed  upon  him  for  his  own 
merits;  or  he  pleases  himself  with  in- 
dulging an  invidious  spirit  against  others. 
In  all  these  dangers  thou  seest  the  trem- 
bling of  my  heart ;  I  feel  my  wounds 
healed  every  now  and  then  by  thee;  but 
I  feel  not  an  exemption  from  them.  Some- 
times thou  introducest  me  into  an  uncom- 
mon affection,  into  a  sweetness  past  the 
power  of  description,  which,  were  it  per- 
fected in  me,  1  should  not  see  what  life 
would  want  to  complete  its  felicity.  But 
I  sink  back  by  the  weight  of  misery,  and 
am  held  entancrled. 

Whom  shall  I  look  to  as  my  mediator  1 
Shall  I  go  to  angels  ]  IMany  have  tried 
this,  and  have  been  fond  of  visions,  and 
have  deserved  to  be  the  sport  of  the  illu- 
sions which  they  loved.  A  mediator  be- 
tween God  and  man  must  have  the  nature 
of  both.  The  true  Mediator,  whom  in 
thy  secret  mercy  thou  hast  shown  to  the 
humble,  and  hast  sent,  that  by  his  exam- 
ple they  might  also  learn  humilitj^  the 
man  Christ  Jesus,  hath  appeared  a  media- 
tor between  mortal  sinners,  and  the  im- 
mortal Holy  One,  that,  because  the 
wages  of  righteousness  is  life  and  peace, 
by  his  divine  righteousness  he  might 
justify  the  ungodly^  and  deliver  them 
from  death.  He  was  shown  to  ancient 
saints,  that  they  might  be  saved  bjr 
faith  in  his  future  suiferings,  as  we  by 
faith  in  the  same  sufferings  already  past. 
How  hast  thou  loved  us,  Father,  deliver- 
ing up  thy  only  Son  for  us  ungodly  !  For 
whom  he,  our  priest  and  sacrifice,  who 
thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with 
thee,  was  subjected  to  death.  Well  may 
my  hope  be  strong  through  such  an  inter- 
cessor; else  I  should  despair.  Many  and 
great  are  my  diseases,  thy  meclioine 
larger  still.  Were  he  not  made  flesh  for 
us,  we  could  not  dream  of  having  any 
union  with  him.  Terrified  with  my  sins 
and  the  weight  of  my  misery,  I  was  de- 


sponding, but  thou  encouragedst  me,  say- 
ing, Christ  died  for  all,  that  they  which 
live,  should  not  live  to  themselves,  but  to 
him  that  died  for  them.*  Lo,  I  cast  all 
my  care  on  thee.  Lord,  that  I  may  live. 
Thou  knowest  my  weakness  and  igno- 
rance, teach  and  heal  me.  He  hath  re- 
deemed me  with  his  blood,  in  whom  are 
hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  know- 
ledge. Let  not  the  proud  calumniate  me, 
if  with  the  poor  I  desire  to  eat  and  be 
satisfied,  and  to  praise  the  Lord.| 


Augustine,  after  his  conversion,  re- 
turned with  some  friends  into  Africa,  and 
lived  upon  his  own  estate  for  almost 
three  years,  retired  from  the  world.  A 
desire  to  oblige  a  person  of  some  conse- 
quence in  Hippo,  who  requested  his  in- 
structions, brought  him  at  length  to  that 
city,  where  Valerius  was  bishop, — a  per- 
son of  great  piety;  but,  on  account  of  his 
slender  acquaintance  with  the  Latin 
tongue,  scarcely  adequate  to  the  office  of 
pastor  in  that  place.  Augustine,  through 
the  strong  and  urgent  desires  of  the  peo- 
ple, was  ordained  presbyter  to  Valerius; 
but  wept  on  the  occasion,  from  the  genu- 
ine sense  which  he  had  of  the  importance 
of  the  office.  He  told  Possidius  that  his 
tears  were  by  some  misconstrued,:]:  as  if 
he  regretted  that  he  had  not  been  chosen 
bishop.  Such  poor  judges  are  man}',  of 
the  views  and  sensations  of  godly  men  ! 
Valerius  rejoiced  that  God  had  heard  his 
prayers,  and  that  the  people  would  now 
be  supplied  with  such  a  pastor.  He  gave 
him  licence  to  preach  in  the  presence  of 
the  bishop,  a  thing  before  unknown  in 
Africa:  but  which,  from  the  good  effects 
of  this  precedent,  afterwards  grew  com- 
mon. Here  his  ministry  was  useful  in 
the  instruction  and  edification  of  the 
brethren,  and  also  in  the  defeat  of  various 
heresies.     Divine  truth,  which  had  been 


*   2  Cor.  V. 

+  Psalm  xxii.  26.  We  see  in  tliis  last  book 
ihf  author's  description  of  tlie  conflicl  between 
flesii  and  spirit  after  his  cniiversion,  and  the 
repose  ot"  liis  soul  for  peace  and  lia])|jiness 
only  on  tlie  Lord  Jesus  as  liis  rigliteousness 
and  strength.  I  sjiall  make  no  i'ui'ther  re- 
marks than  to  repeat  his  own  observation  in 
his  i-etractations.  "  These  confessions  praise 
the  God  oF  rigliteousness  and  goodness,  and 
excite  the  liumaTi  understanding  ami  aft'ection 
tow  ard  iiim.  They  did  this  in  me  while  I  was 
writing  them,  and  they  do  it  still,  when  I  read 
them.  What  others  may  tbink  of  them,  let 
them  judge  ;  but  I  know  they  have  much 
leased  and  do  please  many  of  the  brethren." 

I  Possid.  Life  of  Aug. 


Cent.  V.] 


PELAGIAN  CONTROVERSY. 


409 


almost  buried  amidst  many  schisms  and 
distractions  in  Africa,  now  raised  up  its 
head  again ;  and  Fortiinatus,  the  great 
leader  of  tlie  Manichees,  was  obliged,  in 
confusion,  to  leave  Hippo,  when  he  found 
himself,  by  the  confession  of  the  hearers, 
vanquished  in  a  conference  with  Augus- 
tine. 

Heretics  vied  with  the  members  of  the 
general  church  in  their  attention  to  the 
pastoral  labours  of  Augustine,  whose 
fame  began  gradually  to  spread  through- 
out the  Western  world.  Valerius  re- 
joiced and  gave  thanks  on  the  account, 
and  being  solicitous  to  preserve  such  a 
treasure  to  his  church,  he  took  care  to  get 
Augustine  elected  bishop  of  Hippo,  in 
conjunction  with  himself.  Age  and  in- 
firmities rendered  Valerius  very  inade- 
quate to  the  work;  and  every  true  Chris- 
tian will  doubt  which  more  to  admire,  the 
godly  zeal  of  Augustine,  tempered  with 
modesty  and  charity,  or  the  unfeigned 
humility  of  Valerius.  Augustine,  after 
he  had  strongly  resisted  the  inclinations 
of  the  bishop  and  all  the  church,  at 
length  accepted  the  office;  the  duties  of 
which  he  continued  to  discharge  after  the 
decease  of  Valerius.  His  zeal  and  labo- 
riousness  increased  with  his  authority. 
The  monastery  of  his  institution  became 
renowned  in  Africa ;  and  about  ten  bish- 
ops of  undoubted  piety  known  to  our  au- 
thor,* came  from  this  seminary.  These 
instituted  monasteries  after  the  same  pat- 
tern, and  from  them  other  churches  were 
supplied  with  pastors  ;  and  the  doctrines 
of  faith,  hope  and  charity,  by  these  means, 
and  also  by  Augustine's  writings,  which 
were  translated  into  the  Greek  tongue, 
were  diffused  and  enforced  with  increas- 
ing vigour  through  the  Christian  world 
His  writings,  however,  never  seem  to 
have  had  any  permanent  influence  in  the 
Eastern  church. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  PELAGIAN  CONTROVERSY. 

It  is  the  part  of  an  intelligent  agent  to 
choose  the  fittest  season  for  the  execution 
of  arduous  enterprises,  or  the  introduc- 
tion of  important  innovations.  This  rule, 
we  may  safely  conclude,  is  observed  by 
Satan  in  all  his  attempts  against  the 
Church  of  Christ.     While  the  belief  and 


experience  of  divine  influences  were 
strong  and  vigorous  in  Christian  societies, 
it  was  in  vain  for  him  to  attempt  to  per- 
suade men,  that  such  influences  were  of 
no  necessity  or  value;  he  could  do  no 
more  than  seduce  them  to  counterfeit, 
abuse,  or  misapply  them.  Hence  the 
wildness  and  incoherence  of  j\Iontanism. 
But  now  that  the  holy  influence  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  was  generally  damped  by 
superstition,  or  quenched  by  licentious- 
ness, Satan  felt  himself  emboldened  to 
erect  a  new  heresy,  which  should  pretend 
to   the   height   of  purity,   supported   by 

MERE     HUMAN     NATURE,    CXClusive     of  the 

operations  of  divine  grace  altogether. 
This  was  Pelagianism  :*  and  as  this  evil 
now  entered  the  Church  for  the  first 
time,  and  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  has 
continued  to  this  day ;  as  it  is  directly 
subversive  of  Christianity,  and  as  it  in- 
troduced a  controversy,  not  trivial  and 
frivolous  like  many  others,  but  of  un- 
speakable importance,  it  eminently  falls 
within  the  plan  of  this  History,  to  state 
the  circumstances  and  consequences  with 
perspicuity. 

Augustine,  of  Hippo,  had  been  trained 
up  under  the  Lord's  wholesome  discipline, 
by  an  extraordinary  conversion,  as  we 
have  seen,  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
last  century.     Thus  did  the  all-wise  God, 

who  IS  WONDERFUL  IN  COUNSEL  AND  EX- 
CELLENT IN  WORK,  secretly  stir  up  a 
SCOURGE  for  Pelagius,  against  the  time 
that  he  should  make  his  appearance ;  and 
his  heresy  was  eventually  one  of  the 
grand  means  of  introducing  juster  views 
of  Gospel  grace,  than  had  for  a  long  time 
obtained  in  the  Church,  and  of  reviving 
Christian  truth,  humility  and  piety.  The 
effects  of  this  effusion  of  the  vSpirit  were 
solid,  though  never  brilliant,  operative 
during  this  century  and  many  centuries 
afterwards,  in  the  production  of  much  real 
godliness  in  the  minds  of  many  individ- 
uals, particularly  of  monastic  persons,  to 
whom,  for  ages,  Augustine's  writings 
were  a  great  and  useful  light;  indeed, 
next  to  the  word  of  God,  the  greatest 
means  of  grace  which  they  had  in  times 
extremely  unfavourable  to  improvement. 
Hence,  besides  the  immediate  benefit 
which  the    Church  received  in  his  own 


Vol.  h 


Possid. 
2M 


*  In  this  chapter  I  purpose  to  describe  its 
rise  and  progress  historically.  What  1  have 
said  of  its  precise  nature,  will  be  confirmed  in 
the  proper  place  by  the  authentic  lights  of  an- 
tiquity. 


410 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  III. 


time,  the  ntility  of  this  providential  dis- 
pensatioa  reached  to  the  time  of  the 
Reformation  itself,  and  even  beyond  it  in 
Popish  countries  ;  though  the  reader  must 
not  expect  any  great  or  strong  display  of 
the  plantation  of  new  churches,  or  any 
sudden  and  marvellous  change  in  the  ex- 
ternal appearance  of  the  Church.  The 
light  Ave  are  now  to  contemplate  never 
broke  out  into  a  vivid  extensive  flame, 
but  shone  with  faint,  though  steady  rays, 
with  a  moderate  degree  of  brightness  at 
first,  and  afterwards  glimmered  through 
many  ages. 

Pelagius  was  born  in  Britain,  and  was 
in  his  own  time  called  Erito.*  His  com- 
panion Coelestius  v.^as  an  Irishman,  by  the 
testimony  of  Jerom.  He  calls  him  a 
Scot,  and  that  name  in  those  times  meant, 
as  is  known  to  the  learned,  a  native  of 
Ireland.  They  were  both  laymen;  the 
former,  by  profession,  a  monk,  who,  as 
far  as  appears,  always  maintained  a  cha- 
racter of  fair  and  decent  morals.  In  the 
heat  of  contention  there  were  who  denied 
this;  but  it  is  admitted  by  Augustine 
with  his  usual  candour,  and  we  might 
have  been  certain  of  it,  independently  of 
his  authority  ;  because  otherwise  it  would 
have  been  impossible  for  him  ever  to  have 
become  a  person  of  lasting  reputation  in 
the  religious  world.  He  travelled  from 
monastery  to  monastery,  through  various 
parts  of  the  Empire.  His  heretical  opin- 
ions did  not  appear  till  he  was  far  advanced 
in  life ;  before  that  time  Augustine  owns 
(though  he  speaks  by  hearsay)  his  repu- 
tation for  serious  piety  to  have  been  great 
in  the  Christian  world  ;  and  those  who 
know  the  difference  between  holiness  and 
mere  morality  will  not  be  surprised  at 
this.     Augustine  allows  the  genius  and 

*  I  make  large  use  of  Jansenius  in  this  nar- 
rative ;  he  has  prefixed  llie  Iiistoi-y  ot  tlie 
heresy  to  his  trcaiise  called  Angusline  :  The 
accounts  seem  accurate,  and  well  supported  by 
aulliorllies  of  coiiteinpoiary  writers,  particu- 
larly Jerom  and  Augustine.  I  have  consulted 
these  two  with  much  care  and  attention,  and  I 
find  Janseiiitis  so  exact  and  well-informed  in 
those  things  of  which  wo  have  an  opportunity 
lo  form  an  estimate,  that  it  seems  reasonable 
to  give  him  credit  for  his  extracts  from  the 
Gesta  Pelag.  of  Aug. — a  work  which  we  have 
not  in  the  'jonmion  editions  of  that  I'atiier,  be- 
cause it  was  not  discovered  till  abont  the  time 
of  Jansenins,  being  found,  as  he  tells  us,  in  an 
Abbey  at  Fesulte,  in  Italy. 

Since  I  wrote  this,  1  have  seen  the  Gesta 
Pelag.  in  a  more  recent  edition  of  Augustine, 
and  am  still  further  confirmed  in  my  opinion 
of  tlie  accurate  industry  of  Jansenius. 


capacity  of  both  these  men  to  have  been 
of  the  first  order :  and  this  testimony  from 
him  is  derisive  with  me  against  that  of 
Jerom,  who  treats  the  understanding  and 
endowments  of  both  with  great  contempt ; 
but  Jerom  was  not  apt  to  allow  any  lau- 
dable qualities  to  an  adversary. 

Isidore  of  Pelusium  applies  to  Pelagius 
that  passage  of  Hosea ;  "  grey  hairs  are 
here  and  there  upon  him,  yet  p^]ao.;an. 
he  knoweth  it  not."  This  j^^^  *.,. 
author  is  understood  thence  pearsabout 
to  intimate,  that  he  fell  into  j^_  p  ^q^ 
this  heresy  in  old  age.  It  be-  or  405. 
gan  to  appear  about  the  year 
104  or  5.  Chrysostom,  writing  to  his 
friend,  the  deaconess  Olympias,  says,  "  I 
am  much  grieved  for  Pelagius  the  monk  ; 
consider  what  crowns  must  be  reserved 
for  those  who  stand  firm,  when  men  who 
have  lived  in  so  much  mortification  and 
continency  appear  to  be  so  carried  away." 
His  first  writings  were  an  Epistle  to  Pau- 
linus  of  Nola  and  other  little  works,  in 
which  his  erroneous  views  of  grace  were 
so  artfully  expressed,  and  so  guarded  with 
cautious  terms,  that  Augustine  owns  he 
was  almost  deceived  by  them.  But  when 
he  saw  his  other  writings  of  a  later  date, 
he  discerned  that  he  might  artfully  own 
the  word  grace,  and  by  retaining  the 
term,  break  the  force  of  prejudice,  and 
avoid  offence,  and  yet  conceal  his  meaning 
under  a  general  ambiguity. 

For,  by  a  dexterity  very  common  with 
heretics,  Pelagius,  while  he  laid  open  to 
his  converts  the  whole  mystery  of  his 
doctrine,  iinparted  only  so  much  to  others 
as  might  be  more  calculated  to  ensnare 
their  affections  than  to  inform  them  of 
his  real  opinions.  He  used  to  deliver  his 
views  under  the  modest  appearance  of 
qtieries,  started  against  the  doctrines  of 
the  church,  and  those  as  not  invented  by 
himself,  but  by  others.  The  effect  of 
poisoning  the  minds  of  men  was,  perhaps, 
more  powerfully  produced  by  this,  than  it 
would  have  been  by  a  more  direct  and  po- 
sitive method.  To  this  he  added  another 
artifice;  he  insinuated  himself  into  the 
favour  of  women  of  some  rank,  of  weak 
minds,  and  unacquainted  with  the  spirit 
of  the  Gospel,  though  professing  religion ; 
and,  by  their  means,  he  diffused  his  tenets 
with  much  success.  Ccelestius,  more 
open  and  daring  in  speech,  pursued  a 
method  not  so  replete  with  deceit,  and 
was  therefore  exposed  to  detection  more 
easily  than  his  master. 

Pelagius,   having  travelled    over   the 


Cext.  v.] 


PELAGIAN  CONTROVERSY. 


4!1 


monasteries  of  Egypt,  settled  at  leni^th  at 
Rome,  where  his  attempts  to  undermine 
the  whole  doctrine  of  divine  (jracfN  by 
degrees,  notwithstanding  all  his  caution, 
gave  umbrage  to  the  Church.  Unguarded 
moments  also  will  hajipen  to  the  most 
artful,  and  at  times  discover  them  to  the 
most  unwary.  A  bishop,  who  was  a  col- 
league of  Augustine,  mentioning  to  Pela- 
gius  those  words  of  the  Confessions, 
"  Give  what  thou  commandest,  and  com- 
mand what  thou  wilt;"  he  contradicted 
with  great  vehemence,  and  expressed 
much  indignation  at  the  sentiment. 

Rome  being  taken  by  the  Goths  about 
the  year  410,  numbers  fled  into  Africa, 
and  among  the  rest  the  two  heresiarchs. 
Pelagius  vras  received  at 
Hippo,  in  Augustine's  ab- 
sence, where  his  stay  was 
very  short.  The  bishop  of 
Hippo  saw  him  once  or  twice 
at  Carthage  ;  but  was  himself 
very  busy  in  settling  a  con- 
ference with  the  Donatists,  and  nothin* 
material  passed  between  them.  Pelagius 
leaving  Africa  passed  over  in- 
to Palestine ;  there  his  labours 
attracted  the  attention  of  Je- 
rom,  who  lived  a  m.onastic 
life  in  the  samse  country,  and 
wrote  against  his  opinions,  justly  calling 
on  him  to  speak  clearly  what  he  meant, 
and  complaining  of  his  ambiguities. 

In  the  mean  time  Cog-lestius  in  Africa 
more  openly  discovered  his  sentiments, 
and  made  such  attempts  to  propagate 
„   ,    ..  them  in  Carthage  itself,  that 

in  Afiiea.     ^^  "^^^^  summoned  to  appear 
before   a   synod,  which   was 
held  bv  Aurelins,  bishop  of  that  city.  He 
was  accused  of  denying  orisrinal  sin  ;  and 
■when  he  was  pressed  with  the  custom  of 
the    Church   in   baptizing   infants,  as  a 
proof  of  her  belief  in  all  ages  that  infants 
needed  redemption,  he  declared  that  they 
had  no  need  of  remission,  and  yet  ought 
to  be  baptized,  that  they  might  be  sancti- 
fied   in    Christ.       Coelestiiis 
was  condemned  as  a  heretic 
in  the  year  41-2,  and  disap- 
pointed of  his  hopes  of  rising 
in   the   church  ;   for   he   had 
either  obtained  or  was  about 
to  obtain  the  office  of  a  pres- 
byter, in  Africa. 
A  fragment  of  the  acts  of  this  synod  is 
preserved  by  Augustine,*  though  he  him- 


Rome  ta- 
ken    and 
phindeied 
by    llie 
Gollis, 

A.  D.  410. 


Pelasrius 
spreads  Ins 
errors  in 
rulestine. 


self  was  not  present  at  it,  in  which  is  the 
following  passage  :  "  Aurelius  said,  Read 
what  follows,  and  it  was  read  :  That  the 
sin  of  Adam  hurt  himself  alone,  and  not 
mankind.  Cceleslius  said,  I  owned  that 
I  was  dubious  concerning  the  communi- 
cation of  sin  by  descent  from  Adam  (yet  in 
such  a  manner,  that  I  shall  bow  to  tlie  au- 
thority of  those  to  whom  God  hath  given 
the  grace  of  superiorskill)  ;  because  I  have 
heard  different  things  from  those  who  at 
least  were  presbyters  in  the  church.  Pau- 
linus,  a  deacon,  said,  Name  them.  Ccb- 
lestius  answered,  The  holy  presbyter* 
Ruffinus  at  Rome  :  I  heard  him  deny  any 
communication  of  sin  by  descent.  Being 
pressed,  if  he  could  name  any  more,  be 
said,  Is  not  one  priest  sufficient?  On 
being  asked,  whether  he  had  not  asserted, 
that  infants  are  born  in  a  state  in  which 
Adam  was  before  transgression,  all  that 
could  be  obtained  from  him  was,  That 
infants  needed  baptism,  and  ought  to  be 
baptized."! 

Indeed  Pelagianism  itself  seemed  little 
more  than  a  revival  of  Deism,  or  what  is 
commonly  called  natural  religion.  Adam, 
it  is  said,  would  have  died,  whether  he 
sinned  or  not.  Men  might  be  saved  by 
the  Law,  as  well  as  the  Gospel :  infants 
just  born  are  in  the  same  state  as  Adam 
before  transgression.  Men's  death  de- 
pends not  on  that  of  Adam,  nor  does  their 
resurrection  depend  on  that  of  Christ. 
These  tenets  were  objected  to  Coslestius, 
and  condemned.  In  a  book  which  he  of- 
fered to  the  council,  he  owned  that  chil- 
dren were  redeemed  by  Christ,  and  yet 
he  would  not  confess  that  the  effects  of 
Adam's  sin  passed  upon  them.  So  in- 
consistent are  men,  bent  on  the  support 
of  error,  and  yet  willing  to  appear  in  some 
measure  Christian! 

In  the  mean  time  Pelagius,  in  his  man- 


Coelestius 
is   con- 
demned at 
Carthage 
as  a  here- 
tic, 

A.  D.  412. 


•  In  his  book  on  Original  Sin,  cap.  S. 


*Tliis  is  lie,  who  was  famous  tor  ins  contro- 
versy willi  Jerom,  and  for  the  translation  of 
Origen's  works,  and  of  wlinm,  though  lie  seems 
to  lie  not  much  in  the  line  of  our  history,  we 
shull  liave  occasion  to  say  a  little  more  here- 
after. 

t  Two  plain  inferences  seem  deducible  from 
this  fragment;  1.  That  the  riglit  of  baptizing 
infants'was  allowed  on  all  sides  to  have  been 
of  aposlolical  and  jjriniilive  authority.  It  is 
inifiossilile  that  men  so  shrewd  and  learned  as 
Cffilestius  and  his  master,  would  not  have  ob- 
jected to  the  novelty  of  infant-baptism,  had  it 
"been  a  novelty.  2.  The  belief  of  original  sin 
had  uiiiversaliv  obtained,  and  must  have  been 
equallv  apostolical.  One  presbyter  only  was 
named  by  Coelestius,  as  favouring  the  doctrine 
of  Pelagius. 


412 


HISTOKY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


ner,  was  still  writing  against  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Gospel ;  while  Augustine, 
than  whom  no  man  was  ever  more  cau- 
tious and  deliberate  in  the  whole  contro- 
versy, answered  in  his  writings  the  evil 
tendency  of  the  Pelagian  tenets,  "avoid- 
ing," says  he,*  "the  name  of  Pelagius, 
thinking  that  I  might  more  easily  profit 
him,  if,  preserving  friendship,  I  should 
yet  spare  his  modesty."  But  more  of 
this  hereafter. 

_  Cffilestius,  driven  from  Africa,  fixed 
his  seat  in  Sicily,  and  by  the  questions 
which  he  there  excited,  gave  occasion  to 
Augustine  to  employ  his  pen  in  answer- 
ing him.  Nor  did  the  heresy  cease  in 
Africa:  the  bisliop  of  Hippo  was  em- 
ployed not  only  in  writing,  but  also  in 
preaching  against  the  new  notions,  and 
gave  his  testimony  in  a  solemn  manner 
from  the  pulpit  at  Carthage. 

Pelagius  himself  wrote  in  the  most  re- 
spectful manner  to  Augustine,  and  in  the 
highest  terms  extolled  his  character.  It 
is  certain,  that  the  impressions  made  on 
Augustine's  mind  in  favour  of  Pelagius 
were  strong,  and  not  easily  erased,  be- 
cause he  had  been  taught  to  believe  him 
to  be  a  person  of  great  virtue.  Nothing 
but  the  completest  evidence  of  heresy 
could  have  induced  him  to  make  an  open 
rupture.  And  a  soul  like  his,  humble 
and  charitable  in  a  high  degree,  would,  I 
doubt  not,  long  entertain  the  best  hopes 
of  a  man  whom  he  had  once  esteemed. 
In  this  spirit  he  wrote  to  him  the  follow- 
ing guarded  letter: 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  kind  letter.  The 
Lord  requite  you  good,  by  which  you 
may  be  ever  good,  and  live  with  the 
Eternal  for  ever.  Though  I  cannot  own 
the  good  things  in  myself,  which  your 
friendly  Epistle  mentions,  yet  I  should 


yet 
be  ungrateful  did  I  not  thank  you ;  at  the 
same  time  admonishing  you  rather  to  pray 
for  me,  that  I  may  become  such,  from  the 
Lord,  as  you  think  me  to  be." 

In  the  year  413  an  occasion  was  offered 
to  Pelagius  of  discovering  himself  more 
openly  to  the  world.  A  virgin,  named 
Demetrias,  of  the  illustrious 
race  of  the  Anicii,  one  of  the 
most  ancient  and  noble  fami- 
lies of  Rome,  having  fled  into 
Africa  on  account  of  the  inva- 
sion of  the  Goths,  was,  by 
the  exhortation  of  Augustine, 
induced  to  consecrate  her  vir- 


Pelagius's 
Letter  lo  a 
Virgin 
named 
Deme- 
trias, 

A.  D.  413. 


*  Lib.  de  Gestis  Pelag. 


ginity  to  God.     The  piety  of  the  action 
was  extolled  in  these  superstitious  days 
by  all  the  Christian  world,  and  the  bishop 
of  Hippo  joined  with  others  in  congratu- 
lating her.     For  sufficient  proof  has  al- 
ready appeared,  that  he  escaped  not  the 
infection  of  the   age,  though  he   mixed 
with  it  as  much  real  humility  as  most 
persons  of  those  times.     Pelagius  wrote 
to  her  a  long  and  extremely  elegant  let- 
ter, exhorting  her  to  seek  true  perfection, 
in  which  he  plainly  directs  her  to  look  to 
nature,  not  to  grace,  for  strength  :  yet,  it 
is  written  with  so  much  artifice,  that  in 
his  apology  afterwards  to  Innocent,  bishop 
of  Rome,  he  appeals  to  it  as  a  justification 
of   his    orthodoxy.*      Augustine,   some 
years  after,  wrote  a  refutation  of  it,  ad- 
dressed to  Juliana,  the  mother  of  Deme- 
trias.    Pelagius  wrote  also  another  letter 
to  a  certain  widow,  full  of  the  same  adu- 
latory strains,  in  which  he  so  grossly  dis- 
covers himself,  that,  as  will  shortly  ap- 
pear, he  had  noway  left  but  to  disown  it. 
In  the  year  415,  or  nearly  so,  two  Avell- 
disposed  young  men,  Timasius  and  Jacob, 
meeting  with  Pelagius,  were  by  him  in- 
duced to  enter  on  the  monas- 
tic life,  in  the  commendation 
of  which  all  parties  were  but 
too  strongly  agreed.  13 ut  they 
imbibed  also  his  self-righteous  doctrine, 
from  which,  however,  by  the  labours  of 
Augustine,  they  were  afterwards  deliver- 
ed.    On  this  occasion,  they  showed  Au- 
gustine a  book  of  Pelagius,  in  which  he 
vehemently  accused  those  who  pleaded 
the  faultiness  of  human  nature  as  an  ex- 
cuse for  their  sins,  and  in  which,  while 
he  seemed  to  be  only  inveighing  against 
a  licentious  abuse  of  Gospel   grace,  he 
evidently    denied    the    existence    of    all 
grace,  and  maintained,  that  by  that  term 
were  to  be  understood  the  natural  endow- 
ments of  the  human  mind  seasoned  and 
directed  by  free-will ;  and  these  endow- 
ments, so  seasoned  and  directed,  ho  ac- 
knowledged to  be  the  free  gifts  of  God. 
The  bishop  of  Hippo,  with  extreme  re- 
luctance, at  length  admitted  the  full  con- 
viction of  the  heretical  character  of  Pela- 
gius  and    answered    the    book;    yet  he 
concealed  his  name,  lest  Pelagius,  being 
offended,  might  become  still  more  incura- 
ble.    Augustine  owns  that  he  afterwards 
repented  of  this  step,  because  he  had 


Timasius 
and  Jacob, 

A.  D.  415. 


*  A  farther  view  of  this  letter  shall  be  given 
iiereafter,  among  what  may  be  called  the  pe- 
lagian PAPEBS. 


Ckxt.  v.] 


PELAGIAN  CONTROVERSY. 


41^ 


probably  increased  the  pride  of  the  here- 
tic, through  an  ill-judged  fear  of  giving 
him  pain. 

For  Pelagius,  liearing  of  Augustine's 
proceedings,  loudly  complained,  that 
some  of  his  books  had  been  stolen  from 
him ;  and  others  reckoned  as  his,  which 
were  not  so.  It  is  difficult  to  deal  with 
deceitful  men;  yet  the  African  bishop 
used  the  most  prudent  method.  He  sent 
his  own  book  and  Pelagius's  together  to 
Innocent,  of  Rome,  desiring  him  to  mark 
the  sentiments  of  each,  "and  if  he  denies 
that  these  are  his  sentiments,  I  contend  not; 
let  him  anathematize  them,  and  in  plain 
terms  confess  the  doctrine  of  Christian 
grace.  I  have,  says  he,  sufficient  witnesses, 
men  who  have  a  great  regard  for  him,  who 
will  attest  that  I  had  the  book  from  them, 
and  that  it  has  not  been  falsified  by  mo." 
Innocent,  in  reply,  condemned  the  book 
altogether,  as  containing  horrible  senti- 
ments, hitherto  unprecedented  in  the 
Christian  world.  How  much  more  re- 
putable would  it  be  to  the  characters  of 
many,  like  Pelagius,  would  they  at  once 
own  what  they  are,  and  make  no  preten- 
sions to  the  doctrines  of  grace!  Bat  this 
sincerity  would  not  so  effectually  serve 
the  cause  of  Satan  in  the  world. 

While  Jerom  in  the  East,  and  Augus- 
tine in  the  West,  were  opposing  Pela- 
gianism,  the  heresiarch  himself  was  sum- 
moned to  appear  in  the  latter 
Pelagius  p^d  of  the  same  year  415,  be- 
sumn.o.ied     f^^g  ^  ^^,^^.^  of  fourteen  bi- 

Svho.1  of  S^OPS  0^"  Palestine,  at  Lydda, 
Diospolis.  then  called  Diospolis.  Here 
he  had  every  advantage  which 
an  accused  person  could  wish  for.  His 
two  accusers,  Heros  and  Lazarus,  bi- 
shops of  Gaul,  were  absent,  because  one 
of  them  was  sick  at  that  time.  The 
court  were  poorly  acquainted  with  the 
Latin  tongue,  in  which  the  works  of  Pe- 
lagius were  written,  and  John  of  Jerusa- 
lem, one  of  the  principal  bishops,  was 
prejudiced  in  favour  of  Origenism,  and 
of  Pelagius.  The  Eastern  church  itself 
was  more  corrupt  in  doctrine,  and  more 
inclined  to  support  innovations  than  the 
Western;  and  the  heresiarch  himself,  in 
capacity,  presence  of  mind,  and  circum- 
spection, far  exceeded  all  his  judges. 

Yet  the  letter  to  the  widow  above 
mentioned  was  so  fulsome,  and  so  re- 
plete with  self-righteous  doctrine,  that 
he  found  it  necessary  to  deny,  that  he 
had  written  the  things  imputed  to  him. 
He  had  described  her  as  the  only  righ- 
2  m2 


teous  person  upon  earth,  with  whom  piety 
found  a  refuge,  when  it  could  find  none 
elsewhere;  and  he  taught  her  to  pray  in 
this  form:  "Thou  knowesl.  Lord,  how 
holy,  innocent,  and  clean  these  hands 
are  which  I  extend  to  thee;  how  just  and 
clean  these  lips,  and  free  from  all  guile, 
with  which  I  pray  for  thy  mercy."  In 
no  part  of  his  conduct  did  he  lay  himself 
more  open  to  censure.  He  preached  a 
perfection,  attainable  in  this  life,  a  per- 
fection too,  drawn  altogether  from  nature. 
However,  by  denying  this  charge,  and 
by  dexterously  evading  and  explaining 
away  all  the  rest,*  he  obtained  an  ho- 
nourable acquittal.  If  there  was  any 
fault  at  all  in  the  conduct  of  Augustine 
toward  this  man,  it  was  a  fault  indeed  of 
the  most  amiable  kind,  an  excess  of  ten- 
derness and  lenity.  Pelagius  knew  how 
to  take  advantage  of  it,  and  produced  to 
the  court  the  short  letter  of  the  bishop  of 
Hippo  to  him,which  has  been  given  above. 
.Tohn,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  defended 
Pelagius  in  the  synod  with  great  earnest- 
ness, and  he  was  at  last  received  as  a 
Christian  brother.  P"'lushed  Pei^crius 
with  his  victory,  he  prepared  defended 
to  improve  the  advantage  by  the 
which  it  gave  him.  Though  bishop  of 
he  was  acquitted,  as  holding  Jerusa- 
the  doctrines  of  grace,  and 
not  as  inimical  to  them,  he  wrote  to  a 
friend,  that  fourteen  bishops  had  agreed 
with  him,  that  man  might  be  without  sin, 
and  easily  keep  the  commands  of  God,  if 
he  would  ;  concealing  at  the  same  time 
his  confession  of  the  necessity  of  divine 
grace,  by  which  he  had  eluded  condem- 
nation. With  similar  artifice,  he  trans- 
mitted an  account  to  Augustine  of  his  ac- 
quittal. He  wrote  also  four  books  on 
free-will,  in  which  he  openly  took  away 
original  sin,  and  gloried  at  the  same  time 
in  the  acts  of  the  synod  of  Palestine. 
And  his  partizans,  being  incensed  against 
Jerom  and  the  Komau  ladies,  who  lived 
in  monasteries  under  his  direction  in  Pa- 
lestine, made  a  scandalous  assault  upoa 
them,  of  which  Jerom  complained  to  In- 
nocent of  Rome,  who  afterwards  expostu- 
lated with  John,  l)ishop  of  Jerusalem,  for 
conniving  at  the  burnings  and  plunderings 
of  which  the  Pelagians  had  been  guilty. 
Augustine  also  wrote  to  John  in  a  mild 
but  firm  tone,  to  undeceive  him  concern- 
ino-  the  real  doctrines  of  Pelagius  ;  and 


*  Gesf.  Pelag.    The  recital  of  the  parlicu-» 
lars  would  be  tedious  :\nd  uniiistructive. 


414 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  HI- 


v^s: 


Council  of 
Carthasre. 


sent  him  both  his  own  treatise  on  Nature 
and  Grace,  and  that  of  Pelagiiis  ;  and  re- 
ceiving afterwards  the  acts  of  the  synod 
of  Diospolis,  he  published  the  history  of 
Pelagianism,  from  which  we  have  taken 
many  of  the  foregoing  particulars, 

A  council  being  held  the  next  year  at 
Carthage,  on  various  exigencies  of  the 
church,   Orosius,  returning  from  Pales- 
tine, brought  them  the  letters 
of  Heros  and  Lazarus  against 
Pelagius.     Though  the  acts 
of  the  Eastern  council  had  not  yet  reach- 
ed this  African  synod,  yet  they  had  now 
sufficient  information  to  alarm  their  minds. 
The  council  wrote  to  Innocent  of  Rome 
their  plain  sense  of  the  controversy,  which 
was — that  unless  Pelagius  and  his  parti- 
zans,  in  express  terms  rejected  the  senti- 
ments ascribed  to  him,  they  should  be 
excommunicated,  to  prevent  others  from 
being  imposed  on  by  false  pretensions.* 
These  equitable  determinations  were  sign- 
ed by  sixty-eight  bishops.    A  nother  synod 
of  Numidian  bishops,  assembled  at  Mile- 
vam,  wrote  also  to  Rome  to  the  same 
effect.      Augustine  also,  his  friend  Aly- 
pius,  now  bishop  of  Tagasta,  Aurelius  of 
Carthage,  and  two  other  bishops,  wrote 
letters  in  their  own  names  to  Innocent, 
more  distinctly  explaining  the  subject, 
and   showing  how  the  Eastern  council 
most  probably  had  been  imposed  on  by 
the  subtilty   of  Pelagius ;    at  the  same 
time  intimating  their  fear,  lest  Rome  it- 
self, where  he  had  long  lived,  should  be  in- 
fected with  the  heresy.     Innocent,  in  his 
answer,  entered  fully  into  the  views  of 
the  Africans,  and  in  the  same  conditional 
manner  condemned  the  authors  of  the  he- 
resy.    As  it  however  still   spread  in  a 
secret  manner,  it  needed  to  be  extirpated 
by  argument.      For    this  the  bishop   of 
Hippo  was  peculiarly  qualified.    And  for 
more  than  twenty  years  he  was  employed 
in  writing  and  preaching  against  the  he- 
resy. _^__ 

*  I  wonder  not  that  the  advocates  for  the  pa- 
pacy have  argued  from  these  frequent  appeals  lo 
Rome,  for  ihe  infaUibihly  and  dominion  of  ihe 
Pope.  Bat  the  truth  is,  nothing  could  he  further 
from  the  thoughts  of  the  Africans.  We  shall  see 
shortly  that  they  withstand  and  correct  the  errors 
of  a  Roman  bishop;  nor  have  I  seen  any  thing  in 
Augustine's  voluminous  writings  that  indicates 
such  a  subjection.  Tlie  word  of  God  was  as  yet 
allowed  to  be  the  great  standard  of  doctrine ; 
and  the  frequent  correspondence  with  Rome 
arose  from  the  importance  of  the  situation  of  thai 
church  as  fixed  in  the  metropolis  of  the  EtTipire, 
nnd  as  being  the  centre  of  intelligence  to  the 
Christian  world. 


Coelestius 
comes  to 
Rome, 

A.  D.  417. 
And   here. 


The  two  heresiarchs  now  endeavoured 
to  elude  the  force  of  the  decrees  against 
them.  Coelestius,  who  had  been  in  Asia 
for  some  time,  and  had  ob- 
tained the  office  of  presbyter, 
visited  Rome  in  the  year  417. 
He  applied  to  Zozimus,  the 
successor  of  Innocent,  and  re- 
cited his  libel  before  him. 
with  an  unlimited  degree  of  complaisance, 
he  submitted  his  sentiments  innplicitly  to 
the  bishop  of  Rome,  professing  a  desire 
to  be  corrected  by  him,  if  as  a  man  he 
erred  in  any  point,  and  complained  of  the 
precipitation  with  which  he  had  been 
condemned. 

Zozimus,  deceived  by  his  artifices, wrote 
to  the  African  prelates,  complaining  of  the 
malice  of  the  Gaulish  bishops,  and  de- 
claring, that  unless  within  two  months 
he  heard  more  decisive  proofs  against 
Coelestius,  he  should  consider  him  as  a 
Christian  brother.  The  African  bishops, 
in  reply,  complained  of  the  precipitation 
of  Zozimus,  and  at  length  sent  to  Rome 
such  complete  proofs  against  Cffilestius, 
that  he  withdrew  himself  from  the  exami- 
nation, and  avoided  the  means  of  a  public 
detection.  Zozimus  however  still  delayed 
his  condemnation,  for  which  he  is  justly 
blamed  by  Augustine.* 

Pelagius,    using    the    same    methods 
which  Coelestius  did,  wrote  to  Innocent, 
with  whose  death  he  was  unacquainted. 
Some  fragments   of  his  letters  are  pre- 
served by  Augustine.    A  sample  of  them 
is  as  follows  :  "  Lo,  let  this  epistle  clear 
me   before  you,  in  which  I  say  that  we 
have  a  free-will   to  sin  and   not  to  sin, 
which  in  all  good  works  is  always  helped 
by  divine  aid."     And  "  this  power  we 
say  is  in  all  in  general,  in  Christians, 
Jews,    and    Gentiles.      In   all   tliere  is 
free-will  equally  by  nature,  but  in  Chris- 
tians alone  is  it   helped  by  grace.     In 
others  there  is  a  good  condition,  naked 
and    unarmed;    in  those  who  belong  to 
Christ,  it  is  fortified  by  his  assistance. 
Persons  therefore  are  to  be  condemned, 
who,  when  they  have  free-will,  by  which 
they  might  come  to  faith,  and  obtain  the 
grace  of  God,  abuse  their  liberty;  but 
those  are  to  be  rewarded,  who,  using  free- 
will aright,  obtain  the  favour  of  God,  and 
keep  his  commands."     He  adds  more  to 
the  same  purpose,  never  once  either  ad- 
mitting the  doctrine  of  original  sin,  or  de- 
fining what  he  means  by  divine  assist- 

*  B.  2.  to  Bonif.  c.  3. 


Cent.  V.] 


PELAGIAN  CONTROVERSY, 


415 


ance,  which  with  him  may  mean  no  more 
than  the  benefit  of  external  revelation,  or 
the  preservation  of  our  natural  powers. 
Had  he  once  expressly  declared,  that  he 
did  not  believe  any  real  influence  of  di- 
vine ^race  on  the  mind  inclining  it  to 
what  is  good,  which  he  knew  the  Chris- 
tian world  before  his  time  believed,  and 
which  if  he  himself  had  believed,  he 
would  have  exjjressed  ;  there  would  have 
been  an  honesty  in  his  heretical  pravity, 
which  would  have  entitled  his  character 
to  a  greater  degree  of  respect.     As  the 


case  stands,  and,  as  he  must  have  known 
that  his  opponent  used  the  terms  grace 
and  divine  assistance  in  a  quite  different 
sense  from  that  in  which  he  used  them, 
he  appears  by  his  own  words  to  have 
been  an  insincere  disputant.  He  sent  also 
to  Rome  a  symbol  of  his  faith,  written  in 
the  same  style  of  ambiguity,  and  attended 
with  the  same  adulatory  strains  to  the 
bishop  of  Rome,  which  Ccelestius  had 
used  on  the  like  occasion. 

Zozimus,  to  whom  his  letters  came, 
was   imposed   on   by   them,  as   he  had 
been  by  those  of  Ccelestius  ;  and  he  wrote 
to  the  African  bishops,  that  he  was  con- 
vinced, that  Pelagius  was  innocent.    The 
latter  answered  him  very  properh;,  that 
it  was  not  sufficient  for  Pelagius  and  Cce- 
lestius to  own  in  general  that  they  ap 
proved  of  all  that  he  approved  of;  that  it 
behooved  them  expressly  to  confess,  that 
we  need  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  not 
only  to  know,  but  also  to  do  righteousness 
in  every  act.    Thus  they  showed  that  they 
had,  what  Zozimus  had  not,  a  clear  and 
accurate  conception  of  the  subject.     But 
they  had  Augustine  among  them  ;  where- 
as men,  whose  consciences  have  had  lit- 
tle exercise  on  these  subjects,  are  seldom 
quick  in  comprehending  them,  nay,  are 
apt  to  be  imposed  on  by  plausible  terms, 
though  they  be  in  other  respects  men  of 
enlarged  and  cultivated  understandings. 
Zozimus  was,  however,  open  t6  con 
viction  ;  for  the  bishops  of  Rome  had  not 
yet  learned  to  be  infallible.     The  in-' 
structions  of  Augustine  corrected  his  mis- 
takes, and  being  further  acquainted  with 
the  subject  by  some  writings  of  Pelagius, 
which  were  brought   to  him  at   Rome, 
he  openly  condemned  the  two  heretics. 
Whether  he  had  done  so  or  not,  there  is 
not  the  slightest  ground  to  believe,  that 
the  African  bishops  and  churches  would 
not  have  persevered,  by  their  own  autho 


doubtless  of  great  service  to  the  general 
cause  of  Christian  truth  at  this  period.    It 
has  often  been  said,  that  men  called  he- 
retics have  not  the  advantage  of  being 
heard,  because  their  writings  are  not  ex- 
tant.    I  have  therefore  been  solicitous  to 
furnish  the  reader  with  all  the  light  which 
can  be  obtained  on  that  side  of  the  ques- 
tion.    Notwithstanding  the  scantiness  of 
materials,  Arius  I  think  was  sufficiently 
proved  guilty  from  his  own  mouth,  and 
so  was  Pelagius ;  but  of  the  latter  we 
have  much  larger  remains.     On  this  oc- 
casion it  will  be  proper  to  mention  a  pas- 
sage from  his  exposition  of  the  Epistle 
to  the  Romans,  quoted  by  Zozimus,  as  it 
shows  at  the  same  time  the  strength  of 
his  prejudices  and  the  shrewdness  of  his 
understanding.   "  If  Adam's  sin  hurt  those 
who  were  not  guilty,  the  righteousness 
of  Christ  profits  those  who  believe  not." 
The  Pelagians  bitterly  censured  Six- 
tus,  a  presbyter  of  Rome,  afterwards  bi- 
shop,  for   being    active   in   condemning 
those  whom  before  he  had  patronized. 
Augustine   exposed   their   unreasonable- 
ness in  reviling  that  very  lenity  and  cau- 
tion which  had  been  so  slow  to  condemn, 
till   the  fullest   evidence  was   obtained, 
and  admonished  vSixtus  not  to  be  content 
with  anathematizing  Pelagius,  but  to  be 
also  laborious  in  warning  and 
the  people. 

The   Emperor   Honorius   also   passed 
the  sentence  of  banishment  from  Rome 
on  the  Pelagians  the  same  year  in  which 
their  doctrines  were  condemn- 
ed,  that    is,    the   year    418. 
Ccelestius  retired  to  Constan- 
tinople, where  his  tenets  were 
opposed   by   Atticus   the   bi- 
shop, and  his  views  of  pro- 
pagating them  were  disappointed.     The 
party  were,  however,  indefatigable;  let- 
ters were  written  to  the  bishop  of  Thessa- 
lonica,  in  which  they  professed  their  de- 
sire to  defend  the  Catholic  faith  against 
the  heresy  of  the  Manichees,  and  in  that 
specious   manner   they    vindicated   their 
praises  of  the  powers  of  human  nature. 
Augustine    answered    their    arguments, 
whTch  had  been  sent  by  eighteen  of  the 
party   to   Thessalonica  ;*    xMticus    also 
wrote  against  theni  to  Rome,  and  the  sect 
underwent  a  general  condemnation. 

Pelagius,  who  was  still  in  Palestine, 
complained  of  the  treatment  which  he  had 
received,   and   being   interrogated   there 


teaching 


Pelagians 
banished 
1))'  Hono- 
rius, 

A.  D.  418. 


rity,  in  rejecting  Pelagianism  :  but  the 
concurrence  of  the  bishop  of  Rome  was 


B.  1.  to  Boniface. 


416 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HL 


concerning  the  disputed  points  by  some 
persons  of  respectable  characters,  he  an- 
swered with  such  subtile  ambiguity,  that 
he  again  imposed  on  his  examiners,  who 
explained  to  Augustine  in  writing  the  re- 
sult. The  latter,  roused  by  repeated  acts 
of  dissimulation,  wrote  his  treatise  on 
Original  Sin  and  the  Grace  of  Christ,  in 
which  he  detected  and  exposed  the  arti- 
fices of  Pelagius.  The  wiles  of  the  party 
were  not  yet  exhausted  ;  they  charged  the 
general  Church  with  condemning  mar- 
riage, and  the  workmanship  of  God  in 
the  creation  of  man  ;  I  suppose  malicious- 
ly deducing  those  consequences  from  the 
doctrine  of  original  sin  ;  and  this  drew 
another  reply  from  the  argumentative  pen 
of  Augustine.* 

One  Julian,  a  young  person  of  great 
spirit  and  self-confidence,  now  arose  in 
defence  of  Pelagianism,  and  wrote  with 
great  vehemence  and  asperity,  and  in 
a  very  voluminous  manner.  He  described 
himself  as  the  little  David,  who  was  to 
fight  against  the  Goliah  of  Hippo,  and 
declared  that  it  was  [)roper  to  decide  the 
contest  by  a  single  combat,  while  the 
rest  of  the  church  should  be  in  peace.  I 
love  to  lay  open  to  the  reader  all  along 
the  connection  between  principle  and 
practice;  and,  if  I  show  not  the  indisj)u- 
table  superiority  of  the  orthodox  Cliris- 
tians,  in  disposition  and  temper,  I  miss 
one  of  the  most  important  points,  which 
I  have  in  view  through  the  whole  history. 
Indeed  the  strength  and  excellence  of  Au- 
gustine's cause  lies  in  its  tendency  to  pro- 
mote humility,  while  the  weakness  and 
turpitude  of  the  Pelagian  cause  lies  in 
supporting  the  spirit  of  pride.  How  can 
this  be  shown  better  than  by  proving 
from  facts,  that  the  Pelagians  v.'ere  proud 
men,  and  tliat  those  who  sincerely  em- 
braced the  doctrines  of  grace  were  hum- 
ble. To  the  boasting  language  of  Julian, 
Augustine  modestly  replied,  "  Who  ]iro- 
mised  )'ou  a  single  combat  on  my  side  ] 
Where,  when,  Jiow,  who  were  present, 
who  the  arbiters'?  Far  be  it  from  me  to 
assume  to  myselff  in  the  general  church, 
what  you  are  not  ashamed  to  do  among 
the  Pelagians.  I  am  one  of  the  many 
who  refute  your  profane  novelties  as  we 
can."  The  most  specious  argument  used 
by  Julian  was  the  use  made  of  the  impe- 


rial sanction  against  his  party.  How  far 
the  secular  arm  ought  to  be  applied  to  the 
support  of  religion,  has  been  already  con- 
sidered; and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  ma- 
gistrate then,  as  at  all  times,  to  determine 
how  far  the  good  of  the  people  committed 
to  his  charge  is  connected  with  the  spread- 
ing of  opinions.  I  recollect,  however, 
no  account  of  any  particular  cruelties ; 
nor  does  any  thing  more  seem  to  have 
been  actually  done  against  the  Pelagians 
by  the  state,  than  barely  to  inhibit  the 
dissemination  of  their  doctrines.* 

Another  argument  used  by  Julian  was 
drawn  from  the  pains  taken  by  the  adver- 
saries of  Pelagius  to  seduce  the  people. 
Finding  the  vulgar  every  where  preju- 
diced against  the  Pelagians,  he  speaks 
of  the  dregs  of  the  populace  stirred  up 
against  them,  mariners,  cooks,  butchers, 
&c. :  f  but  this  is  no  uncommon  event. 
The  doctrines  of  grace,  persecuted  and 
despised  as  they  always  have  been  by  the 
great,  bid  fair  for  a  more  unprejudiced 
hearing  among  the  poor.  The  common 
people  heard  our  Lord  gladly.  The  doc- 
trines, which  represent  the  misery  of  man 
and  his  need  of  grace,  speak  to  the  con- 
sciences of  men  ;  and  those,  whom  de- 
ceitful learning  and  vain  philosophy  have 
not  sophisticated,  cannot  but  receive  some 
impression.  Pelagianism,  so  far  as  it  re- 
spects the  doctrines  of  sanctifying  grace, 
is  pretty  much  the  same  thing  with  that 
which  is  now  called  Socinianism.  The 
abettors  of  the  latter  make  the  same  com- 
plaints of  the  common  people  at  this  day ; 
and  they  may  thank  themselves  for  the 
desertion  of  their  congregations.  Julian 
inscribed  his  writings  to  one  Turbantius, 
a  bishop,  whom  he  highly  commends ; 
but  this  bishop  afterwards  forsook  Pela- 


*  B.  I.  de  imp.  1  B.  G.  contra  Julian. 

Apud  Catiiolici's.  In  general  I  choose  to  avoid 
Ihe  expression  of  Catiiolics,  and  prefer  the  term 
general  ihurch  as  more  pruper,  in  opposition  to 
the  unfair  use  made  of  the  word  by  the  Papists. 


Notwithstanding  the  emperor's  sen- 
tence in  418,  Ccelestius  ventured  again 
to  show  hinnself  in  Rome,  and  about  the 
year  420  was  again  expelled 
by  an  edict.  Pelagianism  be- 
ing now  reduced  to  the  lowest 
ebb,  Satan  seems  to  have 
changed  his  inode  of  attack- 
ing the  church,  by  inducing 


Ccelestius 
expelled 
Rome  by 
an  edict, 

A.  D.  420. 


*  I  have  rather  laid  down  the  principles  on 
which  the  civil  power  should  act  in  a  case  of 
this  nature,  thau  given  any  opinion  of  the  recti- 
tude or  impropriety  of  its  condutt  in  the  case  of 
the  Pelagians.  Let  the  reader  judge  for  him- 
self: the  labours  of  the  ecclesiastics  in  counc  ils 
and  writings  stand  on  a  very  diflerent  fouiida- 
lion. 

t  Aug.  contra  Julian,  B.  S. 


Cent,  v.] 


PELAGIAN  CONTROVERSY. 


417 


some  ignorant  persons,  vmder  a  mistaken 
idea  of  honouring  the  doctrines  of  grace, 
to  support  opinions  subversive  of  the  free 
agency  of  man,  and  particularly  to  forbid 
men  to  rebuke  sinners,  and  direct  them 
only  to  pray  for  their  conversion.*  Au- 
gustine obviated  these  mistakes,  and  ex- 
plained the  consistency  between  the  di- 
vine grace  and  human  duty  in  his  trea- 
tise on  Rebuke  and  Grace. 

The  two  heresiarchs,  after  this,  were 
reduced  to  a  state  which  is  of  all  others 
the  most  grating  to  proud  minds,  a  state 
of  obscurity.  The  island  of  Britain,  it  is 
certain,  was  afterwards  disturbed  with 
their  doctrines,  which,  by  the  skill  and 
authority  of  Germanus,  whom  we  shall 
have  occasion  to  mention  hereafter,  were 
confuted  and  overcome.  Hence  it  is  pro- 
bable, that  Pelagius,  after  having  tra- 
velled through  the  Roman  empire,  and 
attempted  in  vain  to  overturn  the  doctrines 
of  grace,  retired  to  his  native  country 
But  nothing  certain  seems  to  be  known 
further,  either  concerning  him  or  Cifiles- 
tius. 

There  was  a  person  named  Leporius, 
a  monk,  afterwards  a  presbyter,  who 
boasted  of  his  purity,  and  ascribed  it 
to  his  own  power,  and  not  to  the  grace 
of  God.  The  man,  however,  was  in- 
structed by  some  teachers  in  Gaul,  and 
particularly  by  the  labours  of  Augustine, 
to  know  himself  better.  In  Africa  he 
publicly  owned  the  folly  of  his  pride,  and 
wrote  also  into  Gaul  a  very  humble  con- 
fession of  his  self-ricrhteousness.  I  know 
not  how  to  obtain  a  sight  of  his  writings ; 
but  they  would  probably  give  us  an  edi- 
fying view  of  the  conversion  of  a  Phari- 
see.f 

If  Satan  cannot  gain  his  point  entirely, 
in  aspersing  the  grace  of  God,  he  will  be 
content  to  do  it  in  part.  And  this,  for  the 
trial  of  men's  sincerity,  was  unhappily  the 
case  in  regard  to  this  present  controversy 
Pare  Pelagianism  itself  was  lost  at  least 
for  many  ages  :  nor  did  any  man  dare,  for 
a  long  series  of  years,  to  revive  it.  The 
■works  of  Aucrustine  were  found  so  agree- 

*  See  Mosheim,  Vol.  I.  Quarto  Edit.  p.  189. 
It  is  not  the  business  oC  a  history  to  pnlarue  on 
the  metaphysical  difKcuUies  with  which  thissuli- 
jent  is  necessarily  clouded.  I  shall  only  here 
refer  the  reader  to  Edwards's  ma.stcrly  treatise 
on  Free-will,  which  I  think  has  not  yet  been 
answered.  Had  Mosheim  better  understood  the 
grounds  of  the  subject  of  human  liberty,  he 
would  not  so  rashly  have  charged  Augustine 
with  inconsistency. 

t  Cassian,  B.  1.  de  Incar.  Christi. 


able  to  the   Scriptures,  that  while  they 
were  regarded   as  the  sole  standard   of 
Christian  authority,  a  doctrine  which  set 
aside  the  necessity  of  grace  altogether, 
could  gain  no  hearing  in  the  church.    And 
in  the  Western  world  such  an  addition  of 
light  was  obtained,  as  no  doubt  proved 
highly  serviceable  to  advance  the  king- 
dom of  Christ.     But  tares  were  sown  : 
Semi-Pelacrianism  arose,  and  maintained 
itself  among  many,  and  continues  to  this 
day  the  admired  system  of  all  those  who 
seek  to  unite  the  art-;  of  secular  greatness 
with  some  regard  for  Christian  orthodoxy. 
Its  language  is,  that  though  man  cannot 
persevere  in  virtue  without  divine  grace, 
yet  he  can  turn  himself  at  first  to  God. 
Vitalis  of  Carthage,  seems  to  have  been 
its  beginner,  who  taught  that  our  obedi- 
ence to  the  Gospel  was  no  otherwise  the 
effect  of  grace,  than  that  men  cannot  be- 
lieve, except  the  word  be  preached  to 
them.    Thus,  external  revelation  was  put 
in  the  room  of  the  secret,  effectual  energy 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.     The  Pelagians,  who 
had    lost    their    first    ground,   retreated 
hither,  and  maintained,  that  grace  was 
given  according  to  that  merit  of  men,which 
they  showed  in  attending  to  the  word 
and  to  prayer.     Some  presbyters  in  Mar- 
seilles were  at  the  head  of  this  scheme, 
which  is  so  specious,  and  carries  such 
an  air  of  moderation  between  vicious  ex- 
tremes, that  it  seems  folly  to  oppose  it 
by  any  other  arms  than  those  of  Scripture 
and  experience.     Men,  who  know  them- 
selves, and  sufl^er  the  decisions  of  the  di- 
vine word  to  prevail  over  their  consciences, 
will  see  through  the  delusion,  which  can 
scarcely  fail  to  overcome  all  whose  reli- 
gion is  theory  without  conscience. 
"  John  Cassian,  a  Scythian,  a  monk  of 
eiuinence,  and  a  man  much  renowned  at 
that  time,  was  the  pillar  of  this  doctrine. 
He  lived  at  Marseilles,  and  opposed  the 
bishop  of  Hippo.     Prosper   and   Hilary 
withstood  him,  and  some  monuments  of 
the  writings  of  the  fonuer  will  afterwards 
be  considered.     In  consecpience  of  their 
desires,   Augustine   wrote   his   two   last 
books  on  Predestination,  and  the  gift  of 
perseverance.     Still,  however,  the   con- 
test between  Semi-Pelagianism,  and  the 
adversaries  to  it,  continued  some   time; 
Cassian  labouring  on  one  side,  and  Pros- 
per and  Hilary  on  the  other. 

Such  was  the  rise,  progress,  and  con- 
sequences of  this  most  important  heresy 
in  the  Church  of  Christ.     There  must 

INDEED  BE  HERESIES  IN  THE  CHURCH,  THAT 


:>^. 


418 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


THEY  WHICH  ARE  APPROVED  MAY  BE  MADE 

MANIFEST.  The  effects  of  them  are,  that 
the  wicked  in  the  church  are  more  dis- 
tinctly separated  from  the  godly;  the 
former  are  made  worse,  or  at  least  appear 
so  to  be;  the  latter  are  purified  and  made 
white,  and  every  way  improved,  both  in 
the  understanding,  spirit,  and  power  of 
true  religion.  Let  frivolous  controversies, 
which  involve  no  nutrimental  truths  of 
godliness,  be  hushed  and  buried  in  ob- 
livion, as  soon  as  possible,  because  they 
are  incapable  of  producing  any  thing  but 
strife  and  vanity.  But  it  was  indefensi- 
ble in  Mosheim  to  lament  over  the  Pela- 
gian disputes,  as  erroneous  on  both  sides, 
when  in  truth  the  controversy  was  the 
same  which  has  ever  been  between  holy 
men  and  mere  men  of  the  world  ;  between 
grace  and  human  merit;*  and  though  in 
Augustine's  time  the  question  turned  prin- 
cipally upon  sanctification,  in  Luther's 
time  on  justification,  yet  the  glory  of  God 
in  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  import- 
ance of  genuine  fiuth,  and  the  nature  and 
■efficacy  of  the  influences  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  were  equally  concerned  in  the 
controversy  between  Augustine  and  Pela- 
gius,  between  Luther  and  the  Papists, 
and  I  will  venture  to  say,  on  scriptural 
grounds,  between  Paul  the  Apostle  and 
Saul  of  Tarsus, — that  is,  between  the 
spirit  and  doctrine  of  an  humbled  publi- 
can, and  of  a  self-righteous  Pharisee. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PELAGIAN  DOCUMENTS. 

The  question,  "  Whether  man  needs 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  render 
liim  truly  pious  and  holy,  or  he  has  sufli- 
cient  resources  in  his  own  nature  for  this 
end,"  involves  so  much  of  the  very  es- 
sence and  genius  of  Christianity,  that 
compared  with  it  a  thousand  other  objects 
of  debate  in  the  church  are  reduced  to 
mere  insignificance.  For  on  the  right 
resolution  of  this  question  will  depend, 
what  ideas  we  ought  to  form  of  the  Chris- 
tian doctrines  of  original  sin,  regeneration, 
salvation  by  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ, 


*  See  Moslieim,  Eccl.  Ilist.  pasife  57,  con>- 
j)are(l  with  page  27S,  Qu«ito  Edit.  Vol.  I.  That 
lie,  who  ill  one  place  maintains  the  importance 
of  justificatiGii  liy  faith,  should  in  another  de- 
spise tlie  controvei-sics  occasioned  by  it,  seems 


a  jjreat  and  nianifest  inconsistency, 


and  sanctification  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  All 
parties  are  convinced  that  men  ought  to 
be  good  and  virtuous;  but  does  it  there- 
fore follow  that  the  Pelagian  opinions  on 
these  points  imply  no  more  than  a  mere 
nominal  difference  of  system  1  So  men 
are  always  willing  to  represent  the  sub- 
ject, who  have  no  sense  of  innate  deprav- 
ity. But  those  who  feel  themselves  "  tied 
and  bound  with  the  chain  of  their  sins," 
will  think  it  of  essential  importance  to  in- 
quire, how  they  may  be  freed  from  this 
state;  nor  can  they  be  contented  with  the 
external  decencies  of  morality,  while  they 
find  themselves  void  of  the  love  of  God 
and  internal  holiness.  The  Scripture  de- 
cides this  controversy  clearly  and  amply  ; 
but  it  is  my  business  to  state  as  faithfully 
as  I  can  the  sentiments  of  the  ancient 
church  upon  it.  Till  Pelagius  arose,  the 
necessity  of  internal  efficacious  grace  was 
not  disputed.  He  denied  the  existence  of 
such  a  principle  altogether;  though,  as 
we  have  seen,  with  much  artificial  equivo- 
cation. I  must  do  justice  to  both  parties ; 
and  review  briefly,  yet  clearly,  the  senti- 
ments of  those  who  distinguished  them- 
selves in  the  controversy.  One  conclu- 
sion to  be  drawn  from  the  whole  is  this, 
that  as  there  is  no  new  thing  under  the 
sun,  so  the  Lord  raises  up  from  age  to 
age,  men  to  defend  his  real  truths  in  the 
world. 

I  shall  begin  with  taking  some  notice 
of  a  treatise  found  in  the  works  of  Am- 
brose, which  I  omitted  in  the  review  of 
his  writings,  because,  both  the  difference 
of  style,  and  the  reference  in  it  to  the 
Pelagian  controversy,  which  was  after 
his  time,  demonstrate  it  not  to 
be  his.  Much  has  been  said* 
to  determine  who  was  the  au- 
thor of  it.  Its  title  is,  Of  the 
Vocation  of  all  the  Gen- 
tiles. Whoever  wrote  it,| 
he  was  evidently  a  person  well  versed  in 
Scripture,  master  of  a  good  style,  and 
well  skilled  in  argumentation.  As  he  has 
exhibited  that  moderate  view  of  the  doc- 
trine of  grace,  which  I  think  most  agree- 
able to  Scripture,  and  remarkably  coinci- 
dent with  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  of 
England,  it  will  be  proper  to  mention  his 
leading  thoughts,  as  a  suitable  introduc- 
tion to  the  rest. 


Ambrose 
on  the  Vo- 
cation of 
the  Gen- 
tiles. 


his 


*  See  Du  Pin's  elaborate  criticism 
Hist,  of  Cent.  V. 

t  It  seems,  however,  to  have  been  tlie  prO' 
duction  of  this  century. 


Czyr.  v.] 


PELAGIAN  DOCUMENTS. 


419 


He  begins,  like  a  man  of  deep  reflec- 
tion, conscious  of  the  difficulties  which 
his  subject  involves:  "A  great  and  ardu- 
ous question,"  says  he,  "  is  agitated  be- 
tween the  defenders  of  Free-will  and  the 
preachers  of  the  Grace  of  God.  It  is  in- 
quired, wliether  God  would  have  all  men 
to  be  saved  ]  and  as  this  is  undeniable,  it 
is  further  inquired,  why  the  will  of  the 
Almighty  is  not  fulfilled  ? — Thus,  no 
limit  is  found  of  contrary  disputations, 
while  men  do  not  distinguish  what  is 
manifest  from  what  is  secret,"  He  de- 
scribes the  efiects  of  the  Fall  as  destruc- 
tive of  faith,  hope,  understanding,  and 
will,  for  the  purposes  of  holiness  and 
salvation;  and  he  affirms,  that  no  man 
has  any  resources  for  deliverance ;  be- 
cause, though  by  natural  understanding 
he  may  endeavour  to  oppose  his  vices, 
and  may,  in  an  outward  way,  adorn  this 
temporal  life,  yet  he  cannot  proceed  to 
true  virtue  and  eternal  bliss.  "  ForXvith- 
out  the  worship  of  God,  what  seems  to 
be  virtue,  is  sin,  and  cannot  please  God."* 
— Let  no  man  trust  in  human  strength, 
which,  even  when  entire,  stood  not;  but 
let  him  seek  victory  by  Him,  who  alone 
is  invincible,  and  conquered  for  all.  And 
if  he  seeks,  let  him  not  doubt  but  that  the 
desire  of  seeking  has  been  received  from 
Him  whom  he  seeks. — He  goes  on  to 
quote  the  well-known  passages  from  the 
prophets,  concerning  the  effectual  grace 
of  God.  "  For  he  writes  his  laws  on 
their  hearts,  that  they  may  receive  the 
knowledge  of  God,  not  by  man's  teach- 
ing, but  by  the  instruction  of  the  great 
Teacher,  because  neither  is  he  that  plant- 
eth  any  thing,  nor  he  that  watereth,  but 
God  that  giveth  the  increase — To  this 
day  is  fulfilled  what  the  Lord  promised 
to  Abraham  without  condition,  and  gave 
without  law. — And  those  who  obey  not 
the  Gospel  are  the  more  inexcusable;  but 
it  is  certain  that  they  are  not  according  to 
the  foreknowledge  of  God  the  sons  of 
Abraham.  He  promised  that  these  should 
obey,  when  he  said,  I  will  give  them  one 
heart  and  one  way,  that  they  may  fear  me 
for  ever.  He  promised  that  they  should 
persevere,  when  he  said,  I  will  put  my 
fear  into  their  hearts,  that  they  shall  not 
depart  from  me." 

He  takes  particular  notice  of  the  direc- 
tion, in  the  first  Epistle  to  Timothy,  of 
praying  for  all  men  without  exception ; 


*  See  Article  XIIL  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land. 


and  observes,  that  it  was  regarded  in  all 
Christian  assemblies  ;  and  that  the  church 
prayed  not  only  for  the  regenerate,  but 
for  all,  even  the  worst  of  characters. 
"  And,  what  she  prayed  for  them  was 
doubtless,  that  they  might  be  converted. 
And,  as  conversion  was  what  it  was  not 
in  their  power  to  do  for  themselves,  the 
merciful  and  just  Lord  would  have  us  to 
pray  for  all,  that  where  we  see  innumera- 
ble persons  recovered  from  such  an 
abyss  of  evil,  we  may  not  doubt  that  God 
has  performed  these  great  things ;  and 
praising  him  for  what  he  has  done,  may 
hope  he  will  still  do  the  same  for  those 
who  are  yet  in  darkness.  As  for  those, 
for  whom  the  prayers  of  the  church  are 
not  heard,  we  ought  to  refer  it  to  the  se- 
crets of  Divine  Justice.  We  know  but 
in  part.     O  the  depth!—" 

Thus  does  this  judicious  Divine  resolve 
into  human  ignorance  the  great  difficulty 
which  has  agitated  men  of  thought  in  all 
ages.  Whoever  is  disposed  to  do  the 
same  will  have  no  objection  to  admit  the 
doctrine  of  election  in  this  sense;  nor 
is  any  other  submission  of  the  under- 
standing required,  than  that  reasonable 
one  which  bishop  Butler  so  admirably 
enforces  in  his  Analogy.  "  The  redemp- 
tion of  Christ,  he  observes,  would  be 
looked  on  in  a  mean  light,  if  Justification, 
which  is  by  grace,  were  made  to  depend 
on  previous  merits. — If  then  grace  find 
some  of  the  vilest  characters,  whom  it 
adopts  in  the  very  departure  out  of  life, 
when  yet  many,  who  seem  less  guilty, 
are  void  of  this  gift,  w'ho  can  say  this 
is  without  the  dispensation  of  God?" 
And  he  goes  on  to  prove  salvation  to  be 
of  mere  grace  altogether,  by  a  happy  ar- 
rangement of  Scripture  passages. 

"If  it  be  asked,  why  the  Saviour  of  all 
men  has  not  given  this  sensation  to  all  to 
know  the  true  God  and  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ, — what  God  hath  secreted  from  us 
should  not  be  investigated  ;  what  he  hath 
manifested  should  not  be  denied.  No 
genius  whatever  can  discover  the  reasons 
of  the  divine  dispensation  in  these  things. 
Doubtless,  however,  the  whole  good  of 
man,  from  the  beginning  of  faith  to  the 
consummation  of  perseverance,  is  a  divine 
work  and  gift."  Yet  he  demonstrates, 
that  men's  departure  from  God  is  the 
consequence  of  their  own  will,  and  not 
properly  the  act  of  a  divine  constitution. 
And  he  proves  from  Scripture  likewise, 
that  Christ  died  for  all  men,  and  that  he 


420 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


is  so  to  be  preached  to  all  the  world.* 
He  maintains,!  on  the  whole,  three  pro- 
positions:  1st,  That  it  is  the  property  of 
the  Divine  Goodness  to  desire  that  all 
may  be  saved,  and  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  2d,  That  every  one  who  is 
saved  is  directed  by  the  grace  of  God, 
and  by  the  same  grace  kept  unto  the  end. 
The  3d  modestly  protests,  that  not  all  the 
plan  of  the  divine  will  can  be  compre- 
hended, and  that  many  causes  of  divine 
works  are  above  human  understanding. 
"  If  insidious  malignity  will  stop,  if  inso- 
lent presumi)tion  will  demur,  these  things 
being  firmly  established,  we  need  not 
distract  ourselves  with  endless  q  uestions." 

But  enough  has  been  said  to  give  the 
reader  an  idea  of  this  author,  whose 
thoughts  and  views  of  Scripture  are 
greatly  superior  to  those  of  the  fourth  and 
fifth  centuries  in  general.  Whosoever 
he  was,  he  seems  to  have  taken  up  his 
pen  toward  the  close  of  the  Pelagian  con- 
troversy in  a  modest  and  temperate  spirit. 

So  exactly  are  his  sentiments  coincident 
with  those  of  the  best  and  wisest  in  all 
ages  of  Christianity,  that  we  may  see  the 
great  benefit  resulting  to  the  church,  in 
the  event,  from  the  Pelagian  controversy  ; 
and  while  we  look  at  the  writings  of  the 
rest,  his  ideas  will  stand  as  a  model, 
solid  and  scriptural. 

St.  Peter  tells  us  of  those  who  privily 
bring  in  damnable  heresies.:)^  In  Pelagius 
this  insidiousness  we  have  observed  to 
be  very  remarkable  :  but  it  seems  a  com- 
mon character  of  heresy.  A  free  and  open 
and  consistent  support  of  what  is  believed 
to  be  true  is  as  common  a  mark  of  gen- 
uine orthodoxy.  I  shall  attempt,  how- 
ever to  lay  before  the  reader,  so  far  as 
the   deceitfulness   of  the   man   and   the 


us  so  highly  injured  by  fraud.     Here  is  a 
remarkable  instance :    some  short  notes 
on  St.  Paul's  Epistles  are  subjoined  to 
Jerom's  undoubted  comments,  which  were 
certainly  not  written  by  Jerom,  an  open 
Anti-Pelagian,  but  must  have  been  writ- 
ten by  Pelagius  himself,  or  some  genuine 
disciple  of  his.     They  agree  with   the 
account,  which  Augustine  gives  of  Pela- 
gius's  work  of  this  sort;  and  certainly 
St.  Paul's  expression,  in  the  ninth  of  the 
Romans,  "  It  is  not  of  him  that  willeth, 
nor  of  him  that  runneth,"  is  interpreted  in 
the  Pseudo-Jerom  exactly  as  Augustine 
tells  us  Pelagius  interpreted  it.*     On  the 
passage,  "  without  the  law  sin  was  dead," 
the  commentator  asserts,  they  are  mad 
who  assert  that  sin    is    derived    to   us 
from  Adam.      Nor  will  he   allow,  that 
Adam  and  Christ  introduced,  the  one  sin, 
the  other  righteousness  into  the  world, 
in  any  other  sense  than  by  example.    He 
all  along  supports  that  forced  interpreta^ 
tion.     On  the  passage,  "  by  the  offence 
of  one  many  be  dead,"  he  observes,  be- 
cause not  only  sinners,  but  righteous  men 
also  die  by  a  common  and  natural  death. 
What  St.  Paul  speaks  of  concupiscence 
he  will  allow  to  be  understood  only  of 
depraved  habit;    and  in   the  seventh  of 
Romans  maintains  that  St.  Paul  speaks 
in  an  assumed  character.     The  works  of 
the  law  which  cannot  justify,  he  main- 
tains to  be   circumcision  and  the  other 
rites  of  the  Mosaic  law,  and  not  moral 
works.      And   the   grace    derived    from 
Christ,  he  contends  to  be  his  example. 
Something  he  allows  of  grace  in  the  for- 
giveness of  sins,  nothing  in  the  effectual 
work  of  sanctification.     Charity,  he  ob- 
serves, is  from  ourselves  :  and  he  main- 
tains also,  that  real  saints  are  perfect  and 


scantiness  of  materials  will  afford,  a  view  spotless.  Predestination  also  he  excludes, 


of  Pelagianism  from  Pelagius's  own 
mouth.  Some  of  the  documents  have 
been  glanced  at  in  the  course  of  the  his- 
tory already.  Besides  these,  he  wrote, 
in  imitation  of  Cyprian,  a  treatise  of 
Testimonies.  Jerom  gives  an  account  of 
this  work,  and  from  him  it  appears,  that 
it  contained  the  same  things  which  were 
objected  to  him  in  the  Palestine  synod. 
He  wrote  also  some  short  notes  on  St. 
Paul's  Epistles,  doubtless  with  a  view 
to  accommodate  them  to  his  own  system. 
I  have  repeatedly  to  regret,  that  the 
works  of  the  Fathers  have  come  down  to 


except  what  is  founded  on  the  foreknow- 
ledge of  men's  faith  and  obedience. 
Thus  it  appears  that  heresies  are  re- 


B.  2. 


,  VI. 

f  2  Peter  ii. 


+  C.X. 


*  B.  (le  Gest.  Pelag.  c.  xvi. — See  Jansenius, 
B.  1. — Pelagius  said,  that  it  was  to  be  uiider- 
slond  as  spoken  by  an  adversary,  tliat  llie 
Apostle  was  personating  one  wlio  was  finding 
fault,  and  asking  how  St.  Paul's  doctrine  of 
free-will  could  stand,  since  it  does  not  depend 
on  him  lliat  wills  or  runs,  hut  on  God  that 
sliowetli  mercy.  Thus  is  St.  Paul  raade  to 
defend  a  doctrine  quite  opposite  to  the  whole 
current  of  his  argument;  and  that  which  he 
really  maintained  is  put  into  the  mouth  of  an 
adversary.  However  strained  and  unnatural 
the  interpretation  be,  it  has  been  equalled  by- 
modern  Pelagians,  who  are  commonly  called 
Socinians. 


Cent.  V.] 


PELAGIAN  DOCUMENTS. 


421 


vived,  from  age  to  age,  with  new  names, 
and  under  new  dresses,  carrying  the 
appearance  of  something  original,  and  nat 
allowed  to  be  the  same  things  which  had 
been  long  ago  exploded  and  refuted.  For 
how  often  have  we  heard  all  this,  which 
appears  to  be  real  Pelagianism,  main- 
tained in  our  own  times?* 

The  last  treatise,  which  we  have  review- 
ed, was  probably  that  of  Pelagius  alto- 
gether, or  certainly  it  belonged  to  some  of 
his  disciples,  and  is  itself  a  sufficient  proof, 
that  his  tenets  were  not  misrepresented 
by  his  antagonists.f  Further  proofs, 
however,  of  what  Pelagianism  is,  drawn 
from  the  writings  of  its  own  defender, 
remain  to  be  considered. 

There  is,  in  the  fourth  volume  of 
.Terom's  works,  which  indeed  consists  of 
tracts  by  various  authors,  an  explanation 
of  a  creed,  inscribed  to  Damasus,  which, 
by  its  agreement  with  divers  citations 
from  it  b)"^  Augustine,  in  the  most  exact 
manner,  appears  to  belong  to  Pelagius, 
and  it  is  worthy  of  his  subtilty.'  He 
mentions  the  common  articles  of  faith, 
and  anathematizes  various  heresies,  which 
all  the  church  condemns  ;  and,  among  the 
rest,  "  the  blasphemy  of  those,  who  say, 
that  anything  impossible  is  commanded 
to  man  by  God.  We  so  confess  free-will, 
that  we  say  we  always  need  the  assistance 
of  God,  and  those  are  equally  in  error, 
who  say  that  man  cannot  sin,  with  those 
who  say  he  cannot  avoid  sin.  For  both 
take  away  the  liberty  of  the  will.  But 
we  say,  that  man  always  can  sin  and  not 
sin,  that  we  may  confess  that  we  are 
always  free  in  our  wills.  This  is  the 
faith,  blessed  father,  (Damasus,  of  Rome) 
which  we  have  learned  in  the  Catholic 
church,  which  we  have  always  held  and 
do  hold.  In  which,  if  there  is  any  posi- 
tion less  skilful  and  less  cautious,  we 
desire  to  be  corrected  by  you."  The  fault 
of  the  creed  is  certainly  not  want  of 
caution,  but  the  excess  of  it.  Under  the 
specious  term  of  freedom  of  will,  in  which 
natural+  and  moral  inability  are  con- 
founded, as  if  they  were  the  same  thing, 
he  underrnined  the  essential  doctrine  of 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  though 


*  Jans.  B.  1. 

f  Since  I  wrote  the  above,  I  have  seen  the 
Benedictine  edition  of  Au;^ustine's  Works, 
and  find  these  Pelagian  Xotesin  the  last  vol- 
ume, which  the  editors,  without  hesitation, 
ascribe  to  Pelagius. 

^  .Tans.  B.  1.  vii. 

Vol.  I.  2  N 


in  a  very  covert  manner ;  and  asserted 
with  an  audacity  almost  unparalleled, 
that  he  had  learned  his  creed  in  the  Ca- 
tholic church,  which  had  at  all  times 
hitherto  expressly  owned  the  doctrines  of 
grace  and  the  fall  of  man,  while  he  him- 
self appears  not  to  have  believed  either 
the  one  or  the  other,  and  was  labouring 
with  all  his  might  to  eradicate  both  from 
the  Christian  world. 

But  let  the  reader  judge  for  himself 
what  the  real  sentiments  of  this  ambiguous 
politician  were,  from  a  work  undoubtedly 
his,  by  his  own  confession.*  I  mean  the 
letter  to  Demetrias,  and  which  is  falsely 
ascribed  to  Jerom.  As  it  is  much  too 
long  to  quote,  I  shall  select  such  parts  as 
tend  most  decisively  to  show  the  real  re- 
ligious opinions  of  this  heresiarch,  which 
have  been  much  misrepresented  in  our 
times. 

"  To  Demetrias,  a  Virgin; 

"  If,  in  dependence  on  the  greatest  ge- 
nius and  equal  knowledge,  I  should  think 
myself  capable  of  writing,  yet  I  could  not 
enter  on  so  arduous  a  task  without  great 
fear.     However,  I  must  write  to  Deme- 
trias, a  virgin  of  Christ,  noble  and  rich, 
and  what  is   greater  than  these,  one  who 
tramples  on  nobility  and  riches  by  the  ar- 
dour of  faith — who,  sprung  from  t!ie  no- 
blest family,  and  brought  up  in  the  great- 
est wealth  and  delicacies,  hath  suddenly 
broke  from  the  most  tenacious  blandish- 
ments of  life,  who  hath   cut   down  the 
flower  of  youth  by  the  sword   of  faith, 
that  is,  by  her  will.     But  it  is  ditTicult  to 
treat   with   such   a   character,  in   which 
there  is  so  great  a  desire  of  learning,  and 
so  great  ardour  for  perfection,  that  any 
doctrine,  however  perfect,  can   scarcely 
equal  her  merit.     We  write  at   the  en- 
treaty of  her  holy  mother.     As  often  as  I 
have  to  speak  of  the  plan  of  a  holy  life,  I 
use  first  to  slfow  the  powers  of  human 
nature,  and  what  it  really  can  do,  and 
thence   to   encourage   the   mind    of   the 
hearer  to  press  after  virtue,  lest  it  should 
be  of  no  service  to  call  men  to  that  which 
they  have   presumed   to  be   impossible. 
For  hope  is  the  spring  and  source  of  all 
activity  in  the  road  of  virtue.     If  persons 
despair,  their  efforts  flag  entirely.     The 
resources  of  nature  are  therefore  to  be  de- 
clared, that  men  may  press  toward  the 
mark  of  perfection,  lest,  while  men  are 
unconscious   of   their  inherent    powers, 


Jerom's  4th,  torn,  V. 


422 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


they  think  they  have  not  what  they  really 
have.     Let  this  be  the  foundation  of  a 
spiritual  life,  that  the  virgin  may  know 
her  own  strength,  which  she  may  then 
exercise  well,  when  she  has  learned  that 
she   has   it.     First,   then,    measure    the 
goodness  of  human  nature  from  its  Au- 
thor, who,  when  he  made  all  things  very 
good,  must  have  made  man  perfectly  so. 
Let  man  learn  to  know  the  dignity  of  his 
nature,   when   he    sees    strong    animals 
placed  in  subjection  to  him.     God  would 
have  him  to  be  a  volunteer,  not  a  slave ; 
and  therefore  he  left  him  in  the  hand  ot 
his  own  counsel.   Take  care  you  stumble 
not  on  the  rock  of  the  ignorant  vulgar; 
and  do  not  think  that  man  was  created 
evil,   because   he   can   do   evil.     In   the 
freedom  of  the  will  all  the  honour  and 
dignity  of  nature  consist;  and  from  the 
same  principle  originates  the   praise  of 
every  good  man.    There  would  be  no  vir- 
tue in  man,  if  he  could  not  pass  to  evil 
Man  could  not  practise  goodness  sponta^ 
neously,  were  it  not  equally  in  his  power 
to  do  evil.     But  most  persons  impiously, 
no  less  than  ignorantly,  find  fault  as  it 
were  with  the  divine  workmanship.    The 
goodness  of  nature  is  so  apparent,  that  it 
shows  itself  even  among  Gentiles.     How 
many  virtuous  philosophers  have  we  read 
and   heard   of!    whence   their  goodness, 
were  not  nature  good  1    How  much  more 
virtuous  may  Ciiristians  be,  who  have 
Christ's  instructions,  and  the  assistance 
of  divine  grace."* 

He  goes  on  to  speak  of  the  virtues  of 
Abel,    Enoch,    Melchizedec,    Abraham, 
Isaac,  .Tacob,  and  Job,  and  describes  them 
as  all  derived  from  the  natural  powers  of 
man,  "  that  you   may   understand,  how 
great  is  the  goodness  of  nature."  He  pro- 
ceeds to  deny  the  apostasy  and  depravity 
of  nature  in  the  fullest  manner,  asserting, 
"  that   the   only  cause   which   makes  it 
difficult  to  do  well,  is  the  force  of  bad 
habit."     "  Now,  if  before  the  law,  and 
long  before  the  coming  of  our  Saviour 
Christ,  men  led  holy  lives,  how  much 
more  after  his  coming  are  they  able  to  do 
it."     He  speaks  of  the  grace  of  Christ, 
expiation  by  his  blood,  and  encourage- 


*  Augustine  teaches  us  what  Pelagius  means 
by  grace,  as  we  shall  see  elsewhere.  Ceitain 
it  is,  that  he  never  allows  it  to  mean  tlie  opera- 
tion of  sanctifying  influences.  The  whole  cur- 
rent of  tlie  letter  before  us,  denying  the  evil 
nature  of  man  as  a  lapsed  creature,  and  assert- 
ing the  sufficiency  of  man  in  his  own  powers, 
is  opposed  to  such  a  sentiment. 


ment  derived  from  his  example  ;  but  he 
only  just  mentions  these  things,  without 
insisting  on  them.  "  Why  do  we  loiter 
and  blame  the  infirmity  of  nature  ?  He 
would  not  command  us  what  is  impossi- 
ble." Some  rules  of  morality,  which  are 
indeed  the  best  part  of  the  letter,  lose 
their  efficacy,  because  the  writer  laid  the 
foundation  of  them  all  in  pride  and  self- 
sufficiency. 

Augustine  and  his  friend  Alypius  be- 
ing both  together  at  Hippo,  received  a 
letter  from  Juliana,  the  mother  of  Deme- 
trias,  who  acknowledges  the  receipt  of 
their  letter,  warning  against  heresies. 
She  thanks  them  for  the  admonition,  but 
appears  to  insinuate  that  it  was  unneces- 
sary to  her  family,  which  had  never  been 
infected  with  any  heresy.  She  seems  to 
mean  the  errors  relating  to  the  Trinity, 
and  to  have  had  no  clear  idea  of  the  Pela- 
gian heresy,  then  new  in  the  world. 
These  two  charitable  pastors  having 
heard  of  the  letter  which  had  been  sent 
to  Demetrias,  thought  it  right  to  detect 
the  poison  contained  in  it  more  fully,  by 
a  reply:* 

"  Your  words  oblige  us  not  to  be  silent 
concerning  those  who  labour  to  corrupt 
what  is  sound — nor  is  it  a  small  error,  for 
men  to  think  they  have  in 
themselves  whatever  is  ob- 
tained of  righteousness  and 
piety  ;  and  that  God  helps  us 
no  further  than  by  the  light  of 
revelation;  and  that  nature 
and  doctrine  are  the  only 
grace  of  God.  To  have  a  good  will,  and 
to  have  love,  the  queen  of  virtues,  they 
say  our  own  arbitration  suffices.  But 
what  says  the  Apostle!     The   love  of 

GOD    IS    SHED    ABROAD    IN   OUR    HEARTS    BY 
THE  HOLY  GHOST,  WHICH  IS  GIVEN   TO    US, 

that  no  man  may  think  he  has  it  from 
himself.  I  find  in  the  same  letter  of  Pe- 
lagius to  Demetrias  these  words  :t  '  You 
have  therefore  something  on  account  of 
which  you  may  be  preferred  to  others,  for 
nobility  and  opulence  are  rather  of  your 
family  than  of  you ;  but  spiritual  riches 
none  can  confer  on  you,  but  yourself.  In 
these  you  are  justly  to  be  praised,  in 
these  deservedly  to  be  preferred  to  others, 
which  cannot  be  but  from  yourself  and  in 
yourself.':!:    True  it  is,  they  must  be  in 


Remarka- 
ble letter 
of  Augus- 
tine and 
his  friend 
Alypius. 


*  Id.  12. 

■f  They  are  the  very  same  in  the  foregping 
letter,  but  I  omitted  to  quote  the  part. 

4  Pelagius  followed  the  maxims  of  philoso- 


Curr.  v.] 


PELAGL^N  DOCUMENTS. 


423 


you ;  but  to  say  they  are  from  you,  is 
poison.    Far  be  the  virgin  of  Christ  from 
hearing  these  things,  who  piously  knows 
the   poverty   of  the   human    heart,   and 
therefore  knows  not  how  to  be  adorned 
but  with  the  gifts  of  her  spouse.    Let  her 
rather  hear  the  Apostle  :  I  have  betrothed 
you  to  one  husband,  that  I  may  present 
you  a  chaste  virgin  to  Christ;  but  I  fear, 
lest  as  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve,  &c.* 
In  every  thing  give  thanks.     Ye  do  so, 
because  ye  have  it  not  of  yourselves.  For 
who  hath  distinguished  you  from  Adam, 
the  mass  of  death  and  perdition  ?     Was 
it  not  he  who  came  to  seek  and  save  the 
lost]      When    the   Apostle    says,   who 
made  thee  to  differ  ?  does  he  answer,  my 
good  will,  my  faith,  my  righteousness  1 
2oes  he  not  say,  what  hast  thou  that  thou 
hast  not  received  1    We  hope,  considering 
the  humility  in  which  Demetrias  was  edu- 
cated,  that  when   she  read    the  words 
which  I  quoted  from   the   letter,  if  she 
have  read  them,  she  sighed,  smote  her 
breast,  and  perhaps  wept,  and   prayed, 
that  as   these  were   not   her   words,   so 
neither  might  they  be  her  creed,  that  she 
might  glory,  not  in  herself,  but  in  the 
Lord.     We  well  know  how  sound  you 
are   in  the  doctrine   of  the  Trinity,  but 
there  are  evils  of  another  kind  than  those 
which  affect  that  article  of  the  Christian 
faith,  evils  which  injure  the  glory  of  the 


on  the  grace  of  Scripture  revelation,  and 
the  example  of  Christ;  but  he  loved  to 
expatiate  most  freely  on  the  powers  of 
nature  itself.  But  grace,  as  it  means  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  renewing  and 
sanctifying  the  will,  he  denied  altogether. 
Augustine  defended  this  as  an  essential 
of  godliness,  and  therefore  it  appears  al- 
ways prominent  on  the  face  of  the  Pela- 
gian controversy.  It  was  a  point  of  the 
utmost  consequence ;  for  it  draws  along 
with  it  all  the  other  essential  doctrines. 

In  the  works  of  Ambrose*  we  have  an- 
other letter,  under  the  name  of  Ambrose, 
addressed  to  the  same  virgin  Demetrias : 
it  seems  written  in  the  latter 
times  of  the  controversy,  and 
could  not  therefore  be  a  let- 
ter of  Ambrose.     Probably  it 
was  written  by  the  anonymous 
author  of  the  treatise  on  the  Calling  of 
the  Gentiles.     Certainly  it  resembles  his 
manner  both  in  style  and  sentiment;  and 
a  few  quotations  from  it  will  deserve  to 
be  inserted  here.     He  appears   to  have 
seen,  in  perfect  harmony  with  Augustine, 
that  the  real  stress  of  the  controversy 
lay,  not  in  a  speculative  set  of  doctrines, 
but  in  the  solid  provision  made  for  hu- 
mility.    The  doctrine  of  efficacious  grace 
provides  for  this,  Pelagianism  excludes 
it.     And  on  this  single  point  the  whole 
merit  of  the  controversy  may  safely  be 


Another 
letter  to 
Deme- 
trias. 


whole  Trinity.     If  j^ou  narrowly  observe,  made  to  depend.     "  There  must,"  he  ob 


though  the  writer  speaks  of  grace,  he 
do^s  it  with  guarded  ambiguity ;  it  may 
mean  nature,  or  doctrine,  or  forgiveness 
of  sins,  or  the  example  of  Christ.  But 
find,  if  you  can,  one  word  that  owns  a 
positive  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on 
the  mind,  actually  imparting  the  power  of 
loving  God :  gladly  would  we  see  such  a 
confession  in  some  much-admired  writers ; 
but  as  j'et  we  could  never  discover  it." 

From  these  two  Epistles  the  state  of 
the  Pelagian  controversy  appears.  The 
heretic,  though  little  inclined  to  regard 
grace  in  any  sense,  did  not  deny  that  for- 
giveness of  sins  might  be  granted  ;  but  as 
he  denied  the  corruption  of  nature,  he 
could  never  think  sin  to  be  so  sinful  as 
the  word  of  God  describes  it.     He  dwelt 


phers,  not  of  the  Scriptures.  Horace  says, 
aquum  mi  animum  ipse  paraho.  But  I  might 
quote  passages  without  end  from  the  classic 
authors  to  the  same  purpose,  whom  numbers 
called  Christian  since  the  time  of  Pelagius 
have  followed.  What  is  this  but  to  call  Pagan- 
ism Christianity  ? 
•  2  Cor.  xi.  2, 3. 


serves,  "  be  an  uniting  grace,  which  con- 
federates and  harmonizes  the  multifold 
unity  of  the  saints  and  their  beautiful  va- 
riety. This  grace  is  true  humility.  In 
various  duties  there  are  various  degrees 
of  virtue:  but  in  genuine  humility  every 
thing  is  solid  and  indivisible,  and  there- 
fore it  makes  all  its  subjects  to  be  one, 
because  it  admits  of  no  inequality.  The 
peculiarity  then  of  this  grace  lies  in  the 
confession  of  the  grace  of  God,  which  is 
wholly  rejected,  unless  it  be  wholly  re- 
ceived.— That  man  ejects  himself  out  of 
grace,  who  distrusts  its  fulness,  as  if  man 
needed  the  help  of  God  in  one  part,  and 
did  not  need  it  in  another  part  of  his  ac- 
tions ;  as  if  any  moment  could  be  assigned, 
in  which  it  would  not  be  ruinous  to  him 
to  he  deprived  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He, 
indeed,  in  the  essence  of  the  Deity,  is 
every  where,  and  all-comprehensive;  but 
is  conceived  in  a  certain  manner  to  recede 
from  those,  whom  he  ceases  to  govern. 
And  the  cessation  of  his  aid  is  to  be  con- 

^  *  Ep.  Ixrdv.  p.  185. 


424 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


ceived  as  his  absence,  Avliicli  that  man 
madly  thinks  to  be  useful  to  hinisell".  who 
rejoices  in  his  wood  actions,  and  thinks 
that  he  rather  than   God   hath  wroug-ht 
them.     The  grace  of  God  must  therefore 
be  owned  in  the  fullest  and  most  unquali- 
fied  sense;  the  first  oflice  of  which  is, 
that  his  help  be  felt.*     We  have  not  re- 
ceived, says  the  Apostle,  the  spirit  of  the 
world,  but  the  Spirit   of  God;  that  we 
mit^ht  know  the  thing's  that   are  freely 
g-iven   to   us  of  God.     Whence,  if  any 
man  think  that  he  has  any  good  things  of 
which  God  is  not  the  author,  but  himself. 
he  has  not  the  Spirit  of  God,  but  of  the 
world,  and  swells  with  that  secular  wis- 
dom, of  which  it  is  written,  I  will  destroy 
the  wisdom  of  the  wise. — Amidst  all  the 
evils  of  men,  to  glor}'  in  our  own  intel- 
lects, instead  of  divine  illumination,  iu 
knoAving  God,  and  to  be  elated  in  our- 
selves at  the  expense  of  the  divine  glory, 
is  most  dangrcrons.     To  desire  to  be  pre- 
ferred before  all,  is  mischievous;  much 
more  so  to  take  a  man's  hope  from  tlie 
Lord,  and  fix  it  on  himself.     Is  not  this 
to  fulfil    that  scripture,   '  Cursed    is  the 
man  tiiat  trusteth  in   man,  and    maketh 
flesh  his  arm,  and  whose  heart  departetii 
from  the  Lord.'f    It  is  the  very  sin  of 
the  devil,  which  ejected  him  from  heaven. 
And  he  drew  our  first  parents  into  the 
same,  causing  them  to  rest  iu  the  liberty 
of  their   own   will. — Men    more    easily 
guard  against  this  pride  in  evil  things  ;  in 
virtues  it  is  most  studiously  to  be  repelled, 
because  he  to  whom  praise  seems  due,  is 
speciously  ensnared  by  the  temptation. — 
Satan,  in  this  respect,  has  his  eye  pecu- 
liarly on  the  active,  the  sober,  the  chaste, 
and  "the  virtuous;  he  would  ruin  them  by 
the  pride  of  self-sufficiency.     Innumera- 
ble souls,  and   the  churches  in  general, 
have  withstood  the  infection  of  the  new 
doctrine;  but  some  souls  have  imbibed 
the   poison.     Hence  the  insidious  com- 
mendation of  human  nature,  and  the  de- 
fence of  its  original  rectitude  as  ever  pre- 
served unblemished.     Hence  Adam's  sin 
has  been  asserted  to  be  noxious  only  by 
example;  hence  in  fact  the  abolition  of 
infant-bapti3m ;  hence  the  unsound  con- 
fession of  grace,  as  bestowed  according 
to  merit;  hence  the  perfidy  of  owning, 
among  us,  the  wounds   of  original   sin. 
and  of  declaring,  among  their  own  parti- 
sans, that  Adam  hurt  us  only  by  exam- 
ple.    But  while  the  Lord  Jesus  says,  the 


•  1  Cor.  ii. 


-{-  Jerem.  xvii. 


Avhole  need  not  a  physician,  but  the  sick, 
they,  though  silent,  cry  aloud  in  pride, 
We  are  whole,  we  need  not  a  physician. — 
Consider  what  is  done  in  regeneration, 
not  lookino-  onlv  at  the  external  sign,  but 
also  at  the  inward  grace.  Are  not  vessels 
of  Avrath  changed  into  vessels  of  mercy? 
and  men  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will 
of  man,  but  of  God?  Says  not  Christ, 
without  me  ye  can  do  nothing'?  Does 
any  man  say,  that  he  abides  in  Christ, 
who  doubts  of  Christ's  working  in  him  V 
— After  quoting  a  number  of  very  perti- 
nent scriptures,  he  goes  on:  "Every 
godly  motion  of  the  illuminated  mind  is 
not  to  be  separated  from  the  human  will, 
because  man  does  nothing  right,  except 
what  he  does  willingly ;  but  a  right  in- 
tention of  mind  is  the  effect  of  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  divine  will.  Other  sins  mar 
only  the  virtues  to  which  they  stand  op- 
posed; this  of  self-righteousness,  whUe  it 
assumes  all,  mars  every  thing.  The 
image  of  God  is  genuine,  Avhen  it  is 
adorned  with  no  other  ornaments  than 
what  are  received  from  the  Heavenly 
Husband. — Humility  and  charity  are  kin- 
dred virtues,  inseparably  connecled,  inso- 
much, that  what  St.  Paul  asserts  of  the 
latter,*  may  safely  be  predicated  of  the 
former. 

The  whole  epistle  is  excellent,  and  a 
treasure  of  evangelical  doctrine.  But  let 
us  proceed  to  other  monuments  of  an- 
tiquity. 

The  letter  of  the  African  council, f  in 
which   Anrelius,  of  Carthage,  presided, 
and  which  was  addressed  to  Innocent,  of 
Rome,  contains  the  following 
sentiments  :  "  They  (the  Pe- 
lagians)   attempt,    by    their 
praises  of  free-will,  to  leave 
no  room  for  the  grace  of  God, 
by  which  we  are  Christians,   the  Lord 
saying,  if  the  Son  shall  make  you  free, 
ye    shall    be    free  indeed.     They  assert, 
that  the  grace  of  God  consists  in  this, 
that  he  hath  so  created  the  nature  of  man, 
that  bv  his  own  will  he  can  fulfil  the 
law  of  God.     The   law  itself  too   they 
reckon  to  belong  to  grace,  because  God 
hath  given  it  for  a  help  to  men. — But  the 
real  grace  of  God,  by  which  a  man   is 
caused  to  delight  in  tbe  law  after  the  in- 
ward  man,  they  will   not  acknowledge, 
though  they  dare  not  openly  o])pose  it. 
Yet,"what  else  do  they  in  effect,  while 
thev  teach,  that  human  nature  is  alone 


A  letter 
from  the 
African 
Council. 


»  1  Cor.  xiii 


t  Ep.  90. 


Cext.  v.] 


PELAGIAN   DOCUMENTS. 


425 


sufficient  to  enable  men  to  obey  the  law  1 
Not  attending  to  the  Scripture,  '  it  is  not 
of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  run- 
neth, but  of  God  that  shovvcth  mercy ;' 
And.  '  we  are  not  sufficient  of  ourselves 
to  think  any  thing  as  of  ourselves.'  We 
beseech  you  to  observe  the  necessary  con- 
sequence of  such  opinions,  namely,  that 
we  have  no  occasion,  on  their  plan,  to 
pray,  that  we  enter  not  into  temptation  : 
nor  had  our  Lord  occasion  to  say  to  Peter, 
1  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail 
not.  He  might  have  contented  himself 
with  exhorting  or  commanding  him  to 
keep  his  faith.  And,  instead  of  saying  to 
his  disciples,  watch  and  pray,  it  would 
have  sufficed  to  say,  watch.  When  St, 
Paul  prays,  that  the  IJphesian?' might  be 
strengthened  with  might  in  the  inner 
man  by  his  Spirit,  they,  in  consistency 
with  their  plan,  might  have  said,  they 
might  be  strengthened  with  might,  by  the 
ability  of  nature  received  in  our  creation. 
It  follows  too,  that  infants  need  not  to  be 
baptized  at  all,  as  being  perfectly  inno- 
cent, and  needing  no  redemption." 

Innocent*  agreed  with  the  ideas  of  the 
council  in  his  reply.  Wc  have  next  in 
order  the  letter  of  the  Milevitanian  coun- 
cil to  the  same  Innocent,]  in  which  Pela- 
gianism  is  opposed  in  a  similar  manner, 
and  a  good  use  is  made  of  the  contrast 
between  the  first  and  second  Adam,  in 
the  fifth  chapter  to  the  Romans.  And 
from  these  and  many  other  testimonies,  it 
is  evident  that  the  great  instrument  by 
which  Pelagius  deceived  men  was,  that 
he  used  the  word  grace  in  a  sense  which 
certainly  is  not  scriptural.  With  him, 
whatever  is  the  gift  of  God,  is  called 
grace ;  so  that  a  man,  who,  by  the  use  of 
his  natural  powers,  in  conjunction  with 
the  aid  of  the  revealed  will  of  God,  should 
expect  to  please  God,  might  be  said  to 
seek  to  be  saved  by  grace ;  though  it  is 
certain,  that  the  term  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament is  restrained  to  spiritual  bless- 
ings. 

Augustine,  in  conjunction  with  a  few 

other  bishops,  wrote  again  to  Innocent.:^: 

"  Without  doubt,"  says  he,  "  the  grace 

f    by  which  we  are  saved,  is  not 

Au  usTuie      ^'^^^  ^^''^^'  ^'^^^'^  "^^  ^^^  ^'■^" 
-       ' '       ated.     For  if  those  bishops§ 

who  acquitted  Pelagius,  had 

understood  that  he  called  that 

grace,  which  we  have  in  common  with 


to  Inno- 
cent. 


•  91.  t  92. 

§  He  means  the  Synod  at  Lvdda. 
2n2 


t  95. 


the  wicked,  and  that  he  denied  that  which 
wc  have  as  Christians  and  sons  of  God, 
he  would  have  appeared  intolerable.     I 
blame  not  then  his  judges,  who  under- 
stood the  word  grace  in  its  common  ac- 
ceptation.   Pelagius  alone  is  not  now  our 
object;  perhaps  he  is  corrected;  (I  wish 
it  may  be  the  case;)  but  many  souls  are 
in  danger  of  being  beguiled.    Let  him  be 
sent  for  to  Rome,  and   asked  what   he 
means  precisely  by  the  term  grace  ;  or  let 
him  explain  himself  by  letter;  and  if  he 
be  found  to  speak  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  church  of  Christ,  let  us  rejoice  in  him. 
For  whether  he  calls  gTace  free-will,  or 
remission  of  sins,  or  the  precept  of  the 
law,  he  explains   not  that  grace  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  conquers   lusts  and 
temptations,  and  which  He  who  ascend- 
ed into  heaven  has  poured  on  us  abun- 
dantly.    He  who  prays,  '  lead  us  not  into 
temptation,'  does  not  pray,  that  he  may 
be  a  man,  that  he  may  have  free-will,  nor 
for  the  remission  of  sins,  the  subject  of 
the  former  petition,  nor  that  he  may  re- 
ceive a  command.    Prayer  itself  then  is  a 
testimony  of  grace;  and  we  shall  rejoice 
that  he  is  right,  or  corrected.     Law  and 
grace  are  to  be  distinguished :  the  law 
commands,  grace  bestows.     If  you  will 
look  into  the  book  of  Pelagius,  given  us 
by  Timasius  and   Jacob,*  and  take  the 
trouble  to  examine  the  places,  which  we 
have  marked,  you  will  find,  that  to  the 
objection  made  to  him,  that  he  denied  the 
grace  of  God,  he  replies,  that  this  grace 
was  the  nature  in  which  God  created  us. 
If  he  disown  the  book,  or  those  passages, 
vve   contend   not,  let   him   anathematize 
them,   and   confess   in   plain   words  the 
grace  which  Christian  doctrine  teaches, 
which  is  not  nature,  but  nature  saved  ; 
not  by  external  doctrine,  but  by  the  sup- 
ply of  the  Spirit  and  secret  mercy.     For 
though  natural  gifts  may  be  called  grace, 
yet  that  grace,  by  which  we  are  predesti- 
nated, called,  justified,  glorified,  is  quite 
a  different  thing.     It  is  of  this  the  Apos- 
tle speaks,  when  he  says,  if  by  grace, 
then  it  is  no  more  of  works.     And,  to 
him  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  on 
Him  that  justifieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith 
is  counted   for    righteousness.      For    if 
Christ  had  not  died  for  our  sins,  Pela- 
gius's   possibility   of  nature,   which   he 
makes  to  be  grace,  would  have  been  just 
the  same." 

But  I  must  quote  no  more  of  this  ex- 


96. 


426 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


.  cellent  epistle,  in  which  the  very  hinge 
on  which  the  controversy  turned,  is  ex- 
plained, and  which  affords  an  easy  key 
to  solve  all  the  perplexities  and  ambi- 
guities, with  which  the  opposers  of  grace, 
ancient  or  modern,  so  much  darken  the 
subject. 

Innocent  agrees  with  Augustine,  but 
writes  not  like  a  master  of  the  subject. 
Indeed  his  importance  in  the  controversy 
was  rather  founded  on  his  local  situation, 
than  on  any  great  character  either  of 
learning  or  piety. 

In  his  letters  to  Sixtus,  the  Roman 
presbyter,  Augustine  answers  Pelagian 
objections.*  "They  think  that  God  is 
by  this  means  made  a  respec- 
Letters  to  ^^^  ^f  persons.  They  do  not 
Sixtus.  consider,  that  due  punishment 

is  inflicted  on  the  condemned,  not  due 
grace  bestowed  on  the  acquitted.  But  it 
is  unjust,  they  say,  that  one  be  acquitted, 
the  other  punished  in  the  same  cause. 
Truly,  it  is  just  that  both  be  punished. 
Who  can  deny  it?"  lie  goes  on  to  quote 
Rom.  ix. — "But  why  the  Lord  frees  this 
man  rather  than  that,  let  him  examine, 
who  can  fathom  the  depth  of  divine  judg- 
ment; but  let  him  beware  of  the  preci- 
pice. In  the  mean  time,  to  him,  who 
lives  as  yet  by  faith,  and  sees  but  in  part, 
it  is  enough  to  know  or  believe,  thai 
God  frees  none  but  by  gratuitous  mercy 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  that 
he  condemns  none  but  with  the  strictest 
truth  by  the  same  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Vitalis,  of  Carthage,  though  not  a  Pe- 
lagian by  profession,  taught  that  men 
were  indebted  to  their  own  free-will  for 
their  conversion  to  God,  and  not  to  the  op- 
erations of  divine  grace.  Augustinef  un- 
dertakes to  convince  him  of  his  error,  by 
pressing  upon  his  conscience  the  duty 
confessed  by  Christians  to  be  binding  on 
all  men  who  professed  Christianity,  name- 
ly, to  pray  for  their  fellow  creatures ;  for 
infidels,  that  they  might  believe ;  for 
catechumens,  that  God  would  inspire 
them  with  a  desire  for  regeneration ; 
and  for  the  faithful,  that  they  may  perse- 
vere. He  shows,  that  the  necessary  con- 
sequence of  Vitalis's  sentiments  was, 
that  the  pastors  should  content  them- 
selves with  preaching  the  doctrine  to 
men  without  praying  tor  them,  as  he  con- 
fined his  idea  of  divine  grace  to  the  exhibi- 
tion of  the  doctrine  to  mankind.  He 
presses  this  argument  on  the  conscience 


*  104, 105. 


tl07. 


of  Vitalis,  by  giving  repeated  scriptural 
proof  of  the  duty  of  praying  for  all  sorts 
of  men,  which  would  be  rendered  alto- 
gether nugatory  by  the  Pelagian  senti- 
ments. 

The  letter  to  Anastasius  breathes  an 
evangelical  spirit  of  charily,  distinguishes 
that  Christian  grace  from  the  spirit  of 
slavish  fear,  and  in  no  mean 
degree  leads  the  humbled  soul      ,^  f.'"  ° 
irom  the  Law  to  the  Gospel,     gj^g^ 
opposing,   toward    the   close, 
the  Pelagian  pride,  which,  teaching  man 
to  trust  in  himself,  mars  the  whole  design 
of  Christianity.*     The  whole  is  so  ex- 
cellent, that  I  am  tempted  to  transcribe  ; 
but  brevity  must  be  studied,  and  it  will 
be  no  conV3mptible  fruit  of  my  labour,  if 
young  theological  students  be  incited  to 
read   such  a   Divine   as   Augustine    for 
themselves. 

In  a  small  epistolary  treatise  con- 
cerning the  Baptism  of  Infants,!  he  ar- 
gues from  the  confessed  antiquity  and 
propriety  of  their  baptism, 
admitted  by  Pelagians  them-  J^"  ^'^J?" 
selves,  to  the  proot  oi  the  infants, 
doctrine  of  original  sin,  and, 
toward  the  close,  he  thus  rebukes  the 
pretensions  to  perfection  made  by  those 
heretics:  "As  to  their  affirming,  ihat 
some  men  have  lived  or  do  live  with- 
out sin,  it  were  to  be  wished  it  were  so; 
it  is  to  be  endeavoured,  that  it  maybe  so; 
it  is  to  be  prayed,  that  it  may  be  so;  nor 
yet  is  it  to  be  trusted,  that  it  is  so.  For 
to  those,  who  wish  and  strive  and  pray 
with  just  supplication,  whatever  remains 
of  sin  is  daily  remitted  through  this  their 
cordial  prayer,  forgive  us  our  trespasses, 
as  we  forgive  them  that  trespass  against 
us.  Whoever  asserts  that  this  prayer  is 
in  this  life  unnecessary  to  any  of  the 
most  holy  persons,  (I  except  the  most 
HOLY  ONE  alone,)  he  greatly  mistakes, 
and  pays  a  compliment,  I  am  persuaded, 
very  unacceptable  to  him  whom  he  com- 
mends. If  he  think  himself  to  be  such  a 
one,  'he  deceives  himself,  and  the  truth 
is  not  in  him,'  for  no  other  reason  but 
that  he  thinks  falsely.  The  Physician, 
who  is  not  needful  for  the  whole,  but  for 
the  sick,  knows  in  his  method  of  cure 
how  to  perfect  us  for  eternal  salvation, 
who  does  not  even  take  away  death,  the 
wages  of  sin,  from  those  whose  sins  he 
yet°forgives,  that  even  in  their  struggles 


*  Ep.  144. 

t  Ep.   16,   of  the  Appendix  to  tlie  Epist. 
Paris  Edit. 


Cent,  v.] 


PELAGIAN  DOCUMENTS. 


427 


to  overcome  the  fear  of  it,  they  might 
undertake  a  contest  for  the  sincerity  of 
faith :  and  in  some  things  he  does  not 
assist  even  his  righteous  ones  to  perfect 
righteousness,  lest  they  should  be  lifted 
up  ;  that  so,  while  no  man  living  is  justi- 
fied in  his  sight,  we  might  be  indebted 
constantly  to  him  for  forgiveness,  and 
thank  him  for  the  same;  and  thus  by 
holy  humility  be  healed  and  recovered 
from  that  first  cause  of  all  vices,  the 

SWELLING  OF  PRIDE." 

I  may  not  dwell  much  on  the  larger 
treatises.  The  tliree  books  to  IMarcelli- 
nus  against  the  Pelagians  are  the  works 
of  a  master.  In  them  he  solid- 
Three  ]„  confutes  the  idea  of  sinless 
books  to  1-  .•  J  • 
,,       ,          pertection,  and  in  answeringf 

linus.  their   arguments,  shows   the 

nature  of  the  controversy  at 
that  time.  He  defends  the  doctrine  of 
original  sin,  and  the  custom  of  baptizing 
infants,  and  evinces  the  novelty  of  the  Pe- 
lagfian  notion  of  man's  origfinal  innocence 
since  the  fall.* 

In  his  book  of  Nature  and  Grace  he 
argues  in  much  the  same  manner,  and 
opposes  a  Pelagian  writer,  who  extolled 
^    .-  nature,  and  who  found  fault 

andGrace.  ^^'ith  those  who  charged  their 
sin  on  the  weakness  of  the 
human  powers.  In  this  treatise  he  ob- 
serves, that  Pelagianism  appears  to  him 
to  make  a  man  forget  why  he  is  a  Chris- 
tian.! His  two  books,:!^  written  express- 
ly against  Pelagius,  contain  a  shrewd 
answer  to  a  shrewd  adversary.  Augus- 
tine's inaccurate  notion  of  the  term  justi- 
fication, confounding  it  with  sanctitlca- 
tion,  appears  very  plainly  in  this  treatise,§ 
of  which  more  hereafter.  In  the  same 
treatise  appears  also  Pelagius's  false  no- 
tion of  grace,  as  consisting  in  external 
revelation  only.  The  heretic's  idea  of 
"power"  from  God,  and  of  "will"  from 
man,  mentioned  in  the  beginning  of  this 
treatise,  is  remarkably  descriptive  of  his 
sentiments.  Augustine's  tract  of  Pre- 
destination and  Grace  is  agreeable  to  his 
other  works.ll  In  the  same  volume  are 
the  epistles  of  Prosper  and  Hilary,  con- 
cerning Semi-Pelao-ianisui  in  Gaul.  Their 
coincidence  in  sentiment  with  Augustine 
is  apparent,  and  the  rise  of  this  heresy 
and  its  views  are  by  them  illustrated. 

His  observations  on  the  good  of  perse- 
verance show  us  his  notion  of  this  grace. 


*  Aug.  opera,  torn.  vi.  -j-  Tom.  vi. 

^Id.  §p.  1G6.  II  Id. 


whicli  seems,  however,  differ- 
ent from  the  account  in  the     ^"  Perse- 
sixth  and  tenth   chapters   of    ^'•■'■»"'=e. 
St.  John. 

Satan  ever  inclines  men  to  extremes  ; 
and  there  were  not  wanting  those,  who, 
owning  the  doctrine  of  grace  so  strenu- 
ously preached  by  Augustine,  began  to 
think  it  wrong  or  absurd  to  rebuke  men 
for  sin.  "  If  I  act  wrong,  I  am  not  to  be 
blamed,  but  God  is  to  be  prayed  to,  to 
give  me  what  he  has  not  given  me.  It 
would  be  right  to  blame  me,  if,  through 
my  own  fault,  I  were  debarred  of  the 
power  of  doing  good." 

To  answer  these  objections,  and  to 
show  the  consistency  of  the  doctrines  of 
grace  with  the  use  of  means,  exhortations, 
and  endeavours,  Augustine  wrote  his  lit- 
tle tract  of  "  Rebuke  and 
Grace."*  He  cannot  be  said  On  Rebuke 
to  have  done  full  justice  to  ^'"^  Grace. 
the  subject :  it  required  an  accurate 
course  of  argumentation. f  But  the  little 
which  he  says,  is  sufficient  for  serious 
and  humble  minds.  The  proud  and  the 
careless  alone  are  overcome  by  such  per- 
versions as  these  which  occasioned  the 
tract.  "  0  man,  in  precepts  and  com- 
mands, know  what  thou  oughtest  to  pos- 
sess;  in  rebukes,  know  that  thou  art  dis- 
obedient through  thy  own  fault;  in  prayer, 
know  whence  thou  mayest  receive  what 
thou  desirest." 

"  Thou  art  to  be  rebuked,  because  thou 
art  not  willing  to  be  rebuked.  Thou 
would  St  not  have  thy  vices  to  be  shown 
thee;  thou  wouldst  not  have  them  smit- 
ten, nor  have  the  wholesome  pain,  that 
thou  mightest  seek  the  physician." 

"  This  is  the  utility  of  rebuke,  which 
is  used  salubriously,  sometimes  in  a 
greater,  sometimes  in  a  less  degree,  ac- 
cording to  the  diversity  of  sins;  and  is 
then  wholesome,  when  the  supreme  Phy- 
sician pleases."  He  shows  that  original 
sin  in  itself  deserves  rebuke,  that  I'rom 
the  pain  of  rebuke  the  regenerated  will 
may  arise,  if  the  person  rebuked  be  a  son 
of  promise,  "  that  while  the  rod  of  cor- 
rection sounds  outwardly,  God  within 
may  work  to  will  and  to  do  by  secret  in- 


spiration 


He  shows  the  difference  between  the 
state  of  Adam,  when  perfect,  and  that 
of  the    best  Christian^  while  on  earth. 


*  Tom.  vi. 

f  See  the  subject  fully,  anc]  as  nppears  un- 
answerablj,  considered'  in  Edwards's  Free- 
will. 


428 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  V. 


"  They,  though  far  less  comfortable  than 
he,  because  of  the  manifold  conflict  of  the 
new  and  the  old  man,  are  nevertheless 
supplied  with  much  stronger  grace,  even 
that  of  God  made  man,  to  emancipate 
them  from  their  evils." 

Jerom's  writings  against  Pelagianism 
should  now  be  considered.  But  of  them 
it  will  suffice  to  say  that  he  is  no  less  than 
Augustine  determined  in  his  opposition 
to  the  heresy.  His  doctrine  of  grace  is 
sound ;  and  a  humility  of  spirit  highly 
adapted  indeed  to  the  subject,  but  very 
contrary  to  the  natural  temper  of  that  cho- 
leric writer,  appears.  One  short  sentence 
deserves  to  be  immortalized :  H^c  ho- 

ailNIBUS  SOLA  PERFECTIO,  SI  IMPERFECTOS 
SE  ESSE  NOVERINT.*  "  ThIS  IS  THE  ONLY 
PERFECTION  OF  MEN,  TO  KNOW  THEM- 
SELVES IMPERFECT." 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  SHORT  VIEW  OF  AUGUSTXNe's    "CITY 
OF  GOD." 

The  subject  of  this  great  work  is  so 
much  of  a  piece  with^the  history  before  us, 

-  the  work  itself  is  so  remarkable  a  monu- 
ment of  genius,  learning,  and 
Augustine's   pjety  united,  and  deserves  so 
City  of  God.  ^gj J    both  of   the  classical 

'  scholar,  and  the  theologian,  that  the 
reader  will  either  expect  some  account  of 
it,  or  at  least  excuse  me,  if  I  attempt  it. 
Ecclesiastical  antiquity  has  been  too 
much  depreciated  in  our  times,  and  stu- 
dents in  divinity  have  been  discouraged 
from  the  study  of  the  Fathers.  In  truth, 
a  selection  of  them  ought  to  be  made;  to 
praise  or  dispraise  the  primitive  writers 
in  general  is  obviously  absurd.  But  Au- 
gustine's City  of  God  deserves  an  un- 
qualified commendation.  The  young  stu- 
dent who  shall  meditate  on  it  with  deep 
attention,  will  find  it  richly  to  repay  his 
labour ;  and  the  following  review  of  its 
plan  and  contents  may  teach  him  what 
he  is  to  expect  from  it. 

The  capture  of  Rome  by  Alaric  the 
Goth,  and  the  subsequent  plunder  and 
miseries  of  the  imperial  city,  had  opened 
the  mouths  of  the  Pagans  to  blaspheme 
the  true  God,  and  to  accuse  Christianity 
as  the  cause  of  the  declension  of  the  em- 
pire. However  trifling  such  an  argument 
may  now  appear,  at  that  time  it  had  so 
great  weight,  that  it   gave  occasion   to 

•  Jerom's  works,  vol.  i.  91.  P.  Go. 


Augustine,  in  his  zeal  for  the  house  ov 
God,  to  write  this  treatise. 

The  work  itself  consists  of  twenty-two 
books.     The   first   states   the  objections 
made  by  the  Pagans,  and  answers  them 
in  form.     It  was  a  remark-     g^  j.  jgj 
able  fact,  that  all  who  fled 
to  the  church  called  the  Basilicas  of  the 
Apostles,    whether   Christians    or    not, 
were  preserved  from  military  fury.     The 
author  takes  notice  of  this  singular  cir- 
cumstance, as  a  proof  of  the  great  autho- 
rity of  the  name  and  doctrine  of  Christ, 
even  among  Pagans,  and  shows  that  no 
instance  can   be  found  in  their  history, 
where    many   vanquished    people   were 
spared  out  of  respect  to  their  religious 
worship.     He  justly  observes,  therefore, 
that  the  evils  accompanying  the  late  dis- 
aster ought  to  be  ascribed  to  the  usual 
events  of  war,  the  benefits  to  the  power 
of  the  name  of  Christ.     His  thoughts  on 
the  promiscuous  distribution  of  good  and 
evil  in  this  life  are  uncommonly  excellent. 
"  If  all  sin,  he  observes,  were  now  punish- 
ed, nothing  might  seem  to  be  reserved  to 
the  lastjudgment.  If  theDivinity  punished 
no  sin  openly  now,  his  providence  might 
be  denied.  In  like  manner,  in  prosperous 
things,   if  some   petitions  for   temporal 
things  were  not  abundantly  answered,  it 
might  be  said  that  they  were  not  at  God's 
disposal.     If  all  petitions  were  granted, 
it  might  be  thought  that  we  should  serve 
God  only  for  the  sake  of  worldly  things." 
And  in  a  number  of  elegant  allusions  he 
goes  on  to  show  the  benefit  of  aflSictions 
to  the  righteous,  and  the  curse  which  ac- 
companies  them   to   the   wicked.*     He 
mentions  also  the  propriety  of  punishing 
the  godly  often  in  this  life,  because  they 
are  not  sufficiently  weaned  from  the  world, 
and  because  they  do  not  rebuke  the  sins 
of  the  world  as  they  ought,  but  conform 
too  much  to  the  taste  of  ungodly  men. 
He  answers  the  objections  drawn  fron- 
their  sufierings  in  the  late  disaster.  "Ma- 
ny Christians,  say  they,  are  led  captive. 
It  would  be  very  miserable,  he  owns,  if 
they  could  be  led  to  any  place,  where 
they  could  not  find  their  God."     In  the 
same   book   he   excellently  handles   the 
subject  of  suicide,  demonstrates  its  cow- 


*  Pari  raotu  exagitalum  et  exhalat  liorribi- 
liter  coenura,  et  suaviter  fragrat  unguentum,&c. 
It  is  a  just  recommendation  of  tliis  treatise, 
that  its  Latinity  is  of  a  superior  taste  to  that  of 
his  other  works,  which  were  written  to  the 
populace  ;  this  was  meant  for  the  perusal  of 
philosophers. 


Cext.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CITY  OF  GOD. 


429 


ardice,  and  exposes  the  pusillanimity  of  show,  that,  by  Cicero's  confession,  the 
Cato.  He  mentions  the  prayer  of  Pau-  Roman  state -vvas  completely  ruined  be- 
linus,  bishop  of  Nola,  who  had  reduced  fore  the  times  of  Christianity.  The  book 
himself  to  poverty  for  the  sake  of  Christ,' concludes  with  a  pathetic  exhortation  to 
when  the  Barbarians  laid  waste  his  city: ,  unbelievers. 

"  Lord,  suifer  me  not  to  be  tormented  on  In  the  third  book  he  demonstrates  that 
account  of  cjold  and  silver;  for  where  all  the  Pagans  had  no  more  help  from  their 
my  wealth  ts  thou  knowest."  For  there  religion  against  natural  evils,  than  they 
he  had  his  all,  where  the  Lord  hath  direct-  had  against  moral.  He  re-  ^^^^  3,,^ 
ed  us  to  lay  up  our  treasure,  and  he  counts  the  numberless  mise- 
strongly  insists,  as  the  fullest  answer  to  ries  endured  by  the  Romans  long  before 
objections,  that  the  saint  loses  nothing  by  the  coming  of  Christ,  such  as  would  by- 
all  his  afflictions.  j  malice  have  been  imputed  to  the  Chris- 
Having  sufficiently  spoken  to  the  par-  tian  religion  had  it  then  existed,  some  of 
ticular  o'ccasion,  he  proceeds,  in  the  which  were  more  calamitous,  than  any 
second  book,  to  v.age  OFFEN-  thing  which  they  had  lately  sustained 
Book  2d.       gj^,j,  ^^,^jj  WITH  THE  PAGANS,  from  the  Goths. 

and  shows  that  while  their  religion  pre-  In  the  fourth  book  he  demonstrates 
vailed,  it  never  promoted  the  real  benefit  that  the  Roman  felicity,  such  as  it  was, 
of  men.  In  this  book  he  proves  his  point  was  not  caused  by  their  religion.  Here 
with  respect  to  moral  evils.  Immoral  he  weighs  the  nature  of  that  5300^41},, 
practices  were  not  discouraged  or  pro-  glory  and  extent  of  empire 
hibited  in  the  least  by  the  popular  idola-,  with  which  the  carnal  heart  is  so  much 
try,  but,  on  the  contrary,  vice  and  flagiti-  captivated  ;  and  demonstrates,  in  the  most 
ousness  w^ere  encouraged.  He  triumphs  solid  manner,  that  a  large  extended  em- 
in  the  peculiar  excellence  of  Christian  pire  is  no  more  an  evidence  of  felicity, 
institutes,  because  by  them  instruction,  than  immense  property  is  in  private  lile  ; 
was  constantly  diffused  among  the  body' and  whoever  has  been  fascinated  by  po- 
of the  people,  of  which  the  whole  system  litical  writers,  ancient  or  modern,  into  aa 
of  Pagan-worship  was  void.  His  obser-  admiration  of  this  false  glory,  may  see  it 
vations  on  Stage-plays,*  and  on  the  vici-!  excellently  combated  by  the  reasonings 
ous  manners  oT  the  Romans,  even  in  the  of  Augustine.  The  Pantheistic  philoso- 
best  times  of  their  republic,  as  confessed;  phy,  of  which  the  old  sages  are  full,  is 
by  Sallust,  or  at  least  deduced  by  fair  in-  ridiculed,  and  the  futility  of  all  the^popu- 


ference  from  his  writings,  are  extremely 
worthy  of  attention.  I  have  not  seen  a 
more  just  estimate  any  where  of  Roman 


lar  religions  exposed.  In  the  conclusion 
he  give's  a  short  view  of  the  dispensations 
of  Providence  toward  the  Jews,  and  shows 


virtue,  than  is  to  be  found  in  this  andihe  superiority  of  their  felicity,  so  long 
some  of  the  following  books.  The  clas-  as  they  were  obedient,  to  that  of  the  Ro- 
sical  reader  will  do  well  to  attend  to  his  mans. 

remarks,  after  he  has  made  himself  mas-j  In  the  fifth  book  he  describes  the  virtue 
ter  of  the  historical  facts.  And,  it  is  only  of  tlie  old  Ramans,  and  what  reward  was 
one  instance  among  many  of  the  unhappy 'given  to  it  here  on  earth — shadowy  re- 
propensity  of  the  age  to  infidelity,  that,  ward  for  shadowy  virtue.  He  Root  5th. 
the  specious  sophisms  of  Montesquieu  gives  an  excellent  account  of 
concernin<j-  the  virtue  of  the  Roman  re-  the  vice  of  vain-glory,  and  contrasts  it 
public,  are  so  much  sought  after  and  held  with  the  humility  of  Christians.  He  de- 
in  such  veneration,  while  the  solid  argu-  monstrates  that  it  was  the  true  God  who 
ments  of  Auo-ustine  are  scarcely  known' dispensed  his  mercies  and  judgments  to- 
among  us.  °He  eloquently  describes' ward  the  Romans.  A  more  striking  view 
what 'sort  of  felicity  a  carnal  heart  would  of  the  emptiness  of  warlike  grandeur  can- 
desire,  and,  in  the  description,  shows  tlie  not  be  found,  than  in  the  account  \yhich 
unreasonableness  of  its  wishes.  In  the  he  gives  of  the  condition  of  the  victors 
same  book  will  be  found  some  valuable*  and  the  vanquished,  and  in  the  demon- 
remains  of  Cicero  de  Republica,  a  most  siration  that  the  latter  were  no  way  in- 
profound  and  ingenious  treatise,  of  which  ferior  to  the  former  in  point  of  real  hap 


a  few  fragments  are  preserved  by  Angus 
tine,  and  which  are  introduced  by  him,  to 

*  By  RoniHi)  laws,  players  could  not  be  ad- 
mitted into  Uoniau  cilizenship. 


piness,  except  in  the  crisis  of  battle. 

In  the  same  book  he  argues  against 
Cicero,  and  shows  the  consistency  of  the 
prescience  of  God  with  the  free  agency 


430 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.V. 


of  man.  In  this  and  some  other  parts  of 
his  works,  the  discerning  reader  may  see 
some  traces  of  that  ingenious  work,  Jona- 
than Edwards's  Enquiry  on  Free-will. 
He  takes  notice  of  the  total  defeat  sus- 
tained by  Rhadagases,  tlie  barbarous  Pa- 
gan, in  Italy,  and  reminds  the  Gentiles 
how  insultingly  they  had  declared,  be- 
forehand, that  he  would  certainly  be  vic- 
torious. His  observations  on  the  ill  suc- 
cess of  the  pious  emperor  Gratian,  and 
the  prosperity  of  Constantino  and  Theo- 
dosiua,  deserve  also  our  attention. 

Having  shown,  in  the  first  five  books, 
that  Paganism  could  do  nothing  for  men 
j,n  temporal  things,  in  the  five  following 
books  he  proves,  that  it  was 
Five  fol-  g^jgQ  totally  insignificant  with 
Looki  respectto  the  next  life.*  Here 

we  meet  with  some  valuable 
fragments  of  the  very  learned  Varro,  who 
divides  religion  into  three  kinds,  the  fa- 
bulous, the  philosophical,  and  the  politi- 
cal. Here  too  we  have  a  clear  and  his- 
torical detail  of  the  opinions  of  the  an- 
cient philosophers."!" 

Of  the  remaining  books,  the  four  first 
describe  the  beginning,  the  four  middle 
the  progress,  and  the  fom  last  the  issues 
of  the  two  states,  namely,  the  city  of  God 
and  the  World  ;  the  history  of  both,  and 
the  different  genius  and  spirit  of  each,  are 
throughout  conceived  with  great  energy 
by  the  author,  and  are  illustrated  with 
copiousness  and  perspicuity. 

The  eleventh  book  begins  with  a  just 
and  solid  view  of  the  knowledge  of  God 
by  the  Mediator,  and  the  authority  of  the 
Book  11th      Scriptures.  A  number  of  ques- 
tions, which  respect  the  be- 
ginnings of  things,  rather  curious  than  im- 
portant, follow.     Among  these  there  is, 
m  the  twelfth  chapter,  an  occasional  com- 
parison of  the  felicity  of  the  just  in  this 
life  with  that  of  Adam  before  his  fall, 
which  deserves  a  better  character.     His 
metaphysics  concerning  the  origin  of  evil 
are  intespersed.     But  the  greater  part  of 
the  book  may  be  omitted  with  little  loss 
to  the  reader.     Yet  his  cen- 
sure of  Origen  in  the  twenty- 
third  chapter  deserves  atten- 
tion. 
In  the  twelfth  book  the  question  con- 
cerning the  origin  of  evil  is  still  more 
explicitly   stated ;   and   the   opinions   of 
Book  12th      those  who  pretend  to  account 
for  the  origrin  of  the  world  in  a 


Book  14th. 


Origen 
censured. 


♦  Book  vi. 


+  Book  viii. 


manner  different  from  the  Scriptures,  and 
to  give  it  an  antiquity  much  superior  to 
that  which  is  assigned  to  it  in  them,  are 
refuted. 

The  thirteenth  book  describes  the  fall 
of  man  ;  but  questions  of  little  or  no  mo 
ment  are  interspersed;  and  the  nooki"rh 
subtilty  of  the  learning  of  his 
times  meeting  with  his  argumentative 
mind,  leads  him  here,  as  in  various  other 
parts  of  his  writings,  into  trifling  disqui- 
sitions. I  do  not,  however,  reckon  of  this 
sort  his  account  of  the  difference  between 
an  animal  and  spiritual  body,  because  it 
throws  some  good  light  on  the  fifteenth 
chapter  of  the  first  epistle  to  the  Corin- 
thians. 

The  fourteenth  book  contains  matter 
more  interesting  than  the  foregoing  three, 
though  it  is  not  without  unimportant  spe- 
culations. A  just  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  first  sin  is 
given,  and  the  justice  of  God  is  excellent- 
ly vindicated.  In  the  close  of  this  book 
he  contrasts  the  two  states  in  a  very 
graphical  manner.  "  Two  sets  of  afl^ec- 
tions  have  produced  two  states  :  self-love 
produced  an  earthly  one  to  the  contempt 
of  God  ;  the  love  of  God  produced  a  hea- 
venly one  to  the  contempt  of  man.  That 
glories  in  man,  this  in  the  Lord.  That 
seeks  glory  from  men,  to  this,  God,  the 
witness  of  the  conscience,  is  the  greatest 
glory.  That  exalts  the  head  in  its  own 
glory,  this  says  to  its  God,  thou  art  my 

GLORY,  AND    THE    LIFTER  UP    OF  MY  HEAD. 

In  that  the  lust  of  power  reigns,  in  this 
men  serve  one  another  in  love,  governors 
in  providing,  subjects  in  obeying.  That 
loves  its  ow^n  strength,  this  says  to  its 

God,     I     will     LOVE     THEE,     O     LORD,     MY 

STRENGTH.  lu  that,  wise  men  live  ac- 
cording to  man,  and  pursue  the  goods  of 
body  or  mind,  or  both,  or  if  they  know 
God,  honour  him  not  as  God,  nor  are 
thankful.  In  this,  human  wisdom  is  of 
no  account,  godliness  is  all,  in  which  the 
true  God  is  worshipped,  and  the  reward 
is  expected,  in  the  society  of  saints  and 
angels,  that  God  may  be  all  in  all." 

In  the  fifteenth  book,  he  enters  upon  the 
second  part  of  the  history  of  the  two  states, 
namely,  their  progress.  He  describes 
very  justly  the  two  types,  B^oklSih. 
Sarah  and  Agar,  and  illus- 
trates the  spirit  and  genius  of  the  two 
sects  by  the  cases  of  Cain  and  Abel.  He 
confutes  those  who  would  make  the  lives 
of  the  Antediluvians  of  shorter  duration 
than  that  assigned  them  in  Scripture.  His 


Ce»t.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  CITY  OP  GOD. 


431 


reflections  on  the  Ark  and  the  Deluge  are 
just,  though  to  us  they  contain  little  that 
is  new  ;  and  in  the  last  chapter  he  shows 
that  the  literal  and  allegorical  sense  of 
Scripture   ought   both   to   be  supported, 


without  depreciating  either 

The  sixteenth  book  carries  on  the  his- 
tory of  the  city  of  God  from  Noah  to  Da- 
vid, and  contains  important  instruction 

■o    I  ir.u      throughout,especially  to  those 

Book  10th.        ,      f         '    /       A  iu    r,  ™„ 

who  have  not  read  the  same 

things  in  modern  authors. 

The  seventeenth  book  may  be  called 
the  prophetic  history.     He  shows  a  dou- 
ble sense  must  necessarily  be  affixed  to 
Ro  kfth      ^^^®   words   of  the   prophets, 
°     '    ■    in  which  sometimes  the  lite- 
ral, sometimes  the  spiritual,  and  some- 
times both  senses  are  applicable.     He 
justly  observes,  therefore,  that  the  Scrip- 
tures are  to  be  understood  in  a  tripartite 
sense.     And  he  gives  an  admirable  in- 
stance of  his  views  in  Hannah's  song  in 
the  first  book  of  Samuel,  in  which  a  king 
is  prophesied  of,  at  a  time  when  no  king 
was  in  Israel.     His  comments   on   the 
Psalms  are  excellent  also  to  the  same 
purpose.      These  views  are   so  remote 
froin  the  usual  mode  of  reasoning  in  our 
times,  that  they  will  not  easily  find  credit 
in  the  world.    But  I  will  venture  to  affirm, 
that  the  more  men  study  the  Scriptures, 
the  more  they  will  see  the  justness  of 
Augustine's  remarks,  and  the  necessity 
of  admitting  them. 

In   the   eighteenth   book   he   displays 
much  learning  in  describing  the  times  of 
the  world  coeval  with  those 
of  the  church  of  God,  prior  to 
the  birth  of  Christ.     He  proves  the  su- 
perior antiquity  of  prophetic  authority  to 
that  of  any  philosophers.    The  remarka- 
ble harmony  of  the  sacred  writers,  in  the 
promotion  of  one  system,  and  the  endless 
.discordancies  of  philosophers,  are  ably 
contrasted.     Yet  he  proves  from  the  ear- 
liest times,  that  the  citizens  of  the  new- 


Book  18th. 


sound,  many  reprobates  are  mixed  with 
the  good  ;  both  are  collected  into  the  Gos- 
pel-net, and  both,  included  in  this  world 
as  in  a  sea,   swim  promiscuously  till 
they  reach  the  shore,  where  the  bad  shall 
be  severed  from  the   good,  and   in  the 
good,  as  in  his  temple,  God  shall  be  all 
in  all." — Christ  chose  disciples  meanly 
born,  obscure  and  illiterate,  that  whatever 
great  things  they  should  do,  he  might  be 
m  them,  and  do  all.     One  he  had  among 
them,  whose  evil  he  turned  to  good,  by 
making  it  an  instrument  of  his  passion, 
and  affording  an  example  to  his  church 
of  enduring  evil.     His  holy  church  being 
planted,  so  far  as  his  bodily  presence 
required,  he  suffered,  died,  rose  again, 
showing  by  his  passion  what  we  ought 
to  sustain  for  truth,  by  his  resurrection 
what  to  hope  for  in  eternity ;  and  this  is 
an  additional  lesson  to  the  great  mystery 
of  redemption,  by  which  his  blood  was 
shed  for  the  remission  of  our  sins.     He 
proves   that  the  faith  of  the  Gospel   is 
strengthened  by  the  dissensions  of  here- 
tics ;  and  after  some  observations  on  An- 
tichrist, as  just  as  might  be  expected  in 
his  time,  he  concludes  with  a  remark  on 
a  Pagan  prophecy,  which  affirmed  that 
the  Christian  religion  would  only  con- 
tinue three  hundred  and  sixty-five  years. 
"What  may  be  doing,  says  he,  at  the 
end  of  this  period  in  other  parts  of  the 
world,  it  may  be  needless  to  inquire.     I 
will  mention  what  I  know;   in  the  re- 
nowned city  of  Carthage,  the  imperial 
officers,  in  the  year  following  the  predicted 
extinction  of  Christianity,  overturned  the 
temples  of  the  idols,  and  brake  the  images. 
And  for  the  space  of  thirty  years  since 
that  time,  the  falsity  of  the  pagan  divina- 
tion being  notorious,  occasion  hath  beea 
given  to  render  the  progress  of  the  Gospel 
still  more  triumphant." 

The  four  last  books  describe  the  issues 

of  the  two  states.     The  nineteenth  de- 

the   studious  attention   of  every 


serves 


Jerusalem  were  not  confined  absolutely  scholar  who  would  accurately     i3ookl9th 


to  Jewry 

In  speaking  of  the  times  of  Christ  and 
the  propagation  of  the  Gospel,  he  ob- 
serves,* "  In  this  malignant  world,  in 
these  evil  days,  whilst  the  church  is  pro- 
curing future  dignity  by  present  humility, 
and  is  disciplined  by  the  incentives  of 
fear,  the  torments  of  pain,  the  fatigue  of 
labours,  and  the  dangers  of  temptations, 
rejoicing  only  in  hope,  when  her  joy  is 

•  Chap,  xlix. 


distinguish  between  theology 
and  philosophy.  He  contrasts  the  ideas 
of  happiness  exhibited  by  both  with  great 
clearness,  and,  while  he  does  justice  to 
all  the  good  that  is  found  in  secular  sys- 
tems, he  points  out  their  fundamental 
errors.  The  principles  of  evangelical 
virtue  are  stated  ;  the  miseries  of  life  are 
described,  and  both  the  true  relief  against 
them  which  the  Gospel  proposes  is  exhi- 
bited, and  the  false  consolations  of  philo- 
sophy are  justly  exposed.    In  fine  (for 


432 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  VI. 


my  limits  admit  not  a  longer  detail)  the 
reader  will  find  here  the  mass  of  secular 
philosophy  reduced  to  order,  its  errors 
detected,  and  the  very  picture  of  the 
Christian  state  and  genius  delineated. 

The  twentieth  book  undertakes  to  de- 
scribe the  last  judgment.  But  as  the 
»  vigorous  and  discursive  genius  of  the 
Book20th.  ^"thor  led  him  to  handle  a 
multitude  of  intricate  ques- 
tions, and  to  undertake  the  exposition  of 
some  of  the  most  difficult  prophecies  in 
the  Scripture,  for  which  the  early  times 
in  which  he  lived  were  unequal,  through 
want  of  the  evidence  of  their  accomplish- 
ment, almost  the  whole  is  very  uninte- 
resting. 

In  the  two  last  books  he  gives  his  ideas 
of  the  punishment  of  the  wicked,  and  of 
the  happiness  of  the  righteous  in  a  future 
state.  The  former,  though  it 
Former  of  j^^g  ^  fixture  of  curious  ques- 
iast books,  tions,  more  subtil  than  im- 
portant,  will  from  the  eleventh 
chapter  to  the  end  deserve  a  careful  peru- 
sal. I  have  not  seen,  in  so  small  a 
compass,  a  sounder  answer  to  the  objec- 
tions of  men  against  the  Divine  justice 
in  punishing  sin  eternally,  than  is  to  be 
found  in  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  chapters. 
It  appears  that  the  Lord's  Prayer  was 
daily  used  by  the  church*  in  his  time, 
and,"  though  he  seems  to  give  an  unsound 
interpretation  to  our  Lord's  words,  of 
making  friends  of  the  mammon  of  un- 
righteousness, yet  he  confesses  his 
interpretation  would  be  dangerous  in 
practice;  and  he  protests  against  the 
ideas  of  those  who  imagine  they  can  atone 
for  their  sins  by  alms.  He  refutes  various 
presumptions  ofmen  who  expect  to  escape 
the  damnation  of  hell  without  a  sound 
conversion. 

In  the  last  book,  which  describes  the 
eternal  rest  of  the  city  of  God,  he  dwells 
a  little  on  the  external  evidences  of  Chris- 

T     .T»    ,       tianity,   and   in  speaking   of 

Last  Book.         •    •  ,        ,        i         -u   „    " 

miracles,  he   describes  some 

which  were  wrought  in  his  own  time. 
One  of  them,  the  healing  of  a  disorder, 
seems  peculiarly  striking,  because  it  was 
in  answer  to  prayer.  I  have  again  to  re- 
gret the  scholastic  and  subtil  taste  of 
his  times  intervi'oven  with  most  important 
matter.  The  twenty-second  chapter  gives 
as  striking  a  proof,  drawn  from  facts,  of 
human  apostasy  as  I  have  seen.  The 
reflections  in  the  two  next  chapters  are 


*  Chap.  last. 


also  admirable.  And  he  closes  with  a 
delightful  view  of  the  eternal  felicity  of 
the  Church  of  God. 

Should  the  very  imperfect  sketch  I  have 
given  of  this  work,  one  of  the  greatest 
efforts  of  genius  and  learning  in  any  age, 
induce  any  classical  scholars  to  peruse  it 
with  candour  and  attention,  and,  by  the 
blessing  of  God,  to  imbibe  some  portion  of 
the  heavenly  spirit  of  the  author,  I  shall 
have  cause  to  rejoice.  One  caution  I 
must  however  give  in  reading  it,  which, 
indeed,  is  generally  necessary  in  reading 
the  Fathers,  and  it  is  that  which  I  would 
keep  steadily  in  view  throughout  this 
history.  We  must  forget  our  own  times, 
spirit,  taste,  and  manner :  We  must  trans- 
plant ourselves  into  those  of  the  author, 
and  make  allowances  for  his  modes  both 
of  thinking  and  speaking,  which  are  ex- 
tremely different  from  our  own.  Without 
this  reasonable  degree  of  candour,  to 
which,  however,  few  minds  are  suffi- 
ciently inclined,  it  is  impossible  to  make 
a  just  estimate  of  the  works  which  pass 
under  our  examination. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Augustine's  conduct  toward  the 
donatists. 

The  active  spirit  of  the  bishop  of  Hippo 
found  sufficient  employment  in  his  long 
course  of  private  and  public  labours 
against  the  Pelagians,  the  Manichees,  and 
the  Donatists,  besides  the  general  care  of 
the  African  churches,  and  the  peculiar 
inspection  of  his  own  diocese.  'I'he  two 
former  sects  he  in  a  manner  eradicated  : 
his  own  experience  in  religion  fitted  him 
for  the  work.  The  last  sect  he  opposed 
with  much  success.  Vital  godliness,  it 
is  true,  is  not  so  much  interested  in  this 
opposition,  nor  does  his  conduct  here 
merit  in  all  respects  that  praise  in  regard 
to  them,  which  it  does  in  regard  to  the 
others. 

Let  us  distinguish  the  Donatists  as  they 
ought  to  be.  Some  of  tliem  were,  com- 
paratively speaking,  a  mild  and  peaceable 
people  ;  others,  called  the  Circumcelli- 
ONES,  were  a  mere  banditti,  sons  of  vio- 
lence and  bloodshed,  who  neither  valued 
their  own  lives,  nor  those  of  their  neigh- 
bours, and  frequently  were  remarkable 
for  committing  suicide  in  a  fit  of  frenzy. 
They  had  a  peculiar  malice  against  the 
pastors  of  the  general  church,  and  way- 
laid them,  from  time  to  time,  attacked 


Ce:st.  v.] 


THE  DONATISTS. 


433 


them  with  armed  force,  and  mutilated,  or 
even  killed  them.  They  burnt  the  houses 
of  those  who  would  not  comply  with  their 
sect,  and  were  guilty  of  many  detestable 
enormities.  Augustine  himself  was  seve- 
ral times  way-laid  by  these  miserable 
men,  and  once  by  a  peculiar  providence, 
through  the  mistake  of  his  guide,  was  led 
into  a  different  road  from  that  by  which 
he  had  intended  to  travel,  when  he  was 
going  through  one  of  his  usual  visitations 
of  his  diocese,  a  work  which  he  was  wont 
to  discharge  with  frequency  and  labour. 
He  learnt  afterwards,  that  by  this  means 
he  had  escaped  an  ambush  which  they 
had  laid  for  him. 

There  was  nothing  peculiarly  doctrinal 
in  the  whole  scheme  of  the  Donatists : 
they  ditfered   from   the   general   church 
only  concerning  a  matter  of  fact,  namely, 
whether   Caeciiian  had  been  legally  or- 
dained.    Augustine  justly  observes  in  his 
controversy  with  them,  that,  if  their  oppo- 
nents had  been  mistaken,  such  a  circum- 
stance justified  not  at  all  their  separation 
from   the   general   church,    since    Jesus 
Christ,  his  grace  and  doctrine,  remained 
the  same.     Yet  for  such  a  trifle,  even 
from  the  close  of  the  third  century  to  this 
which  is  before  us,  did  these  schismatics 
think  it  worth  while  to  rend  the  body  of 
Christ,  when  the  articles  of  belief  were 
the  same  in  both  parties.     So  much  had 
men  forgotten  to  keep  the  unity  of  the 
spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace  !     The  peace- 
able Donatists  abhorred  the  madness  of 
the  Circumcelliones,  aud  yet  had  not  the 
discernment  to  see  and  lament  the  evils 
which    their   own   needless   schism  had 
occasioned.  They  themselves  were  crum- 
bled   into   parties,  and   subdivided   into 
little  bodies  which  condemned  one  ano- 
ther, each  arrogating  to  itself  the  title  of 
the  true  church,  while  they  all  joined  to 
condemn   the   general   church.      In    the 
mean  time  they  were  extremely  active  in 
re-baptizing  multitudes  in  Africa ;  for  the 
baptism  of  the  general  church  was  not  by 
them  allowed  to  be  valid. 

Augustine  owns,  concerning  one  party 
of  them,  the  Rogatians,  that  they  care- 
fully distinguished  themselves  from  the 
Circumcelliones.  Whether  the  rest  did 
so,  is  not  so  evident.  This  may  be  safely 
affirmed,  that  all  truly  humble  and  godly 
persons  of  the  Donatist  name  (and  1  hope 
there  were  many  such  in  Africa)  must 
have  separated  themselves  from  them 
entirely.  But  it  was  very  difficult  for 
others  to  make  the  just  distinction:  Afri- 
VoL.  I.  2  0 


ca  was  full  of  these  schismatics,  and  the 
furious  party  were  undoubtedly  very  nu- 
merous. Let  us  briefly  state  the  methods 
used  by  Augustine  with  respect  to  this 
people. 

At  first,  when  he  saw  the  vast  numbers 
of  them  with  which  Africa  swarmed,  his 
heart  was  struck  with  horror  at  the 
thought  of  exposing  them  to  the  penal 
laws  of  the  empire ;  and  he  wrote  to  the 
Imperial  court  his  sentiments  and  wishes, 
which  were,  that  the  lawless  and  savage 
conduct  of  the  Circumcelliones  might  be 
restrained  by  the  civil  sword,  but  that  no 
other  arms  should  be  used  against  the 
peaceable  Donatists,  than  preaching  and 
arguments  ;  because,  as  he  observed,  com- 
pulsive conversions  were  not  genuine, 
and  tended  only  to  harden  men  in  sin. 

Other  bishops  of  the  general  church 
in  Africa  were  not  so  moderate  :  they  de- 
sired that  the  civil  restraints  should  be 
exercised  on  the  whole  Donatist  name, 
and  signified  these  sentiments  to  the  Im- 
perial court,  at  a  time  when  their  spirits 
were  heated  by  the  savage  treatment  of  a 
certain  bishop,  who  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  Circumcelliones,  and  was  be- 
lieved to  have  lost  his  life.  Under  the 
impression  of  this  belief,  on  account  of 
many  enormities  which  had  been  prac- 
tised by  the  banditti,  the  court  issued- 
orders  for  fines  to  be  imposed  on  the 
Donatists,  and  banishment  on  their  bi- 
shops. It  was  not  till  after  these  edicts 
were  promulged,  that  it  appeared,  that 
the  injured  bishop  had  escaped  with 
life.  Auo-ustine  owns  that  he  afterwards 
retracted  his  opinion,  when  he  saw  the 
good  eflfects  of  the  interposition  of  the 
civil  magistrate.  Many  of  the  Circum- 
cilliones,  he  observes,  with  much  humili- 
ty and  joy  confessed  their  error,  and  re- 
turned into  the  bosom  of  the  church: 
numbers  too,  who  had  never  joined  in 


their  enormities,  and  who  had  nothing 
to  plead  for  their  schism  but  custom  and 
tradition,  and  the  shame  of  inconstancy, 
and  the  fear  of  molestation  from  the  Cir- 
cumcelliones, when  they  found  them- 
selves exposed  to  the  laws  for  the  de- 
fence of  their  schism,  began  to  examine 
the  grounds  on  which  it  stood,  saw  and 
confessed  their  error,  and  united  them- 
selves to  the  general  church  with  every 
mark  of  serious  repentance.  Moved  by 
these  considerations,  and  convinced  by 
the  effects  rather  than  the  reason  of  the 
case,  the  bishop  of  Hippo  repeatedly 
supported  in  his  writings  the  justice  aud 


434 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VI. 


reasonableness  of  the  imperial  methods 
of  opposing  the  Donatists. 

It  is  certain,  however,  that  he  continu- 
ed all  the  time  extremely  tender  in  his 
conscience  concerning  this  subject.     He 
repeatedly  and  earnestly  pressed  the  ma- 
gistrates  on  no  account  to  shed  blood, 
and  in  all  his  writings  and  conduct  on 
this  occasion  demonstrated,  that  he  was 
led  by  principle,  by  the  fear  of  God,  and 
by  a  charitable  compassion  for  the  souls 
of  men,  in  his  contentions  with  the  Do- 
natists.    I  know  it  is  not  easy  for  men 
to  believe  this,  who  are  themselves  pro- 
fane and  careless,  and  with   whom   all 
sorts  of  religion  are  of  equal  value,  be- 
cause they  are  apt  to  measure  others  by 
themselves.  Yet,  whoever  shall  take  pains 
to  weigh  the  writings  of  Augustine,  and  to 
CO  mpare  them  with  his  practice  and  gene- 
ral temper,  will  feel  an  invincible  convic- 
tion, that  I  have  not  been  betrayed  into 
an   excess   of   candour   in   forming   this 
judgment.     In  truth,  the  case  was  mixed 
and   complicated ;   one   sort   of  conduct 
ought  to  have  been  held  toward  the  fu- 
rious, another  toward  the  peaceable.   But 
it  was  difficult  to  distinguish  in  real  fact, 
though  none  in  cur  times  will  doubt,  that 
Augustine's  first  sentiments  w«re  more 
just  than  his  second.     He  largely  insists 
on  the  unreasonableness  of  the  Donatists 
in  confining  the  mercies  of  salvation  to 
themselves,  as  if  all  the  world  had  been 
unchristian,  and  Africa  alone  were  pos- 
sessed of  the  truth.     And  he  observed, 
that  their  absurdity  appeared  still  strong- 
er in  confining  salvation  to  some  particular 
spots  of  Africa,  when  they  had  subdivid- 
ed themselves   into   little   parties,   each 
pretending  to  monopolize  the  truth.    But 
then  the  general  church  should  not  have 
imitated  this  bigotry,  in  condemning  the 
v/holc   body  of  the  Donatists.     Highly 
culpn.ble  as  these  were  in  breaking  the 
unity  of  the  church,  the  peaceable  part  of 
them,  V.  ho  feared  God,  and  wrought  righ- 
teousness,  should    have  been  oAvned  as 
brethren  by  the  general  church,  and  the 
furious  alone  should  have  been  rejected 
as  unchristian,  and  exposed  to  the  civil 
law  for  their  crimes.      It  was  an  erro- 
neous notion  of  the  unity  of  the  church, 
and  the  dread  of  schism  on  the  one  hand, 
which  led  Augustine  into  the  mistake; 
and  it  wr.s  an  abuse  of  the  right  of  con- 
science on  the  other,  which  seduced  the 
Donatists.* 

*  It  would  be  equally  tedious  and  uninter- 


The  bishop  of  Calama,  one  of  the  dis- 
ciples of  Augustine,  going  to  visit  his 
diocese,  was  attacked  by  the  Circumcel- 
liones,  robbed,  and  so  ill-treated,  that  he 
escaped  with  difficulty.  Upon  this,  Cris- 
pinus  the  Donatist  bishop  of  Calama,  was 
fined  by  the  magistrate  according  to  the 
laws.  He  denied  himself  to  be  a  Dona- 
tist, and  the  two  bishops  of  Calama  ap- 
peared in  court,  and  pleaded  before  a 
great  multitude,  nor  did  Augustine  refuse 
his  assistance  to  the  church  on  this  occa- 
sion. The  Donatist  was  convicted,  and 
required  to  pay  the  fine.  But  the  disciple 
of  Augustine,  satisfied  with  his  victory, 
begged  that  the  fine  might  be  remitted, 
which  request  was  granted  accordingly. 
The  pride  of  the  Donatist  refused  to 
stoop,  and  he  appealed  to  the  Emperor, 
Vv'ho  ordered  the  law  to  be  executed  with 
the  greatest  rigour  on  the  whole  party. 
The  bishops  of  the  general  church,  how- 
ever, with  Augustine  at  their  head,  im- 
plored for  them  the  imperial  clemency, 
and  were  successful  in  their  petition. 

No  doubt  it  would  have  been  far  more 
agreeable  to  the  maxims  of  Christianity, 
had  no  methods  but  those  of  argument 
been  employed  against  the  Donatists. 
But  the  difficulties  of  the  case  have  been 
stated  ;  and  the  conduct  of  Augustine, 
and  no  doubt  of  other  godly  persons  in 
Africa,  was  in  general  of  a  piece  with  the 


esting  to  take  notice  of  the  endless  perversions 
with  which  Mr.  Gibbon  has  filled  the  history 
of  the  cluu-ch.  A  remark  or  two  may  be  made, 
to  guard  those  who  read  his  History  against 
his  deceptions.  In  reading  him  (ci)ap.  xxxiii. 
Vol.  111.  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire) I  Mas  surprised  to  meet  with  two  repre- 
sentations, for  neither  of  wliieh  I  could  find 
any  foundation  in  original  records,  botli  re- 
lating to  tliese  Donatists.  The  first  is,  that 
he  ascribes  the  madness,  and  tumult,  and 
bloodshed  of  the  Circumcelliones  to  tlie  im- 
perial persecutions  in  Augustine's  time.  I 
will  not  say  how  far  these  outrages  might  be 
increased  by  them  ;  but  the  Donatists  had  eve^r 
been  an  unruly  and  turbulent  sect.  Their 
very  origin  was  scandalous,  and  in  Julian's 
cime  their  furious  conduct  deserved  the  inter- 
ference of  the  civil  magistrate,  Aug.  ad  Donat. 
Ep.  105.  Fleury,  Vol.  II.  B.  xv.  C.  32.  His 
second  account  is  still  more  glaringly  false. 
He  ascribes  the  success  of  the  Vandals  in  Afri- 
ca to  the  effect  of  the  same  prosecution  of  the 
Donatists,  who,  he  supposes,  joined  the  arms 
of  Genseric  against  the  general  church.  Ot 
this  no  pioof "appears  at  all.  He  might  as 
justly  have  ascribed  tlie  Pretender's  invasion 
of  Scotland,  in  the  last  rebellinn,  to  the  revi- 
val of  godliness  in  Great  Britain,  which  took 
place  about  the  same  time. 


Ckitt.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  WORKS. 


435 


mild  behaviour  which  they  displayed  on 
this  occasion.  Instances,  however,  of 
iniquitous  and  oppressive  exactions  from 
the  peaceable  Donatists  would  naturally 
take  place,  amidst  the  inditrnavion  of 
men's  minds  against  the  Circumcelliones. 
Nor  is  there  any  thing  in  all  this  wliich 
impeaches  the  acknowledged  sincerity, 
meekness,  and  piety  of  the  bishop  of  Hip- 
po, notwithstanding  the  mistake  of  judg- 
ment, which  happened  to  him  in  common 
with  the  whole  church  at  that  time.  It 
is  a  delicate  and  dilficult  matter  to  settle, 
in  all  cases,  how  far  the  civil  magistrate 
ought  to  interfere  in  religion.  Different 
ao-es  are  apt  to  run  into  different  extremes, 
as  either  superstition  or  profaneness  pre- 
dominates. Doubtless  there  is  a  middle 
path  of  rectitude  in  this  subject,  which  I 
have  endeavoured  to  describe  on  a  former 
occasion,  though,  to  apply  it  with  exact- 
ness to  all  cases  and  circumstances  would 
be  difficult  in  itself,  and  foreign  to  the 
design  of  this  history.  Donatism,  how- 
ever, under  the  charitable  and  argumenta- 
tive labours  of  Augustine,  received  a 
blow,  from  Avhich  it  never  recovered,  and 
the  sect  dwindled  gradually  into  insigni- 
ficance ;  and  the  most  pleasing  part  of 
the  story  is,  that  by  the  suppression  of 
the  Circumcelliones,  the  ecclesiastical 
face  of  Africa  must  have  been  abundantly 
meliorated,  and  in  all  probability,  a  great 
accession  made  to  the  real  church  of 
Christ.* 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    REST    OF    AUGUSTINe's    Vv'ORKS 
REVIEWED. 

The  two  tracts  on  Lying,  addressed  to 
Consentius,  demonstrate  the  soundness 
of  the  author's  views  in  morality.     Such 


indeed   is   the   connexion  between    one 

part  of  divine  truth  and  ano-    rr. 

1  rftcls   on 
ther,  that  those  who  have  the        Lyin"-. 

justest  and  the  largest  views 
of  Gospel-grace,  have  always  the  most 
exact  and  extensive  ideas  of  moral  duty, 
and  what  is  more,  exemplify  ihem  in  life 
and  conversation.  For  the  same  self- 
righteousness,  which  tarnishes  the  lustre 
of  divine  grace,  always  induces  its  votary 
to  curtail  the  demands  of  the  divine  law, 
to  adulterate  it  with  pride  and  the  love  of 
the  world,  and  to  render  a  thousand  things 
allowable  in  practice,  which  an  humble 
and  holy  soul  must  abhor.  We  have  seen 
what  vague  and  dangerous  notions  of 
veracity  had  begun  to  prevail  during  the 
progress  of  superstition,  from  which  even 
such  men  as  Ambrose  and  Chrysostom 
were  not  exempt ;  and  that  what  are  call- 
ed pious  frauds  had  in  some  instances 
been  esteemed  laudable.  Augustine  in 
the  treatise  before  us,  defines  Ij'ing  to  be 
"  The  saying  of  one  thing  and  thinking  of 
another;"  and  in  all  cases,  even  for  the 
most  pious  and  salutary  purposes,  he  ex- 
cludes lying  as  unchristian.  The  second 
chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the  Galatians  had 
been  perversely  interpreted  in  that  part  of 
it  which  relates  to  the  dissimulation  of  Pe- 
ter.* He  rescues  the  divine  oracles  from 
the  abuse,  and  demonstrates  from  the  most 
express  and  determinate  decisions  of  the 
New  Teetament,  that  all  deceit  of  the 
tongue  is  wicked.  The  task  was  worthy 
of  him  who  was  the  principal  instrument 
of  the  revival  of  godliness  in  the  church. f 


*  After  examining  Augustine's  writing  con- 
cerning the  Donatists,  pailicniarly  tlie  letters 
48,  50,  61,  and  127,  and  the  narrative  of  Fos- 
sidonins,  I  have  endeavoured  to  compress  into 
this  chapter  the  sulistance  of  tiie  historii-al 
information  whicii  tiiey  contain,  witlnml  trou- 
bling myself  or  the  reader  viih  ])articidar 
citations"  I  have  done  on  this  occasion,  wiiat 
I  profess  to  do  generally,  to  the  best  of  my 
ability,  namely,  formed  my  judgment  on  ori- 
ginal'evidences,  and  not  on  the  opinions  and 
reasonings  of  any  modern  whatever.  Labo- 
rious task!  compared  witii  the  case  of  copy- 
ing other  historians  ;  invidious  also,  because 
it  often  obliges  one  to  correct  moilern  rep- 
resenutions  J  But  it  is  the  task  of  a  real 
historian. 


*  Aug.  Opera,  torn.  iv.  page  2.  Paris  edi- 
tion, 1571. 

f  In  this  Chapter,  the  other  works  of  Au- 
gustine, whicli  have  not  fallen  under  our 
consideration  in  the  preceding  Chapters,  are 
considered,  so  far  as  I  think  them  wortliy  of 
the  reader's  particular  attention.  Those  parts 
of  his  voluminous  writings,  which  are  either 
mere  i-ejietitions  of  wliat  has  been  elsewhere 
illustiateil,  or  seem  not  to  convey  any  inter- 
esting instruction,  or  handle  subjects  which 
have  been  much  belter  treated  by  those  who 
have  hail  the  advantage  of  later  imj)rovements, 
are  omitted. — Tlie  book,  of  Meditations,  though 
more  known  to  English  readers  than  any  other 
of  the  works  ascribed  tn  Augustine,  on  ac- 
count of  the  translation  of  it  into  our  language 
by  Statihope,  seems  not  to  be  his,  both  on  ac- 
count of  its  style,  which  is  sententious,  concise, 
abrupt,  and  void  of  any  of  tiiose  classical  ele- 
gancies, which  now  and  iheti  appear  in  our 
autiior's  genuine  writings,  and  also  on  account 
of  the  prayers  to  deceased  Saints  whici*  it 
contains.  This  last  circumstance  peculiarly 
marks  it  to  have  been  of  a  later  date  than  the 


436 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VH. 


His  treatise  on  faith  and  works  was 
written  to  obviate  the  Antinomianism, 
which  some  were  in  his  time  desirous 
Aujustine  °^.  introducing.  Men,  who 
on  Faith.  Still  persevered  in  their  sins, 
desired  to  he  haptized  ;  and 
there  were  those  who  supported  their  un- 
reasonable wishes,  and  thought  it  suffi- 
cient to  teach  them,  after  baptism,  how 
they  ought  to  live,  still  holding  out  a 
hope  to  their  minds,  that  they  might  be 
saved  as  by  fire,  because  they  had  been 
haptized,  though  they  never  repented  of 
their  sins.  In  answer  to  these  dangrerous 
abuses,  our  author  shows,  that  the  true 
saving  faith  works  by  love,  that  the  in- 
struction of  catechumens  includes  morals, 
as  well  as  doctrines ;  that  the  labour  of 
catechising  is  exceedingly  profitable  to 
the  church,  and  that  persons  ought  to  be 
catechized  before  they  receive  baptism, 
that  they  may  know  how  vain  it  is  to 
think  of  being  eternally  saved  without 
holiness.  He  justly  observes,  that  the 
eunuch's  answer  to  Philip,  "  I  believe 
that  .Tesus  is  the  Son  of  God,"  virtually 
and  radically  involved  in  it,  a  knowledge 
of  the  true  character  of  the  person  and 
offices  of  Christ,  and  of  the  qualities 
which  belong  to  his  members.  He  sup- 
ports his  doctrine  by  Scripture  authority, 
particularly  by  that  of  St.  James  in  his 
second  chapter;  and  against  those  who 
say,  that  they  would  believe  in  Christ 
and  come  to  him,  and  are  hindered,  he 
observes,  "  We  do  not  prohibit  such  as 
are  willing,  from  coming  to  Christ,  but 
we  prove  by  their  own  practice  that  they 
are  not  willing  to  come  to  Christ ;  nor  do 
we  forbid  them  to  believe  in  Christ,  but 
demonstrate  that  they  are  not  willing  to 
believe  in  Christ,  who  suppose  that  adul- 
terers can  be  his  members."  On  the 
whole,  he  reprobates  the  most  dangerous 
notion  of  the  possibility  of  baptized  per- 
sons being  saved  in  their  sins,  and  recom- 
mends strongly  an  attention  to  church- 
discipline,  and  to  the  wholesome  practice 
of  catechizing,  showing  through  the 
whole  a  zeal  for  the  cause  of  holiness, 
and  a  fear  of  men's  abusing  the  doctrines 
of  grace.* 


age  of  Augustine.  Frauds  of  this  kind  were 
commonly  ])ractised  on  the  works  of  the 
Fathers  in  tlie  monastic  times.  For  the  most 
part,  liowever,  tliis  hook  may  be  read  wiili 
profit  by  tlie  serious  reader,  because  of  tlie 
devotional  spirit  in  which  it  resembles  the 
genuine  works  of  Augustine. 
*  Id.  p.  18. 


In  a  small  treatise  to  Simplician  the 
aged  bishop  of  Milan,  who  was  both  the 
instructor  and  the  successor  of  Ambrose, 
he  undertakes  to  solve  the  Treatise  to 
difficulties  usually  grounded  simplician 
on  the  ninth  chapter  to  the 
Romans.  And  he  defends  the  doctrine  of 
divine  grace  in  his  usual  manner.  His 
remarks  on  "  It  is  not  of  him  that  willeth, 
nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of  God  that 
howeth  mercy,"  will  deserve  to  be  tran- 
scribed. "  It  is  not  said,  it  is  not  of  him 
that  is  unwilling  and  despises,  but  of 
God  who  hardens. — Nothing  is  done  by 
God  to  make  men  worse  ;  only  that  is 
not  bestowed  by  him  upon  some  men, 
which  might  make  them  better.  Since 
human  society  is  connected  by  giving  and 
receiving,  who  does  not  see,  that  no  man 
is  accused  of  iniquity,  who  exacts  what 
is  due  to  himself,  or  remits  the  same  ] 
This  idea  of  equity  is  impressed  onus  by 
the  Divinity.  All  men  die  in  Adam, 
being  one  mass  of  iniquity :  this  death 
may  be  called  a  debt  due  to  Divine  Jus- 
tice, which,  whether  it  be  exacted,  as 
with  some,  or  remitted,  as  with  others, 
there  is  no  iniquity."* 

The  treatise  on  catechising  the  ignorant 
deserves  to  be  read,  both  for  the  solid 
and  pious  vein  of  instruction  which  runs 
through  it,  and  also  for  the  q^  pjjjg_ 
light  which  it  throws  on  the  chisin". 
customs  of  the  Church.  It 
appears,  that  whoever  desired  to  be  ad- 
mitted into  the  church,  was  obliged  to  at- 
tend the  catechist ;  and  the  work,  in  our 
author's  manner  of  practising  it,  was  very 
important.  The  person  to  whom  he 
writes,  had  expressed  a  concern,  because 
he  could  not  please  himself  in  his  manner 
of  speaking.  Augustine  observes,  that 
this  may  easily  happen,  even  when  there 
is  no  particular  fault  in  our  manner  of 
exhorting.  He  owns  that  it  was  gene- 
rally the  case  with  himself.  And  that 
the  reason  is,  the  mind  of  a  serious  preach- 
er or  catechist  conceiving  in  one  glance 
a  beauty  and  weight  in  his  subject,  to 
express  which  his  words  are  too  slow  or 
inadequate,  he  feels  ashamed  and  disap- 
pointed; yet,  continues  Augustine,  he 
ought  not  to  conclude,  that  his  words  are 
lost,  or  that  they  appear  as  mean  to  the 
hearers,  as  they  do  to  himself.  "  We 
see,"  says  he,  "but  in  a  glass  darkly, 
and  we  must  patiently  labour  to  make 
greater  improvement  in  divine  life.     Yet 

*  Id.  p.  147. 


Cbxt.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  WORKS. 


437 


it  is  desirable  to  catechise  with  a  cheer- 
ful spirit,  and  with  sensible  comfort  in 
one's  own  mind.  This,  however,  is  the 
gift  of  God." 

In  the  method  of  catechising,  he  re- 
commends to  begin  with  narration,  to 
give  to  the  pupils  a  clear  and  succinct 
view  of  the  great  facts,  relative  to  our 
religion,  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment, and  to  dwell  more  largely  on  the 
more  important,  and  only  glance  at  those 
which  are  less  so.  In  the  whole  manner 
of  doing  this,  the  teacher  should  have  his 
eyes  steadily  fixed  on  the  great  end, 
LOVE,  and  refer  everything,  which  he  re- 
lates, to  the  plan,  of  divine  love  in  the 
gift  of  Jesus  Christ,  describing  the  fall 
and  the  redemption,  and  the  method  of 
God  in  winning  back  the  apostate  spirits 
of  men  to  love  him,  in  return  for  his  free 
love  to  us  in  Jesus  Christ.  Yet  he  ob- 
serves, that  without  fear  of  Divine  wrath, 
there  can  be  no  motive  for  sinners  to  ap- 
proach to  the  God  of  love,  or  any  suffi- 
cient inducements  to  engage  their  minds 
to  seek  him.  Nor  should  the  catechist 
be  too  shy  in  conveying  his  instructions, 
because  the  catechumen's  motives  may 
be  merely  worldly.  It  often  happens, 
says  he,  through  the  mercy  of  God,  that 
he,  who  applied  to  us  for  instruction  with 
carnal  views,  is  brought  to  feel  the  value 
of  that,  of  which  at  first  he  only  made 
pretence.  But  it  would  be  useful,  if  the 
catechist  could  know  beforehand  what 
was  the  frame  of  the  catechumen.  If  he 
cannot,  he  must  interrogate  him  himself, 
and  regulate  his  discourse  by  the  answers 
he  receives.  If  the  catechumen  owns, 
that  fear  of  Divine  wrath  for  sin,  or  the 
terror  of  some  powerful  awakening  admo- 
nition from  God,  has  led  him  to  apply  for 
information,  the  catechist  has  then  the 
fairest  opening  for  instruction. 

When  he  has  finished  his  narration,  he 
should  add  exhortation,  laying  open  the 
hope  of  resurrection,  and  the  awful 
views  of  divine  judgment,  of  heaven  and 
hell.  He  should  arm  the  catechumen 
against  the  scandals  and  temptations  to 
which  he  may  be  exposed  from  the  per- 
verseness  of  heretics,  the  malice  of  open 
enemies,  or  the  evil  lives  of  nominal 
Christians.  And  he  is  particularly  to  be 
directed,  amidst  all  the  precepts  givenliim, 
how  to  please  God  and  live  a  holy  life, 
not  to  trust  in  any  of  his  works,  but  in 
the  grace  of  God  alone. 

If  the  person  hath  had  a  liberal  educa- 
tion, he  must  not  be  offended  by  a  tedious 
2o3 


and  diffusive  view  of  things  respecting 
the  facts  of  Christianity,  though  a  fuller 
display  of  the  same  facts  will  be  needful 
for  the  unlearned. — The  discourse  must 
be  varied;  it  will  be  necessary  in  some 
things  to  be  more  large,  as  in  others  to 
be  more  brief.  For  instance,  in  guarding 
him  against  the  pride  of  learning,  and  in 
forming  his  taste,  he  will  need  to  be  se- 
riously instructed  to  avoid  faults  of  a  mo- 
ral rather  than  those  of  a  literary  nature, 
and  to  dread  the  want  of  grace  in  his 
words  and  deeds,  rather  than  a  solecism 
or  barbarism  in  language,  and  to  take 
particular  care  not  to  despise  illiterate 
Christians. 

He  hath  already  hinted  at  one  discou- 
ragement with  which  the  catechist  is  apt 
to  be  affected.  Another  is,  that  whereas  he 
would  rather  himself  read  or  hear  things 
useful  for  his  own  improvement,  he  is 
obliged  repeatedly  to  have  recourse  to 
things,  which  to  himself  are  now  no 
longer  necessary.  No  doubt  this  is  one 
cause  in  all  ages,  why  so  few  love  the 
office  of  instructing  the  ignorant.  Those 
who  themselves  are  ighorant,  are  not  fit 
to  instruct,  and  those  who  are  knowing, 
are  apt  to  be  above  the  task.  A  pastor, 
he  observes,  is  engaged  in  some  agreeable 
study,  and  is  told  that  he  must  proceed  to 
catechise.  He  is  vexed  that  the  course  of 
his  work  is  interrupted,  and  from  the  agi- 
tation of  his  mind,  is  less  fitted  to  dis- 
charge the  work  itself. 

Hence,  he  concludes,  it  is  necessary 
that  the  teacher  should  himself  learn 
those  things,  which  may  exhilarate  his 
own  mind :  for  God  loveth  a  cheerful 
giver.  He  adds,  that  the  meek  and  cha- 
ritable example  of  the  Son  of  God  should 
to  this  end  be  placed  before  him,  to  shame 
him  out  of  his  pride  and  impatience ;  that 
if  indeed  we  have  any  more  useful  study 
to  prosecute,  respecting  ourselves,  we 
may  then  expect  that  God  will  speak  to 
us  in  it  more  powerfully,  when  we  have 
undertaken  cheerfully  to  speak  for  liim  as 
well  as  we  could  to  others ;  and  that  the 
tediousncss  of  that  trite  and  plain  road  of 
catechising  should  be  smoothed  by  divine 
love  in  the  heart;  and  that  when  we  con- 
sider t!-.at  we  are  poor  judges  of  the  best 
order  of  things,  and  how  much  bettt^r  it  is 
to  leave  the  direction  of  times  and  sea- 
sons with  the  all-wise  God,  we  shall  not 
take  it  amiss,  that  the  providential  calls 
of  duty  disturbed  the  order  which  we  had 
prescribed  to  ourselves,  and  that,  in  short, 
his  will  took  place  before  ours. 


438 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VH. 


Treatise 
on  Pa- 
tience. 


In  interrogating  the  catechumen,  he  is 
to  be  asked,  whether  he  means  to  be  a 
Christian  for  the  sake  of  this  life  or  the 
next.  And  one  of  the  most  important  cau- 
tions to  be  g-iven  him  is,  that  lie  desire  to 
be  a  Christian  solely  on  account  of  eter- 
nity. 

He  concludes  with  the  form  of  a  cate- 
chetical instruction,  which  is  itself  no 
mean  sermon,  comprehending  the  very  es- 
sentials of  the  Gospel  salvation  by  Jesus 
Christ  through  faith,*  the  most  important 
doctrines  connected  with  the  most  mate- 
rial Christian  duties. — But  enough  of  this 
subject:  let  those  pastors,  with  whom  re- 
ligion is  mere  form,  read  and  blush,  and 
learn  and  imitate. 

In  his  treatise  on  patienee,f  he  is  soli- 
citous to  show  that  its  origin  is  from  di- 
vine grace,  and  that  it  is  a  virtue,  in  its 
whole   nature,   distinct    from 
any  thing   seemingly  resem- 
bling it,  which  may  arise  from 
natural   resources.     To   pave 
the  way  to  an  illustration  of  this  thought, 
he  starts  an  objection,  natural  enough  to 
an  infidel  mind :  "  If  men,  to  gratify  their 
secular  desires,  can  without  divine  grace, 
by  the  mere  strength  of  nature,  endure 
patiently  the  greatest  hardships,  why  may 
not  men  by  the  same  strength  endure  af- 
flictions through  the  love  of  eternal  life]" 
In  answer  to  this,  he  observes,  that  the 
stronger  men's  desires  are  after  worldly 
things,   the   more   firmly  and   resolutely 
will  they  endure  hardships  to  obtain  the 
gratification  of  their  selfish  desires,  whe- 
ther riches,  praise,  or  whatever  else.     In 
like  manner,  the  more  sincerely  they  love 
heavenly  things,  the  more  cheerfully  will 
they  endure  what  they  are  called  to  suffer 
on   their  account.     Now  worldly  desire 
originates     from    the    human     will,    is 
strengthened   by  the   delight  w^hicli   the 
mind   takes   in   worldly  objects,   and   is 
confirmed  by  custom.     But  the  love  of 
God  has  no  such  origin;   it  is  not  from 
ourselves,  it  is  altogether  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  given  to  us.     And  he  goes  on  to 
show,  that  electing  grace,  not  in  conse- 
quence of  any  works  of  man,  but  previous 
to   them   all,  while   he   is   ungodly  and 
without  strength,  chooses  him  to  salva- 
tion,  and   bestows   on    him    the   whole 
power  to  will  and  to  do,  and  is  itself  the 
first  and  decisive  source  of  all  the  good 
which  he  does,  which  good  is  all  along 
assisted,   supported,  and   maintained    to 


the   end,   and   at   length  rewarded  here- 
after. 

It  is  not  in  commenting  on  the  Scrip- 
tures, that  the  peculiar  excellencies  of 
Augustine  appear.  The  fanciful  mode  of 
Origen  vitiated  the  whole  plan  of  exposi- 
tion, from  his  days  to  the  Reformation. 
Yet,  Augustine  has  far  less  of  it,  and  en- 
ters more  precisely  into  the  sacred  oracles 
than  most  of  the  fathers  of  his  time ;  but 
he  does  this  better  in  expounding  a  parti- 
cular point  of  doctrine,  which  he  has  be- 
fore him,  than  in  any  of  his  orderly  com- 
ments. His  exposition  of  the  Psalms  is 
full  of  pious  sentiments,  and  he  breaks 
out  from  time  to  time  into  beautiful  and 
pathetic  observations.  He  sees  Christ 
every  where  in  the  Psalms,  though  he  is 
not  always  happy  in  his  manner  of  ex- 
pounding the  passages.  On  his  exposi- 
tion of  St.  John's  Gospel,  similar  observa- 
tions may  be  made.  It  cannot,  however, 
be  denied,  that  extremely  imperfect  as 
his  expositions  are,  they  have  been  highly 
useful  to  the  church,  because  the  lights 
which  they  contained  were  not  only  bene- 
ficial to  pious  men  in  the  dark  ages,  but 
afforded  also  much  assistance  to  the  re- 
formers, when  a  more  judicious  and  intel- 
ligent vein  of  interpretation  took  place. 

His  treatise  on  Christian  doctrine*  de- 
serves to  be  perused  throughout  by  young 
ministers;  for  the  purpose  of  forming  the 
taste  and  directing  the  man- 
ner, as  well  as  enlightening 
the  understanding,  and  warm- 
ing the  heart  of  him  who  un- 
dertakes to  instruct  mankind. 
As  a  preacher,  Augustine  doubtless  ex- 
celled ;  but  his  excellence  lay  in  exhibit- 
ing that  which  was  useful  to  the  vulgar, 
not  that  which  was  entertaining  to  the 
learned.  Perhaps,  in  no  age  was  the  pas- 
toral taste  more  depraved,  than  it  is  in 
the  present.  A  highly  finished,  elaborate 
and  elegant  style,  is  looked  on  as  the  per- 
fection °of  a  Christian  speaker,  and  the 
manner,  rather  than  the  matter,  is  the 
chief  object.  It  is  not  considered,  that  an 
artificial  and  polished  arrangement  of  sen- 
tences is  lost  on  a  vulgar  audience;  and 
those  who  affect  it,  are,  it  is  to  be  feared, 
little  moved  themselves  with  the  import- 
ance of  divine  things,  and  are  far  more  so- 
licitous for  their  own  character  as  speak- 
than  for  the  spiritual  profit  of  their 


Treatise 
on  Chris- 
tian Doe- 
trine. 


crs. 


Id.  p.  21". 


f  Id.  p.  243. 


hearers.     Yet  m   no   age 
miu-htv  ever  more  clearly 


"did    God 
show,  by 


Al- 

the 


*  Toil),  iii.  beginning:. 


Cext.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  WORKS. 


439 


effects,  what  was  a^eeable  in  his  sight. 
What  a  number  of  learned  and  elaborate 
sermons  have  been  preached  to  no  pur 


pose; 


even  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  that 


is  in  them  is  rendered,  in  a  ^reat  measure, 
useless  by  the  wisdom  of  words,  with 
which  it  has  been  clothed:  While  plain 
artless  colloquial  addresses  to  the  popu- 
lace, by  men  fearing  God,  and  speaking 
of  divine  things  in  fervour  and  charity, 
have  been  attended  with  de.aionstration 

OF  THE    SPIRIT    AND    OF    POWER,  and    SOuls 

have  been  rescued,  through  their  means, 
from  sin  and  Satan.     Classical  and  orna- 
mental knowledge  is  not  the  first  thing  to 
be  aimed  at  by  a  pastor.    If  he  is  yet  very 
young,  his  time  indeed  is  laudably  em- 
ployed in  cultivating  his  faculties  in  this 
respect.     And  if  his  genius  for  eloquence 
be  strong  and  acute,  he  will  soon  learn 
the  justest  rules  sufficiently  for  the  pur- 
pose of  his  profession.     There  is  indeed 
an  eloquence  in  the  Scriptures,  but  it  is 
an  eloquence  adapted  to  the  subject,  plain- 
ly divine.     A  pastor  who  has  talents  for 
speaking,  attended  with  superior  learning 
and  endowments,  will  study  to  attain  "  a 
diligent  negligence,"  that  he  may  never 
overshoot  the  capacities  of  his  audience, 
either  by  refined  reasonings  or  by  artificial 
elegancies  of  diction.     Plain,  downright, 
above  all  things  perspicuous  and  intelli- 
gible, without  being  rude  or  clownish,  he 
will  descend  to  the  lowest  comprehension 
of  his  audience;    and  his  grandeur  and 
sublimity  will  appear  in  things,  not  in 
words.     He  will  gladly  give  up  his  repu- 
tation to  the  fastidiousness  of  critics;  for 
he  has  souls  to  bring  into  Christ's  fold, 
and  is  not  solicitous  of  the  praise  of  men. 
He  will  show,  without  designing  it,  from 
time  to  time,  that  he  can  speak  more  ela- 
borately,  and   more  elegantly;   but  elo- 
quence will  follow  his  subject,  not  go  be- 
fore it.    This  will  be  the  plan  of  a  man  of 
genius  and  learning  in  the  work  of  the 
pulpit:    he   will    humble    himself,   that 
Christ  may  be  exalted.     But  Christ  can 
do  his  work  by  workmen  of  sloAver  and 
more  ordinary  capacities,  and  he  often  has 
done  so.* 


I  have  not  wandered  from  the  subject 
of  CHRISTIAN  doctrine,  handled  by  Augus- 
tine.    What  I  have  mentioned  are  in  a 
great  measure  his  ideas.*     One  import- 
ant rule  he  adds,  wliicli,  thougli  jilain  to 
every  serious  mind,  is  loo  much  overlook- 
ed by  many.  "  Let  our  Christian  orator," 
says  he,  "  who  would  be  understood  and 
be  heard  with  pleasure,  pray  before  he 
speak.     Let  him  lift  up  his  thirsty  soul 
to  God,  before  he  pronounce  any  thing. 
For,  since  there  are  many  things  which 
may  be  said,  and  many  modes  of  saying 
the  same  thing,  who  knows,  except  he 
who  knows  the  hearts  of  all  men,  what 
is  most  expedient  to  be  said  at  the  pre- 
sent hour  ]     And  who  can  cause   us   to 
speak  what  we  ought,  and  as  we  ought, 
unless  he  in  whose  hands  we  and   our 
words   are'?     And,  by  these  means,   he 
may  learn  all  that  is  to  be  taught,  and 
may  acquire  a  faculty  of  speaking  as  be- 
comes a  pastor.     At  the  hour  itself  of 
speaking,  a  faithful  spirit  will  think  his 
Lord's   words   adapted    to   his    circum- 


*  Augustine  knew  how  to  praolise  his  owni 
rules  of  eloquence,  and  two  instances  related  by 
himself  show  liim.notwilhstanding  the  defective 
taste  of  his  ase,  to  have  been  no  mean  orator. 
\Vhile  he  acted  as  a  presbyter  at  Hippo,  under 
Valerius  his  bishop,  he  was  appointed  by  him  to 
preach  to  the  people,  in  order  to  reclaim  them 
from  riotous  feasting  on  solemn  days.  lie  opened 
the  Scriptures,  and  read  to  them  the  most  vehe- 


ment rebukes.  He  besought  them  by  the  igno- 
minv  and  sorrow  which  they  brought  upon 
themselves,  and  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  not  to 
destroy  themselves,  to  pity  him  who  spake  to 
them  with  so  much  affection,  and  to  show  some 
regard  to  their  venerable  old  bishop,  who,  out 
of  tenderness  to  thern,  had  charged  him  to  in- 
struct iheni  in  the  truth.  "  I  did  not  make  them 
vvecp."t  says  he,  "  by  tirst  weeping  over  them, 
but  while  I  Was  preai  hing,  their  tears  prevented 
mine.  Then  I  own  I  could  not  restrain  myself. 
After  we  had  wept  together,  I  began  to  entertain 
great  hope  of  their  amendment."  He  now  varied 
from  the  discourse  he  had  prepared,  because  the 
present  softness  of  their  minds  seemed  to  require 
something  different.  In  fine,  he  had  the  satisfac- 
tion to  find  the  evil  redressed  from  that  very 
day. 

The  other  occasion  was  this:  "We  must  not 
imagine,"  says  he,  "  that  a  man  has  spoken  pow- 
erfully, when  he  receives  much  applause.  This 
is  sometimes  given  to  low  turns  of  wit,  and 
merely  ornamental  eloquence.  But  ihe  sublime 
overwhelms  the  mind  with  its  vehemence,  it 
strikes  ihem  dumb;  it  melts  them  into  tears. 
When  I  endeavoured  to  persuade  the  people  of 
Cffisarea  to  abolish  their  barbarous  sports,  in 
which,  at  a  cerlnin  time  of  the  year,  they  fought 
publicly  for  several  days,  I  said  what  I  could  ; 
but  while  I  heard  only  their  acclamaiiotis,  I 
thought  I  had  done  nothing :  when  they  wept,  1 
entertained  a  hope  that  the  horrible  custom 
which  they  had  received  from  their  ancestors 
would  be  abolished.— It  is  now  upwards  of  eight 
years  since  that  time,  and  by  ilie  grace  of  God 
iliey  have  ever  since  been  restrained  from  the 
practice."  Here  was  true  eloquence,  and,  what 
is  of  far  more  consequence,  true  piety  in  a 
preacher. 
*  B.  iv. 

t  Ep  29.  to  Alypius. 


440 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.VII. 


stances :  '  Think  not  what  or  how  ye 
shall  speak,  for  it  is  not  ye  that  speak, 
but  the  Spirit  of  your  Father  which 
speaketh  in  you.'  If  the  Holy  Spirit 
speak  in  those  who  are  delivered  up  to 
persecutors  for  Christ,  why  not  also  in 
those  who  deliver  Christ  to  learners  1 
But,  on  the  other  side,  if  any  say,  that 
men  need  to  know  no  rules  nor  follow 
any  studies,  if  the  Holy  Ghost  make  men 
teachers,  it  might  be  said  also,  men  need 
not  to  pray,  because  our  Lord  saith, 
'Your  Father  knoweth  what  ye  have  need 
of  before  ye  ask  him ;'  and  at  this  rate 
the  rules  of  St.  Paul  to  Timothy  and 
Titus  might  be  superseded.  Prayer  and 
study  therefore  should  go  hand  in  hand  ; 
and  the  two  epistles  to  Timothy  and  that 
to  Titus  are  of  standing  authority  in  the 
church,  and  ought  to  be  deeply  meditated 
upon  by  every  one  who  undertakes  the 
office  of  a  teacher." 

The  whole  treatise  deserves  to  be  stu- 
died by  junior  pastors  ;  the  fourth  book 
particularly ;  in  the  latter  part  of  which 

Excellence  ^^  ^^^^  '^^^^^  ^^^-  ^^^^^^  ^°^^^ 
ofBooklV.  ^f  style  so  judiciously  de- 
scribed by  Cicero,  exempli- 
fies them  by  Scripture  instances,  and  in- 
structs his  vounf  Christian  orator  how 
to  adapt  them  to  the  nature  of  the  sub- 
jects which  lie  before  him. 

His  treatise  on  the  Trinity*  is  very 
elaborate.  Perhaps  all  that  has  ever  been 
said  in  any  age,  in  vindication  and  expla- 
nation of  that  great  mystery, 
Augustine  jg  contained  in  this  book.  It 
™'  }  '.^  is  in  perfect  unison  with  the 

expositions  and  sentiments  or 
all  the  pious  men  who  preceded  him,  and 
particularly  with  the  views  of  Novatian 
in  his  treatise  on  the  same  subject.  Whe- 
ther the  writers  were  of  the  general 
church,  or  dissenters,  they  are  perfectly 
unanimous  in  confessing  the  Trinity  in 
unity,  and  in  proving  the  doctrine  from 
Scriptures,  and  in  leaving  something 
after  all  inexplicable  in  the  subject;  but 
in  a  manner  congruous  to  the  incompre- 
hensibility of  the  Divine  essence.  Au- 
gustine does  full  justice  indeed  to  the  ar- 
gument, but  it  must  be  confessed,  be  goes 
too  far ;  he  loses  both  himself  and  his 
readers,  by  metaphysical  subtilties  and 
vain  attempts  to  find  analogies  and  simi- 
litudes, yet  with  a  spirit  so  humble  and 
cautious,  as  to  separate  carefully  his  con- 


*  Tom.  iii. 


jectures  from  divine  truth,  and  to  leave 
the  authority  of  Scripture  unviolated.  He, 
who  has  leisure,  may  peruse  the  whole 
work  with  profit.     The  humble  and  seri- 
ous spirit  of  the  author  appears  particu- 
larly in  the  several  prefaces  to  its  parts, 
and  in  the  prayer  at  the  close,  an  extract 
of  which  is  as  follows :    "  O  Lord  our 
God,  we  believe  in  thee  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  the  Truth 
would  not  have  said.  Go,  baptize  all  na- 
tions, in  the  name,  &c.  if  thou  wert  not  a 
Trinity.   Nor  wouldest  thou  command  us 
to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  him  who  is 
not  God.     I  have  sought  thee,  and  ex- 
amined and  laboured  much  in  composing 
this  treatise.     My  God,  my  only  hope, 
hear  me,  lest,  through  weariness,  I  cease 
to  seek  thee.     Thou,  who  wilt  be  found, 
and   hast  given  me   increasing  hope  of 
finding  thee,   give  me  strength  to  seek 
thee.    Before  thee  are  my  strength  and  my 
weakness.     Preserve  that  and  heal  this. 
Before  thee  are  my  knowledge  and  igno- 
rance.    Where  thou  hast  opened  to  me, 
uphold  me,  when  I  enter ;  where  thou 
hast  shut  up,  open  to  me  when  I  knock. 
I  would  remember  thee,  understand  thee, 
love  thee.     Augment  in  me  these  things, 
till  thou  perfectly  form  me  anew.  I  know 
it  is  written,  in  the  multitude  of  words, 
there  wanteth  not  sin  :   but  I  would  to 
God  I  spake  only  concerning  thy  word, 
;md  in  praising  thee ;  I  should  then  do 
what  is  acceptable  in  thy  sight,  though  I 
spake  much.    For  thy  Apostle  would  not 
have   directed   his   son   in   the   faith   to 
preach  the  word,  and  to  be  instant  in  sea- 
son,*  out  of  season,  were  not  this   the 
case.     Free  me,  O  God,  from  the  much 
inward  speaking,  which,  Avhile  I  fly  to 
thy  mercy,  I  feel  in  my  miserable  soul. 
For  my  thoughts  are  not  silent  when  my 
tongue  is.    Many,  alas!  are  my  thoughts, 
which  thou  knowest  to  be  vain.     Grant 
me  not  to  consent  to  them;  and,   if  my 
nature  delights  in  them,  grant  me  to  dis- 
approve and  not  to  dwell  on  them,  even 
in  a  slumbering  manner.     Nor  let  them 
be  so  strong,  as  to  proceed  to  any  thing 
active;  let  my  will,  my  conscience,  be 
safe  from  them  under  thy  defence.    When 
we  come  to  thee,  many  of  those  things  we 
now  say,  shall  cease,  and  thou  shalt  re- 
main alone  all  in  all,  and  we  shall  with- 
out end  say  one  thing,  praising  thee  in 
one,  being  made  one  in  thee.     What  is 


*  2  Tim.  iv. 


Cent,  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  WORKS. 


441 


thine  in  these  books,  may  thine  acknow- 
ledge ;  if  there  be  any  thing  of  mine,  may 
thou  and  thine  forgive !" 

On  Augustine's  Sermons,  I  shall  make 
only  one  remark.  Tiie  reader  would  not 
think  them  to  be  the  works  of  the  learned 

.  .-  ,  and  eloquent  author  of  the 
Auffustine's  ...  ^^l-,  i  i-.  , 
Sermons.  City  of  God.  13ut  we  must 
remember,  that  in  them  he 
was  addressing,  not  scholars,  but,  the  po- 
pulace. They  are  plain  and  simple,  but 
weighty  and  serious.  He  follows  his 
own  pastoral  rules,  and  is  himself  the 
preacher  he  describes. 

Amidst  the  many  arduous  and  laborious 
employments  of  Augustine,  in  support  of 
the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  and  in  the 
pastoral  care,  he  yet  found  time  to  man- 
age a  large  epistolary  correspondence,  a 
great  part  of  which  is  preserved,  and 
some  specimens  of  it  shall  close  this 
chapter. 

The  correspondence  between  him  and 
the  famous  Jerom,  the  monk  of  Palestine, 
begins  with  the  8th,  and  ends  with  the 
19th  epistle.     The  principal 
subject  of  it  was  the  repre- 
hension of  St.  Peter  by  St. 
Paul   mentioned    in    the   2d 
chapter  to  the  Galatians.    Je- 
rom, following  the  stream  of 
the  Greek  expositors,  who  had  gone  be- 
fore him,  and  who  imitated  the  vicious 
mode  of  Origen,  had  asserted,  that  Paul 
could  not  seriously  blame  Peter  for  that 
which  he  had  practised  himself,  in  the 
circumcision  of  Timothy,  and  that,  there- 
fore, his  rebuke  of  Peter  was  an  officious 
lie,  in  which  the  two  Apostles  understood 
one  another  in  private,  and  that  the  de- 
sign was  to  deceive  the  people  with  a 
charitable  view.     Jerom,*  it  seems,  car- 
ried his  admiration  of  both 
the  Apostles  to  a  superstiti- 
ous   excess,    and   could    not 
bear  to  think  of  Peter  being  really  found 
fault  with  for  dissimulation.     To  main- 
tain the  honour  of  Peter,  he  is  driven  to 
undertake  the  vindication  of  deceit,  when 
employed  for  a  charitable  purpose,  and, 
what  is  worse,  to  fix  the  stain  of  a  lie  on 
a  part  of  the  revealed  word  of  God,  and 
to  represent  Paul,  when  writing  by  in- 
spiration, as  guilty  of  falsehood.     Such 
mean  and  dangerous  views  attend  super- 
stition  and   self-righteous   formality!    I 
have  not  seen  a  practical  case,  which  more 


Opposed 

by  Augus- 
tine. 


Epistolary 
correspon- 
dence of 
Augus- 
tine. 


evidently  showed  the  low  declining  state 
of  godliness  in  these  times. 

Augustine,  jealous  of  the  honour  of  the 
divine  word,  and  sensible  of  the  danger 
of  admitting   falsehood,  either   into   the 
books  of  inspiration,  or  into  common  life, 
with  the  same  zeal  that  moved 
him  to  write  against  lying  of 
all  sorts,  undertakes  to  clear 
up  the  subject,  and  with  great 
accuracy  explains  the  whole  transaction,  in 
the  manner  which  we  saw  stated  in  the  be- 
ginning of  this  volume.*     Two  essential 
points  of  Christianity  are  connected  with 
liis  exposition,  namely,  the  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification by  faith  alone  in  Christ  Jesus, 
and  the  duty  of  abstaining  from  deceit  of 
the  tongue  of  all  kinds.     All  along,  how- 
ever, he  treats  the  aged  presbyter  with  a 
modesty  becoming  a  junior. 

Jerom  is  chafed  to  find  himself  contra- 
dicted, defends  his  interpretation  by  the 
authority  of  Origen,  its  inventor,  and 
seems  to  rebuke  the  daring 
spirit  of  Augustine,  for  ven- 
turing out  of  the  common 
road,  and  advises  him,  if  he 
burned    with  a  stronof   desire   of  glory. 


Jerom  is 
displea- 
sed. 


Jerom 's 
sentiments. 


rather  to  seek  out  some  champion  of  his 
own  age,  with  whom  he  might  contend,, 
than  to  molest  him  who  was  a  worn-out 
veteran.  The  angry  monk  seems  to  have 
measured  the  temper  of  the  bishop  of 
Hippo  by  his  own.  Learned  as  he  un- 
doubtedly was,  he  was  still  more  distin- 
guished for  vain  glory  than  for  learning, 
and  seems  to  have  known  too  little  of  that 
sincere  love  of  truth,  which  is  connected 
with  humility,  the  love  of  God,  and  the 
desire  of  leading  souls  to  heaven,  and  i& 
unmixed  with  all  selfish  considerations  ; 
a  love  of  which,  doubtless,  reigned  in  the 
breast  of  Augustine. 

Augustine  finding' that  he  had,  though, 
without  design,  given  offence,  answered 
to  this  effect:  "  In  your  letters  I 
find  many  proofs  of  your  kind- 
ness, and  some  marks  of  your 
disgust. — Far  be  it  from  me  to 
be  offended;  I  shall  rather  have 
reason  to  be  thankful,  if  I  be  in- 
structed and  corrected  by  your 
correspondence.  But,  dearest  brother,  you 
would  not  think  that  I  could  be  hurt  by 
your  answers,  if  you  did  not  feel  yourself 
hurt  by  my  writings.  As  I  cannot  believe 
that  you  would  think  of  hurting  me  un- 


Tom.  ii.  from  p.  9  to  19. 


Cluistian 
mildness 
and  mo- 
deration of 
Augus- 
tine. 


*  See  p.  39,  supra. 


442 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[CuAP.  vn. 


justly,  it  remains  that  I  own  my  fault,  in 
having-  offended    you   by   those   letters, 
which  I  cannot  deny  to  be  mine.     Why 
do  I  strive  against  the  stream,  and  not  ra- 
ther ask  pardon  ]  I  beseech  you,  therefore, 
by  the  gentleness  of  Christ,  that  if  I  have 
offended  you,  you  would  forgive,  lest  you 
be  induced  by  hurting  me  in  return  to 
Tender  evil  for  evil."     He  goes  on  in  a 
strain  of  mildness  very  uncommon  among 
•controversialists,  and  I  observe  nothing 
in  the  whole  course  of  the  debate,  (which 
is  far  too  long  to  quote,)  that  ought  justly 
to  give  offence  to  Jerom.     So  unreasona- 
bly has  our  author  been  censured  for  heat 
and  temerity,  by  writers  who  seem  not  to 
have    been   much   acquainted   with    his 
■works.*     But  these  are  faults  vastly  re- 
mote from  Augustine,  nor  do  I  know  any 
human  author,  ancient  or  modern,  who 
dealt  in  controversy,   so  remarkably  free 
from  censoriousness  and  malignity.     "  I 
was   much   affected,  says   he^  with  the 
conclusion  of  your  letter,  in  which  you 
say,  I  wish  I  could  embrace  you,  and  by 
mutual  conference  teach  or  learn  some- 
thing.    I   say,  for   my  part,   I   wish  at 
least  we  lived  nearer  one  another,  that 
we  might  confer  together  more  easily  by 
letter.     For  I  see  there  neither  is  nor  can 
be  so  much  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures 
in  me  as  in  you.     If  I  have  any  ability 
this  way,  I  employ  it  in  the  service  of 
God.     Nor  have  I  leisure,  because  of  ec- 
clesiastical occupations,  to  attend  to  more 
scriptural  studies  than  those  which  relate 
to  the  pastoral  care." 

In  the  same  letter  he  deeply  laments 
the  fierce  quarrel  which  had  arisen  be- 
tween Jerom  and  Ruffinus,  and  which, 
at  tliat  time,  made  a  great  noise  in  the 
Christian  world.  "  I  confess 
Quarrel  I  was  much  affected,  that  so 
between  grievous  a  discord  should 
Jerom  and  arise  between  two  such  inti- 
Kuffinus.  mate  friends,  united  in  a  bond 
of  union,  well  known  to  al- 
most all  the  churches.  I  saw  in  your 
letters  what  pains  you  took  to  moderate 
your  anger.  Wo  to  the  world  because  of 
offences  !  Truly  that  scripture  is  fulfill- 
ed. Because  iniquity  abounds,  the  love 
of  many  waxes  cold.  But  why  do  I  la- 
ment this  of  others,  since  I  know  not 
what  I  myself  shall  do  1     1  may  with 


How  delusive,  and  vet  how  common  a 
thing  IS  It,  to  form  our  idea  of  characters  from 
the  report  of  others,  rather  than  from  our 
own  knowledge  and  careful  investigation  ' 


difficulty,  perhaps,  know  myself  at  pre- 
sent, but  what  I  shall  be  hereafter  I  know 
not. — While  I  am  refreshed  with  your 
kind  words,  I  am  again  stimulated  with 
the  keenest  grief,  to  see  two  men,  to 
whom  God  had  given  to  suck  the  honey 
of  his  word  together  in  the  sweetest 
friendship,  fall  into  such  a  state  of  viru- 
lent hostility.  Wo  is  me.  I  would  fall 
at  your  feet,  I  would  weep  as  long  as  I 
could,  I  would  entreat  as  much  as  my 
affections  would  permit,  now  each  one 
for  himself,  now  both  for  each  other,  and 
for  others,  and  particularly  the  weak  for 
whom  Christ  died,  who  now  behold  your 
animosities  with  great  danger  of  hurt  to 
themselves. — But  I  tell  you  that  my  con- 
cern was  really  deep  and  strong,  when  I 
found  you  were  really  offended  with  me, 
and  it  has  led  me  to  be  more  prolix,  per- 
haps, than  I  ought." 

This  is  a  specimen  not  only  of  the 
moderate  temper,  but  also  of  the  ardent 
charity,  which  every  where  appears  in 
the  writings  of  this  author.  Jerom  him- 
self was  moved,  and  begs  that  the  de- 
bate might  be  closed  on  both  sides.  And 
he  appears  ever  after  to  have  both  es- 
teemed and  loved  Augustine." 

The  people  of  Madaura  sent  a  person, 
named   Florentius,  to  Augustine,  with  a 
letter,  desiring  his  assistance  in  some  se- 
cular affair.     The  inhabitants 
of  this  place  were  as  yet  devot-     -., 
ed  to  idolatry,  and,  through  an     t^  AugfTs- 
insincerity  very  common  with     tine  from 
profane  and   careless  minds,     the  people 
they  addressed   their  epistle,     of  Madau- 
"  To   Father   Augustine,    in      '"''• 
the  Lord,  eternal  salvation ;" 
and   closed  it  with   these  words,  "  We 
wish  you,  Sir,  in  God  and  his   Christ, 
for  many  years  to  rejoice  in  your  clergy." 
It  behooved  not  him,  who  had  written  a 
book   in   defence   of    strict  unequivocal 
truth  in  all  things,  to  pass  these  compli- 
ments unnoticed.     He  tells  the  Madau- 
rians*  that  he  had,  as  far  as  God  permit- 
ted, attended  to  the  business  of  Floren- 
tius, and   then   proceeds  to   expose   the 
inconsistency  of  such   professions   with 
their  idolatrous  practices.     On  the  first 
sight  of  them  he  owns  he  was  suddenly 
struck  with  a  belief  of  their  conversion, 
or  at  least  with  a  hope,  that  they  desired 
to   be   converted   by   his   ministry.     "  I 
asked  the  bearer  of  your  letter,   says  he, 
whether  ye  were  Christians,  or  desired 

*  £[).  42, 


ClITT.  v.] 


AUGUSTINE'S  WORKS. 


443 


so  to  be.     By  whose  answer  I  was  griev- 
ed, that  the  name  of  Christ  was,  to  you, 
become   an   object   of  derision.      For   I 
could  not  think  that  there  was  any  other 
Lord,   except  the    liOrd  Christ,  throug-h 
whom  a  bishop  could  properly  be  called 
father.     If  ye  wrote  this  with  sincerity, 
what  hinders  you  from  seeking  salvation 
in  the  same  Lord,  by  whom  ye  salute 
us  ]     If  3'e  wrote  thus  with  a  jocose  de- 
c^itfulness,  do  ye  impose  on  me  the  care 
of  your  business,  in  such  a  manner  that 
instead  of  extolling-  with  due  veneration, 
ye    msult   by  your   flattery,  that   name, 
through  which  I  have  power  to  do  any 
thing  for  you  ]     Dearest  brethren,  know 
that  I  speak  this  with  inexpressible  con- 
cern for  you,  believing  that  a  rejection  of 
my  warning  will  aggravate  your  condem- 
nation."    He  goes  on  to  lay  open  briefly, 
but  strongly,  the  evidences  of  Christian- 
ity ;  and  then  tells  them,  that  "  there  is 
an  invisible  God,  the  creator  of  all  things, 
whose   greatness   is   unsearchable ;  that 
there  is  a  person,*  by  whom  the  invisi- 
ble   Majesty   is   exhibited,    the    Word, 
equal  to  him  who  begat  him  ;  and  that 
there  is  a  Sanctity,  the  sanctifier  of  all 
things  which  are  done  in  holiness,  the 
inseparable  and  undivided  communion  of 
the  invisible  Deity  and  the  Word.    Who 
can  look,  with  a  serene  and  sincere  mind, 
at  this  IBeing  of  beings,  which  I  have 
laboured   to   express,  though   unable  to 
exhibit  with  accuracy,  and  in  beholdino-, 
forget  himself,  and  obtain  eternal  salva- 
tion, unless,  confessing  his  sins,  he  pull 
down  all  the  mountains  of  his  pride,  and 
lower  himself  to  receive  God  his  teacher? 
Therefore   the  Word   humbled   himself, 
that  we  might  more  fear  to  be  elated  with 
the   pride  of  man,  than   to   be   humbled 
after  the  example  of  God.     Christ  cruci- 
fied is  our  object.     Nothing  is  more  po- 
tent  than   divine    humilitj'. — I   beseech 
you,  if  ye  named  Christ  not  in  vain,  in 
your  epistle,  that  I  may  not  have  written 
this  in  vain.     But  if  ye  did  it  iu  unthink- 
ing gaiety  of  heart,  fear  him  whom  the 
subject   world   now   expects   its   Judge. 
The  affection  of  my  heart,  expressed  in 
this  page,  will  be  a  witness  at  the  day 
of  judgment,  to  comfort  you,  if  ye   be- 
lieve, to  confound  you,  if  ye  remain  in 
infidelity." 


*  I  use  the  word  Person,  because  I  can 
scarcely  otherwise  express  the  autlior's  mean- 
ing ;  but  it  is  proper  to  tell  the  reader  that 
there  is  nothing  for  it  in  tlie  original. 


The  Madaurians,  I  suppose,  expected 
not  such  a  letter.  It  deserved  to  be  in 
part  laid  before  the  reader,  as  a  proper 
example  of  the  open,  manly,  affectionate 
method  in  which  Christians  should  reply 
to  unmeaning  compliments,  or  polite  dis- 
simulation. Maximus,  a  grammarian, 
answered  by  a  letter,*  partly  compli- 
mentary, partly  satirical,  the  most  spe- 
cious sentiment  of  which  is,  that  Pao-ans 
and  Christians,  all  believing  one  God, 
mean  much  the  same  thing.  Augustine, 
in  reply,  gives  him  to  understand,  that 
the  subject  requires  not  levity,  but  seri- 
ousness, and  that,  by  the  help  of  the  one 
living  and  true  God,  he  will  discuss  these 
things  more  at  large,  when  he  shall  per- 
ceive him  to  be  in  good  earnest,  giving 
him  to  understand,  that  the  Christians  in 
Madaura  worshipped  none  but  the  living 
and  true  God. 

A  letter  to  Macedonius,  concerning  the 
road  to  true  felicity,f  deserves  the  serious 
perusal  of  every  proud  philo- 
sopher.   Men  who  seek  happi-     i^f^^'V'' 
ness  from  themselves,  thouo-h     ,  :,f<f^ 
Christians   in   form,    are    in 
effect,  on  the   same  plan  as  the  ancient 
Stoics,  whose  proud  pretences  are  justly 
ridiculed  in  this  letter.     Our  author  owns, 
that  extreme  torments  would  make  life 
miserable,   if  the  subject  of  them  were 
destitute  of  hope,  even  though  he  were 
possessed  of  some  virtues.     He  describes 
the  way  of  felicity  to  lie  through  a  course 
of  humility,  of  faith,  of  the  love  of  God 
and  our  neighbours,  and  of  the  hope  of  a 
future  life  of  bliss. 

In  reply  to  Dioscorus,:}:  he  justly  guards 
him  against  the  curious  and  presumptuous 
spirit  of  philosophizing,  and  dares  to  pro- 
nounce, in  opposition  to  Cle-     „     ,    , 

» 1  J  •  /->  •  Renlv  to 

mens  Alexandrmus,  Origen,  Dioscorus. 
and  several  others  of  the 
fathers,  that  Christian  piety  needs  not 
the  assistance  of  secular  instruction,  but 
ought  to  depend  solely  on  the  Scriptures, 
and  he  cautions  his  friend  against  the 
pride  of  secular  learning,  representing 
humility  to  be  the  first,  the  second,  the 
third,  the  all  in  true  religion,  as  Demos- 
thenes said  of  delivery  in  oratory.  Here 
is  another  point,  in  which  we  see  the 
revival  of  apostolical  truth  in  the  West, 
by  the  grace  of  God,  under  the  hand  of 
Augustine. 

In  his  letter  to   Proba,  on  prayer,§  he 


*Ep. 
+  Ep. 


43. 
56. 


t  Ep.  52. 
4  Ep.  121. 


444 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  VH. 


gives  a  sound  and  judicious  exposition  of 
the  Lord's  prayer  ;  and  observes,  that  it 

is  so  full  and  comprehensive, 
Letter  on  ^jj^j  though  a  man  may  pray 
Proba'^  °       ^^  other  words,  and  those  of 

great  variety,  yet  every  lawful 
subject  of  prayer  may  be  reduced  to  one 
or  other  of  the  petitions  which  it  contains. 
Proba  was  a  rich  widow,  and  had  a  nume- 
rous family  ;  and  when  we  consider  the 
larsre  extension  and  fashionableness  of  the 
monastic  spirit  at  that  time,  it  seems  an 
instance  of  candour  in  Augustine,  that  he 
does  not  hint  to  her  a  word  of  advice  to 
follow  the  custom  of  the  religious  in  that 
age,  but  contents  himself  with  directing 
her  to  serve  God  in  her  present  station. 
He  advises  her  to  be  a  desolate  widow* 
in  her  frame  and  spirit,  looking  for  hea- 
venly things,  not  earthly,  and  shows 
within  how  small  a  compass  our  prayers 
for  temporal  things  ought  to  be  confined. 
As  a  remedy  against  much  speaking 
in  prayer,  he  advises  to  utter  short  and 
quick  ejaculations,  rather  than  long-con- 
tinued petitions,  if  the  mind  be  not  in  a 
fervent  state ;  but  if  the  spirit  be  intent 
and  vigorous,  the  petitions,  he  thinks, 
may  be  prolonged  without  any  danger  of 
offending  against  our  Lord's  precept  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount.  And  he  speaks  in 
an  instructive  manner  on  the  office  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  as  interceding  for  the  saints 
with  unutterable  o-roaninos.  The  great 
object  in  pra3Ter,  he  observes,  should  con- 
stantly be,  the  enjoyment  of  God  ;  and  he 
adds,  that  however  inadequate  the  belie- 
ver's conceptions  be,  yet  he  has  a  distinct 
idea  of  his  object;  so  distinct,  that  you 
can  never  impose  on  a  real  saint  by  offer- 
ing him  something  else  in  the  room  of  it. 
He  knows  what  he  wants,  and  he  knows 
that  this  or  that  is  not  the  thing  which  he 
wants.  The  whole  epistle,  if  we  except 
a  few  fanciful  expositions,  after  the  man- 
ner of  Origen,  is  excellent,  and  breathes 
a  superior  spirit  of  godliness. 

One  Cornelius  wishing  to  receive  from 
him  a  consolatory  letter,  on  account  of 
the  loss  of  his   wife,|-   Augustine,  who 

knew  that,  notwithstanding 
Consolato-  ^j^jg  request,  he  lived  in  the 
rv  letter  to  /•         i        i-  ^  n 

Cornelius,     excess  oi  uncleanliness,  tells 

him,  in  allusion  to  the  words 
of  Cicero  against  Catiline,  "  I  could  wish 
to  be  gentle,  I  could  wish,  in  so  great 
dangers,  not  to  be  negligent,  but  can  a 
bishop  patiently  hear  a  man,  who  lives  in 


*  1  Tim.  V,  5. 


t  Ep.  125. 


sin,  with  greediness  asking  for  a  pane- 
gyric on  his  godly  spouse,  to  mitigate  his 
sadness  on  account  of  her  decease  V  He 
goes  on  to  exhort  him  to  repentance,  with 
as  much  severity  as  might  be  expected 
from  a  faithful  pastor  of  the  mildest  tem- 
per. 

In  the  close  of  a  letter  to  Florentina,* 
he  reminds  her,  "  that  though  she  had 
learned  something  salutary  from  him,  yet 
she  ought  firmly  to  remember,  that  she 
must  be  taught  by  the  innner  t  ,.  . . 
Master  of  the  inner  man,  who  p^orentina 
shows  in  the  heart  the  truth 
of  what  is  said,  because  neither  is  he  that 
planteth  anything,  nor  he  that  watereth." 
While  such  views  of  divine  teaching  pre- 
vailed in  the  church,  even  all  the  ashes  of 
superstition  could  not  extinguish  the  fire 
of  true  godliness.  It  is  the  infelicity  of 
our  times,  that  not  only  the  profane,  but 
many  serious  persons  are  not  a  little  irre- 
verent in  their  ideas  of  spiritual  illumi- 
nation ;  and  when  I  think  of  the  miserable 
effects  of  this  temper  on  the  human  mind, 
I  am  at  a  loss  to  determine  whether  I 
most  dislike  the  childish  superstitiousness 
of  Augustine's  age,  or  the  proud  preten- 
sions to  rationality  of  the  present.  To  so 
much  greater  a  degree  has  profaneness 
advanced  under  the  latter  than  under  the 
former. 

The  letter  to  Ediciaf  deserves  to  be 

attended  to  as  characteristic  of  tlie  taste 

of  the  times.     This  woman  had,  unknown 

to  her  husband,  made  a  vow     ,    ,. 

c  i      1  X-  T        l.etter  to 

or  perpetual  continency.     In     £(]ieia 

so  great  reputation,  however, 
were  such  practices  ot  that  time,  that  her 
husband  consented  afterwards  to  her  re- 
solution, and  they  still  lived  together, 
though  he  would  not  suffer  her  to  assume 
the  habit  of  a  nun.  Some  time  after, 
two  travelling  monks  imposed  on  her 
simplicity  to  such  a  degree,  that  she  gave 
nearly  all  her  property  to  them,  though 
she  had  a  son  of  her  own  by  her  husband. 
Augustine  reminds  her  of  St.  Paul's  di- 
rection, which  she  had  broken  ::f:  and  it 
is  indeed  observable,  with  what  wisdom, 
even  the  most  occasional  rules  of  the  divine 
word  are  delivered,  as  the  breach  of  them 
is  ever  attended  with  mischievous  conse- 
quences. He  finds  fault  with  her  vow 
in  the  first  place,  because  made  without 
her  husband's  consent,  and  with  her  dis- 
posal of  her  property  in  the  second  place 
for  the  same  reason ;  and,  as  the  husband, 


Ep.  132.        t  Ep.  199.        t  1  Cor.  vii.  5. 


Cext.  v.] 


LIFE  AND  DEATH  OF  AUGUSTINE. 


445 


incensed  at  her  folly,  had  now  fallen  into 
libidinous  practices,  he  teaches  her  to 
hun:ible  herself  deeply  before  God,  as 
having  been  a  great  instrument  of  his  fall, 
and  directs  her  to  submit  to  her  husband, 
to  entreat  his  forgiveness,  and  to  use 
every  healing  method  in  her  power.  The 
whole  subject  is  an  instance  of  piety  and 
good  sense  struggling  in  the  bishop  of 
Hippo,  against  the  torrent  of  absurdity 
and  fashionable  superstition. 

At  Calama,  a  colony  in  Africa,  the 
Pagan  interest  seems  to  have  much  pre- 
dominated ;  so  that,  notwithstanding  the 
imperi-al  laws  inhibiting  their  public  rites, 
the  party  performed  a  religious  solemnity 
in  the  city,  and  came  with  a  crowd  of 
dancers  before  the  church.  The  clergy 
endeavouring  to  [jrevent  this,  the  church 
was  attacked  with  stones.  The  insult 
was  repeated,  and  Christians  found  them- 
selves unable  to  obtain  justice.  Their 
buildings  were  burned  and  plundered, 
one  Christian  was  killed,  and  the  bishop 
was  obliged  to  hide  himself.  And  so 
deep-rooted  was  the  prejudice  of  the 
colony  against  Christianity,  that  the  ma- 
gistrates and  men  of  rank  chose  to  be 
tame  spectators  of  these  enormities.  One 
person  alone,  a  stranger,  but  as  it  seems 
a  character  of  great  influence,  interposed, 
saved  many  Christians,  whose  lives  had 
been  in  imminent  danger,  and  recovered 
much  of  their  property  which  had  been 
plundered  ;  whence  Augustine  justly  con- 
cludes,* how  easily  the  whole  mischief 
might  have  been  checked,  had  the  magis- 
trates done  their  duty.  Nectarius,  a 
Pagan  of  the  place,  wrote  a  neat  and 
genteel  letter  to  the  bishop  of  Hippo, 
begging  his  interest  with  the  reigning 
powers  to  prevent,  as  much  as  possible, 
the  punishment  of  the  guilty.  Augustine 
states  to  him  the  facts,  as  above,  and  ap 
peals  to  his  conscience,  whether  it  was 
possible  or  ri^ht  for  government  to  over- 
look such  crimes.  He  shows,  that  Chris- 
tians lived  in  peace  and  good  will 
toward  all  men,  and  that  he  would  do  the 
best  he  could  to  procure  such  a  tempera- 
ture of  justice  and  mercy,  as  might  pre- 
vent the  repetition  of  these  evils,  and 
induce  Pagans  to  take  care  of  their  best 
interests.  He  tells  him,  that  he  himself 
had  been  at  Calama  lately,  and  had  taken 
occasion  to  warn  them  of  the  danger  of 
their  souls.  They  heard  his  exhortation, 
and  entreated   his  interest.     "But  God 


forbid,"  says  he,  "  that  it  should  be  any 
pleasure  to  me  to  be  supplicated  by  those 
who  refuse  to  supplicate  our  Lord."  As 
Nectarius  himself  had  spoken  of  his  love 
to  his  country,  Augustine  is  not  sparing 
in  his  admonitions  to  him,  to  seek  an 
acquaintance  with  a  heavenly  country, 
and  preaches  to  him  the  truth  and  excel- 
lency of  the  Gospel,  as  well  as  exposes, 
in  his  usual  manner,  the  futility  of  Pa- 
ganism. 


-♦ 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MISCELLANEOUS     PARTICULARS     CON- 
CERNING AUGUSTINE. 

I  HAVE  comprised,  in  several  distinct 
chapters,  a  variety  of  matter  relating  to 
the  bishop  of  Hippo,  for  the  sake  of  per- 
spicuity ;  two  more  chapters  must  be 
added,  one  containing  various  articles  of 
his  life  and  conduct,  including  the  ac- 
count of  his  death  ;  and  the  other,  a  view 
of  his  theological  character.  It  is  not  in 
my  power  to  gratify  the  reader  with  any 
thing  like  a  regular  history  of  the  effu- 
sion of  the  spirit  of  God,  which  took 
place  toward  the  end  of  the  last,  and  in 
the  beginning  of  this  century.  We  have 
a  far  more  particular  account  of  Au<tus- 
tine's  literary  works,  than  of  his  minis- 
terial. On  the  whole,  however,  some 
genuine  information  may  be  collected, 
concerning  the  great  work  of  God  in 
this  day. 

The  Manichees  could  not  fail  to  attract 
a  considerable  portion  of  his  attention ; 
he  had  himself  suffered  extremely  through 
their  means ;  they  abounded  in  Africa, 
and  God  abundantly  blessed  his  labours 
in  opposing  their  doctrines,  and  in  re- 
covering' souls  which  had  been  seduced. 
One  instance,  to  the  honour  of  divine 
grace,  deserves  to  be  recorded  in  the  verj"- 
words  of  the  writer.*  "  Not  only  I  (Pos- 
sidonius)  who  write  this  life,  but  also 
other  brethren,  who  lived  together  with 
the  bishop  in  Hippo,  know  that  he  once 
said  to  us,  being  at  table  together:  'Did 
you  take  notice  of  my  sermon  to-day  in 
the  church,  that  its  beginning  and  end 
were  not  according  to  my  custom  ;  that  I 
did  not  finish  what  I  proposed,  but  left 
my  subject  in  suspense'?'  We  answered. 


Vol.  I. 


Ep.  202. 
2P 


♦  Possidonius,  Vita  Aug. 


446 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHTRCH: 


[CHAP.Vm. 


we  were  at  the  time  astonished,  and  now 
recollect  it.     •  I  believe.'  said  he,   '  the 
reason  was,  because  the  Lord,  perhaps, 
intended  some   erroneous  person  in  the 
coQOfregation,   through  my  forgetfolness 
and  mistake,  to  be  taught   and   healed; 
for,  in  his  hand  are  we  and  our  discourses. 
For,  while  I  was  handling  the  points  of 
the  question  proposed,  I  was  led  into  a 
digression,  and  so,  without   concluding 
or  explainins  the  subject  in  hand,  I  ter- 
minated the  argument  rather  against  Ma- 
nicheism,  on  which  I  had  no  design  to 
have  spoken  a  word,  than  concerning  the 
matter  proposed.'       Next   day,   or  t^vo 
days   after,  so  far  as  I  can   remember, 
came  a  merchant,   called   Firmus,   and 
while  Aueustine  was  sitlingr  in  the  mo- 
nastery, in  ccr  presence,  he  threw  him- 
self at  his  feet,  shedding  tears,  entreat- 
ing his  and  our  prayers,  and  confessing 
that  he  had  lived  many  years  a  Manichee ; 
that  he  had  vainly  spent  much  money  in 
the  support  of  that  sect,  and  that,  by  the 
bishop's  discourses,  he  had,  through  di- 
vine mercy,  been  lately  convinced  of  his 
error,  and  restored  to  the  church.     Au- 
gustine and  we  inquired  by  what  sermon 
in  particular  he  had  been  convinced ;  he 
informed  us ;  and  as  we  all  recollected 
the  substance  of  that  discourse,  we  ad- 
mired, and  were  astonished  at  the  pro- 
found counsel  of  God  for  the  salvation  of 
souls,  and  we  glorified  and  blessed  his 
holy  name,  who,  when,  whence,  and  as 
he  pleases,  by  persons  knowing  and  un- 
knowinof.  works  out  the  salvation  of  men. 
From  that  time,  the  man,  devoting  him- 
self to  God.  gave  up  his  business,  and, 
improving  in  piety,  was  by  the  will  of 
God  compelled  against  his  own  will,  in 
another   reffion,  to  receive  the   office  of 
Presbyter,  preserving  still  the  same  sanc- 
tity; and,  perhaps,  he  is  yet  alive  bevond 
sea." 

AusxiStine  detected  also  the  base  and 
blasphemous  practices  of  the  Manichees, 
and  thus  guarded  the  minds  of  the  un- 
warv.  One  cf  them,  by  name  Felix, 
coming  to  Hippo  to  sow  his  sentiments, 
Augustine  held  a  public  dispute  with 
him  in  the  church,  and,  after  the  second 
or  third  conference,  Felix  owned  himself 
convinced,  and  received  the  Gospel. 

Arianisra  also  being  introduced  into 
Africa  by  the  Goths,  who  professed  it. 
engaged  the  attention  of  Ausrustine,  and 
he  exerted  himself  in  a  controversy  with 
Maximinus  their  bishop. 

Of  his  labours  against  Pelagianism  it 


will  now  only  be  needful  to  say,*  that 
he  lived  to  see  the  fruit  of  them  in  the 
growth  of  Christian  purity,  both  in  his 
own  chtirch  and  in  other  parts  of  Africa. 

WhUe  he  thus  endeavoured  to  promote 
the  cause  of  piety,  he  was  always  ob- 
served to  bear,  with  much  patience  and 
meekness,  the  irregularities  of  the  per- 
verse, and  to  be  more  disposed  to  mourn 
over  them  with  grief,  than  resent  them 
with  anger. 

To  the  manifold  labours  of  this  bishop 
in  preaching,  visiting,  and  writing,  was 
added  the  troublesome  employment  of 
hearing  causes.  For,  according  to  the 
rules  of  1  Cor.  vi.  the  Christians  of  Hip- 
po used  to  bring  matters  of  controversy 
before  the  bishop.  And  the  examination 
and  decision  of  these  engaged  him  till 
the  hour  of  repast,  and  some  times  he 
was  employed  in  them  fasting  the  whole 
day.  Certainly  it  is  not  reasonable  that 
a  Christian  pastor  should  be  statedly 
employed  in  such  things :  but  Augus- 
tine, followingr  the  customary  practice 
of  the  time,  made  it  subservient  to  the 
purest  purposes.  He  had  by  this  an 
opportimity  of  examining  the  disposi- 
tions of  his  people,  and  their  improve- 
ments and  defects  in  faith  and  good 
works  ;  and  he  explained  to  them,  occa- 
sionally, their  duties  as  Christians,  by 
opening  to  them  the  word  of  God,  by 
exhorting  them  to  piety,  and  by  rebuking 
sinners :  And  in  all  this  he  acted  with 
perfect  disinterestedness. 

In  attendance  on  councils  he  was  fre- 
quent, and  in  them  he  distinguished  him- 
self in  the  defence  both  of  Christian 
doctrine  and  discipline.  In  ordaining 
clergymen,  he  took  care  to  follow  the 
custom  of  the  church,  and  to  act  with  the 
concurrence  of  the  majority  of  the  peo- 
ple, t  His  dress,  furniture,  and  diet, 
were  moderated  between  extremes ;  and 
it  will  deserve  to  be  mentioned,  as  an 
instance  of  superiority  to  popular  super- 
stition, that  he  always  drank  wine,  but 
with  great  moderation.  He  constantly 
practised  hospitality;  and  at  table  en- 
couraged reading  or  argument;  and  as 
his  spirit,  ever  humble  and  tender  since 
his  conversion,  could  not  bear  the  too 
fashionable  mode  of  detraction  and  slan- 
der, he  had  a  distich  written  on  his  table, 
which  intimated,  that  whoever  attacked 
the  characters  cf  the  absent  were  to  be 


*  Possidonias. 


fid. 


Cext.  v.] 


LIFE  AND  DEATH  OF  AUGUSTINE. 


447 


excluded.*  Nor  was  he  content  with  a 
formal  declaration ;  he  seriously  warned 
his  g-uests  to  abstain  from  defamation. 
"  On  one  occasion,"  says  his  biographer, 
"  some  bishops,  his  intimate  friends, 
breaking  the  rule  in  conversation,  he  at 
length  was  so  much  roused  as  to  say, 
that  either  those  lines  must  be  erased 
from  the  table,  or  he  himself  would 
rise  from  the  midst  of  the  meal,  and 
go  into  his  bedchamber;  and  of  this 
I  and  others  who  were  present  are  wit- 


He   was   conscientiously  attentive   to 
the   wants  of  the  poor,  and   sedulously 
relieved  them  out  of  the  revenues  of  the 
church,  or  the  oblations  of  the  faithful. 
And,  in  answer  to   the   invidious   com- 
plaints  of  some    concerning   the   riches 
amassed  by  the  church,  he  freely  offered 
to  give  them  up  to  any  of  the  laity  who 
would  take  the  charge  of  them.     Doubt- 
less the  growth  of  superstition  was  even 
then  brinoring  on  that  accession  of  wealth 
to  the  clergy,  which  aftera'ards  grew  to 
so  enormous  a  height.     But  purer  hands 
than  those  of  Augustine  never  handled 
the  possessions  of  the  Church;  he  seems 
chargeable,  even  with  inattention  to  his 
own  ricrhts ;  as  he  committed  the  whole 
of  the  temporals  to  his  clergy  in  succes- 
sion, and  never  made  himself  sufficiently 
acquainted  with  particulars,  to  be  able, 
from  his  own  inspection,  to  correct  any 
mismanagement.     He  himself  lived  per- 
fectly unconnected  with  the  world,  at  one 
table  and  in  one  house,  Avith  his  clergy, 
and  never  purchased  house  or  land.     He 
checked  also  the  fashionable  method  of 
men's  leaving  their   possessions   to  the 
church,  whenever  he  saw  reason  to  think 
that  the  testators  had  near  relations,  who, 
in  justice  and  equity,  had  a  preferable 
claim.    With  much  pleasure  did  he  with- 
draw as  soon  as  possible  from  any  secu- 
lar cares  which  he  had  not  been  able  to 
avoid,  that  he  might  give  himself  wholly 
to  divine  things.     Hence  he  always  re- 
mained, as  much  as  possible,  content  with 
old  buildings  and  utensils,  lest  he  should 
be  entangled  with  concerns  of  this  nature. 
Yet  to  relieve  the  indigent,  and  to  re- 
deem captives,  he  scrupled  not  to  sell 
the  vessels  of  the  church,  after  the  exam- 
ple of  Ambrose. 

His  abstinence  from  the  society  of  wo- 


men we  should  think,  in  our  times,  to 
have  been  carried  beyond  the  due  bounds ; 
yet  it  hindered  not  his  provident  care  for 
their  spiritual  welfare. 

A  little  before  his  death,  he  v/as  em- 
ployed in  revising  and  correcting  his 
works.  This  care  produced  the  publica- 
tion of  his  RETRACTATIONS,  the  chlcf  use 
of  which  book  is,  that  it  enables  us  to  fix, 
with  a  considerable  degree  of  precision, 
what  were  his  genuine  works  and 
thoughts.  It  pleased  God,  however,  not 
to  suffer  him  to  depart  this  life  without  a 
cloud  of  grievous  affliction ;  and  the  re- 
lish of  heaven,  after  which  for  many 
years  he  had  panted  with  uncommon  ar- 
dour, was  quickened  still  more  by  a  bitter 
taste  of  the  evils  cf  this  life  in  declining 
age. 

Genseric,  king  of  the  Vandals,  invaded 
Africa,  and  made  a  dreadful  desolation. 
To  the  tender  mind  of  Augustine,*  the 


Qaisquis  amat  dictis  absentuiii  rodere  vitam, 
Hauc  mensara  ventitam  noverit  esse  sibi. 

Poss. 


*  The   tenderness  of  his  spirit,  on  one  occasion 
led  him  into  an  error  in  conduct,  which  much 
afflicted  him.     Fussala  was  a  little  city  in  the 
extremity  of  his  diocese,  forty  miles  from  Hippo. 
The  country  about  it  was  full  of  Donatists ;  and 
their  reunion  to  the  church  was  accompanied 
with  much  difficulty.    The  priests  sent  by  Au- 
siustine  were    maimed,  blinded,  or   murdered. 
Augustine,  on  account  of  the  distance,  was  not 
capable  of  serving  the  people  as  he  could  wish; 
and  ho  at  length  determined  to  settle  a  bishop 
there,  who  should  undertake  the  charge  of  Fus- 
sala and  the  neighbouring  district.    As  soon  as 
he  had  found  a  proper  priest,  he  desired  the  pri- 
mate of  Numedia  to  come  over,  and  in  conjtinc- 
tion   with    himself,  ordain    him.     The   priest, 
whom  he  had  chosen,  retracted,  and  the  primate 
was  arrived.    Augustine  was  unwilling  to  send 
him    l)ack    witliout    doing    the    business,   and 
through  the  facility  of  his  temper,  was  induced 
to  present,  for  ordi'nadon,  a  young  man  named 
Anthony,  whom  he  had  from  infancy  educated 
in  his  monastery,  who  had  never  been  tried  as 
he  ought  to  have  been.    The  bishop  of  Hippo 
had  soon  occasion  to  repent  of  his  good  nature. 
The  young  prelate  was  complained  of  by  his 
flock,  for  rapacity  and  licentiousness,  and  was 
too  scandalous  in  his  manners  to  be  endured  any 
longer.     His  connexion  with  Fussala  was  there- 
fore dissolved  by  a  Ibnnal  sentence.     Anthony, 
however,  appealed  to  the  bishop  of  Rome,  who 
was  inclined  to  support  him.     Augustine  insisted 
on  the  propriety  of  his  expulsion,  and  maintained, 
that  compassion  for  the  man  himself,  as  well  as 
iiir  the  people,  whom  he  had  so  much  abused,  re- 
quired that  the  sentence  should  be  supported, 
lesi  he  should  be  hardened  still  more  in  iniquity. 
Anthony  himself  made  restitution  of  the  sums  of 
which  he  had  defrauded  them;  yet  he  prevailed 
afterwards  on  the  primate  of  Numedia  to  be- 
lieve him  innocent,  and  to  interest  himself  in  his 
favour.    Thespiritof  Augustine,  then  threescore 
and  eight  years  of  age,  was  much  broken  with 
this  affair.'  Hecondemned  hisown  imprudence, 
and  observed,  that  the  danger  into  which  An» 


448 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  IX. 


devastation  of  the  country,  the  cruelties 
inflicted  on  the  pastors,  the  desolation  of 
churches,    and    the    destruction    of    all 
church-order   which   ensued,  must   have 
been  peculiarly  afflictinp^.     Count  Boni- 
face, one  of  the  greatest  Roman  heroes  of 
those   times,   undertook   the    defence   of 
Hippo  against  the  Barbarians.     He  had 
not   been  M'ithout  convictions  of  divine 
things,  and  Augustine,  who  was  intimate 
with  him,  had  endeavoured  to  improve 
those  convictions  to   salutary  purposes. 
But,  to  seek  human  glory,  and  the  honour 
vi^liich   Cometh   from   God   only,   at    the 
same  time,  was  found  to  be  incompatible. 
Boniface  gained  a  shining  reputation,  and 
followed    the   world.      In   these    trying 
times  the  bishop  of  Hippo  again  endea- 
voured to  draw  him  from  the  love  of  the 
world   to   God,  and   Boniface  seems  all 
along  to  have  sinned  reluctantly.     What 
God  might  do  for  him  at  last,  during  the 
time  that  he  lived  after  the  mortal  wound, 
which  he  received  in  a  duel,  we  know 
not.     The  man,  however,  was  brave  and 
sincere,  and  had  a  steady  regard  for  men 
of  real  godliness.     He  defended  Hippo 
for   fourteen   months,   which,   after   that 
time,  with  all  Africa,  fell  under  the  power 
of  the  Vandals. 

But  Augustine  was  taken  away  from 
the  evil  to  come.  While  he  mourned  un- 
der the  miseries  of  the  times,  in  company 
with  Possidonius  and  several  bishops, 
who  had  fled  for  shelter  to  Hippo,  he 
told  them,  that  he  had  prayed,  either  that 
God  would  free  them  from  the  siege,  or 
endue  his  servants  with  patience,  or  take 
him  out  of  the  world  to  himself.  In  the 
third  month  of  the  siege  he 
was  seized  with  a  fever,  which 
ended  in  his  dissolution,  in 
the  year  430.  He  lived  seven- 
ty-six years,  forty  of  which 
he  had  been  a  presbyter  or  bishop.  He 
used  to  say,  that  a  Christian  should  never 
cease  to  repent,  even  to  the  hour  of  his 
death.  He  had  David's  penitential  psalms 
inscribed  on  the  wall,  in  his  last  sickness. 


Death  of 

Au.q;us- 

tine, 

A.  D.  430, 


and  he  read  and  wept  abundantly ;  and  for 
ten  days  before  he  expired  he  desired  to 
be  uninterrupted,  that  he  might  give  him- 
self wholly  to  devotion,  except  at  certain 
intervals.  He  had  preached  the  word  of 
God  constantly,  till  his  last  sickness.  He 
left  no  will :  he  had  neither  money  nor 
lands  to  leave.  He  left  his  library  to  the 
church.  Of  his  own  relations  he  had 
taken  competent  care  before.  "  In  his 
writings,"  says  Possidonius,  "  the  holy 
man  appears :  but  those  who  could  have 
heard  and  seen  him  speak  in  public,  and 
particularly  in  private  conversation,  would 
have  seen  still  more."  Pity  it  is,  that  a 
man,  who  had  known  him  for  forty  years, 
should  have  left  us  so  imperfect  an  ac- 
count. But  the  vigour  of  the  human 
mind  was  then  much  declined,  and  super- 
stition made  men  childish,  though  it  did 
not  destroy  the  spirit  of  piety. 


CHAPTER    IX 


THE  THEOLOGY  OF  AUGUSTINE. 


tliony  had  cast  both  himself  and  the  people,  so 
much  affected  him,  that  he  was  almost  resolved 
to  relinquish  the  episcopal  office,  and  bewail  his 
error,  ihe  remainder  ol  his  days,  in  privacy.t 
As  it  appears  that  Augustine  still  governed  the 
church  of  Fussala  after  this,  it  seems  that  the 
dispute  was  settled  to  his  satisfiiction,  and  that 
Anthony  was  not  restored  to  his  Sect  Theslory 
deserves  to  be  noticed,  as  illustrating  the  church 
discipline  of  the  times,  and  the  character  of  Au- 
gustine. 

t  Ep.  209.  I  Ep.  224. 


The  serious  reader,  from  a  considera- 
tion of  the  mournful  condition  of  the  Afri- 
can churches  in  regfard  to  external  thino-s 
at  the  time  of  Augustine's  death,  will  na- 
turally be  led  to  inquire  what  became  of 
them  after  the  decease  of  this  prelate.    It 
is  ever  to  be  remembered,  that  the  real 
prosperity  of  the  church  is  not  to  be  esti- 
mated  by  outward  circumstances.     The 
Roman   empire   was   dissolving    on    all 
sides;  and  its  fairest  provinces  in  Africa 
fell  into  barbarous  haruls  at  the  time  of 
Augustine's  death.     But  the  light  which, 
through  his  means,  had  been  kindled,  was 
not  extinct;  for,  as  it  depended  not  on  the 
grandeur  of  the  Roman  empire,  so  neither 
was  it  extinguished  by  its  decline.     W^e 
shall    have    an    opportunity   of  visiting 
Africa  again,  and  at  present  shall  close 
the  whole  narrative  of  Augustine,  with  a 
brief  view  of  his  Theology.    The  subject 
is  important,  not  only  as  tending  to  illus- 
trate  the   revival   of  the   Gospel  in  the 
West  in  his  time,  but  also  as  exhibiting 
the  views  of  the  best  and  wisest  Chris- 
tians 'in  Europe  from  that  period  to  the 
days  of  Luther.     For  a  thousand  years 
and  upwards,  the  light  of  divine  grace, 
which  shone  here  and  there  in  individuals, 
during  the  dreary  night  of  superstition, 
was  nourished   by  his  writings,  which, 
next  to  the  sacred  Scriptures,  were  the 
guides  of  men  who  feared  God ;  nor  have 


Cent,  v.] 


THEOLOGY  OF  AUGUSTINE. 


449 


we  in  all  history  an  instance  of  so  exten- 
sive utility  derived  to  the  church  from  the 
writings  of  men. 

From  the  review  of  the  Pelagian  con- 
troversy, the  attentive  reader  will  see, 
that  the  article  of  justification*  must  be 
involved  in  Augustine's  divinity;  and 
doubtless  it  savingly  flourished  in  his 
heart,  and  in  the  hearts  of  many  of  his 
followers;  yet  the  precise  and  accurate 
nature  of  the  doctrine  itself  seems  not  to 
have  been  understood  by  this  holy  man. 
He  perpetually  understands  St.  Paul's 
term  to  justifv,  of  inherent  righteous- 
ness, as  if  it  meant,  sanctification;  still 
he  knew  what  faith  in  the  Redeemer 
meant;  and  those  parts  of  Scripture,  which 
speak  of  forgiveness  of  sins,  he  under- 
stands, he  feels,  he  loves;  but  St.  Paul's 
writings  concerning  justification  he  un- 
derstands not  sufficiently,  because  the 
precise  idea  of  that  doctrine  entered  not 
formally  into  his  divinity. 

I  have  given,  if  I  mistake  not,  the  out 
lines  of  Augustine's  views  in  this  most 
important  Christian  doctrine.  It  had  been 
pitiably  suffocated,  as  it  were,  in  the  rub- 
bish of  the  growing  superstition,  and  had 
been  gradually  sinking  in  the  church  from 
.Tustin's  days  to  his  own.  And  I  more 
admire,  that  he  was  enabled  to  recover  its 
constituent  parts  so  well  as  he  did,  than 
that  he  did  not  arrange  and  adjust  them 
perfectl)'.  Mosheim  is  pleased  to  repre- 
sent him  as  a  contradictory  writer.  I  sus- 
pect that  this  writer's  prejudices  warped 
his  understanding.  In  truth,  if  our  au- 
thor's sentiments  be  understood,  he  will 
appear,  from  his  own  plan,  to  be  one  of 
the  most  consistent  writers  in  the  world  ; 
and,  if  we  make  allowance  for  his  mis- 
take in  the  point  just  mentioned,  which 
yet  he  implicitly,  though  not  explicitly, 
understands,  few  writers,  I  think,  in  any 
age,  may  be  read  with  more  profit. 

To  what  has  been  delivered  from  his 
writings  on  the  subject  of  justification, 
little  needs  to  be  added  here.  Two  quo- 
tations deserve  to  be  read,  on  account  of 
the  solid  truth  which  they  contain.  "  He 
was  made  sin,  as  we  are  made  righteous- 
ness, not  our  own,  but  of  God;  nor  in 
ourselves,  but  in  him,  as  he  was  made 
sin,  not  his  own,  but  ours ;  nor  was  he 
appointed  so  in  himself,  but  in  us."f 

*  I  have  introduced  here  a  few  sentences 
out  of  the  Theological  Miscellany  for  Sep- 
tember 1785,  taken  from  an  Essay  on  Justifi- 
cation, which  I  wrote  in  that  publication. 

+  EncLirid.  ad  Lauren,  c.  41. 
2p2 


See  this  blessed  doctrine  illustrated 
experimentally  in  his  exposition  of  the 
130th  Psalm,  2,  3,4.  "  Behold  he  cries 
under  the  load  of  his  iniquities.  He 
looked  round  himself,  he  surveyed  his 
life,  he  saw  it  on  all  sides  covered  with 
flagitiousness  ;  wherever  he  looked,  he 
found  no  good  in  himself.  And  he  saw 
on  all  sides  so  great  and  so  many  sins, 
that  trembling,  as  it  were,  he  cried  out. 
If  thou,  Lord,  shouldst  mark  iniquities, 
who  shall  stand  1  For  he  saw  almost 
the  whole  of  human  life  surrounded  with 
sins,  like  barking  dogs  ;  all  consciences 
to  be  upbraided  ;  not  a  holy  heart  to  be 
found  that  could  presume  on  its  own 
righteousness  :  which,  because  it  cannot 
be  found,  therefore  let  every  heart  rest 
on  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  his  God,  and 
say,  if  thou,  Lord,  &c.  But  what  is  my 
hope  ]  There  is  a  propitiation  with  thee." 
So  constantly,  in  all  ages,  do  real  good 
men  feel  alike  on  this  subject :  "  The 
humble  shall  hear  and  be  glad." 

The  peculiar  work  for  which  Augus- 
tine was  evidently  raised  by  Providence 
was,  to  restore  the  doctrine  of  divine 
grace  to  the  church.  A  vain  philosophy 
had  corrupted  it  partially  under  Justin, 
far  more  completely  under  Origen.  What 
wonder :  To  trust  in  ourselves  was  the 
avowed  boast  of  all  the  Philosophers. 
An  idea  of  providential  kindness  in  ex- 
ternal things  floated  in  the  minds  of 
some  :  but  virtue  and  every  internal  ex- 
cellence they  expected  only  from  them- 
selves.* In  this  they  only  copied  the 
impression  of  that  self-righteousness 
which  is  natural  to  all.  The  distinguish- 
ing glory  of  the  Gospel  is  to  teach  hu- 
mility, and  to  give  to  God  his  due  honour; 
and  Augustine  was  singularly  prepared 
for  this  by  a  course  of  internal  experi- 
ence. He  had  felt  human  insufficiency 
completely,  and  knew,  "  that  in  himself 
dwelt  no  good  thing."  Hence  he  was 
athuirably  qualified  to  describe  the  total 
depravity  and  apostasy  of  human  nature, 
and  he  described  what  he  knew  to  be 
true.     Thus,  in  the  West,  the  doctrine 


*  Hear  Tally,  de  Nat.  Deor.  \irtutem 
nemo  unquain  Den  acceptam  retulit  nimirum 
recte  ;  propter  virtuteni  enim  jure  laudamur, 
et  in  virtute  recte  gloiiamur,  quod  non  con- 
tiiigeret,  si  donum  a  Deo,  non  a  nobis  liabe- 
remus.  It  is  sufficient  to  tell  the  English 
reader,  that  in  this  sentence  the  same  self- 
sufficiency  of  (he  human  heart,  which  mere 
moral  preaching  encourages,  is  expressed  by 
the  Pagan  philosopher,  as  the  undoubted  creed 
of  all  mankind. 


450 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chaf.  TX. 


of  grace  was  happily  revived ;  and  ro- 
mantic theories,  built  on  mere  reasonings, 
gave  way  to  scriptural  truth,  supported 
by  experience.  And,  in  all  ages,  in  spite 
of  pride  and  prejudice,  the  doctrine  of 
grace  has  this  advantage  over  the  minds 
of  men,  that  conscience,  wherever  it  is 
awakened  to  do  its  office,  always  speaks 
in  its  favour. 

The  rise  and  progress  of  Pelagianism 
gave  Augustine  an  opportunity  of  illus- 
trating the  doctrine  of  grace  in  the  strong- 
est manner.  He  himself  was  by  no  means 
forward  and  urgent  in  the  work.  Those, 
who  have  spoken  of  him  as  heated  with 
the  spirit  of  controversy,  knew  not  Au- 
gustine.* He  was  rather  slow  and  cau- 
tious in  controversy,  and  so  are  all  men 
of  argumentative  minds  and  humble  dis- 
positions. He  was  by  no  means  at  first 
so  clear  in  his  ideas  of  salvation  being 
altogether  of  grace,  as  he  afterwards 
was :  particularly,  that  faith  was  alto- 
gether the  gift  of  God,  was  not  a  propo- 
sition so  clear  to  his  mind,  till  deeper 
experience  and  more  attentive  search  of 
the  Scriptures  confirmed  him  in  the  truth. 
When,  in  his  inquiries  after  divine  truth, 
he  was  led  to  see  and  to  be  fully  convinc- 
ed of  the  total  apostasy  of  man  ;  and 
when  he  reflected,  that  he  himself  was 
changed  by  effectual  grace,  not  only  with- 
out the  co-operation,  but  even  in  spile  of 
the  resistance  of  his  nature,  he  was  gra- 
dually brought  to  acquiesce  in  St.  Paul's 
views  of  predestination.  It  was  a  doc- 
trine that,  with  him,  followed  experi- 
mental religion,  as  a  shadow  follows  the 
substance  ;  it  was  not  embraced  for  its 
own  sake.  He  wrote  sparingly,  how- 
ever, upon  it  for  a  long  time,  content  to 
give  plain  scripture  testimonies,  and  fear- 
ful of  involving  the  bulk  of  readers  in 
inextricable  labyrinths. 

It  is  the  impious  boldness  of  heretics, 
avowedly  opposing  divine  truths,  because 
they  are  above  their  reason,  which  at 
length  necessitates  modest  and  cautious 
spirits  to  speak  out  more  plainly  concern- 
ing the  deep  truths  of  God,  lest  they 
should  leave  them  to  the  insults  of  the 
enemy.  In  the  further  progress  of  the 
controversy,  the  most  daring  attempts 
were  made  to  erase  from  men's  minds  all 
ideas  of  grace ;  and  the  specious  at- 
tempts of  Semi-Pelagianism  in  France 
seemed  ready  to  overthrow  the  arguments 
of  Augustine   in    the   minds   of  many. 

*  Viz.  Grotius. 


The  Eastern  church,  for  the  most  part, 
more  philosophical  than  the  Western, 
was  infected  with  those  half  views  of 
grace ;  and,  unless  the  bishop  of  Hippo 
meant  by  silence  to  give  countenance  to 
opinions,  supported  only  by  corrupt  na- 
ture, reasoning  pride,  and  the  authority 
of  some  great  names  in  the  church,  it 
behooved  him  to  defend  the  doctrine  of 
efficacious  grace  more  explicitly.  He 
did  so  at  length,  particularly  in  his  latter 
writings  ;*  he  proves  the  truth  from 
Scripture,  appealing  to  its  simple  gram- 
matical sense ;  and  as  the  Antinomian 
contempt  of  the  use  of  means  appeared 
in  some  warm,  but  injudicious  admirers 
of  his  doctrine,  he  states  this  matter 
also  with  his  usual  strength  of  argument 
and  perspicuity,  and  shows  the  consis- 
tency between  the  exhortations  and  the 
decrees  of  God. 

Another  subject,  of  which  the  reader, 
versed  in  theological  controversy,  would 
wish  to  be  informed,  is,  whether  Augus- 
tine held  "  particular  redemption."  Very 
few  words  will  suffice  for  this.  He  con- 
stantly connects  the  doctrine  of  grace 
with  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit ; 
I  cannot  find  that  he  does  so  with  the  re- 
demption of  the  Son  of  God.  In  one 
place,  the  text,  "  who  would  have  all  to 
be  saved,"  is  explained  by  him  ambigu- 
ously and  variously.  But,  in  truth,  whe- 
ther Christ  died  only  for  the  elect,  or  for 
all  men,  was  never  the  object  of  his  con- 
troversies ;  and  certainly,  in  his  practical 
discourses,  he  always  represents  the  sa- 
crifice of  Christ  as  universal ;  so  every 
preacher  should  do,  if  he  means  to  profit 
his  hearers.  On  occasion  of  the  contro- 
versies, Augustine  was  objected  to,  as 
denying  that  Christ  died  for  all.  But 
Prosper,  his  admirer  and  follower,  and 
as  strict  a  predestinarian  as  auy  writer  in 
any  age,  maintains  that  Augustine  held, 
"  that  Christ  gave  himself  a  ransom  for 
all."  Doubtless  the  natural  and  obvious 
sense  of  Scripture  is  the  same,!  and  the 
notion  of  particular  redemption  was  un- 
known to  the  ancients,  and  I  wish  it  had 
remained    equally  unknown   to   the  mo- 


*  In  the  foregoing  deduction  I  liave  attend- 
ed to  llie  progress  of  things,  as  they  appear 
tVoni  tlie  ])ubIication  of  Augustine's  works  at 
different  limes.  'l"o  cite  (larticular  passages 
Mould  be  tedious;  to  tliose  who  read  him  lor 
themselves,  needless — to  those  who  do  not, 
uninteresting. 

f  See  puriiculaily  1  Tim.  it. 


Ceht.  v.] 


THEOLOGY  OF  AUGUSTINE. 


451 


derns.     But  let  us  mention  the  peculiar 
excellence  of  his  theology. 

Humility  is  his  theme.  A  man  may 
hold  the  doctrines  of  grace  in  the  clearest 
manner,  yet  himself  be  proud.  He  may 
not  have  a  distinct  view  of  some  of  them, 
particularly  that  of  which  we  have  been 
speaking,  yet  he  may  be  humble  ;  though 
without  some  real  knowledge  of  grace 
it  is  impossible  he  should  be  so.  But 
the  true  advantage  of  just  and  accurate 
Christian  sentiments,  is,  that  they  teach 
humility.  Am  I  obliged  to  support  the 
doctrines  of  grace  by  such  arguments  as 
mere  human  reason,  unassisted  by  reve- 
lation, could  invent  ?  No  :  I  confess  rea- 
son in  this  sense  is  beneath  them  ;  and  if 
I  be  truly  humble,  I  shall  be  content  to 
bear  the  scorn  of  philosophers  for  the 
confession.  Augustine  taught  men  what 
it  is  to  be  humble  before  God.  This  he 
does  every  where  with  godly  simplicity, 
with  inexpressible  seriousness.  And  in 
doing  this  no  writer,  uninspired,  ever  ex- 
ceeded, I  am  apt  to  think  ever  equalled 
him,  in  any  age.  They  wrong  this  fa- 
ther much,  who  view  him  as  a  mere  con- 
troversialist. Practical  godliness  was  his 
theme,  and  he  constantly  connects  all  his 
views  of  grace  with  humility.* 

Few  writers  have  been  equal  to  him  in 
describing  the  internal  conflict  of  flesh 
and  spirit,  mysterious  but  certain,  igno- 
rantly  confounded  by  philosophers  with 
the  conflict  between  reason  and  passion, 
and  misrepresented  by  the  profane  as  en- 
thusiastic. He  describes  this  in  a  man- 
ner unknown  to  any  but  those  who  have 
deeply  felt  it ;  and  the  Pelagian  preten- 
sions to  perfection  oblige  him  to  say  more 
than  otherwise  would  be  needful,  to 
prove  that  the  most  humble,  and  the  most 


holy,  have,  through  life,  to  combat  with 
indwelling  sin. 

Two  more  practical  subjects  he  delights 
to  handle,  charity*  and  heavenly-minded- 
ness.  In  both  he  excels  wonderfully, 
and  I  shall  only  wish  young  students  in 
divinity  to  convince  themselves  of  this  by 
reading  him.  A  reference  of  all  things  to 
a  future  life,  and  the  depth  of  humble 
love,  appear  in  all  his  writings;  as  in 
truth,  from  the  moment  of  his  conversion, 
they  influenced  all  his  practice.  For  he 
never  seems  to  have  lost  his  first  love. 
Hence  there  is  manifest  in  his  works  a 
singular  innocence  of  spirit.  No  pride, 
no  self-conceit,  no  bitterness,  ever  dis- 
cover themselves  in  any  expression. 
Calm,  equable,  modest,  cautious  of  of- 
fending, never  pathetic,  except  when 
roused  by  zealous  love  of  God  and  his 
neighbour;  these  are  the  lights  in  which 
he  constantly  exhibits  himself.  The  times 
were  highly  unfavourable,  the  defects  of 
superstition  often  cloud  his  writings;  yet, 
at  intervals,  he  vigorously  struggles 
against  it,  and  in  one  passage  particular- 
ly laments  the  growing  servilities,  the 
straining  at  a  gnat,  and  the  swallowing 
of  a  camel,  owning  that  he  conformed, 
through  love  of  peace  and  charity,  to 
some  things. 

His  own  words  well  deserve  to  be  quo- 
ted, as  they  evidence  the  power  of  good 


•  This  virtue  ever  ai)pears  conspicuous  in 
Augustine,  untl  perjietually  checks  the  dai'ing 
anil  adventurous  spirit  of  investigation,  whicii, 
as  a  man  of  genius  and  letters,  formed  a  strik- 
ing part  of  liis  character.  In  speaking  of  the 
difficulties  attending  the  doctrine  of  original 
sin,  he  abhors  every  idea  of  attempting  to 
solve  them  in  an  unscviptural  manner.  He 
chooses  rathi-r  to  be  content  with  his  igno- 
rance. '•  Though  I  now  desire,  and  beg  ear- 
nestly of  God  that  he  will  help  me  out  of  my 
ignoi-ance  by  your  means  (he  is  writing  to 
Jeromt)  :  nevertheless,  if  1  cannot  obtain  it, 
I  will  pray  for  patience  ;  since  we  believe  in 
him,  with  a  promise  never  to  murmur,  though 
he  dolh  not  lead  us  into  perfect  knowledge  of 
some  particular  things.  I  am  ignorant  of 
many  things,  more  than  I  can  enun)erate." 
t  Letters  to  Jerora.  Aug.  Ep.  165. 


*  I  do  not  remember  to  have  seen  a  contro- 
versial writer  of  so  charitalde  a  spirit  as  Au- 
gustine, in  matters  of  dispute.  The  proofs 
of  this  are  endless.  Take  a  single  instance, 
and  Sue  how  he  treats  an  opponent.  "  If,  in 
the  heat  of  the  dispute,  an  injurious  word  may 
have  escaped  him,  I  am  willing  to  think  it 
arose  from  the  necessity  of  supporting  his  opi- 
nions, rather  tlian  from  the  design  of  offend- 
ing me.  For  when  I  am  a  stianger  to  the 
temper  of  a  man,  I  think  it  much  better  to 
have  a  good  opinion  of  him,  than  to  blame  him 
too  hastily.  Perhaps  he  had  a  kind  intention, 
designing  to  undeceive  me.  In  th.'Ucase  I  am 
obliged  to  liim  for  his  good  will,  though  I  am 
under  a  necessity  of  disapproving  his  senti- 
ments, "f 

His  own  practice  which  he  mentions,  de- 
serves to  be  attended  to  by  all  conti-oversia- 
lists  :  "  When  I  answer  any  person  in  speak- 
ing or  writing,  though  provoked  by  contume- 
lious language,  so  far  as  the  Lord  affords  to 
me,  I  bridle  myself,  and  restrain  the  spurs  of 
vain  indignation  ;  I  consult  for  the  hearer  or 
reader,  and  thus  endeavour  not  to  be  superior 
to  another  in  railing,  but  to  be  more  salutary 
by  convincing  him  of  his  error.  B.  3.  against 
Petilian. 

t  Ep.  166. 


452 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  X. 


sense  and  divine  grace  united  in  with- 
standing the  prevailing  torrent.  "  I  * 
cannot  approve  the  new  practices  intro- 
duced almost  with  as  much  solemnity  as 
sacraments ;  neither  dare  I  censure  them 
too  freely,  lest  I  should  give  offence  to 
any  one ;  but  it  grieves  me,  that  so  many 
salutary  precepts  of  Scripture  should  be 
held  cheap,  while  our  religion  abounds 
with  commandments  of  mere  men. — 
Therefore,  as  to  all  those  customs  which 
are  not  contained  in  the  Scripture,  ordained 
by  councils,  or  sanctioned  by  the  tradition 
of  the  church,  and  which  do  not  carry  in 
their  appearance  an  evident  reason  for  their 
existence,  I  am  free  to  say,  they  ought  to 
be  laid  aside.  Admit,  it  cannot  be  proved, 
that  they  are  contrary  to  the  faith ;  yet 
they  burden  religion  with  servile  usages, 
which  God,  in  his  mercy,  intended  to 
make  free :  in  this  respect  the  condition 
of  the  Jews  is  more  tolerable;  they  are 
subject  indeed,  but  to  divine  ordinances, 
not  to  the  precepts  of  men.  However, 
the  Church,  surrounded  as  she  is  with 
chaff  and  tares,  endures  many  things,  yet 
she  cannot  tolerate  what  is  contrary  to 
Christian  faith  and  practice."  He  parti- 
cularly condemns  the  custom  of  divining 
by  the  Gospel,  and  of  managing  tem- 
poral concerns  according  to  words  which 
strike  the  eye  at  the  first  opening  of  the 
book. 

His  conduct  toward  the  Donatists  bids 
the  fairest  for  reprehension ;  but  he  acted 
sincerely:  you  differ  with  him  in  judg- 
ment, but  it  is  impossible  for  you  to 
blame  his  temper  and  spirit,  if  you  read 
him  candidly.  He  carefully  checks  his 
people  for  calumniating  the  Donatists, 
and  is  constantly  employed  in  moderating 
and  healing. 

Finally,  in  Ethics  he  is  superior  to 
most.  On  the  subject  of  veracity  and  of 
faithfulness  to  oaths,  and  in  general  in 
the  practice  of  justice,  in  the  love  of 
mercy,  and  in  walking  humbly  with  his 
God,  as  he  wrote  most  admirably,  so  he 
practised  most  sincerely. 


.^CHAPTER  X. 

THE  LIFE  AND  AVORKS  OF  JEROM. 

This  renowned  monk  was  born  at  Stri- 
don,  a  town  in  the  confines  of  Dalmatia 


Ep.  to  Jaiiuavius,  119, 


and  Pannonia,  under  the  emperor  Con- 
stantine,  in  theyear331.  The 
place  was  obscure,  and  was  Jerom 
rendered  still  more  so  by  the  v"*^'  „„^ 
desolations  of  the  Goths.  Nor  •  •  -^  • 
is  it  a  very  clear  case  whether  it  ought  to 
be  looked  on  as  part  of  Italy  or  not.* 
That  Jerom  was  of  a  liberal  and  opulent 
family,  appears  from  the  pains  taken 
with  his  education,  which  was  finished 
at  Rome,  that  he  might  there  acquire  the 
graces  of  Latinity.  He  was  in  truth  the 
most  learned  of  the  Roman  fathers,  and 
was  eminent  both  for  genius  and  industry. 
He  was  brought  up  in  Christianity  from 
infancy,  and  hence,  like  other  good  men, 
who  have  had  the  same  advantages,  he 
appears  never  to  have  known  the  e'xtreme 
conflicts  with  indwelling  sin,  which,  to 
later  converts,  have  given  so  much  pain, 
and  often  have  rendered  them  more  emi- 
nently acquainted  with  vital  religion. 

After  his  baptism  at  Rome,  he  travelled 
into  France,  in  company  with  Bonosus, 
a  fellow-student.    He  examined  libraries, 
and  collected  information  from  all  quar- 
ters; and,  returning  into  Italy,  he  deter- 
mined to  follow  the  profession  of  a  monk: 
a  term,  which  did  not,  at  that  time,  con- 
vey the  modern  idea  of   the  word.     In 
Jerom's  time,  it  meant  chiefly  the  life  of 
a  private  recluse  Christian,  who  yet  was 
fettered  by  no  certain  rules  nor  vows,  but 
acted   according   to   his    own    pleasure. 
Such  a  life  suited  the  disposition  of  a  stu- 
dious person  like  Jerom.     He  was,  how- 
ever, made  a  presbyter  of  the  church,  but 
never  would  proceed  any  further  in  eccle- 
siastical dignity.    He  spent  four  years  in 
the  deserts  of  Syria,  reading  and  studying 
with  immense  industry.     A  commentary 
on  the  prophet  Obadiah,  which  he  pub- 
lished, bore  strong  marks  of  juvenile  in- 
discretion, as  he  afterwards  frankly  own- 
ed. And  here,  by  the  assistance  of  a  Jew, 
who  visited  him,  Nicodemus-like,  in  the 
evenings,  lest  he  should  give  umbrage  to 
his  brethren,  he  acquired  the  knowledge 
of  the  Hebrew  tongue,  and  with  indefati- 
gable labour  he  studied  also  the  Chaldee 
and  the  Syriac. 

On  his  return  to  Rome,  he  became  in- 
timate with  Paula,  the  illustrious  de- 
scendant of  the  Pauls,  so  famous  in 
Roman  story,  with  Marcella,  and  other 
opulent  ladies.  The  monastic  life,  which 
had  long  flourished  in  the  East,  was  only 


*  Er.Tsni.    Life   of  Jerom,  prefixed  to  his 
Works. 


Cext.  v.] 


JEROM. 


453 


beginning-  to  be  fashionable  in  the  West. 
The  renowned  Athanasius,  and  his  Egyp- 
tian friends,  rendered  respectable,  during 
their  exile  at  Rome,  by  their  sufferings 
for  the  faith,  contributed  to  throw  a  dig- 
nity on  such  a  course  of  life :  and  the  zeal 
of  Jerom  nursed  the  same  spirit  among 
serious  persons.  The  ladies  1  have  men- 
tioned, were  hence  induced  to  impart  a 
celebrity  to  the  monastic  taste  by  their 
own  example. 

Paula,  her  daughter  Eustochium,  her 
son-in-law  Pammachius,  Marcella,  and 
others,  admired  and  revered  Jerom ;  and 
he,  whose  temper  was  choleric  and  impe- 
rious to  a  great  degree,  seems  to  have 
lived  in  much  harmony  with  females,  pro- 
bably because  he  more  easily  gained  sub- 
mission from  them  than  from  persons  of 
his  own  sex. 

Spleen  and  calumny  hastened  the  depar- 
ture of  Jerom  from  Rome.  This  great  man 
had  not  learned  to  command  his  passions, 
and  to  disregard  the  breath  of  fame.  Un- 
just aspersions  on  his  character  affected 
him  with  a  very  blameable  acrimony.  He 
retired  again  to  the  East:  there  several 
of  his  admirers  followed  him.  He  chose 
Bethlehem  as  the  seat  of  his  old  age, 
where  Paula  erected  four  monasteries, 
three  for  the  women,  over  which  she  pre- 
sided, and  one  for  the  men,  in  which 
Jerom  lived  the  rest  of  his  life,  enjoying 
at  times  the  society  of  his  learned  friends. 
He  instructed  the  women  also  in  theology, 
and  Paula  died,  after  having  lived  twenty 
years  in  the  monastery. 

I  shall  not  spend  any  time  in  vindi- 
cating the  chastity  of  Jerom,  because  his 
whole  life  was  a  sufficient  an>>Aver  to  ca- 
lumny in  that  respect.  He 
was  certainly  serious  in  the 
very  best  sense  of  the  word, 
and  died  in  the  91st  year  of 
his  age,  in  the  year  420. 
Yet  it  is  to  be  lamented,  that  a  man  of 
so  great  sincerity,  and  of  a  mind  so  vigo- 
rous, should  have  been  of  so  little  service 
to  mankind.  The  truth  is,  his  knowledge 
of  theology  was  contracted  and  low.  He 
confessed,  that  while  he  macerated  his 
body  in  the  deserts,  he  was  thinking  of 
the  pleasures  and  delights  of  Rome.  He 
understood  nut  the  true  Gospel-mystery 
of  mortifying  sin,  and,  by  his  voluntary 
humility  and  neglect  of  the  body,  added 
to  the  fame  and  splendour  of  his  volumi- 
nous but  ill-digested  learning,  he  contri- 
buted more  than  any  other  person  of  an- 
tiquity to  the  growth  of  superstition.  His 


Jerom 
dies  at  the 
age  of  91, 
A.  D.  420. 


quarrel  with  Ruffinus  is  a  reproach  to  both 
their  memories.  Yet,  of  the  two,  Jerom 
seems  to  have  been  more  evangelical  in 
his  views ;  because  Origen  was  erroneous 
in  his  doctrines  :  and  it  is  a  sufficient  ac- 
count of  so  uninteresting  a  controversy  to 
say,  that  Ruffinus  defended,  Jerom  accu- 
sed, Origep. 

For  the  view  of  his  controversy  with 
Augustine,  I  must  refer  the  reader  to  the 
accounts  of  that  Father  of  the  Church. 

Jerom  was,  however,  humble  before 
God,  and  truly  pious:  and  of  him  it  must 
be  said,  to  the  honour  of  Christian  godli- 
ness, how  much  worse  a  man  he  would 
have  been,  had  he  not  known  Christ 
Jesus ;  and  how  much  better,  if  he  had 
known  him  with  more  clearness  and  per- 
spicuity ! 

The  works  of  a  writer  so  superstitious, 
though  sound  in  the  essentials  of  Chris- 
tianity, will  not  deserve  a  very  particular 
review.     Here  and  there  a  vigorous  and 
evangelical  sentiment  breaks  out  amidst 
the  clouds.     His  epistles  discover  him  to 
have  been  sincere  and  heavenly-minded, 
though   his   temper  was  choleric.     In  a 
letter  to  Nepotian  *  there  are  various  rules 
worthy  the  attention  of  Pastors,  concern- 
ing the  contempt  of  riches,  the  avoiding 
of  secular  familiarities,  and  the  regulation 
of  external   conduct.      One   observation 
will   deserve   to    be    distinctly    remem- 
bered :    "  A   clergyman   easily   subjects 
himself  to  contempt,  who  never  represses 
invitations  to  dinner,  however  frequent." 
He  wrote  an  epitaph  upon  the  death  of 
this  same  Nepotian  sometime  after,!  elo- 
quent, pious,  pathetic.     In  this  he  con-^ 
fesses  the  doctrine  of  original     jerom's 
sin,  and  celebrates  the  victory 
of  Christ   over   death.      He 
makes    an    excellent  use  of 
the   public   miseries   of   the 
times,  by  recommending  more  strongly  a 
practical  attention  to  piety.     Hence,  alsa» 
he  makes  the  best  apology  which  could 
be  invented  for  his  favourite  solitude. 

In  his  letter^  to  Rusticus  the  monk, 
the  learned  reader,  who  would  see  a  prac- 
tical comment  on  St.  Paul's  cautions 
against  voluntary  humility  in 
the  Epistle  to  the  Colossians, 
may  behold  it  in  Jerom.  He 
abounds  in  self-devised  ways 
of  obtaining  holiness,  while  the  true  way 
of  humble  faith  in  Jesus  is  not  despised 
indeed,  but  little  attended  to. 


epilaph  oa 
the   death 
of  Nepo- 
tian. 


His  letter 
to  Rusti- 
cus. 


"  Paris  Edit. 


vol.  i.  6  G. 
^15  G. 


t  Id.  8  D. 


454 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  X. 


Another 
letter  to 
Florentius 


A  short  letter  to  Florentius  shows  gen- 1 
uine  humility  and  acquiescence  in  Christ, 
as  his  sole  hope,  after  all  his  austerities. 
He  calls  himself  a  polluted 
sinner  altogether ;  "  yet,  be- 
cause the  Lord  sets  free  the 
captives  and  looks  to  the 
humble  and  the  contrite,  perhaps  he  may 
say  to  me  also,  lying  in  the  grave  of 
wickedness,  Jerom,  come  forth."  It  was 
this  humble  faith  in  Christ  which  check- 
ed the  impetuosity  and  arrogance  of  his 
natural  temper,  repressed  his  vain-glory, 
and  in  some  degree  changed  a  lion  into 
a  lamb.  For  Jerom,  though  exactly 
formed  by  constitution  and  habit,  to  sus- 
tain the  character  of  a  Pharisee,  was  too 
deeply  conscious  of  internal  pollution  to 
be  one  in  reality. 

Toxotius,  the  son  of  Paula,  had  mar- 
Tied  LcBta,  by  whom  he  had  a  daughter, 
whom  the  grandmother  destined  to  virgi- 
nity. .Terom  writes  to  the  mother,*  ad- 
vising, that  the  child  be  sent  to  Bethlehem, 
when  grown  up,  and  promising  himself 
to  superintend  her  education.  At  present 
he  gives  rules  for  her  education,  while 
an  infant,  which  are  useful,  but  mixed 
•with  superstition.  Laeta's  father,  it  seems, 
^was  a  Pagan,  Jerom,  however,  despairs 
not  of  his  conversion :  "  All  things,  he 
says,  are  possible  with  God.  Conversion 
it  never  too  late.  The  thief  from  the 
cross  passed  into  Paradise.  Despair  not 
of  your  Father's  salvation.  A  relation  of 
yours,  Gracchus,  whose  very  name  is 
expressive  of  patrician  nobility,  a  few 
years  ago  broke  in  pieces  and  burnt  the 
images  of  idolatry,  and  received  the  faith 
of  Christ."  Behold  the  spirit  of  meek- 
ness  and  charity  adorning  one  of  the  most 
rugged  tempers  in  the  world,  and  admire 
the  effect  of  victorious  grace  in  Jerom. 

I  am  disgusted  with  the  repeated  les- 
sons of  superstition  with  which  his  epis- 
tles present  us.  He  knew,  however, 
better  things.  In  a  letter  to 
his  Paula,  he  rebuked  her 
immoderate  sorrow  for 
death  of  her  daughter 


Jerom 
■writes 
Paula. 


to 


the 
Ble- 
silla,  in  strains  at  once  evangelical  and 
tender.f  In  a  letter  to  Pammachius,:j: 
who  became  a  monk  after  the  decease  of 
his  wife  Paulina,  the  daughter  of  Paula, 
he  speaks  with  holy  rapture  on  the  lovo 
of  Christ,  according  to  the  ideas  of  the 
book  of  Canticles  :  "  Whether  you  read 
or  write,  or  watch  or  sleep,  let  love  al- 


ways sound  a  trumpet  in  your  ears  ;  let 
this  trumpet  excite  your  soul ;  overpow- 
ered with  this  love,  seek  in  your  bed  Him 
whom  your  soul  loveth."  How  much  is 
it  to  be  regretted,  that  Jerom  and  his 
friends  should  have  so  hidden  their  tal- 
ent ;  that  persons  who  loved  Christ  sin- 
cerely, had  not  learned,  like  the  Apostles 
and  first  Christians,  to  profess  him  in  the 
most  public  walks  of  society,  and  by 
preaching  and  conversation  to  have  in- 
structed mankind  in  general !  But  such 
conduct  would  have  required  a  self- 
denial  and  a  charity,  larger  and  of  a  more 
sublime  nature  than  theirs  ;  to  live  in  the 
world,  and  yet  remain  separate  from  it, 
shows  a  divine  strength  indeed. 

Jerom  confesses,  that  Gregory  Nazi- 
anzen  was  his  preceptor  in  theological 
expositions.*  The  eastern  mode,  thus 
caught  by  Jerom,  and  pursued  by  a  mind 
eager,  and  adorned  with  learning  and  elo- 
quence, became  highly  respected  in  the 
West. — Jerom,  as  a  theologian,  seems 
greatly  inferior  to  his  contemporary  Au- 
gustine, though  in  style  and  diction 
superior. 

In  the  foregoing  century,  Jovinian,  an 
Italian  monk,  taught,  first  at  Rome,  and 
afterwards  at  Milan,  some  points  of  doc- 
trine directly  opposite  to  the     ^    .  .     , 
-'     *^r  .  T     •        Jovinian  s 

growmg  superstitions.  It  is  doctrines, 
not  easy  to  state,  with  confi- 
dence, either  the  character  or  the  senti- 
ments of  the  man.  His  works  are  lost. 
The  most  celebrated  teachers  of  the 
Church  opposed  him  vehemently.  Am- 
brose, Jerom,  and  Augustine,  joined  their 
testimonies  against  him.  The  last,  in- 
deed, wrote  very  little,  and  that  little  from 
popular  rumour,  rather  than  from  any 
distinct  knowledge  of  the  subject ;  for  the 
weight  of  popular  prejudice  overwhelmed 
Jovinian  speedily,  so  that  his  doctrines 
could  never  enter  Africa,  nor  give  the 
bishop  of  Hippo  anjopportunity  of  know- 
ing him.  Had  this  been  the  case,  I 
should  have  expected,  from  his  candour 
and  judgment,  that  fair  and  distinct  delin- 
eation of  Jovinian,  which  we  seek  in  vain 
from  the  choleric  and  prejudiced  Jerom. 
W^e  have  of  the  latter  two  books  against 
Jovinian,!  intemperate,  fierce,  and  ill- 
supported  by  Scripture  or  argument.  I 
have  endeavoured,  as  well  as  I  can,  to 
discover  what  were  his  real  opinions  ;X 


19  G. 


t57G. 


:t59G. 


*106D.  fTom.  xi.  rD. 

:j:  Wliatever  tliey  were,  he  was  condemned 
in  a  councii,  held  by  Ambrose  at  Milan,  as  a 


CllTT.  v.] 


JEROM. 


455 


Mosheim 
censured. 


but,  in  wadingf  througfh  the  torrent  of  Je- 
rom's  abuse,  I  find  no  very  certain  vestiges; 
such  is  the  violence  and  intemperance  of 
his  spirit  and  language.  One  single  quo- 
tation is  all  that  I  can  discover,  which 
can  be  called  Jovinian's  own,  the  language 
of  which  is  barbarous  in  the  extreme,  and 
justifies  Jerom's  censure  upon  him  in  one 
respect,  as  a  man  void  of  all  classical  cul- 
ture and  elegance.  The  sense  of  it* 
seems  to  be  this  :  "  Having  satisfied 
those  who  were  invited  to  hear  me,  not 
for  the  sake  of  my  glory,  but  that  I  may 
deliver  myself  from  unjust  accusations,  I 
sow  my  field,  and  visit  the  new  planta- 
tions, the  tender  shrubs,  delivered  from 
the  whirlpool  of  vices,  fortified  by  troops. 
For  we  know  the  Church,  through  hope, 
faith,  and  charity,  inaccessible,  invinci- 
ble. In  her  there  are  none  immature, 
every  one  is  teachable  ;  none  can  subdue 
her  by  violence,  or  elude  her  by  art." 

I  admire  the  positiveness  of  Mosheim 
in  deciding  so  peremptorily  for  the  cha- 
racter of  a  man,f  of  whose  writings 
nothing  has  come  down  to  us, 
but  a  single  sentence  so  bar- 
barous and  doubtful.  Cer- 
tainly he  opposed  the  prejudices  in  favour 
of  celibacy  and  fasting.  A  monk  himself, 
he  disclaimed  any  superior  dignity  or 
estimation,  on  account  of  his  abstinence 
from  matrimony ;  nor  did  he  think  that 
fasting  added  any  intrinsic  excellence  to 
a  character.  Thus  far  is  certain;  and 
that  he  saw  so  much  truth  in  such  an 
age,  proves  him  doubtless  to  have  been  a 
man  of  strong  sense  and  manly  under- 
standing. But  before  I  dare  call  him  "a 
worthy  opposer  of  the  reigning  supersti- 
tions," I  ought  to  know  his  motives.  He 
might  be  influenced  by  the  pure  love  of 
God,  the  faith  of  Jesus,  and  unfeigned 
humility.  He  might  be  moved  by  a 
spirit  merely  prudential,  worldly,  and 
even  profane.  For  true  Christians  and 
Deists  will  unite  in  opposing  supersti- 
tion, from  motives  very  opposite.  We 
are,  indeed,  always  strongly  inclined  to 
think  well  of  those  persons  in  past  ages, 
who  happened  to  favour  our  peculiar  senti- 
ments orprejudices;  and,  on  the  contrary, 
we  are  apt  to  judge  harshly  of  those  who 
thought  in  a  different  manner.  Does  this 
propensity  account  for  Mosheim's  hasty 
approbation  of  the  character  of  Jovinian  1 

heretic,  and  was,  by  the  emperor  Honorius, 
banished  to  the  island  Boa. 

•  8  G.         t  Mosheim,  Cent.  iv.  c.  iii.  22. 


Whether  it  does  or  not  in  this  instance,  I 
cannot  but  observe,  that  this  sort  of  men- 
tal imbecility  forms  one  of  the  most 
capital  defects  of  that  ecclesiastical  his- 
torian :  as  to  myself,  I  can  only  say,  I 
endeavour  to  guard  against  it. 

Let  us  hear,  however,  what  are  the  four 
propositions  of  Jovinian.     I  wish  I  could 
give  them  in  his  own  words,  instead  of 
those  of  his  adversary.    The 
first  is,  that  virgins,  widows,     "^J^^  ^°^^ 
and  married  women,  who  have     [ion^°of" 
once  been  washed  in  Christ,     jovinian. 
if  in  other  works  they  differ 
not,  are  of  the  same  excellence.    Second- 
ly, he  endeavours  to   prove,  that   those 
who  have  been   regenerated   cannot   be 
subverted  by  the  devil.    The  third  shows, 
that  there  is  no  distinction  in  the  sight  of 
God,   between   those  who   abstain   from 
meats,  and  those  who  receive  them  with 
thanksgiving.     The  fourth,  that  all  who 
keep   their  baptism  shall  be  equally  re- 
warded in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

From  information  so  scanty,  two  very 
opposite  opinions  may  be  deduced:  first, 
that  Jovinian,  blest  with  divine  illumina- 
tion, and  the  faith  of  God's  elect,  entered 
fully  into  the  spirit  of  apostolical  Chris- 
tianity, condemned  the  seJf-righteous  taste 
of  the  times  in  ascribing  merit  to  intrinsic 
excellence,  to  fasting,  and  celibacy;  re- 
commended them  only  as  external  helps 
of  godliness  in  certain  cases;  placed  all 
the  hope  of  salvation  on  the  grace  of  Je- 
sus in  unfeigned  faith  and  humility;  as- 
serted the  perpetuity  of  this  grace  in  the 
elect;  and  while  he  reprobated  the  fic- 
titious virtues  of  proud  men,  was  zealous 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  his  Christ. 
Whetlier  this  was  Jovinian's  view  or  not, 
it  undoubtedly  was  that  of  the  apostles. 
If  it  was  his,  he  was  no  heretic,  as  he  has 
been  represented,  but  a  faithful  confessor 
of  Christ.  That  which  strongly  inclines 
me  to  hope,  on  the  whole,  that  this  was 
his  real  character,  and  that  even  good 
men  of  his  age  were  deceived  concerning 
him,  is  the  soundness  with  which  he  in- 
terprets Scripture  in  the  few  instances  to 
be  collected  from  Jerom's  confused  ac- 
count. He  observes  that  those  who  fell 
were  only  baptized  with  water,  not  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  as  appears  from  the  case 
of  Simon  Magus,  showing  from  St.  John, 
that  he  who  is  born  of  God  doth  not  com- 
mit sin.  He  mentions  the  presence  of 
Jesus  at  the  marriage  of  Cana,  in  support 
of  his  vindication  of  matrimony ;  to  which 
Jerom  returns  an  answer  too  ridiculous  to 


456 


HISTORY  OF 


[Chap.  X. 


Brief  ac- 
count of 
Vigilan- 
tius. 


deserve  mentioning.  There  are  other 
things  in  Jerom's  opposition,  weak  be- 
yond measure,  and  which  show  that 
sound  argumentation  was  not  the  talent 
of  this  celebrated  Father. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  Jovinian's  oppo- 
sition to  the  fashionable  austerities  sprang 
from  the  love  of  the  world ;  if  he  held  that 
all  sins  were  really  equal,  and  that  the 
devil  had  no  power  at  all  to  draw  the  re- 
generate into  sin,  he  might  be  a  Stoic,  an 
Epicurean,  an  Antinomian;  a  character 
very  remote  from  that  of  a  Christian.  A 
little  clear  information  of  Jovinian's  own 
life,  and  even  a  larger  specimen  of  his 
writings,  might  have  solved  this  doubt. 

About  the  beginning  of  this  century, 
Vigilantius,  a  presbyter,  a  man  remarka- 
ble for  eloquence,  who  was  born  in  Gaul, 
and  afterwards  performed  his 
ecclesiastical  functions  in 
Spain,  treading  in  the  steps 
of  Jovinian,  exhorted  and 
wrote  with  much  energy 
against  the  custom  of  performing  vigils 
in  temples  consecrated  to  martyrs,  and 
against  the  vvhole  apparatus  of  pilgrim- 
ages, relics,  addresses  to  saints,  volun- 
tary poverty,  and  the  like.  I  have  here 
to  regret,  as  in  the  former  instance,  the 
want  of  materials  for  estimating  the  cha- 
racter of  this  man,  whom  Mosiieim  scru- 
ples not  to  call  the  good  Vigilantius.* 
He  quotes  indeed  Bayle's  dictionary; 
whence  I  gather,  that  the  presbyter  be- 
fore us  was  agreeable  to  that  self-con- 
ceited sceptic;  but  the  ambiguity  remains 
unremoved.  He  might  oppose  supersti- 
tion from  the  faith  and  love  of  Christ,  or 
from  prolaneness  and  sensuality.  As  no 
specific  blot,  however,  is  affixed  to  the 
moral  characters  of  Jovinian  and  Vigilan- 
tius, amidst  an  intemperate  effusion  of 
satire,  the  probability  is,  on  the  whole, 
that  they  were  pious  men,  and  deserved 
to  be  ranked  in  a  very  different  class  from 
that  of  heretics. 

Jerom  wrote  apologies  for  his  books 
against  Jovinian,f  which  gave  additional 
strength  to  the  charges  of  asperity  justly 
brought  against  him  by  many.  His  com- 
mendation of  rhetoric  is  excessive,  and 
his  vain-glory  odious,  though  it  seems 
imknown  to  himself.  The  best  instruc- 
tion to  be  collected  from  them  is,  to  see 
how  the  defect  of  Christian  principle 
fails  not  to  appear  in  the  defect  of  hu- 


mility, meekness,  and  love.  Augustine 
and  Jerom,  in  principles  and  practice, 
form  in  this  respect  a  strong  contrast. 
The  pieces  against  Vigilantius  deserve 
the  same  censure.  He  absurdly  gives  to 
saints  a  sort  of  omnipresence  and  inter- 
cessory power. 

I  have  said  already,  that  the  contest 
between  Jerom  aad  Ruffinus  is  uninter- 
esting. It  is  a  deplorable  evidence  of  the 
weakness  and  corruption  of  human  nature, 
even  in  men  constantly  engaged  in  reli- 
gious studies !  A  sincere  and  practical 
attention  to  the  real  peculiarities  of  the 
Gospel,  can  alone  secure  the  genuine  ho- 
liness of  professors,  and  mortify  the  whole 
body  of  sin.  When  Jerom  is  calm  and 
unruffled,  and  looks  to  Jesus  Christ  in 
faith  and  love,  he  seems  quite  another 
man  from  what  he  is  Vi'hen  engaged  in 
controversy.  For  a  single  page  of  Jo- 
vinian or  Vigilantius,  I  would  gladly 
give  up  the  whole  invectives  of  Jerom 
and  Ruffinus. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  Jerom  confesses 
the  vast  obscurity  of  the  whole  Epistle  to 
the  Romans.*  To  one  who  studied  so 
much,  and  whose  mind  was  so  clouded 
with  self-righteous  superstitions,  it  must 
appear  in  that  light.  He  evidently  speaks 
as  one  irresolute,  embarrassed,  and  con- 
fused. His  immensity  of  verbal  learning, 
in  which  he  much  excelled  Augustine, 
was  not  combined  vv-itli  that  luminous 
perspicuity,  and  comprehensive  judgment 
of  doctrine,  which  enabled  the  latter  to 
see  his  way  through  various  mazes,  and 
to  find  order  and  beauty,  where  the  former 
beheld  inextricable  confusion.  Such  is 
the  difference  between  divine  and  human 
teaching! 

Hence  Jerom,  in  his  very  voluminous 
exjiositions,!  speaks  at  random;  is  alle- 
gorical beyond  all  bounds,  and  almost  al- 
ways without  accuracy  and  precision ; 
lowers  the  doctrine  of  illumination  in 
1  Cor.  ii.  to  things  merely  moral  and 
practical ;  hints  at  something  like  a  first 
and  second  justification  before  God;  as- 
serts predestination,  and,  as  it  were,  re- 
tracts it,  owns  a  good  will  as  from  God 
in  one  place,  in  another  supposes  a  power 
to  choose  to  be  the  whole  of  divine  grace ; 
never  opposes  fundamental  truths  deliber- 
ately, but  though  he  owns  them  every 
where,  always  does  so  defectively,  and 
often   inconsistently.      It   must  be   con- 


*   Mnsheim,  Cent.  v.  c.  iii.  14. 
+  sr  D.  43  D.  44  G. 


•  58  D.  Tom.  ult.  of  vol. 
f  Vol.  ii.  throughout. 


Ce3tt.  v.] 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  WEST. 


457 


fessed,  the  reputation  of  this  father's 
knowledge  and  abilities  has  been  much 
over-rated.  There  is  a  splendour  in  a  pro- 
fusion of  ill-digested  learning,  coloured 
by  a  lively  imagination,  which  is  often 
mistaken  for  sublimity  of  genius.  This 
was  Jerom's  case;  but  this  was  not  the 
greatest  part  of  the  evil.  His  learned  ig- 
norance availed,  more  than  any  other 
cause,  to  give  a  celebrity  to  superstition 
in  the  Christian  world,  and  to  darken  the 
light  of  the  Gospel.  Yet,  when  he  was 
unruffled  by  contradiction,  and  engaged 
in  meditations  unconnected  with  supersti- 
tion, he  could  speak  with  Christian  aifec- 
tion  concerning  the  characters  and  offices 
of  the  Son  of  God. 

It  was  a  marvellous  effect  of  Divine 
Providence,  that  while  all  other  truths 
were  more  or  less  clouded,  that  which  re- 
lates to  the  person  of  the  Son  of  God,  on 
whom  rests  the  salvation  of  men,  should 
remain  unsullied.  From  St.  John's  days 
to  Jerom  we  have  seen  the  whole  church 
unanimous  in  a  comprehensive  view  of 
the  Godhead  and  manhood  of  the  divine 
Saviour:  whoever  opposed  either,  could 
never  obtain  the  free  sanction  of  the 
church.  Imperial  violence  was  ever  found 
necessary  to  extort  the  admission  of  such 
persons  into  the  church  as  pastors.  This 
essential  article  of  Christianity  seems 
even  to  have  been  studied  with  the  mi- 
nutest accuracy ;  and  few  perhaps,  even 
of  the  best  modern  divines,  have  attained 
the  precision  of  the  ancients.  Heresiarchs 
have  not  failed  to  take  advantage  of  this 
circumstance,  and  the  narrow  and  imper- 
fect conceptions,  which  some  authors 
have  formed  of  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ, 
have  emboldened  them  to  suppose,  that 
the  assertion  of  the  manhood  enervates 
the  proof  of  the  Godhead.  Inferiority  to 
the  Father,  confessed  in  any  light,  seems 
to  startle  many  minds  unaccustomed  to 
the  generous  and  extensive  habits  of 
thinking,  in  which  the  fathers  excelled  on 
this  subject;  while  yet  the  answer  is  so 
easy  to  all  supposed  difficulties  of  this 
nature;  "  equal  to  the  Father  as  touching 
his  Godhead,  and  inferior  to  the  Father 
as  touchinsf  his  manhood."* 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST  IN  THE  WEST. 

It  is  time  to  take  up  the  connected 
thread  of  history  again.     But  the  reader 


must  not  expect  a  successive  detail  of 
the  proceedings  of  the  Roman  princes. 
Alter  the  death  of  Theodosius,  the  em- 
pire was  torn  by  various  convulsions, 
tending,  in  the  West  particularly,  to  its 
destruction.  It  is  my  duty  to  watch  only 
the  real  Church  amidst  these  scenes ;  for 
she  lived  while  the  secular  glory  of  Rome 
was  destroyed.  Honorius,  the  son  of 
Tiieodosius,  reigned  there,  while  his 
brother  Arcadius  governed  at  Constanti- 
nople. 

Honorius,  or  to  speak  more  properly, 
his  ministers,  (for  he  himself  was,  like 
Arcadius,  a  very  feeble  prince,)  protect- 
ed the  external  state  of  the  church,  and 
followed  the  steps  of  Theodosius  in  ex- 
tirpating the  remains  of  idolatry,  and  in 
supporting  orthodoxy,  against  the  Dona- 
tists,  and  all  heretics.  The  superior  ad- 
vantages of  a  Christian  above  a  Pagan 
establishment,  even  in  times  of  such 
decline  as  the  present  were,  appear  in 
the  hitmanity  of  a  number  of  laws  and 
edicts,  by  which  idolatrous  impurities 
and  savage  games  were  abolished,  and 
due  care  was  taken  of  the  needy  and  the 
miserable.  In  what,  for  instance,  but  in 
a  Christian  government,  shall  we  find  so 

humane  a  law  as  that  of  Ho-     tj  „     „ 
,    .       ,  Humane 

norms,  enacted  in  the  year  j^^^  ^f 
409,  by  which  judges  are  di-  Honorins, 
rected  to  take  prisoners  out  of  ^  jy  ^,j,j_ 
prison  every  Sunday,  and  to 
inquire  if  they  be  provided  with  neces- 
saries, and  to  see  that  they  be  properly 
accommodated  in  all  things. 

In  this  reign,  Rome  was  sacked  by 
the  Goths  ;  and  an  opportunitj^  was  given 
for  the  exercise  of  many  Christian  vir- 
tues, by  the  sufferings  to  which  its  in- 
habitants were  exposed.  But  enough 
has  been  said  of  this  subject,  in  the  re- 
view of  Augustine's  City  of  God. 

Germanus,  bishop  of  Auxerre,  was  one 
of  the  greatest  ornaments  of  Gaul  in  this 
century.  He  was  a  person  of  quality, 
and  exercised  the  profession  of  a  coun- 
sellor in  the  former  part  of  his  life.  Am- 
ator,*  hiS  predecessor  in  the  See,  fore- 
saw however,  I  apprehend,  some  symp- 
toms of  grace  in  him,  and  ordained  him 
deacon.     A  month  after  the  decease  of 


*  Athanasian  Creed. 
Vol.  I.  2  Q 


*  He  foresaw  these,  by  the  observation 
which  he  made  of  the  frame  of  liis  spirit, 
ratiier  tlian  by  any  special  revelation.  From 
various  places  in  Fleury  I  have  collected  this 
short  account  of  Germanus,  and,  stripping  it 
oF  the  marvellous,  have  retained  only  the  cred- 
ible. 


458 


HISTORY  OF 


[Chap.  XI. 


Amator,  he  was  unanimously  elected 
bishop  by  the  clergy,  nobility,  citizens, 
and  peasants,  and  was  forced  to  accept 
ttie  office  notwithstanding  the  great  re- 
luctance which  he  discovered.  He  em- 
ployed himself  in  the  foundation  of  mo- 
nasteries, and  ill  enriching  the  church, 
while  he  impoverished  himself;  and  for 
thirty  years,  from  his  ordination  to  his 
death,  he  lived  in  extreme  austerity. 

About  the  year  430,  tliat  is,  about  the 

time  of  Augustine's  death,  he  visited  the 

island  of  Great  Britain,  with 

Germanus      ^n  intention  to  oppose  Agri- 

\isits  j.q]jj^^  ^j^g  gQj^  q£  g^  Pelagian 

Br'UHin  bishop  called  Severinus,  who 

'  ,'  propagated  heresy  among  the 
A.  D.  430.  churches  there.  Hence  it  is 
probable,  that  Pelagius,  after  he  had 
ceased  to  be  famous  in  the  world,  had 
retired  into  his  native  country,  and  there 
died.  It  is  no  wonder  that  his  opinions 
should  there  find  abettors.  Lupus,  bi- 
shop of  Troyes,  accompanied  Germanus 
in  the  mission,  which  was  undertaken  on 
the  recommendation  of  a  numerous  coun- 
cil in  Gaul.  Lupus  governed  his  church 
fifty-two  years,  and  was  highly  renowned 
for  sanctity.  These  two  bishops,  on 
their  arrival,  preached  not  only  in  the 
churches,  but  nlso  In  the  higliways,  and 
in  the  open  country,  and  vast  crowds  at- 
tended their  ministry.  The  Pelagians 
came  to  a  conference;  the  doctrines  of 
grace  were  debated;  the  bishops,  sup- 
porting themselves  by  express  passages 
of  Scripture  in  the  hearing  of  all  the  peo- 
ple, were  allowed  to  be  victorious,  and 
Pelagianism  was  reduced  to  silence.  At 
this  time,  the  Picts,  a  race  of  barbarians 
who  inhabited  the  north,  and  the  Saxons, 
a  German  nation,  called  in  by  the  Bri- 
tons, as  it  is  well  known,  to  assist  them 
against  the  Picts,  united  their  forces 
against  the  natives.  The  latter,  terrified 
at  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  had  re- 
course to  Germanus  and  Lupus.  Many, 
having  been  instructed  by  them,  desired 
baptism ;  and  a  great  part  of  the  army  re- 
ceived it  at  Easter,  in  a  church  which  they 
made  of  boughs  of  trees  twisted  together.* 
The  festival  being  over,  they  marched 
against  the  enemy,  with  Germanus  at  their 
head.  He,  still  remembering  the  pro- 
fession in  v/hich  he  had  spent  great  part 
of  his  youth,  posted  his  men  in  a  valley 
through  which  the  enemy  were  to  pass, 
surprised,    and    defeated    them.      After 


Beda,  1  IlisL 


these  thing-s  the  two  bishops  returned  to 
the  Continent.      The   deacon   Palladius 
being  ordained  bishop  of  Scot- 
land, arrived  there  in  the  year     Palladius 
431.     Scotland  had  never  be-     ordained 
fore  seen  a  bishop,  and  was     b'shop  ot 
n       ^    '         1      1  Scotlanu. 

in  a  state  oi  extreme  barbar- 
ism. 

The  same  year  died  Paulinus  of  Nola, 
who  had  been  bishop   there     payjitmg 
twenty  years.     He  was  the     bishop  of 
intimate  friend  of  Augustine,     Nola  dies 
and  appears  through  the  mist     a.  D.  431. 
of  superstition  which  clouds 
his  narrative,  to  have  been  one  of  the 
best  Christian?  of  the  age.     He  was  a 
mirror  of  piety,  liberality  and  humility, 
worthy  of  a  more  intelligent  age,  and  of 
more  intelligent  writers  than  those,  who 
have  recorded  his  life.     For  I  choose  to 
dismiss  him  with  this  general  character, 
rather  than  to  tarnish  his  memory  with 
repeating   the    romances   of   those   who 
meant  to  honour  him. 

We  have  seen  how  the  doctrines  of 
grace  were  defended  in  Britain,  and  it  is 
not  to  be  doubted,  but  this  was  done  with 
some  saving  eflicacy.  In  Gaul,  the  doc- 
trine of  Semi-Pelagianism  still  maintain- 
ed its  ground,  and  Prosper  and  Hilary, 
who  had  written  an  account  of  it  to  Au- 
gustine, exerted  themselves  in  defending 
the  doctrines  which  he  had  taught.  Cce- 
lestine,  of  Rome,  supported  the  same 
cause  ;  and  in  the  same  year  he  published 
nine  articles,  which  will  de- 
serve some  consideration,  as 


IX  Arti- 
cles of 


they  show  that  the  spark  of    f^3i,h™j)j. 


truth  was  still  alive  amidst 


lished  by 


the  mass  of  corruption  in  the  Ccelesiine, 
Western  Church,  and  still,  a.  D.  341. 
under  God,  preserved  some 
degree  of  Christian  holiness.  In  these 
articles,  it  is  owned  that  all  men  are,  by 
nature,  under  the  power  of  sin,  by  reason 
of  the  Fall,  from  which  nothing  but  grace 
can  deliver  any  man — that  man  is  not 
good  of  himself;  he  needs  a  communica- 
tion of  God  to  him  from  God  himself — 
nor  can  a  man,  though  renewed,  overcome 
the  flesh  and  the  devil,  except  he  receive 
daily  assistance — that  God  so  worketh 
upon  the  hearts  of  men,  that  holy  thoughts, 
pious  intentions,  and  the  least  motion  to- 
ward a  good  inclination,  proceed  from  God. 
"We  learn  also,  says  Ccelestine,  what 
we  are  to  believe,  from  the  prayers  ap- 
pointed by  the  Apostles  through  the 
world,  and  observed  with  uniformity 
through  the  whole  church;  wherein  it  is 


\ 


Cbjjt.  v.] 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  WEST. 


459 


petitioned,  that  faith  may  be  granted  to 
infidels,   idolaters,   Jews,   and   heretics; 
charity  to  schismatics,  repentance  to  sin- 
ners, and   regeneration  to  catechumens. 
These  prayers  are  not  empty  forms;  their 
elffcts  are  visible  in  the  conversion  of 
many,  for  which  thanks  are  returned  to 
God.     We  must  confess,  that  the  grace 
of  God  prevents  the  merits  of  man;  th;\t 
it  doth  not  take  away  free-will,  but  de- 
livers, enlightens,  rectifies,  and  heals  it. 
(Jod   is  willing,   such  is  his   goodness, 
that  his  gifts  should  be  our  merits,  and 
grants   an   eternal   reward   to  them :   he 
works  in  us  to  will  and  to  do  according 
to  his  pleasure;  but  his  gifts  are  not  idle 
in  us;  we  co-operate  with  his  grace,  and, 
if  we  find  remissness   proceeding   from 
our  weakness,  we  immediately  have  re- 
course to  him.     As  to  the  more  difficult 
questions  Avhich  have  been  discussed  at 
large,  we  do  not  despise  them,  but  need 
not  treat  of  them.      Suffice  it  that  we 
have  declared  what  we  believe  essential 
to  the  faith."* 

Thus  vigorously  and  perspicuously  did 
a  bishop  of  Rome  maintain  the  apostolic 
doctrines,  and  so  strong  was  the  light 
which,  in  an  age  of  superstition,  had 
beamed  forth  from  the  writings  of  Au- 
gustine. I  could  not  resist  the  pleasure 
of  adding  so  valuable  a  testimony  of  the 
continuation  of  Christian  Faith  in  the 
West. 

Palladius,  the  pastor  of  Scotland,  be- 
ing  dead,   Cielestine   sent   Patrick   into 
parts  in  his   stead.     He  was 
born  in  Scotland,!  at  a  place 
now  called  Dunbarton.    Hav- 
ing been  carried  captive  into 
Ireland,  and  having  remained 
there  a  few  years,  in  which  time  he  learnt 
the  language  and  customs  of  the  country, 
he  was  by  some  pirates  afterwards  con- 
veyed inio  Gaul;  and  after  various  ad- 
ventures   he   returned   a   volunteer  into 
Ireland,  with   a  view  to  undertake  the 
conversion  of  the  barbarous  natives,  who 
seem,  till  this  time,  to  have  been  without 
any  acquaintance  with  Christianity.     It 
is  delightful  to  observe  the  motions  of 
Providence,  in  causing  the  confusions  of 
war  and  desolation  to  be  subservient  to 
the  propagation  of  the  Gospel.     Patrick, 
intent  only  on  the  cause  of  Christ,  amidst 
all  the  various  scenes  in  which  he  was 
tossed  to  and  fro,  was  not  discouraged 
by  the  ill  success  which  at  first  attended 

•  Fleury,  c.  xii.  26.       f  rieurj-,B.  xxvi.  13. 


his  laljours.  The  barbarous  Irish  refused 
to  hear  him,  and  he  returned  into  Gaul, 
and  spent  some  time  with  Germanus,  of 
Auxerre,  whose  services  in  Britain  have 
been  mentioned.  The  conversation  and 
example  of  Germanus  inflamed  his  mind 
with  fresh   zeal,  and  by  his  advice   he 


the   same 

The  la- 
bours of 
Patrick. 


went  to  Kome  ;  that  he  might  be  strength- 
ened in  his  pious  views  by  the  authority 
of  Ccelestine.  From  this  bishop  he  re- 
ceived such  support  and  assistance  as 
enabled  him  to  revisit  Ireland;  and  at 
length  his  success  was  so  great,  that  to 
this  day  he  is  looked  on  as  the  apostle  of 
Ireland.  He  first  taught  the  Irish  the 
use  of  letters ;  and  while  we  pass  over 
in  silence  the  fictions  of  which  these 
ages  are  full,  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt 
but  that  he  was  the  instrument  of  real  good 
to  the  Irish,  both  with  respect  to  this  life 
and  the  next;  nor  ought  such  events  to 
be  omitted  in  the  History  of  the  Church 
of  Christ.  It  were  only  to  be  washed, 
that  we  knew  them  more  cir-  p  .  . 
cumstantially.  He  died  about  [^^^l^'"' 
the  year  460,  in  an  advanced  ^  jy  450. 
age. 

In  the  mean  time  the  clergy  of  Mar- 
seilles, who,  in  the  latter  times  of  the 
Pelasfian   controversy,  with    Cassian  at 
their  head,  had  endeavoured 
to  chalk  out  a  middle  path 
betw-een  Augustine  and  Pela- 
gius,  propacfated  Semi-Pela- 
gianism   with    success,  not- 
withstanding   the    strenuous 
endeavours  of  Coelestine  of  Rome.    Nor 
ouo-ht  we  to  be  surprised  at  this  ;  the 
doctrine   of  Semi-Pelagianism    strongly 
recommends  itself  to  the  depraved  taste 
of  mankind  ;  it  divides  the  work  of  sal 
vation   between   free  grace   and   human 
ability  in  such  a  manner,  that  it  both  re- 
tains a  specious  appearance  of  humility 
toward  God,  and  at  the  same  time  flatters 
the  pride  of  man.     Fallen  creatures  can- 
not but  feel  weakness  and  ignorance  in 
some  deo-ree ;  and  therefore  they  do  not 
easily  hetieve  themselves  perfectly  suffi- 
cient fir  their  own  salvation;  yet  they 
love  independence,  and  struggle  to  pre- 
serve it;  and   hence  it  is,  that  Semi-Pe- 
lagian notions  are  so  peculiarly  grateful 
to^the   nature  of  corrupt   man.     But  it 
may  be  observed,  that  this  very  circum- 
stance itself  forms  an  insuperable  objec- 
tion to  their  truth.     That  can  never  be 
the  wisdom  of  God  in  a  mystery,*  which 


Semi-Pe- 
li\gianism 
supported 
by  Cas- 
siun. 


•  1  Cor.  ii.  7. 


460 


HISTORY  OF 


[Chap.  XL 


men  in  their  natural  state  so  readily  and 
cordially  approve.  Prosper  still  conti- 
nued, with  the  arms  of  Scripture,  to  op- 
pose the  opinions  of  Cassian,  and  to 
defend  the  doctrines  of  the  grace  of  God ; 
Marius  Mercator  also  laboured  in  the 
same  cause.  Gaul  and  the  neighbouring 
countries  no  doubt  received  benefit  from 
their  endeavours.  Semi-Pelagianism  was 
so  far  checked,  that  during  the  dark  ages 
after  this  time,  the  doctrines  of  grace 
were  cordially  received  by  godly  persons, 
particularly  in  the  monasteries.  All, 
who  were  thoroughly  humbled  and  con- 
trite, found  the  comfort  of  them ;  while 
those  monks,  whose  religion  was  phari- 
saic,  found  ilie  Semi-Pelagian  scheme  to 
suit  their  self-righteous  pride.*  In  this 
manner  were  religious  men  in  the  West 
divided :  Cassian's  authority  prevailed 
the  more,  because  of  the  serious  and  de- 
vout spirit  which  other  parts  of  his  writ- 
ings possessed,  or  seemed  to  possess  ;f 
but,  as  the  times  grew  more  corrupt  in 
practice,  Semi-Pelagianism  gained  the 
ascendant. 

About  the  year  439,  Genseric,  king  of 
the  Vandals,  surprised  Carthage:(:  in  the 

midst  of  peace,  and  used  his 
Genseric  victory  with  great  cruelty. 
the  'N  ;iii-  He  himself  was  an  Arian  by 
dal  siir-  profession,  as  the  barbarous 
nVAIl,  o       nations    who    had    received 

Christianity  generally  were. 
A.  D.  439.      How  this  happened,  we  have 

seen  before.  It  does  not  ap- 
pear that  the  Arians  were  altered  in  their 
dispositions.  The  same  unprincipled 
wickedness,  which  had  ever  characteriz- 
ed that  party,  remained.  Genseric  show- 
ed the  greatest  malice  against  the  clergy; 
drove  a  number  of  them  from  their 
churclies,  and  martyred  man)^  Indeed 
the  abominations  of  the  times  seemed  to 


*  Tlioun-h  tliis  must  have  been  the  case  for 
the  most  part,  yet  exceptions  ^viU  occur  in  the 
course  of  this  history.  Tliere  were  those 
whose  hearts  were  better  taught  than  their 
understandings. 

T  I  speak  ambiguously,  because  I  have  no 
access  to  Cassian,  except  indirectly  by  the 
short  account  of  l)u  Pin.  I  scarcely  need  to 
say,  after  the  accounts  I  have  given  of  good 
men  before  his  time,  that  notwithstanding  the 
views  of  Prosper  ajipear  to  me  more  humble, 
and  holy,  and  consistently  scriptural,  yet  there 
might  be  and  there  were  real  good  men,  on 
the  Semi-Pelagian  scheme  :  for  it  ought  not 
to  be  confounded  with  Pelagianism  itself:  the 
tlieory  of  this  excludes  the  very  idea  of  grace. 

i  Victor  A'itens,  B.  i. 


call  for  such  a  scourge.  The  light  of  di- 
vine grace  revived  in  the  West,  purified 
man)'  souls,  and  fitted  them  for  suffer- 
ings ;  but  with  the  majority,  both  super- 
stition and  practical  wickedness  increas- 
ed. Carthage  itself  was  sunk  in  vice ; 
lewdness  was  amazingly  predominant. 
So  deplorable  a  thing  is  it  for  men  to  de- 
part from  the  simplicity  of  Christian 
faith  !  The  superstitions  now  increasing 
daily,  only  fortified  them  the  more  in 
self-righteousness;  and  natural  depravity, 
while  grace  was  neglected,  grew  to  an 
enormous  height.  Oppression  and  cruelty 
domineered  at  Carthage ;  and  the  poor  of 
the  place,  in  the  anguish  of  their  misery, 
were  induced  to  beseech  God  to  deliver 
the  city  to  the  Barbarians.* 

*  The  account  of  a  council  held  at  Brnga,  in 
Lu.^itania,t  will  both  illustrate  the  melancholy 
situation  of  civil  affairs  in  this  century  (for  in  the 
former  part  of  it  the  council  seems  to  have  been 
held)  and  will  also  throw  some  light  on  Ihe  state 
of  religion  in  Portugal,  a  country  which  has 
hitherto  furnished  us  with  no  memoirs.  The 
bishop  Pancratian,  being  presi- 
dent, said,  Ye  see,  brelliron,  the  Council  of 
havoc  made  by  the  Barbarians.  Braga. 
Brethren,  let  our  care  be  for  the 
salvation  of  souls,  fearing  lost  llie  miseries  of  the 
times  should  seduce  our  flocks  into  the  way  of 
sinners ;  and  therefore  let  us  give  them  an  ex- 
ample of  suffering  in  our  own  persons  for  Jesus 
Christ,  \\lio  suffered  so  much  for  us.  And  as 
some  of  the  Barbarians  are  Arians,  others  idola- 
ters, let  us  confess  our  faith.  He  then  declared 
in  few  words  the  articles  of  Christian  confession, 
to  which  they  all  assented.  Elipand,  of  Conim- 
bra,  said,  The  Barbarians  are  among  us;  they 
besiege  Lisbon,  in  a  little  lime  they  will  be  upon 
us.  Let  every  one  go  to  his  abode ;  let  him  com- 
fort the  faithful,  decently  conceal  the  bodies  of 
the  saints,  and  send  us  an  account  of  the  eaves 
where  tiiey  are  deposited.  All  the  bishops  hav- 
ing approved  of  the  motion  ;  Pancratian  added, 
Go  homo  in  peace,  except  brother  Potamius,  be- 
cause his  church  at  .(Eminium  is  destroyed,  and 
his  country  ravaged.  Potamius  generously  an- 
swered, I  did  not  receive  the  episcopal  function 
to  sit  at  my  ease,  but  to  laliour ;  let  rne  comfort 
my  flock,  and  suffer  with  them  for  Jesus  Christ. 
You  have  well  spoken,  replied  the  president, 
God  be  with  you.  God  maintain  you  in  your 
resolution,  said  all  the  bishops.  Let  us  depart 
with  the  peace  of  Jesus  Christ. 

At  this  council  ten  bishops  subscribed  to  the 
decrees.  Arisbert  of  Porto,  (I  suppose  the  pre- 
sent Oporto,)  wrote  to  a  friend,  a  little  after  the 
council,  in  these  affecting  terms  :  1  pity  you,  bro- 
ther— may  God  look  on  our  misery  with  the  eyes 
of  liis  mercy.  Conirnbra  is  taken,  the  servants 
of  God  are  iiillen  by  the  edge  of  the  sword.  Eli- 
pand (one  of  the  bishops  of  the  council)  is  carried 
away  captive ;  Lisbon  has  redeemed  itself  with 
gold.   Igaedita  is  besieged ;  nothing  to  be  seen  but 

+  Fleury,  B.  xxiii.  6. 


Cent.  V.] 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  WEST. 


461 


He  who  informs  us  of  these  things  is 
Salvian,  priest  of  Marseilles.*  From 
him  we  learn,  that  many  nominal  Chris- 
tians attended  Pagan  sacrifices,  and  after- 
wards went  to  the  Lord's  Supper.  Lewd- 
ness was  so  common  among  them,  that 
after  the  Vandals  became  masters  of  Car- 
thage, they  put  a  stop  to  tlie  disorders, 
and  obliged  the  prostitutes  to  marry.  For 
these  Barbarians  had  not  yet  attained  the 
corrupt  refinements  of  Roman  luxury. 
Salvian  very  justly  observes,  that  the 
miseries  of  these  orthodox  Christians 
ought  to  give  no  offence,  because  they 
were  only  Christians  in  name.  They 
were  in  reality  very  idolatrous  in  their 
practices,  and  even  amidst  the  horrors  of 
war  and  public  calamities,  continued  im- 
pure and  voluptuous.  And  oppression 
and  injustice  were  so  grievous,  that  the 
dominion  of  the  Barbarians  was  really 
more  tolerable  than  that  of  the  Rom-\ns. 
It  was  worth  while  to  mention  these 
things,  as  containing  no  improper  illus- 
tration of  the  adorable  justice  of  Provi- 
dence, in  punishing  the  wickedness  of 
nominal  Christians,  not  only  at  Carthage, 
but  in  general  in  this  century  through  the 
Western  empire.  What  happened  to  the 
ancient  Jewish  Church  when  grown 
wicked  and  idolatrous,  and  retaining  only 
the  form  of  religion,  happens  also  to 
Christian  nations.  God  is  glorified  by 
taking  the  power  out  of  their  hand,  that 
they  may  no  longer  profane  his  holy 
name. 

Genseric  expelled  the  bishops  from 
their  Sees  ;  and  in  case  of  any  resistance, 
he  made  them  slaves  for  life  ;  and  this 
punishment  was  actually  inflicted  on  se- 
veral bishops,  and  on  many  hiymen  of 
qualit}-.  Quod  vult  Deus,  bishop  of 
Carthage,  and  a  number  of  clergy,  were 
expelled,  and  they  fled  bj'sea  to  Naples. 
Others  having  suffered  divers  torments 
in  Africa  were  put  on  board  an  old  bark, 
and  lauded  in  Campania.  Arian  bishops 
were  now  put  into  possession  of  the  va- 

miserv,  groaninsr,  and  anguish.  You  have  seen 
what"  the  Siievi  have  done  in  Gaihcia ;  judge 
what  the  Alani  are  doing  in  Lusitaiiia.  1  send 
vou  the  decrees  of  the  faith  you  ask  for :  I  will 
send  you  all,  if  I  discover  the  place  where  you 
are  hidden.  I  expect  the  same  fate  daily.  The 
Lord  have  mercy  on  us. 

The  sympathizing  reader,  who  enjoys  at  his 
ease  the  civil  and  religious  privileges  of  our 
country,  will  do  well  to  consider  how  ihankliil 
he  ought  to  be  for  blessings,  of  which  these  pious 
men  were  deprived. 

•  Salvian  de  Gubern.  B.  7. 
2q  3 


cant  Sees.*  Some  bishops,  who  still 
remained  in  the  provinces,  presented 
themselves  before  Genseric,  and  entreat- 
ed, that  as  they  had  lost  their  churches 
and  their  wealth,  they  might  at  least  be 
allowed  to  remain  without  molestation  in 
Africa,  for  the  comfort  and  support  of  the 
people  of  God.  "  I  have  resolved  to 
leave  none  of  your  name  or  nation,"  was 
the  reply  of  the  stern  Barbarian  ;  and  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  he  was  withheld, 
by  the  entreaties  of  those  about  him, 
from  ordering  them  to  be  thrown  into  the 
sea. 

Yet,  amidst  the  decline  of  Roman  great- 
ness,  the   growth   of   idolatrous    super- 
stition, and  the  horrors  of  the  times,  it  is 
pleasing   to    see    the    improvements    of 
human  society  through  the  influence  of 
Christianity,  corrupted  and  imperfect  as 
it  then  was.     I  have  before  noticed  the 
extinction  of  the  savage  games  and  sports 
of  the  Romans.     Of  a  piece     Dgoyg- 
with   this  was   the  abolition     a"-ainstthe 
of  the   barbarous   custom  of    custom  of 
exposing  children,   a  custom     exposing 
which  had  continued  amidst     children, 
all    the   grandeur    of  Rome,     pf',',".  ?''*• 
Constantine,  in  the  year  331,     jA?  ^  3?ti  r 
had  made  a  decree  to  obviate     jn442.    ' 
it;    so  had  Honorius  in   the 
year  412.    Still,  however,  those  who  took 
care  of  the  children  were  molested.    And 
now  in  the  year  442,  in  a  council  held  at 
Vaison,"!'  it  was  ordained,  that  on  Sunday 
the  deacon  shall  give  notice  at  the  altar, 
that  an  exposed  child  hath  been  taken  up, 
and  that  if  any  will  claim  it,  he  may  do 
so  within  ten  days;    otherwise   that  he 
who  shall  afterwards  claim  such  a  child, 
shall  have  the  church  censure  of  Homi- 
cide denounced  against  him. 

In  the  year  443,  Genseric     Genseric 
passed  over  into  Sicily,  and     persecutes 
so  far  as  his  arms  prevailed,     !''^„.  ."'"'^'' 
extended   the   persecution  of    ^  q  ^„ 
the  church  into  that  island. 

Germ  anus,   of  Auxerre,  was   called  a 
second  time  into  Great  Britain,  to  assist 
the  church  against  the  Pelagian  heresy, 
which  again  spread  itself  there.     He  set 
out    in   the    year    446,    and 
baffled  the  attempts  of  those     'lermanus 
who  disturbed  the  faith  of  the     "rre  "up- 
Romans.      The   authority  of    -^^^^^  jj^g" 
this  person  was  exceedingly     church  in 
"•reat  in   these  times,  and  it     Great  BrU 


*  Victor  Vitens,  B.  i. 
+  Fleury,  B.  xxvi.  52. 


462 


HISTORY  OF 


[Chap.  XI. 


tain  a-  must   be   confessed   that    he 

gainst  the  employed  it  to  the  best  pur- 

Pelasfians.  ^i                       .•            r 

°  poses,     the    propagation     oi 

Christian  doctrine,  and  the  benefit  of 
human  society.  But  I  am  inclined  nei- 
ther to  credit  nor  to  relate  his  miracles ; 
and  I  am  sorry  that  I  have  little  else  to 

r,„ „„^      tell  the  reader concernino- him. 

(]ies  He  died  in  the  year  448,  hav- 

A.  D.  448.      ing  held  the  See  ofAuxerre 
thirty  years. 

Attila,  the  Hun,  now  made  terrible  ra- 
vages in  various  parts  of  the  empire ;  yet, 
R  "■  of  ^"*^^  ^^  ^^^  ascendant  w^hich 
Attila.  religion,  supported  by  any  to- 

lerable decorum  of  manners, 
must  ever  maintain  over  ignorant  barba- 
rism, that  his  respect  for  it,  in  some  mea- 
sure, had  already  checked  his  progress  in 
Gaul ;  and  an  embassy  of  Leo,  bishop  of 
Rome,  from  the  emperor  of  the  West, 
determined  him  not  to  invade  Italy.  This 
was  in  the  year  452.  Two  years  after, 
Genseric,  king  of  the  Vandals,  arrived  at 
Rome,  which  he  found  without  defence: 
Leo  went  out  to  meet  him,  and  persuaded 
him  to  be  content  with  the  pillage,  and  to 
abstain  from  burnings  and  murders.  He 
returned  into  Africa  with  many  thousand 
captives.  This  circumstance  gave  occa- 
sion to  an  exercise  of  the  Christian  grace 
of  charity,  worthy  to  have  a  place  in  these 
annals. 

After  a  long  vacancy,Deogratias  was  or- 
dained bishop  of  Carthage  in  the  year  454, 
at  the  desire  of  Valentinian,  the  Roman 
y^    ^  emperor,  and  as  it  seems  by 

tiasor-  *^^   connivance    at    least    of 

dained  Genseric.     The    captives   of 

bishop  of  the  latter  were  divided  among 
Carthage,  i^ig  followers,  who  separated 
A.  D.  45-i.  liusbands  from  wives,  and 
children  from  parents.  The  heart  of  Deo- 
gratias  was  moved  with  compassion  ;  and 
to  prevent  these  disorders,  he  undertook 
to  redeem  the  captives  by  the  sale  of  all 
the  vessels  of  gold  and  silver  belonging 
to  the  churches.  As  there  were  no  places 
laro-e  enough  to  contain  the  multitude,* 
he^placed  "them  in  two  great  churches, 
which  he  furnished  with  beds  and  stravy-, 
giving  order  for  their  daily  accommoda- 
tion with  all  necessaries.  He  appointed 
physicians  to  attend  the  sick,  and  had 
nourishment  distributed  to  them  in  his 
presence  by  their  directions.  In  the  night 
he  visited  all  the  beds,  giving  himself  up 
to  this  work,  notwithstanding  his  age  and 


*   Vict.  Vit.  B.  i. 


infirmities.  He  lived  only  three  years  in 
his  bishopric,  was  endeared  to  the  me- 
mory of  the  faithful  by  his  virtues  ;  and 
while  Arians  performed  military  exploits, 
and  dealt  in  blood,  this  follower  of  Augus- 
tine honoured  the  real  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel  by  acts  of  meekness  and  charity. 
It  is  thus  that  we  still  trace  the  real 
church  of  Christ,  and  see  the  connexion 
of  principles  and  practice  in  the  disciples 
of  tire  Lamb.  The  sight  of  so  much 
goodness  was  too  much  for  Genseric;  he 
took  care  to  suffer  no  more  such  bishops, 
and,  in  process  of  time,  the  orthodox 
bishops  in  Africa  were  reduced  to  three. 

Several  godly  persons,  after  a  variety 
of  hardships  and  tortures,  came  into  the 
hands  of  Capsur,  a  Moorish  king,  the  re- 
lation of  Genseric.  These  being  arrived 
at  the  desert  where  he  lived,  and  seeing 
there  a  number  of  profane  sacrifices,  be- 
gan by  their  discourse  and  manner  of  life 
to  bring  over  the  Barbarians  to  the  know- 
ledge of  God,  and  gained  a  great  mul- 
titude in  a  country  where  the  name  of 
Jesus  had  not  yet  been  heard  of.  Desir- 
ous of  establishing  the  Gospel  there,  they 
sent  deputies,  who  having  crossed  the  de- 
sert, arrived  at  a  Roman  city  ;  for  some 
part  of  Africa  still  remained  connected 
with  the  Roman  empire.  The  bishop 
sent  priests  and  ministers,  who  built  a 
church,  and  baptized  a  great  number  of 
Barbarians.  The  Pagan  king  informed 
Genseric  of  these  transactions,  who,  in- 
censed at  the  zeal  of  these  pious  men, 
condemned  them  to  death.  The  convert- 
ed Moors  bewailed  themselves  ;  and  the 
martyrs  as  they  passed  by,  said  to  each 
of  them,  Brother,  pray  for  me  ;  God  has 
accomplished  my  desire;  this  is  the  way 
to  the  heavenly  kingdom. 

Genseric  ordered  the  bishops  to  deliver 
up  the  sacred  vessels  and  books  ;  which 
they  refusing,  the  Vandals  took  them  by 
force,  and  plundered  every  thing.  Vale- 
rian, bishop  of  Abbenza,  above  four-score 
j-ears  of  age,  was  driven  alone  out  of  the 
city,  and  all  person  were  prohibited  from 
lodging  him  in  their  houses.  He  lay 
naked  a  long  time  in  the  public  road,  ex- 
posed to  the  weather,  and  thus  expired 
for  the  faith  of  Christ. 

The  Orthodox  celebrating  Easter  in  the 
church  of  a  town  called  Regia,  the  Arians 
assaulted  and  massacred  them.  Gen- 
seric ordered,  that  none  but  Arians  should 
serve  in  his  family,  or  in  that  of  his  chil- 
dren. A  person  named  Armogastus,  in 
the  service  of  Theodoric,  the  king's  son. 


Ce.xt.  v.] 


THE  CHUKCH  IN  THE  WEST. 


463 


was  treated  with  a  variety  of  insults,  till 
death  put  a  period  to  his  sufferings. 

Another,  named  Archinimus.  was  flat- 
tered by  Genseric  himself,  and  was  pro- 
mised immense  wealth,  if  he  would  re- 
ceive Arianism;  but  his  constancy  was 
invincible,  and  Genseric  having  given 
secret  orders  to  the  executioners,  that  if 
he  showed  undaunted  courage  at  the  mo- 
ment of  execution,  his  life  should  be 
spared ;  he  by  this  means  was  suffered  to 
live. 

Satur,  steward  of  Himeric's  house,* 
was  very  free  in  his  censures  of  Ariani;sm. 
Being  accused,  he  was  threatened  with 
the  loss  of  all  his  property,  and  was  fur- 
tlier  told,  that  his  wife  should  be  married 
to  a  Iveeper  of  camels  if  he  persevered. 
His  wife,  who  had  several  children  and 
a  suckling  infant,  entreated  him  to  com- 
ply. He  answered,  "  Thou  speakest  as 
one  of  the  foolish  women  speaketh.f  Let 
them  do  what  they  will,  I  must  remember 
the  words  of  the  Lord,  Whoever  doth  not 
leave  wife,  or  children,  or  lands,  or  houses, 
cannot  be  my  disciple."  They  stripped 
him  of  all,  and  reduced  him  to  beggary. 

Genseric  afterwards  ordered  the  great 
church  of  Carthage  to  be  shut  up,  and 
banished  the  ministers :  and  wherever  his 
arms  prevailed,  he  made  the  people  of 
God  to  feel  his  fury.     The  whole  empire 
of    the   West,    indeed,    was 
falling   into   ruin.     Odoacer, 
king  of  the  Heruli,made  him- 
self master  of  Rome  in  the 
year  476,  and  though  he  was 
obliged   to  give  way  to  the 
arms  of  Theodoric  the  Goth, 
yet  Roman  emperors  have  ceased  in  Italy 
ever  since.j:    Africa,  we  have  seen,  bow- 
ed under  the  yo^e  of  the  Vandals;  Spain, 
and  a  great  part  of  Gaul  was  held  in  sub- 
jection by  the  Goths;  the  other  part  of 
Gaul,   was   subjugated  by   the  Franks, 
who.  in  process  of  time,  became  masters 
of  the  whole  country,  which  from  them 
bears  the  name  of  France;  and  the  south- 
ern part  of  Great  Britain  was  overpowered 
at  length  by  the  Saxons.     These  were 
idolaters,  and  the  small  remains  of  the 
ancient  Britons,  Christians  by  profession, 


Rome 
taken  by 
Odoaeei', 
A.  D.476. 

afterwards 
victorious 


retired  into  the  inaccessible  mountains  of 
Wales.  The  poverty  of  the  northern  parts 
of  the  island  was  their  security.    And  we 
must  be  content  to  leave  the  fruits  of  the 
labours  of  Germanus,  Palladius,  and  Pa- 
trick, in  a  very  low  state,  till  we  shall 
have  occasion  to  speak  of  the  conversion 
of  the  Saxons.     The  Franks  also  were  at 
present   idolaters;  the  Barbarians,   who 
ruled    in  the   other  parts,   were  Arians, 
though  it  does  not  appear  that  any  of  them 
persecuted  the  faithful  with  so  much  rage 
as  the  Vandals  did.     Evaric,  kinw  of  the 
Goths    in   Spain,   seemed   ambitious   to 
tread  in  the  steps  of  Genseris :  he  forbad 
the  ordination  of  bishops  in  the  room  of 
those  who  were  deceased,  and  sent  others 
into  banishment.     The  churches  fell  into 
decay,  and  congregations  seldom  assem- 
bled.    Indeed  it  was  a  very  gloomy  sea- 
son with  the  Western  church  in  general. 
The  wrath  of  God  was  evidently  poured 
out   on   the   churches   for  mercies   long 
abused  ;  but  there  were  those  who,  by  tlie 
principles  of  divine  grace,  were  enabled 
in  patience  to  possess  their  souls,  and  to 
evidence   that   the   real   church  was  far 
from  being  extinguished. 

Among  the  stars  that  illuminated  this 
disastrous  period,  was  Sidonius  of  Ly- 
ons.* He  was  one  of  the  noblest  families 
in  Gaul,  and  was  a  celebrated 
orator  and  poet.  About  the 
year  472,  he  was,  contrary  to 
his  wishes,  appointed  bishop 
of  Clermont,  in  Auvergne. 
His  liberality  was  highly 
laudable,  and  even  before  he 
was  bishop,  he  did  frequently,  unknown 
to  his  wife,  convert  his  silver  plate  to  the 
use  of  the  poor.  His  brother-in-law,! 
Ecdicius,  was  remarkably  distinguished 
for  the  same  virtue.  The  Goths  having 
ravaged  the  country  during  the  scarcity 
occasioned  by  a  grievous  famine,  which 
was  added  to  the  national  afflictions, 
Ecdicius  collected  4,000  of  both  sexes, 
whom  he  lodged  in  his  houses,  and  nour- 
ished during  all  the  time  of  the  scarcity. 
Patiens,  bishop  of  Lyons,  also  ^he  boun- 
extended  his  bounty  to  the  ty  of 
remotest  parts  of  Gaul.     The     Patiens, 


Sidonius 
of  Lyons 
made  bi- 
shop of 
Clermont, 

A.  D.  472. 


*  Huneric  was  the  son  and  successor  of 
Genseric. 

t  Job  ii.  10. 

i  I  have  not  thought  it  worlh  wliile  to  men- 
tion particularly  the  emperors  of  tbe  West 
since  ihe  death  of  the  great  Theodosius,  as 
they  are  all  cliaracters  very  feeble  or  obscure, 
and  no  war  iiiterestina:  in  church-history. 


*  I  dare  not,  however,  rank  this  man  amonfr 
the  ornaments  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  I  find 
him  continually  with  princes  and  emperors, 
writing  their  "panegyrics,  and  absorbed  in 
secular  politics.  Of  his  evangelical  taste  and 
spirit,  I  know  no  sufficient  evidence. 

t  Fleurv.B.  xxix.  30. 


464 


HISTORY  OF 


[Chap.  XI. 


bishop  of       providence   of  God  was  re- 
Lyous.  markable    in   tempering   the 

miseries  of  the  Christians,  in 
these  times,  by  raising  up  such  exemplars 
of  munificence.  Patiens  possessed  the 
pastoral  character  in  a  great  degree,  and 
reclaimed  many  of  the  Burgundian  Arians. 
His  virtues  were  admired  by  Gonde- 
baud,  the  Burgundian  King,  who  resided 
at  Lyons. 

A  council  was  held  in  Gaul,  from  the 
confused  accounts  of  which  it  appears 
that  Semi-Pelagianism  was  still  very 
prevalent  there  ;  nor  is  it  to  be  wondered 
at,  if  we  consider  the  little  light  of  the 
Scriptures  which  now  remained  in  the 
church, 

Genseric  dying  in  the  year  477,  was 
succeeded  by  liis  eldest  son  Huneric* 
He  began  his  reign  with  a  mild  aspect 
Death  of  toward  the  faithful,  and,  after 
Genseric,  ^n  interval  of  twenty-four 
A.  D.  477.  years,  permitted  them  to  or- 
dain a  bishop  of  Carthage, 
but  under  this  condition,  that  the  Arians 
at  Constantinople  should  have  the  same 
liberty,  which  those  of  the  general  church 
had  at  Carthage.  The  people  protested 
against  the  condition,  and  with  good  rea- 
son, because  the  power  was  out  of  tiieir 
hands,  and  they  said,  "  We  will  not 
accept  a  bishop  on  such  terms.  Jesus 
Christ  will  govern  the  church,  as  he  has 
done  hitherto."  But  Huneric  disregard- 
ed the  protestation:  and  Eugenius  was 
elected  bishop  of  Cartl.age. 

All  mankind  soon  bore  witness  to  his 
virtues.  The  revenues  of  the  church 
were  indeed  in  the  hands  of  the  Arians; 
but  large  sums  were  every 
The  vir-  ^^y  brought  to  him,  all  which 
Eu"enius  ^^  faithfully  distributed  to 
bishop  of  the  needy,  and  reserved  to 
Carthage.  himself  no  more  than  daily 
bread.  The  Arian  bishops 
soon  murmured ;  they  represented  him  as 
a  dangerous  preacher,  and  expostulated 
with  Eugenius  himself  for  suffering  per- 
sons to  hear  him  who  wore  the  Vandal 
habit,  which  was,  it  seems,  at  that  time 
perfectly  distinct  from  the  Roman.  God's 
house,  he  replied,  is  open  to  all,  without 
respect  to  persons. 

Huneric,  who  had  only  complied  thus 
far  with  the  inclinations  of  the  Roman 
Christians  in  his  dominions,  to  oblige 
the  court  of  Constantinople,  where  the 
emperor  of  the  East  reigned,  began  gra- 


*  Victor  Vit.  B.  ii. 


dually  to  show  the  ferocity  of  his  spirit. 
Fearing  that  he  should  lose  his  Vandals, 
if  they  attended  the  preaching  of  Euge- 
nius, he  ordered  guards  to  watch  at  the 
door  of  the  church,  who,  when  they  saw 
a  man  or  woman  in  a  Vandal  habit,  struck 
such  persons  on  the  head  with  short 
staves  jagged  and  indented,  which,  being 
twisted  into  the  hair,  and  drawn  back 
with  sudden  violence,  tore  off  both  the 
hair  and  skin.*  Many  suffered  extremely 
by  these  means;  women,  who  had  been 
thus  treated,  were  led  through  the  streets, 
with  a  crier  going  before,  to  exhibit  them 
to  the  people.  The  faithful,  however, 
remained  firm;  and  those  who  belonged 
to  Huneric's  court  could  not  be  induced 
to  receive  Arianism.  He  deprived  them 
of  their  pensions,  and  sent  them  to  reap 
corn  in  the  country.  As  these  persons 
had  been  educated  like  gentlemen,  the 
punishment  was  equally  severe  and  re- 
proachful. But  they  bore  the  cross  for 
the  sake  of  Him  who  gave  himself  for 
them. 

Victor,  bishop  of  Vita,  to  whom,  as  an 
eye-witness  and  fellow-sufferer,  we  are 
indebted  for  the  history  of  this  memorable 
persecution,  relates  some  visions,  which 
were  looked  on  as  preludes  of  the  horrible 
desolations  which  approached.  We  may 
pass  by  these  without  any  loss  to  the 
reader,  and  also  without  any  impeach- 
ment of  the  general  credulity  of  the 
historian.  Huneric  at  first  ordered,  that 
none  should  hold  any  office  who  was  not 
an  Arian.  He  afterwards  confiscated  the 
possessions  of  the  rejected  orthodox,  and 
banished  their  persons  into  Sicily  and 
Sardinia.  He  seized  the  consecrated 
virgins,  and  treated  them  with  excessive 
cruelty  and  indecency,  with  a  view  to 
extort  evidence  from  them  against  the 
bishops.  But  nothing  could  be  drawn 
from  them  to  suit  the  tyrant's  purpose, 
though  many  died  under  the  torments. 

Huneric   afterwards   banished  pastors 
and  people,  to  the  amount  of  four  thou- 
sand nine  hundred  and  seventy-six,  into  the 
desert.  Felix,  of  Abbirita,  had 
been  bishop  forty-four  years,     lei'secu- 
and  by  the  palsy  had  lost  his     Hu„ei.ic 
speech,  and  even  his  under- 
standing.    The  faithful,  compassionating 
his  case,  implored  the  king,  that  the  old 
man  might  be  allowed  to  end  his  days 
quietly  at  Carthage.     Huneric,  as  if  he 
had  been  ambitious  to  outstrip  the  Pagan 


*  Fleury,  B.  xxx. 


Czyr.  v.] 


THE  CHURCH  IN   THE    WEST. 


465 


emperors  in  persecution,  said,  "  Let  him 
be  tied  to  wild  oxen,  and  be  so  carried, 
where  I  ordered  ;"  on  which,  they  tied 
him  across  a  mule  lilce  a  piece  of  timber. 
These  Christian  heroes  were  conducted 
to  the  two  cities  of  Sicca  and  Lares, 
where  the  Moors  were  directed  to  receive 
and  conduct  them  into  the  desert.  They 
were  at  first  confined  in  a  prison,  where 
their  brethren  were  allowed  to  have  access 
to  them,  to  preach,  and  to  administer  the 
Lord's  Supper.  Some  young  children 
were  of  the  number,  several  of  whom  were 
tempted  by  their  mothers,  to  admit  Arian 
baptism;  but  out  of  the  mouths  of 
BABES  AND  SUCKLINGS  STRENGTH  was  Or- 
dained, and  they  continued  faithful. 

The  guards  were  soon  after  severely 
chastised  for  granting  these  privileges ; 
none  were  permitted  to  visit  the  prison- 
ers ;  they  were  thrown  one  upon  another, 
and,  for  want  of  room,  could  not  withdraw, 
to  comply  with  the  necessities  of  nature. 
The  effect  of  this  was  horrible  beyond 
description.  Some  of  their  brethren  found 
means  to  enter  unobserved  among  them, 
and  of  these  was  Victor,  our  author,  who 
sunk  up  to  the  knees  in  the  odure.  How 
strong  was  that  grace  which  caused 
them  patiently  to  endure,  rather  than  free 
themselves  by  unfaithfulness ! 

The  ]\Ioors  at  length  ordered  them  to 
inarch.      They  went  out  on  the  Lord's 
day,  their  clothes,  their  heads,  and  their 
faces  covered  all  over  with  filth,  and  they 
sang  as  they  went,  "  Such  honour  have 
all  "his   saints."      Cyprian,    bishop    of 
Uniziba,  comforted  them,  and  gave  them 
all  he  had,  wishing  for  thehonour  of  being 
carried  with  them.   This  was  not  granted 
him  at  present.     He  afterw^ards  was  con- 
fined, suffered  much,  and  was  sent  into 
banishment.     There  is   a  voice   in  man 
which  speaks  loudly  in  favour  of  suffering 
innocence.     The  whole  country  resound- 
ed with  the  cries  and  groans  of  the  people, 
flocking   to  behold  them,  and  throwing 
tlieir  children  at  their  feet.     Alas,  said 
they,  to  whom  do  you  leave  us "?     Who 
shall  baptize  these  children  ]     Who  shall 
administer  the  Lord's  supper  to  us  1  Why 
are  we  not  permitted  to  go  with  you  ? 
Among  the  rest,  a  woman  was  observed 
leading  a  child  by  the  hand.     Run,  my 
boy,  said  she,  observe  what  haste  these 
holy  men  make  to   receive  the   crown. 
Being  reproved  for  desiring  to  go  along 
wilhlhcm,  she  replied,  I  am  the  daugh- 
ter of  t!ie  late  bishop  of  Zurita ;  and  I  am 
carrying  this  child,  who  is  my  grandson, 


Edict  of 
Huneric, 

A.  D.  483. 


lest  he  be   left  alone,   and   the   enemy 
draw  him  into  the  snares  of  death.     The 
bishops,  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  could 
only  say,  God's  will  be  done.     As  they 
travelled,  when  the  aged  or  the  young, 
who  wanted   strength,  were  not  able  to 
advance,  the  Moors  pricked  them  forward 
with   their  javelins,  or  threw  stones  at 
them.     Such  as  were  not  able   to  walk 
were  tied  by  the  feet,  and  dragged  along. 
Many  died  in  the  march  ;  the  rest  arrived 
at  the  desert,  and  were  fed  with  barley, 
nor  were  even  allowed  this  after  a  season. 
In  the  year  483,  Huneric  sent  an  edict 
to  Eugenius,  with  orders  to  read  it  in  the 
church,  and  dispatched  couriers  with  co- 
pies of  it  through  Africa.  The 
purport   of   the   Edict    was, 
after  upbraiding  the  faithful 
bishops    for    their    zeal     in 
spreading  their  doctrines,  to 
command  them  all  to  appear  at  Carthage, 
to  dispute  with  the  Arian  bishops  on  a 
certain  day,  artd  to  prove  their  faith,  if 
they  could,  by  the  Scripture. 

The  most  alarming  words  were,  "re- 
solving not  to  suffer  any  scandal  in  our 
provinces."  The  bishops  interpreted 
them  to  mean,  that  he  would  not  suffer 
any  who  professed  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity  to  remain  in  his  dominions.  They 
therefore  drew  up  a  remonstrance,  con- 
taining in  substance  a  petition,  that  Hu- 
neric would  send  for  the  bishops  who 
were  beyond  the  seas.  Huneric,  regard- 
less of  the  remonstrance,  persecuted  the 
most  learned  bishops  under  various  pre- 
tences. He  banished  the 
bishop  Donatian,  after  giving 
him  a  hundred  and  fifty  bas- 
tinadoes. He  treated  others 
also  with  great  cruelty,  and 
forbad  any  of  his  sect  to  eat  with  the 
faithful. 

'  On  the  first  of  February,  tha  day  ap- 
pointed for  the  conference,  the  bishops 
resorted  to  Carthage  from  every  part  of 
Africa,  and  from  all  the  islands  subject 
to  the  Vandals.  Huneric,  for  many  days, 
made  no  mention  of  the  conference,  and 
separated  those  of  the  greatest  abilities 
from  the  rest,  that  he  might  put  them  to 
death  on  false  pretences.  One  of  the 
most  learned,  named  Laetus,  he  burned 
alive,  with  a  view  of  intimidating  others. 
At  length,  when  the  conference  was 
opened,  the  orthodox  chose  ten  of  their 
own  number,  to  answer  for  the  rest. 
Cirila,  the  chief  of  the  Arian  bishops, 
w-as  seated  on  a  magnificent  throne,  with 


Huneric 
banishes 
DouatJan. 


466 


HISTORY  OF 


[Chap.  XI. 


his  partisans  sitting  in  an  exalted  station, 
while  the  orthodox  continued  standing 
below.  The  latter  saw  what  a  mock- 
conference  it  was  likely  to  prove,  and  re- 
monstrated;  the  Arian.^  ordered  one  hun- 
dred bastinadoes  to  be  given  to  each  of 
them.  May  God  look  down  on  the  vio- 
lence that  is  offered  us,  said  Eugenius. 
Cirila  finding  them  better  prepared  than 
he  imagined,  made  use  of  several  cavils 
to  avoid  the  conference.  The  orthodox 
foreseeing  this,  had  prepared  a  confes- 
sion* of  faith,  in  which  the  Trinitarian 
doctrine  is  very  explicitly  declared,  and 
which  concludes  thus :  "  This  is  our 
faith,  supported  by  the  authority  of  the 
evangelists  and  apostles,  and  founded 
upon  the  society  of  all  the  general 
churclres  through  the  world ;  in  which 
by  the  grace  of  God  Almighty,  we  hope 
to  persevere  til!  death." 

The  Arians,  incensed  at  this  confes- 
sion, reported  to  the  king  that  the  ortho- 
dox had  raised  a  clamour,  to  avoid  the 
conference.  The  tyrant  had  taken  his 
measures ;  orders  were  sent  through  the 
provinces,  by  virtue  of  which  the  churches 
■were  all  shut  in  one  day,  and  their  reve- 
nues given  to  the  Arians.  He  allowed 
the  orthodox  till  the  first  of  June  in  the 
same  year,  that  is,  484,  to  consider  whe- 
ther they  would  merit  pardon  by  a  retrac- 
tion. 

Such  were  the  measures  made  use  of 
to  obliterate  the  doctrines  of  divine  grace 
in  Africa,  where  they  had  been  so  glo- 
riously revived  by  Augustine 


standing,  cried  two  of  them,  that  we 
should  swear  at  a  venture,  without  know- 
ing what  is  contained  in  the  paper?  In 
the  issue,  of  four  hundred  and  forty-six 
bishops,  who  came  to  the  conference, 
forty-eight  died,  many  of  them,  proba- 
bly, through  hard  usage  ;  forty-six  were 
banished  into  Corsica,  three  hundred  and 
two  into  other  places;  and  most  of  the 
rest  made  their  escape. 

Among  those  sent  into  exile  was  Vigi- 
lius,  of  Thapsus,  a  man  famous  for  his 
writings.      To   prevent   the   persecution 
from   being  more   fierce,   he 
composed  a  number  of  trea-     vis'lbis 
tises  under  the  names  of  some     exiled, 
of  the  most  renowned  fathers, 
as  he  himself  acknowledged  with  regard 
to  several  of  them.  The  celebrated  creed, 
called  that  of  Athanasius,  is  ascribed  to 
him.*     He  appears  to  have  meant  well ; 
but  the  artifice  was  extremely  culpable  ; 
and  partly  by  his  practice,  and  partly  by 
his  example,  he  has  caused  much  confu- 
sion and  uncertainty  in  the  works  of  the 
fathers.     Vigilius  himself  retired  to  Con- 
stantinople. 

Huneric,  as  if  the  very  soul  of  Gale- 
rius  had  been  assumed  by  him,  pursued 
his  sanguinary  designs  with  vigour.    He 
sent  executioners  among  the 
laity,  who  whipped,  hanged.     Further 
and  burned  alive  the  faithful,     cruelties 
Euorenius,  before  he  left  Car-     of  Hune- 
ihage,  had  written  a  strenu- 
ous letter,  to  warn  his  flock : 


•Cruelties 
of  Hune- 
ric. 


and  it  must  be  owned  that  many  of  them 
Huneric  ordered  the  bishops' gave  the  noblest  proofs  of  sincerity.  Do- 
to  be  expelled  from  Carthage,,  nysia,  while  she  was  scourged,  and   the 


stripped  them  of  horses  and 
changes  of  raiment,  and  for- 
bad, under  terrible  penalties,  any  one  to 
give  them  victuals  or  lodgings.  The 
bishops  remained  without  the  walls  of 
the  city,  exposed  to  the  weather;  and 
meeting  accidentally  with  the  king,  they 
all  came  to  him:  "Why,  say  they,  are 
we  treated  thus?"  He  looked  with  fury, 
and  ordered  some  armed  horsemen  to 
ride  in  among  them,  who  wounded  many. 
Huneric  could  not  but  be  conscious  that 
his  conduct  was  no  less  absurd  than  ini- 
quitous. On  second  thoughts,  he  ordered 
them  to  go  to  a  place  called  the  Temple 
of  Memory,  where  they  we're  shown  a 
paper  rolled  up,  and  were  required  to 
swear  to  what  was  contained  in  it.  Are 
we  like  beasts,  void  of  sense  and  under- 


biood  was  streaming  from  her  body,  said, 
"  Ministers  of  the  devil,  what  you  now 
do  to  confound  me  with' shame  (for  they 
had  stripped  her  naked),  is  my  glory;" 
and  she  exhorted  the  rest  to  suff'er  mar- 
tyrdom. Looking  severely  at  her  son, 
whom  she  saw  dreading  the  torture,  "  Re- 
member, son,  said  she,  that  we  have 
been  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity. 
Let  us  not  lose  the  garment  of  salvation, 
lest  the  Master  should  say.  Cast  them 
into  outer  darkness."  The  young  man 
upon  this  suffered  death  with  constancy : 
and  she  thanked  God  with  a  loud  voice, 


Victor,  B.  iii. 


*  I  have  wondered  why  persons,  who  love 
not  tl>e  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  should  triumph 
so  much  on  account  of  tliis  circuTnstance.  If 
the  sentiments  of  the  creed  lie  defensil)le  by 
Scripture,  the  name  of  Vigiliiis  cannot  dis- 
grace them  ;  if  they  be  not,  that  of  Athana- 
sius can  do  them  no  honour. 


ClITT.  v.] 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  WEST. 


467 


embracinor  his  body.  Many  suffered  with 
her,  strencrlhened  by  her  exhortations.* 

The  suiferings  of  many  others  were 
very  dreadful ;  it  is  even  painful  to  write 
or  read  the  narratives.  A  woman  called 
Victoiia,  with  amazing  constancy  sup- 
ported her  cruel  tortures,  unmoved  also 
by  the  entreaties  of  her  husband,  who 
besought  her  to  pity  their  common  chil- 
dren. 

Victorian,  of  Adrumetum,  was  at  that 
time  governor  of  Carthage  under  the 
king.  He  was  the  wealthiest  man  in 
Africa  :  to  gain  him  over  to  Arianism  was 
to  gain  a  prize  ;  and  Huneric  assured  him 
of  his  particular  favour,  if  he  would  sub- 
mit to  be  re-baptized,  and  renounce  the 
Trinitarian  creed.  "Tell  the  king,"  said 
he,  "  if  there  were  no  other  life  after  this, 
I  would  not  for  a  little  temporal  honour 
be  ungrateful  to  my  God,  who  hath 
granted  me  the  grace  to  believe  in  him." 
The  king,  incensed  at  an  answer  truly 
christian,  tormented  him  grievously  ;  and 
thus  he  slept  in  Jesus.  At  Tambaia,  two 
brothers  continued  a  whole  day  suspend- 
ed, with  large  stones  fastened  to  their 
feet.  One  of  them,  overcome  with  the 
torture,  at  length  desired  to  recant,  and 
to  be  taken  down.  "  No,  no,  said  the 
other;  this,  brother,  is  not  what  we  swore 
to  Jesus  Christ ;  1  will  testify  against 
you,  when  we  come  before  his  awful 
throne,  that  we  swore  by  his  body  and 
blood,  that  we  would  suffer  for  his  sake." 
He  said  much  more,  to  rouse  and  encou- 
rage him;  at  length  his  fellow-suff'erer 
cried  out,  "  Torment  as  you  please,  I  will 
follow  my  brother's  example."  The  ex- 
ecutioners were  quite  fatigued  with  tor- 
turing them  by  hot  irons  and  hooks,  and 
at  length  dismissed  them,  remarking  that 
every  one  appeared  ready  to  follow  the 
example  of  the  two  brothers,  and  that 
none  was  brought  over  to  Arianism. — I 
see  still  tlie  marks  of  the  true  church  pa- 
tiently suffering  for  the  truth's  sake,  and 
victorious  in  suffering. 

At  Typasa,  the  secretary  of  Cirila  was 
ordained  bishop  by  the  Arians.  The  in- 
habitants seeing  this,  transported  them- 
selves into  Spain,  as  the  distance  was 
but  small:  some,  who  could  meet  with 
no  vessels,  remained  in  Africa.  The  new 
bishop  laboured  by  courtesy  to  win  their 
favour;  but  they,  in  contempt  of  his  mi- 
nistry, assembled  themselves  in  a  pri- 
vate house  for  public  worship.     Huneric 


•  Victor,  B.  V. 


hearing  of  this  by  a  message  from  the 
bishop,  ordered  their  tongues  to  be  cut 
out  and  their  right  hands  to  be  cut  oft", 
in  the  public  market-place.  He  seems  to 
have  permitted  them  to  retire  to  Constan- 
tinople, but  to  have  been  determined  to 
prevent  their  open  confession  of  the  Tri- 
nity. Shall  I,  in  compliance  with  modern 
prejudices,  throw  a  veil  over  the  rest,  or 
shall  I  proceed  according  to  historical 
veracity  ] — imperiosa  trahit  Veritas.  A 
miracle  followed,  worthy  of 
God,  whose  majesty  had  been  a  miracu- 
so  daringly  insulted,  and  lous  inter- 
which  must  at  that  time  have  position, 
much  strengthened  the  hearts 
of  the  faithful,  who  needed  indeed  some 
peculiar  consolations  amidst  such  scenes 
of  horrible  persecution.  The  miracle  it- 
self is  so  well  attested,  that  I  see  not 
how  it  can  be  more  so.  The  reader  shall 
have  both  the  fact  and  its  proofs.  Though 
their  tongues  were  cut  out  to  the  root, 
they  spake  as  well  as  before.  "  If  any 
one  doubt  the  fact,  says  Victor  of  Vita, 
let  him  go  to  Constantinople,  where  he 
will  find  a  sub-deacon,  called  Reparatus, 
one  who  was  thus  treated,  who  speaks 
plainly,  and  who  has  a  particular  respect 
shown  him  in  the  palace  of  the  emperor 
Zeno,  especially  by  the  empress." 

vEneas,  of  Gaza,  a  Platonic  philoso- 
pher, a  cautious  and  prudent  person,*  was 
at  that  time  at  Constantinople,  and  writes 
thus  in  the  conclusion  of  his 
Dialogue  on  the  Resurrection ;     Proofs  of 
"I   myself  saw  them,  heard     H'e  mira- 
them   speak,    and    wondered,     culous  in- 
that  their  utterance  could  be     tjon   *'" 
so  articulate.     I  searched  for 
the  organ  of  speech,  and  not  trusting  my 
oars,  was  resolved  to  have  the  proof  of 
the   eyes.     Causing  them  to  open  their 
mouths,  I  saw  that  their   tongues  were 
plucked  out  even  by  the  roots,  and  was 
then  more  surprised,  that  they  could  live, 
than  that  they  could  speak."    Is  this  suf- 
ficient evidence  ?    Hear  more:  Procopius, 
the  historian,  in  his  History  of  the  Van- 
dalic   War,f  says,  Huneric  ordered  the 
tongues  of  many  to  be  cut  out,  who  were 


*  Gilihon  (Decline  of  Rom.  Emp.  vol.  iii.  c. 
xxxviii.)  is  struck  with  this  tvideiiof,  in  con- 
junction «  ilh  that  of  the  rest.  Yet  he  intimate's 
that  tiie  infidel's  sus|)icinn  is,  inciu-ahle.  Does 
lie  allude  to  hiinsell  i"  To  what  purpose  does 
he  say  so,  it'  he  does  not?  If  lie  does,  what  is 
this  hut  to  deny  all  reasonable  evidence,  and 
confess  himself  to  be  unreasonable  ? 

f  ^^.  I.  c.  viii. 


468 


HISTORY  OF 


[Chap.  XI, 


afterwards  seen  in  the  streets  of  Constan- 
tinople when  I  was  there,  talking  with- 
out any  impediment,  or  feeling  any  incon- 
venience from  what  they  had  suffered. 
Count  Marcellinus,  in  his  Chronicons, 
says,  "  I  have  seen  some  of  this  company 
of  faithful  confessors  at  Constantinople, 
who  had  their  tongues  cut  out,  but  spake 
nevertheless  without  any  imperfection  in 
tlieir  utterance."  To  name  only  one  more 
witness:  the  great  emperor  Justinian,  in 
a  Constitution  published  by  him  for 
Africa,  after  it  had  fallen  into  his  do- 
minion, testifies,  that  he  had  beheld  the 
same.* 

Numbers  were  maimed  in  various  ways. 
Some  lost  their  hands,  some  their  feet, 
others  their  eyes,  their  noses,  or  their 
ears.  Dagila,  wife  of  one  of  the  King's 
cup-bearers,  though  nobly  born  and 
brought  up  tenderly,  was  severely 
scourged  and  banished  into  a  desert,  joy- 
fully forsaking  her  house,  husband,  and 
cliildren. 

Seven  monks  of  Capsa  having  been 
persuaded  to  come  to  Carthage,  Hattered 
with  fair  promises  and  the  royal  favour, 
showed,  however,  that  they  had  an- 
other SPIRIT  in  them.  Inflexibly  firm  in 
the  profession  of  the  Trinity,  and  disap- 
pointing the  hopes  of  Huneric,  they  were 
mart3rred  by  his  orders. 

The  whole  clergy  of  Carthage,  after 
having  been  almost  starved  with  hunger, 
were  exiled.  Elpidiphorus,  who  had 
been  baptized  into  the  faith  of  the  Trinity, 
and  who  had  had  for  his  sponsor  the  dea- 
con ^Nlurilta,  was  more  active  than  others 
in  tormenting  the  faithful.  As  they  were 
preparing  to  stretch  Muritta  on  the  rack, 
the  venerable  aged  person  suddenly  drew 
out,  from  under  his  robe,  the  linen  with 
which  he  had  covered  Elpidiphorus  at 
his  coming  out  of  the  font,  and  spreading 
it  in  the  view  of  the  whole  company,  he 
said  to  the  apostate,  who  sat  as  his  judge, 
"Behold  the  linen  which  shall  accuse 
you  at  the  coming  of  the  great  Judge,  and 
shall  cast  you  headlong  into  the  lake  of 
brimstone,  because  you  have  clothed  your- 
self with  cursing,  by  renouncing  the  true 
baptism  and  the  faith."  Elpidiphorus 
was  confounded,  and  unable  to  answer. 
Two  Vandals,  who  loved  the  faith,  ac- 
companied by  their  mother,  forsook  their 
wealth,  and  followed  the  clergy  into  ba- 
nishment. Theucarius,  an  apostate,  ad- 
vised the  Arian  governors  to  recall  some 

*  13.  l.Cod.  deOff.  Afr. 


of  the  young  children,  whom  he,  accord- 
ing to  his  office,  had  taught  to  sing  the 
service  of  the  church,  and  whom  he  knew 
to  have  the  best  voices.  Messengers 
were  sent  to  recall  twelve,  who,  weeping 
and  holding  the  banished  clergy^  by  their 
knees,  refused  to  leave  them.  They  were 
separated  from  them  by  force,  and  were 
brought  back  to  Carthage.  But  neither 
flatteries  nor  the  bastinado  could  cure 
them  of  their  attachment.  These,  after 
the  persecution  was  over,  were  held  in 
high  estimation  in  the  church.  The  Arian 
bishops  went  every  where  armed  with 
swords,  accompanied  by  their  clergy. 
One,  named  Anthony,  distinguished  him- 
self by  his  cruel  treatment  of  Eugenius  of 
Carthage,  who  was  his  prisoner,  and 
whose  life  he  in  vain  attempted  to  destroy 
by  repeated  severities.  Another  bishop, 
called  Habet  Deum,  was  bound  by  him 
hand  and  foot.  Another,  stopping  his 
mouth,  poured  water  on  his  body.  "My 
brother,"  said  the  Arian,  unbinding  him, 
"  you  are  now  a  Christian  as  well  as  we  ; 
what  should  hinder  you  in  future,  from 
obeying  the  will  of  the  king?"  "  While 
you  were  stopping  my  mouth,  I  made," 
said  the  holy  confessor,  "  a  protestation 
against  your  violence,  which  the  angels 
have  written  down,  and  will  present  to 
God." 

The  barbarity  was  general :  persons 
were  stopped  on  the  highways,  and 
brought  to  Arian  bishops,  who  rebap- 
lized  them,  and  gave  them  certificates,  to 
prevent  their  suffering  the  same  violence 
again.  None  were  permitted  to  pass  from 
place  to  place  without  these  certificates. 
The  Arian  clergy  went,  even  in  the  night 
time,  with  armed  men  into  houses,  carry- 
ing water  with  them,  with  which  they 
sprinkled  persons  in  their  beds,  crying 
out  that  they  had  made  them  Christians. 
They  put  the  physician  Liberatus,  and 
his  wife,  into  separate  prisons;  when 
somebody  informed  the  latter,  that  her 
husband  had  obeyed  the  king,  "  Let  me 
see  him,"  says  she,  "  and  I  will  do  what 
is  well-pleasing  to  God."  They  took  her 
out  of  the  prison  to  her  husband,  to  whom 
she  said,  taking  him  by  the  throat,  "  Un- 
happy man,  unworthy  of  the  grace  of 
God,  why  will  you  perish  eternally  for  a 
transitory  glory?  Will  your  gold  and  sil- 
ver deliver  you  from  hell-fire'?"  "  What 
is  the  matter,  wife,"  he  replied ;  "  what 
have  they  been  telling  you]  I  am  what 
I  was  by  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
will  never  renounce  the  faith." 


Gevt.  v.] 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  WEST. 


469 


Cresconius,  a  presbyter  of  the  city  of 
Myzenta,  was  found  dead  in  a  cavern  of 
Mount  Zica.  Various  persons  of  both 
sexes  fleeing  from  the  persecution,  suf- 
fered thus  through  cold  and  hunger. 

At  length,  after  a  horrible  reign  of 
seven  years  and  ten  months,  in  which 
time  the  church  was  purged  by  as  severe 
a  persecution  as  any  ever 
known,  in  the  year  485  died 
the  tyrant  Huneric  of  a  dis- 
ease, in  which  he  was  cor- 
roded by  worms, — a  signal 
monumentof  Divine  justice !  Gontamond, 
his  nephew  and  successor,  stopped  the 
"ed  Eugenius  to 
Carthage.  In  the  year  487, 
a  council  was  held  at  Rome, 
with  Felix,  the  bishop,  at  its 


Death  of 
Huneric 
the  tyrant, 

A.  D.  485. 


persecution,  and  recall 


Council  at 
Rome, 
A.  D.  487. 


head,*  in  which  were  forty 
bishops  of  Italy,  four  of  Africa,  and  se- 
venty-six priests.  The  rules  of  penance, 
prescribed  by  this  synod,  on  occasion  of 
the  late  persecution,  partook  partly  of  the 
prevailing  superstitions,  and  partly  of  the 
primitive  strictness  of  discipline.  Clerg}^- 
men,  Avho  had  suffered  themselves  to  be 
re-baptized,  were  deprived  not  only  of  the 
ministry,  but  even  of  lay-communion,  till 
their  death.  Other  articles  breathe  the 
same  severe  spirit;  yet  I  rejoice,  amidst 
the  excess  of  discipline,  to  find,  that  real 
religion  was  honoured.  One  rule  of  the 
council  deserves  to  be  mentioned  for  its 
good  sense:  '  No  clergyman  shall  receive 
into  his  city  the  penitent  of  another  bishop, 
without  his  certificate  in  writing.' 

In  the  year  493,  Theodoric,  the  Ostro- 
goth, now  complete  master  of  Italy,  after 
he  had  ruined  Odoacer,  made  a  law  to  re- 
strain all  the  adherents  of  the 
latter  from  making  a  will,  or 
disposing  of  their  estates.  All 
Italy  was  alarmed,  and  Epi- 
phanius,  bishop  of  Pavia,  was 
applied  to,  that  he  might  in- 
tercede with  the  king.  Lawrence,  bishop 
of  Milan,  joining  with  him,  they  went  to- 
gether to  Ravenna,  where  Theodoric  re- 
sided.|  Epiphanius  obtained  favour  for 
all,  except  some  few  leaders  of  the  party. 
Theodoric,  who  had  before  honoured  and 
experienced  the  virtues  of  Epiphanius, 
discoursed  with  him  in  private,  and  said, 
"  You  see  the  desolations  of  Italy ;  the 
Burgundians  have  carried  away  captive  a 
number  of  the  inhabitants ;  I  wish  to  re- 
deem them;  none  of  the  bishops  is  so  pro- 


Odoacer 
mastered 
by  Theo- 
doric, 

A.  D.  493, 


Epiphani- 
us and 
Victor 
coniinis- 
sioned  to 
redeem 
the  cap- 
tives in 
Burgundy, 
A.  D.  494. 

kinor,  re- 


•  Ep.  7.  Felix. 
Vol.  I. 


+  Ennodius  Vita.  Epiph. 
2R 


per  as  yourself,  undertake  the  embassy; 
I  shall  order  what  money  is  necessary  for 
you."  Epiphanius  accepted 
the  commission  on  condition 
that  Victor,  bishop  of  Turin, 
might  be  his  companion.  In 
the  year  494,  Epiphanius 
passed  the  Alps ;  all  the  peo- 
ple came  out  to  see  him,  and 
brought  presents,  which  he 
distributed  among  the  poor. 
Arriving  at  Lyons,  where 
Gondebaud,  the  Burgundian 
sided,  he  advised  him  to  dismiss  the  cap- 
tives without  ransom.  It  seems  astonish- 
ing, that  one  Arian  king  should  negotiate 
with  another  of  the  same  sect,  by  means 
of  a  Trinitarian;  but  it  is  just  to  notice 
these  things,  that  the  reader  may  not  sus- 
pect all  Arians  to  have  had  the  spirit  of 
Eusebius,  of  Nicomedia,  or  of  Huneric 
the  Vandal.  The  true  triumphs  of  real 
godliness  and  virtue,  in  softening  the 
miseries  of  human  society,  appear  in 
these  transactions  of  Epiphanius.  Let 
philosophers  say  that  this  was  all  the  ef- 
fect of  superstition :  it  is  my  duty  to  show, 
that  even  in  a  superstitious  age,  godliness 
did  exist,  and  did  perform  what  mere  su- 
perstition could  not;  and  Philosophy 
should  stop  her  mouth,  when  it  is  re- 
membered, that  she  seldom  ever  did  so 
much  good  to  society,  as  the  Christian 
religion  did,  even  when  discoloured  by* 
superstition. 

Gondebaud,  who  was  no  stranger  to 
the  character  of  Epiphanius,  restored  to 
him  v.'ithout  ransom  all  the  prisoners, 
except  those  who  were  taken  armed,  they 
being  the  property  of  the  captors.  Six 
thousand  were  sent  away  without  ran- 
som; and  Theodoric's  money,  aided  by 
the  liberality  of  Syagria,  a  lady  of  quali- 
ty and  of  good  works,  and  of  Avitus, 
bishop  of  A^ienne,  redeemed  the  rest. 
Epiphanius  travelled  to  Geneva,  to  ob- 
tain the  release  of  the  captives  there,  and 
was  equally  successful  with  Gondegisi- 
las,  the  brother  of  Gondebaud.  He  re- 
turned into  Italy  with  troops  of  redeemed 
captives,  and  easily  obtained  for  them 
from  Theodoric  the  recovery  of  their  lands. 

This    excellent    person   was   born   at 

Pavia  in  the  year  438.     From  early  life 

he  was  devoted  to  divine  ser-         . 

vices,  and  at  twenty  years  of      I"P"»- 
J  •     J     J  "'^s  was 

age,  was    ordamed    deacon.     1,0,.,,  ^^_ 

He  was  made  bishop  at  the     Pavia 

age  of  twenty-eight;  and  it     a.  d'438 

must  be  confessed   that  he       '    '       * 


470 


HISTORY  OF 


gave  himself  wholly  to  the  service  of 
God  and  the  good  of  mankind.  He  was 
often  successfully  employed  in  public 
affairs.  In  the  year  474,  he  had  been 
sent  by  Nepos,  at  that  time  emperor  of  the 
West,  to  Evaric,  king  of  the  Visigoths, 
then  residing  at  Toulouse,  though  after 
the  Visigoths  were  ejected  from  Gaul, 
they  resided  in  Spain.  Epiphanius  ne- 
gotiated a  peace  with  Evaric  successful- 
ly, but  refused  an  invitation  to  dine  with 
him,  because  he  was  an  Arian.  In  476, 
Odoacer,  making  himself  master  of  Italy, 
Epiphanius,  by  his  intercession,  obtained 
the  deliverance  of  a  number  of  captives ; 
and  with  no  other  fund,  than  the  supplies 
of  Providence,  he  repaired  the  city  of 
Pavia,  which  had  been  pillaged,  and  re- 
built the  churches.  When  Theodoric 
entered  Italy  in  489,  Epiphanius  came  to 
him  to  Milan,  and  was  courteously  re- 
ceived. He  still  softened  the  horrors  of 
war  during  the  contest  between  Odoacer 
and  Theodoric,  and  did  good  to  all,  even 
He  died  supporting  those  who  had 
A  n  4or  piU^gPd  his  lands.  In  the 
year  496  he  died,  being  fifty- 
eight  years  of  age. 

About  this  time  decretals  of  Gelasius, 
bishop  of  Rome,  were  published:  a  few 
of  them  relating  to  ordination*  will  de- 
serve to  be  mentioned,  "He  who  is 
taken  from  a  monastic  life,  may  be  or- 
.dained  priest  in  a  year's  time;  but  he 
must  not  be  illiterate;  he  who  cannot 
read,  can  only  be  a  door-keeper.  All 
laymen  that  shall  be  ordained  shall  have 
six  months  probation ;  and  cannot  be  ad- 
mitted priests  till  after  eighteen  months. 
Bishops  are  forbidden  to  receive,  much 
less  to  promote,  such  clergymen  as  pass 
from  one  church  to  another." 

Gelasius|  himself  seems  to  have  been 
an  ornament  to  Christianity.  He  died 
Death  of  in  the  year  496.  He  composed 
Gelasius,  ^  treatise  against  some  Ro- 
A.  D.  496.  ™^ns,  who  had  a  desire  to 
re-establish  the  ancient  super- 
stition of  the   Lupercalia.:};     "I  forbid, 


[Chap.  XL 

says  he,  any  Christian  to  practise  these 
superstitions:  leave  them  to  heathens. 
I  think  it  my  duty  to  declare  to  Chris- 
tians, that  they  are  fatal.  I  doubt  not 
but  my  predecessors  solicited  the  em- 
perors to  abolish  this  abuse ;  they  were 
not  heard,  and  this  ruined  the  empire." 
— It  appears  hence  how  slowly  and  stub- 
bornly the  old  idolatries  departed  out 
of  Christendom.  The  testimony  of  Ge- 
lasius deserves  our  attention,  because 
his  manners  were  holy.  He  was  inces- 
santly employed  in  prayer,  reading,  writ- 
ing or  business,  and  in  conversation  on 
spiritual  things  with  godly  men.  Idle- 
ness and  luxury  were  equally  avoided  by 
him;  negligence  in  a  bishop  he  esteemed 
dangerous  to  souls;  and  his  liberality  to 
the  poor  was  unbounded.  To  all  this, 
it  may  not  be  quite  insignificant  lo  add, 
that  he  composed  hymns  after  the  man- 
ner of  Ambrose. 

About  the  year  496,  Clovis,  king  of  the 
the  Franks,  was  baptized,  and  received 
into  the  general  church.     He     p,    . 
himself,  perfidious,  ambitious,     baptized 

and  cruel,  was  no  honour  to      *   t-»   -n'c 
,.   .'  ,  .       .  A.  D.  496. 

any  religious    denomination. 

But  some  remarkable  circumstances  of 
Providence  attended  his  reception  of 
Christianity;  which  will  therefore  de- 
serve a  place  in  these  memoirs.  The 
Franks,  or  French,  were  a  German  nation 
known  long  before;  who  dwelt  about  the 
lower  Rhine.  Having  passed  this  river, 
they  entered  into  Gaul,  under  the  conduct 
of  Pharamond,  their  first  king,  about  the 
year  420.  Clodio,  Merovaeus,  a  q  /OQ 
Childeric,  and  Clovis,  reign- 
ed in  succession  after  him.  Like  the 
rest  of  the  barbarous  nations,  who  deso- 
lated the  lower  empire,  they  still  advanc- 
ed gradually  in  conquests,  and  Clovis 
ruined  the  Roman  power  entirely  in  Gaul. 
But  he  had  to  contend  with  other  barbar- 
ous invaders,  all  of  whom,  however,  he 
subdued  at  length,  and  by  much  carnage 
and  violence  he  became  the  founder  of 


*  Fleury,  B.  xxx.  Sec.  34. 

t  Fluery,  B.  xxx.  41. 

+  Gibbon,  in  Vol.  iii.  c.  xxxvi.  Decline,  &c. 
is  pleased  to  accuse  Gelasius  of  absurd  pre- 
judice, because  he  supposed  those  who  were 
for  still  preserving  the  festival  of  the  Luper- 
calia  to  he  only  nominal  Christians.  After 
having  told  the  less  learned  reader,  that  this 
festival  was  an  ancient  piece  of  idolatry,  in 
honour  of  the  idol  god  Pan  ;  that  young  men, 
and  even  magistrates  ran  nalced  through  the 
streets ;  tliat  they— modesty  forbids  me  fur- 


ther to  explain  the  indecencies  of  the  cere- 
monies ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  whole  was 
calculated  to  encourage  libidinous  vices — I 
would  ask  such  a  writer,  whether  those,  who 
were  for  still  preserving  this  abomination, 
could  be  any  more  than  nominal  Christians; 
whether  he  knows  any  evil  more  severely  and 
more  constantly  condemned  in  Scripture  than 
idolatry  ;  and,  lastly,  whether  the  expression 
"harmless  festival,"  (it  is  Gibbon's)  does  not 
fasten  on  him,  who  uses  it,  the  charge  of  im- 
pudence, or  ignorance  of  Scripture,  or  ma- 
levolence against  the  word  of  God. 


Ckst.  v.] 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  WEST. 


471 


the  French  monarchy.     Wicked  as  he 
was,  he  was  fitted  to  become  an  useful 
instrument  of    Providence,   like   Henry 
VIII.   of    England,    many   ages     after. 
He  had  married  Clotilda,  niece  of  Gon- 
debaud,  king  of  the  Burgundians;    she 
was  zealous  for  the  doctrine  of  the  Trini- 
ty, though  both  her  uncle  and  the  whole 
nation  of  the  Burgundians  professed  Ari- 
anism.      Could   her  private  history  be 
known,  it  would  probably  be  instructive 
and  edifying.     For  what  else  could  in- 
duce a  royal   lady,  brought   up   among 
heretics,   and    given    in   marriage   to   a 
powerful   Pagan,  to  persevere  alone  so 
firmly  in  the   apostolical   faith,  but  the 
grace  of  God  and  the  effectual  operation 
of  his  Spirit,  in  an  age  when  divine  truth 
had  scarce  a  single  patron  of  great  power 
in  Europe'?"* 

Having  a  son  by  her  husband  Clovis, 
she  endeavoured  to  persuade  him,  to  per- 
mit the  child  to  be  baptized,  and  earnest- 
ly reasoned  with  him  on  the  vanity  of  his 
idols,  and  preached  Christianity  to  him 
with  much  sincerity.      Clovis,  who,  it 
seems,  had  great  affection  for  his  queen, 
consented  at  length  to  the  baptism  of  the 
infant;   but  he  died  a  few  days  after. 
Clovis  in  a  rage  declared,  "I  have  lost 
my  child,  because  he  has  been  devoted 
to  your  deities ;  had  he  been  devoted  to 
mine,  he  would  have  lived."     The  pious 
queen  answered,  "I  thank  God,  who  has 
thought  me  worthy  to  bear  a  child,  whom 
he  has  called  into  his  kingdom."     She 
had  afterwards  another  son,  who  was 
baptized  by  the  name  of  Clodomer.     On 
his  falling  sick  the  king  said,  "  Yes,  I 
see  he  will  die  like  his  brother,  because 
he  has  been  baptized  in  the   name  of 
your  Christ."     The   mother  prayed  for 
his  recovery,  and  the  child  was  restored 
to  health.     Clotilda  persevering  in  her 
exhortations,  Clovis  heard  them,  patient 
but  still  inflexible.     It  pleased   God  at 
length   to   give   him   a   striking  lesson, 
from  which  he  ought  to  have  learned  the 
true  art  of  happiness.     Fighting  with  the 
Alemanni,  he  was  upon  the  point  of  be- 
ing entirely  defeated.     Finding  himself 
in  the  utmost  danger,  he  lifted  up  his 
eyes  to  heaven  with  tears,  and  said,  "  0 
Jesus  Christ!  whom  Clotilda  affirms  to 
be  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  I  implore 
thy  aid.     If  thou  givest  me  victory,  I 
will  believe  and  be  baptized  ;  for  I  have 
called  upon  my  own  gods  in  vain." — 


While  he  was  speaking,  the  Alemanni 
turned  their  backs,  and  began  to  flee,  and 
at  length  submitted  and  craved  quarter. 

Penetrated  with  a  sense  of  divine  good- 
ness, as  many  wicked  men  have  been 
for  a  time,  Clovis  submitted  to  the  in- 
structions of  Remi,  bishop  of  Rheims, 
whom  the  queen  sent  to  teach  him.     The 
chief  difl^iculty  he  started  was,  that  his 
people    would    not  follow    him   in  his 
change  of  religion.     This  was  obviated 
by  the  facility  with  which  they  received 
Remi's  lessons.     What  the  lessons  were, 
and   what   exercises   of  mind   and  con- 
science attended  the  change,  we  know 
not;  the  external  circumstances  and  forms 
alone  we  are  informed  of,  and  they  are 
not  very  instructive.     The  king  himself 
was  baptized  at  Rheims,  and  so  was  his 
sister,  and  three  thousand  of  his  army. 
He  was  at  that  time  the  only  prince  who 
professed  orthodox  Christianity.     Anas- 
tasius,   the    Eastern  emperor,   favoured 
heresy ;  the  rest  of  the  European  princes 
were  Arians.     Thus  a  woman  was  em- 
ployed as  the  instrument  of  a  change  in 
her  husband ;   it  is  true  the  change  was 
only   nominal,  but  it  was   followed   by 
very  signal  effects  in  Europe,  namely,  by 
the  recovery  of  the  apostolical  faith,  and 
no   doubt  by  the  happy  conversion  of 
many  individuals. 

In  the  year  494,  Gontamond,  the  Van- 
dal, still  increasing  his  kindness  to  the 
church,  opened  all  the  places  of  public 
worship,  after  they  had  been 
shut  ten  years  and  a  half, 
and,  at  the  desire  of  Euge- 
nius,  recalled  all  the  other 
bishops.  He  died  in  the 
year  490,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  brother  Thrasamond. 


Gontamond 
favours  the 
Christians, 

A.  D.  494. 

Dies,  496. 


*  Grear.  Tur.  11.  hist.  c.  xxvi. 


And  here  I  finish  the  general  history  of 
the  West,  for  this  century.  Much,  both 
ofDivine  providence  and  of  Divine  grace, 
appears  in  it.  Superstition  had  grown 
gradually  in  this  and  the  former  century. 
Relics,  and  various  other  instruments  of 
the  same  class,  were  fast  advancing  into 
reputation.  The  monastic  solitudes  were 
strongly  calculated  to  augment  these 
evils°  and,  in  the  writings  of  various 
pious  persons,  the  unguarded  and  very 
injudicious  addresses  to  martyrs,  which 
occur  frequently,  and  which  Avere  rather 
rhetorical  flights  than  real  prayers,  coun- 
tenanced exceedingly  the  growing  spirit 
of  apostasy.  Every  new  ceremony, 
while  men  were  in  this  frame,  strength- 


472 


HISTORY  OF 


[Chap.  XU. 


ened  the  superstitious  spirit,  and  rendered 
them  less  disposed  to  depend  on  the  Sa- 
viour, that  is,  as  the  apostle   says,  to 
HOLD  THE  HEAD,*  in  the  faith  and  love 
of  the  Gospel.     Had  it  not  been  for  the 
great  and  solid  revival  of  the  doctrine  of 
grace   in   this   century,   the   wholesome 
effects  of  which  continued  all  along  in 
the   West,  Christianity  itself,  humanly 
speaking,  would  have  been  in  danger  of 
total  extinction.     The  intelligent  reader 
will  admire  the  providential  and  gracious 
goodness  of  the  Lord,  in  preparing,  fur- 
nishing, and  giving  success  to  the  impor- 
tant labours  of  Augustine,  through  which 
so  many  in  Africa  were  enabled  to  glorify 
their   Saviour  by  faithfulness  to  death, 
under  a  severe  persecution.     The  despi- 
sed, desolated  church,  at  once  overborne 
by  heretics,  and  by  barbarous   Pagans, 
still   lived   in  Italy,  Spain,  France,  and 
Britain,  to  the  end  of  the  century,  when 
Providence  raised  up  a  Clovis  to  support 
that,  of  which  he  himself,  however,  knew 
not  the  value.     We  leave  the  church  in 
Italy  and  Spain,  only  tolerated,  but  mildly 
treated,   particularly   in   the   fo?mer ;  in 
Britain,   confined   to   the    mountains   of 
Wales  and  Cornwall*;  in  France,  ready 
to  rise  again    into   eminence ;    and   in 
Africa,  just   recovered   from  a  dreadful 
scourge,   in  which   she   had    gloriously 
suffered.     The  changes  of  a  secular  kind, 
though  very  great  in  all  this  period,  and 
alone  moving  the  hearts  of  worldly  men, 
could   hot  destroy   the   Church,   whose 
root  is  not  in  the  world.     The  patience  of 
the  godly  was  exercised  by  them,  the  sins 
of  the   Church  were  scourged,  and  the 
Gospel  was  communicated  to  Barbarians. 
The  general  current  of  corrupt  doctrine 
was  strongly  set   in  :    idolatry  was  too 
deeply  rooted  in  men's  hearts,  to  be  erad- 
icated from  any,  except  those  who  were 
Christians  indeed,  and  we  shall  ere  long 
see  it  established  in  the  formality  of  pub- 
lic  worship.      Nothing,    however,   had 
hitherto  happened  but  what  had  been  pre- 
dicted.   The  persecutions  of  the  Church, f 
the  short  interval  of  peace, if:  and  the  des- 
olations of  the  empire  which  succeeded,§ 
had  all  been  revealed  to  St.  John.     And 
it  may  deserve  to  be  remarked,  that  even 
amidst  all   this   degeneracy  and    decay, 
whoever  chooses  to   compare   Christian 
emperors  or  priests  with  Pagans  in  sim- 
ilar situations,  will  find  a  great  superiority 


of  character  in  the  former.  The  melio- 
rating of  the  condition  of  slaves,  the 
abolition  of  tortures,  and  of  other  cruel  or 
obscene  customs,  the  institution  of  various 
plans  for  the  relief  of  the  poor,  and  the 
general  improvement  of  the  order  of  soci- 
ety, are  to  be  attributed  in  a  great  measure 
to  the  benevolent  influence  and  operation 
of  the  Christian  relisfion. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    EASTERN    CHURCH    IN   THE 
FIFTH    CENTURY. 

The  life  and  transactions  of  Chrysos- 
tom  have  introduced  us  into  this  scene 
already,  and  prepared  us  to  expect  no 
very  great  work  of  the  spirit  of  God.  The 
vices  which  tarnished  the  West,  were 
superstition,  polemical  subtilty,  and  mo- 
nasticism.  These  same  vices,  meeting 
with  little  or  no  check  from  the  revival, 
which  took  place  in  Africa,  and  spread 
a  benign  influence  through  the  Latia 
churches,  prevailed  in  the  East  almost 
universallj',  and  each  of  them  in  a  much 
higher  degree;  yet  here  and  there,  the 
Spirit  of  God  condescended  to  move 
amidst  the  chaos,  and  it  is  our  duty  to 
watch  and  discern  its  operations. 

Arsaces,  who  was  very  old,  and  who 
had  been  appointed  bishop  of  Constanti- 
nople in  the  room  of  Chrysostom,  died  in 
the  year  405.  In  the  next 
year  Atticus,  who  had  been 
a  principal  agent  in  the  perse- 
cution of  Chrysostom,*  suc- 
ceeded him.  He  seems  a 
person  extremely  well  adapt- 
ed to  an  age  and  metropolis 
of  formal  and  decent  relio-ion,  neither  so 
zealous  as  to  give  offence  by  his  animad- 
versions, nor  so  dissolute  as  to  excite 
disgust  by  his  immoralities.     He  under- 


Dealh  of 

Arsaces, 
bishop   of 
Constanti- 
nople, 

A.  D.  405. 


Stood  i,mankind,   had  good    sense ;    and 
though  he  had  little  learning,!  yet  he 


*  Coloss.  ii. 
i  lb.  viii.  1. 


19. 


f  Rev.  vi, 
§  lb.  viii. 


*  It  is  veiT  possible  this  expression  may  be 
too  strong.  The  authority  for  it  rests  uith 
Palladius,  p.  95.  The  panegyrical  biographer 
of  Chrysostom  might  easily  magnify  the 
courtly  connivance  of  Atticus  into  positive 
persecution. 

f  Socrates  contradicts  this  ;  he  will  have  it, 
that  Atticus  had  much  learning,  piety,  and 
prudence.  I  doubt  not  but  he  was  largely 
possessed  of  the  last  quality.  The  considera- 
tion of  the  taste  and  spirit  of  an  author,  will 
explain   these   contradictions.    Decency  and 


Cest.  v.] 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  EAST. 


473 


possessed  the  art  of  showing  off  that  little 
to  the  best  advantage.  So  exquisite  a 
courtier  as  he,  would  naturally  gain  over 
large  numbers  of  the  discontented  ;  yet 
there  were  some,  who  chose  rather  to 
meet  for  worship  in  the  open  helds  than 
to  communicate  with  Atticus.  This  bi- 
shop used  to  compose  sermons,  which  he 
recited  from  memory  ;  at  length  he  ven- 
tured to  preach  extempore,  but  he  was  not 
admired  from  the  pulpit. 

Atticus   was   certainly  a  person  of  a 
candid  temper  and  beneficent  disposition. 
It  had  been  the  custom  to  mention  with 
honour  the  names  of  former  bishops  in  the 
church;  and,  with  a  view  to  conciliate 
the  friends  of  Chrysostom,  he  took  care 
to  have  his  name  mentioned  among  the 
rest.     He  distributed  alms  to  the  poor  of 
other  churches  besides  his  own,  and  sent 
three  hundred  pieces  of  gold  to  Callio- 
pius,  a  presbyter  of  Nice,  for  the  use  of 
such  poor  as  were  not  common  beggars, 
but  persons  who  were  ashamed  to  beg, 
and  also  for  the  poor  of  any  other  commu- 
nion besides  that  of  the  general  church.* 
He  said  to  Asclepias,  bishop  of  the  No- 
vatians,  "  You  are  happy,  who  have  for 
fifty  years  been  employ^ed  in  the  service 
of  the  church  ;"  and,  on  all  occasions,  he 
behaved  with  kindness  to  these  dissent- 
ers, and  very  justly  owned  their  faithful- 
ness to  the  common  cause  of  Christianity 
in  the  days  of  Constantius  and  Valens. 
Were  all  this  liberality  of  sentiment  and 
practice  founded  on  Cliristian  faith  and 
love,  it  would  doubtless  be  highly  lauda- 
ble in  Atticus  :  such  as  he  is,  in  virtues 
and  vices,  I  have  represented  his  charac- 
ter, and  must  leave  him  to  that  Being  to 
whom  judgment  belongs.     He  died  in  the 
twenty-first  year  of  his  bishopric. 

Durino-  the  reign  of  Theodosius  the 
younger,  the  son  and  successor  of  Arca- 
dius,  the  Christians  in  Persia  were  per- 
secuted grievously,  says  Theodoret;| 
were  kindly  protected,  and  allowed  to 
propagate  the  Gospel  there,  says  Socra- 
tes.:}: Very  circumstantial  details  are 
given  by  both  writers,  perfectly  conform- 
able to  this  opposition  of  accounts.  As 
both  the  writers  were  well  informed  and 
credible,  I  judge,  that  both  accounts  may 
be  true  in  different  periods  of  the  reign 
of  Isdegerdes ;  and  the  more  so,  as  the 
Persian  Majri  mig-ht  have  a  great  share  of 


the  king's  confidence  at  one  time,  and  not 
at  another.     And,  as  the  persecution  was 
occasioned   by  the  indiscreet  zeal   of  a 
Christian,  it  is  most  probable,  that  the 
favourable  period  was  first  m  order.   Ac- 
cording to   these   views,   the   series   of 
events  seems  summarily  to  have  been  as 
follows  :    Maruthas,  bishop  of  Mesopo- 
tamia, acquired  the  favour  of  the  Persian 
monarch,  and,  notwithstanding  the  fraud- 
ulent arts  of  the  Magi,  almost  persuaded 
him  to  be  a  Christian.     But  toward  the 
end  of  his  reign,  a  bishop,  called  Audas, 
presuming  probably  on  the  royal  favour, 
destroyed  one  of  the  temples,  where  the 
Persia'ns  adored  the  fire.     The  action  was 
no  less  contrary  to  Christian  meekness, 
than  to  moral  prudence,  and  deserves  to 
be  noticed,  as  a  warning  to  Christians  in 
all   ages,    to   unite   the  subtilty   of  the 
serpent  with  the  innocence  of  the  dove. 
Isdegerdes,  on  the  complaint  of  the  Magi, 
who   only   wanted   such   an  advantage, 
sent  for  Audas,  and  in  soft  terms  com- 
plained of  the  injury,  and  ordered  him  to 
rebuild   the   temple.     Audas   refused  to 
comply,  and  Isdegerdes  in  a  rage  ordered 
all  the  Christian  churches  in  his  dominions 
to  be  destroyed.     He  had  not  himself  any 
real  degree  of  Christian  light,  to  enable 
him  to  make  allowances  for  the  miscon- 
duct of  an  individual.     Nor  did  it  ever 
appear  more  plainly  how  unequally  the 
Church    of    Christ  contends   with    the 
world,  since  the  mistake  of  one  person 
laid  the  foundation  of  a  cruel  persecution 
of  thirty  years.    Isdegerdes  began  it; 


good  sense,  not  much  of  zealous  godliness, 
appear  to  have  been  predominant  in  Socrates. 

*  Socrates,  B.  vii.  c.  25. 

+  Theod.  B.  xi.  c.  39.  4  B.  vii.  c.  8. 

2  R  2 


and  his  son  and  successor  Vararanes,  in- 
infiamed  by  the  Magi,  afflicted  the  Chris- 
tians with  outrageous  barbarity. 

Tlie  Magi  procured  orders  to  be  issued 
out  to  the  chiefs  of  the  Saracens,  subjects 
of  Persia,  to  guard  the  roads,  and  to  ap- 
prehend all  Christians,  that  they  might 
not  fly  to  the  Romans.  Aspebetes,  one 
of  those  chiefs,  touched  with  compassion 
at  their  distress,  on  the  contrary,  assisted 
them  in  making  their  escape.  Being  ac- 
cused of  this  at  the  court  of  Persia,  he 
fled  with  his  family  to  the  Romans.  He 
took  along  with  him  a  number  of  Arabs, 
who,  together  with  himself,  received 
Christiairbaptism,  and  the  real  church  of 
Christ  probably  received  an  accession 
from  this  event. 

The  afflicted  Christians  implored  the 
aid  of  Theodosius,  and  their  entreaties 
were  seconded  by  the  humanity  of  Atti- 
cus, the  bishop.  In  the  mean  lime,  the 
1  Persian  king  sent  to  demand  that  the 


474 


HISTORY  OP 


[Chap,  XII, 


Christian  fugitives  sliould  be  delivered 
into  his  hands.  To  this  the  emperor 
would  not  consent,  and  a  war  was  the 
consequence,  in  which,  so  far  at  least  as 
Christianity  is  concerned,  Theodosius 
had  the  advantage.  An  action  of  Aca- 
dus,  bishop  of  Amida,  on  the  frontiers 
of  Persia,  in  the  course  of  this  war,  de- 
serves more  praise  than  any  military  ex- 
ploits whatever.  The  Romans*  had  taken 
seven  thousand  prisoners,  whom  they 
would  not  restore,  and  who  were  perish- 
ing by  famine.  The  Persian  king  was 
much  vexed  at  this,  but  knew  not  how 
to  relieve  them.  Acacius,  touched  with 
the  distress  of  the  captives,  assembled 
his  clergy,  and  spake  thus  to  them : 
"  Our  God  has  no  need  either  of  dishes 
or  cups;  since,  then,  our  Church  has 
many  gold  and  silver  vessels  from  the 
liberality  of  the  people,  let  us,  by  means 
of  tliem,  free  and  relieve  these  captive 
soldiers."  In  effect,  he  ordered  the  ves- 
sels to  be  melted  down,  paid  the  ransom 
of  the  Persians  to  the  Reman  soldiers, 
gave  the  captives  provisions  and  necessa- 
ries for  their  journey,  and  sent  them 
home  to  their  king.  This  was  to  con- 
quer in  a  Christian  manner.  The  king- 
desired  personally  to  make  his  grateful 
acknowledgments  to  the  bishop,  who  was 
accordingly  directed  by  Theodosius  to 
wait  upon  the  monarch. 

Theodosius  had  a  reign  of  uncommon 
length,  forty-one  years,  though  he  died 
at  the  age  of  forty-nine.  He  was  a  fee- 
ble prince,  and  held  the  affairs  of  govern- 
ment with  a  remiss  and  nefjliwent  hand. 
The  public,  however,  was  benefited  by 
the  vigorous  wisdom  of  his  sister  Pul- 
clieria,  who,  though  only  two  years 
older,  maintained,  by  meekness  and  dis- 
cretion, that  ascendant  over  him,  which 
superior  capacity  always  gives.  I  have 
no  great  matter  before  me  concerning  the 
real  Church  of  Christ  at  present ;  and  I 
am  not  disposed  to  add  one  more  history, 
to  the  many  already  published,  concern- 
ing superstitious  and  marvellous  acts,  the 
fame  of  which  now  abounded,  especially 
in  the  East.  Let  us  look,  tlien,  at  the 
court  of  Constantinople  a  little,  and  see 
if  we  cannot  discern  some  dim  traces  at 
least  of  the  features  of  the  Church. 

Pulcheria  devoted  herself  to  a  life  of 
virginity,  before  she  was  quite  fifteen, 
and  persuaded  her  two  sisters  to  do  the 
same.    At  sixteen  she  took  the  title  of 

*  Socrates,  B,  vii.  21. 


Augusta,  and  as  she  had  always  the  pru- 
dence to  preserve  her  brother's  honour, 
she  governed  in  his  name  with  much  suc- 
cess ;  for  she  was  the  only  descendant  of 
the  great  and  first  Theodosius,  who  pos- 
sessed any  eminence  of  character.  She 
accustomed  her  brother  to  pray  frequent- 
ly, to  honour  the  ministers,  and  to  be 
upon  his  guard  against  novelties  in  reli- 
gion. He  had  the  honour  of  completing 
the  destruction  of  idolatrous  temples  and 
worship.  The  young  emperor  rose  early 
to  sing  with  his  two  sisters  the  praise  of 
God.  He  had  a  great  part  of  the  Scrip- 
tures by  heart,  and  could  discourse  of 
them  with  the  bishops,  like  an  aged  mi- 
nister.* He  took  great  pains  to  collect 
the  books  of  Scripture  and  their  interpre- 
ters. His  meekness  and  forgiveness  of 
injuries  were  exceedingly  great.  Being 
once  asked,  why  he  never  punished  with 
death  those  who  had  injured  him, 
"Would  to  God,  he  replied,  I  could 
recall  the  dead  to  life."  To  another 
asking  him  of  the  same  thing,  he  said, 
"  It  is  an  easy  thing  for  a  man  to  die,  but 
it  belongs  to  God  alone  to  recover  life 
when  departed."  His  clemency  to  cri- 
minals seems  to  have  been  excessive.  In 
compliance  with  the  customs,  he  exhibit- 
ed, but  with  reluctance,  the  shows  of  the 
circus.  In  the  midst  of  the  exhibitions 
there  was  once  a  dreadful  tempest;  in 
consequence  of  which  the  emperor  order- 
ed the  criers  to  warn  the  people,  that  it 
would  be  much  better  to  leave  the  shows, 
and  betake  themselves  to  prayer.  The 
motion  was  accepted  :  the  emperor  saner 
hymns  as  an  example  to  the  rest,  and  the 
whole  assembly  gave  themselves  up  to 
devotion. 

On  occasion  of  good  success  in  his 
wars,  the  news  arrivino-  while  he  was 
exhibiting  shows  a  second  time,  he  per- 
suaded the  people,  in  the  same  manner, 
to  leave  their  pleasures,  and  to  join  in 
prayer  and  praise.  He  made  a  law,  to 
forbid  in  every  city  even  Jews  and  Pa- 
gans to  attend  the  theatre  and  the  circus 
on  the  Lord's  day,  and  on  certain  festi- 
vals. He  made  laws  also  to  prevent  the 
progress  of  Judaism  ;  but  it  ought  to  be 
added,  that  he  prohibited  the  molestation 
of  Jews  or  of  Pagans,  so  long  as  they 
lived  peaceably  under  the  government. 
He  reduced  the  penalty  of  death  against 
heathenism  to  banishment  and  confisca- 
tion of  goods.     Such  was  Theodosius's 

*  Socrates,  B.  vii.  22. 


Cest.  v.] 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  EAST, 


475 


seal,  ■which,  if  it  contributed  little  to 
the  propagation  of  vital  godliness,  was 
doubtless  very  efficacious  in  the  promo- 
tion of  external  religion. 

But,  notwithstanding  all  the  enco- 
miums lavished  on  this  emperor,  who  ap- 
pears to  have  truly  feared  God  in  the 
main,  it  is  evident,  that  the  powers  of 
his  mind  partook  of  the  childish  imbeci- 
litv  of  his  age.  A  monk,  to  whom  he  had 
refused  a  favour,*  had  the  boldness  to 
excommunicate  him.  Theodosius  was  so 
much  affected,  that  he  declared  he  would 
not  touch  a  morsel,  till  the  excommuni- 
cation was  removed.  Though  informed 
by  the  bishop  of  Constantinople,  that  he 
must  not  regard  so  irregular  an  excom- 
munication, he  could  not  be  easy,  till  the 
monk  Avas  found  and  had  restored  him  to 
communion.  In  what  bondage  did  con- 
scientious persons  then  live  !  but  how 
little  reason  have  those  to  triumph  over 
them,  who  live  without  conscience,  and 
shut  their  eyes  against  the  light  of  the 
Gospel ! 

Sisinnius  succeeded  Atticus  at  Con- 
stantinople, by  the  general  desire  of  the 
people.  He  was  a  man  of  simple  man- 
ners, courteous,  and  exceedingly  liberal 
to  the  poor,  a  character  much  resembling 
his  predecessor. 

The  virtue  of  mutual  forbearance  be- 
tween the  general  church  and  dissenters 
prevailed  beyond  doubt  at  this  time;  the 
prudent  and  moderate  characters  of  the 
bishops  of  both  parties,  as  well  as  the 
uncommon  meekness  of  the  emperor, 
contributed  much  to  this.f  Could  I  add 
to  this  any  clear  account  of  the  internal 
vigorous  operations  of  divine  grace,  the 
glory  of  the  Eastern  church  would  have 
been  seldom  rivalled:  but  superstition 
corroded  the  vitals  of  practical  religion. 
One  remarkable  event,  belono-inof  lo  the 
reign  of  Theodosius,  deserves,  however, 

in 


to  be  recorded :  a  Jewish  impostor, 
Crete,  pretended  that  he  was  Moses,  and 
that  he  had  been  sent  from  heaven,  to 
undertake  the  care  of  the  Cretian  Jews, 
and  conduct  them  over  the  sea.  He 
preached  a  whole  year  in  the  Island,  with 
a  view  of  inducing  them  to  obey  his  di- 
rections.    He  exhorted  them  to  leave  all 

*  Theodoret,  v.  30. 

f  Let  an  instance  of  this  be  drawn  from  the 
funeral  of  Paul,  bishop  of  tiic  Xovatians, 
whose  corpse  was  attended  to  his  grave  with 
einging  of  psalras  by  Christians  of  all  deno- 
minalions.  The  man,  for  his  holiness  of  life, 
had  beeu  held  in  universal  estimatiou. 


their  substance,  and  promised  to  conduct 
them  through  the  sea,  as  on  dryland,  and 
bring   them   into   the   land   of  promise. 
Numbers  were  so  infatuated,  as  to  ne- 
glect their  business,  and  leave  their  pos- 
sessions to  any  who  chose  to  seize  them. 
On   the   day  fixed  by  the  impostor,  he 
went  before  them,  and  they  followed  with 
their  wives  and  little  ones.    It  was  a  me- 
morable  instance   of   that   "blindness* 
which  has  happened  to  Israel  till  the  ful- 
ness of  the   Gentiles  be  come  in,"  and 
fulfils  the  vScripture  account  of  their  penal 
folly.     When  he  had  led  them  to  a  pro- 
montory, he  ordered  them  to  throw  them- 
selves  into  the  sea.     None  of  them,  it 
seems,  had  the  caution,  to  insist  on  big 
setting  the  example.     Those  who  were 
at  the  brink  of  the  precipice  leaped  down, 
many  of  whom  perished,  partly  dashed 
against  the  rocks,  and  partly  drowned ; 
and  many  more  would  have  perished,  had 
not  a  number  of  fishermen  providentially 
been    present,  who   saved    their    lives. 
These,  enlightened  at  length  by  experi- 
ence, prohibited  the  rest  from  taking  the 
leap.     And  they  all  now  sought  the  im- 
postor, in  order  to  destroy  him :  but  he 
had  made  his  escape.     Many  of  the  Cre- 
tian Jews  were  on  this  occasion  brought 
over  to  the  Christian  faith. 

Two  controversies  shook  the  churches 
of  the  east  in  this  reign,  on  which  far 
more  has  been  written  than  tends  to  edi- 
fication. The  first  was  the  Nestorian, 
which  was  occasioned  by  the  obstinacy 
of  Nestorius,  in  objecting  to  a  common 
phrase  of  the  orthodox,  namely,  "  ]Mary 
the  mother  of  God."  He  seems  to  have 
regarded  the  union  between  the  divine 
and  human  nature  of  Jesus  Christ  rather 
as  moral  than  real,  and  to  have  preferred 
the  idea  of  a  connexion  between  the  two 
natures  to  an  union.  As  the  last  century 
had  been  remarkable  for  heresies,  raised 
on  the  denial  of  the  union  of  the  three 
Persons  in  the  Trinity,  so  this  was  dis- 
turbed by  heresies,  raised  on  the  denial  of 
the  union  of  the  divinity  and  humanity  of 
the  Son  of  God.  Cyril,  the  bishop  of 
Alexandria,  the  opposer  of  Nestorius, 
seems,  on  the  whole,  to  have  expressed 
no  more  than  the  faith  of  the  primitive 
church.  But  the  serpentine  wits  of  the 
East,  favoured  also  by  a  lano-uage  of  ex- 
quisite subtilty  and  copiousness,  found  no 
end  in  cavilling.  Eutyches,  the  monk, 
raised  a  second  heresy,  which  denied  the 


Rom. 


476 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XIII. 


existenc.  of  two  natures  in  the  person  of 
Jesus  Christ.  This  extreme  is  opposite 
to  that  of  Nestorius.  How  indecently 
and  fiercely  these  controversies  were  agi- 
tated, how  very  little  of  practical  godli- 
ness was  applied  to  them  by  any  party, 
and  how  much  the  peace  of  the  church 
was  rent,  is  well  known.  It  belongs  only 
to  my  purpose,  and  it  is  all  the  good 
which  I  can  find  in  general  to  have  re- 
sulted from  the  contests,  to  mention,  that 
the  doctrines  of  Scripture  were  stated  by 
the  two  councils  of  Ephesus  and  Chalce- 
don,  and  by  the  writings  of  those  who 
were  most  esteemed  in  the  church  at  that 
time.  Such  was  the  provident  care  of 
Christ  over  his  Church,  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  fundamental  truths  relating  to 
his  person,  and  the  union  of  the  two  na- 
tures in  it,  that  all  attempts  to  remove 
them  from  the  mind  by  explaining  them 
according  to  men's  own  imaginations, 
were  subverted;  and  the  doctrine  was 
transmitted  safe  to  the  Church  in  after 
ages,  as  the  food  and  nourishment  of 
humble  and  self-denying  souls.  The 
writings  of  Leo,  bishop  of  Rome,  are  de- 
servedly admired  for  their  strength  and 
perspicuity  in  clearing  up  this  subject. 

Theodosius  died  in  the  year  450.  His 
sister  Pulcheria  remaining  sole  mistress 
of  the  Eastern  empire,  gave  herself  in 

marriage,  for  political  reasons, 
A.  D.  450.  ^Q  Marcian,  whom  she  made 
emperor;  nor  does  it  appear  that  her  reli- 
gious virtues  suffered  any  diminution  till 
her  death.  Both  Marcian  and  Pulcheria 
were  as  eminent  for  Christian  piety  as  a 
superstitious  age  permitted  persons  of 
their  exalted  stations  to  be ;  and  Marcian, 
who  survived,  died  at  the  age  of  sixty- 

five,  in  the  year  457,  renown- 
A.  D.  457.     g^  £qj,  j^jg  services  to  religion 

The  preservation  of  orthodoxy,  the  en- 
couragement of  good  morals,  and  the  de- 
struction of  idolatry,  were  his  favourite 
objects. 

Of  his  successor  Leo,  it  is  remarkable, 
that  he  forbad  any  judiciary  proceedings 
on  the  Lord's  day,  or  any  plays  and  games. 

This  law  bears  date  469.  At 
A.  D.  469.     gQ  ij^tg  a  pgjjo(j  £ii^  the  f^jH 

observance  of  the  most  ancient  of  all  di- 
vine institutions  receive  the  sanction  of 
human  authority!*  The  same  year  he 
made  a  law  against  Simony,  requiring 
men  to  be  promoted  to  the  episcopal  of- 
fice without  their  own  choice,  and  de- 

*  See  Genesis  ii. 


daring  those,  who  are  active  in  their  en- 
deavours for  the  promotion,  to  be  un- 
worthy of  the  office. 

Gennadius,  archbishop  of  Constantino- 
ple, died  about  the  year  473.     p        ,. 
The  most  remarkable  thing  I     ,y,^^ 
find  in  him  is,  that  he  never     .    r*  47-3 
ordained  any  clergymen  who 
could  not    repeat    the    Psalter  without 
book. 

But  I  am  disgusted  with  the  prospect. 
It  grows  worse  in  the  East  to  the  end  of 
the  century.  Doctrinal  feuds  and  mar 
lignant  passions  involve  the  whole.  Pos- 
sibly in  the  view  of  some  private  and  ob- 
scure scenes  in  the  next  Chapter,  the 
reader  may  find  something  more  worthy 
of  his  attention. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CHRISTIAN  WRITERS  OF  THIS  CENTURY. 

The  great  luminary  of  the  fifth  century 
has  been  copiously  reviewed.  The  great- 
est praise  of  some  of  the  rest  is,  that  they 
illustrated  and  defended  the  evangelical 
views  of  faith  and  practice  through  him 
revived ;  yet  amidst  the  gloom  of  super- 
stition we  may  discover  several  rays  of 
godliness,  even  among  persons  who  had 
never  read  the  bishop  of  Hippo. 

Mark,*  the  hermit,  lived  about  the  be- 
ginning of  this  century.  He  wrote  on  the 
spiritual  life,  and  describes  the  conflicts 
and  labours  of  men  truly  serious  for  eter- 
nity. Many  of  the  ascetical  or  mystic 
writers  are  tarnished  with  Semi-Pelagian- 
ism.  Mark  is  in  the  main  a  humble  ad- 
vocate for  the  doctrines  of  grace,  and 
feels  the  depravity  and  helplessness  of 
human  nature.  He  describes  views  of 
the  spirituality  of  the  Law  and  the  grace 
of  the  Gospel;  and,  amidst  all  his  care  to 
promote  practical  godliness,  he  protests 
against  the  idea  of  our  being  justified  by 
our  works,  as  a  very  dangerous  notion.  I 
regret  that  I  can  communicate  no  more  of 
such  a  man.  Even  of  his  country  I  can 
find  no  account,  except  that  he  belonged 
to  the  Eastern  church. 

Theophilus,  bishop  of  Alexandria,  the 
unrighteous  persecutor  of  Chrysostom, 
does  not  deserve  a  place  in  this  list,  on 
account  of  his  writings,  which  are  futile, 


*  See  Du  Pin,  from  whom  I  derive  particu- 
lar inforraatioa  on  subjects  of  this  nature. 


CE^r.  v.] 


WRITERS  OF  THIS  CENTURY. 


477 


and  breathe  a  worldly  spirit.  But  a  re- 
flection he  made  at  the  hour  of  his  death 
may  merit  the  attention  of  political  and 
ambitions  dignitaries  of  the  church. 
"  How  happy,"  said  he,  "  art  thou, 
Arsenius,  to  have  had  always  this  hour 
before  thine  eyes  !"  which  shows,  said  a 
writer  of  that  time,  that  monks  who  re- 
tire from  the  world  to  mourn  in  the  wilder- 
ness, die  more  peaceably  than  bishops, 
who  go  out  of  their  dioceses  to  disturb 
the  peace  of  the  church  by  caballing  at 
court.  It  seems,  Theophilus  had  lived, 
as  if  he  were  never  to  die. 

Paulinus,  of  Nola,  if  not  one  of  the 
most  learned,  was  one  of  the  most  humble 
and  pious  writers  of  his  time.  He  was 
■p    y  born  at  Bourdeaux  about  the 

of  Nola         y^''^  ^^^'    ^^  ^^^  ^  classical 
born     '        Style  and  taste,  and  being  of 
A  D  45"      ^^  illustrious  familj'',  had  ad- 
vanced to  the  greatest  digni- 
ties oi  the  empire.    He  married  Therasia, 
a  rich  lady,  by  whom  he  obtained  a  great 
estate.    It  pleased   God  to   inspire   his 
wife  with  the  love  of  heavenly  things, 
and  she  had  great  influence  in  inducing 
her  husband  to  prefer  a  retired  life  before 
the  grandeur  of  the  world.     In  the  prose- 
cution of  this  scheme  there  was  as  much 
of  genuine  piety,  and  as  little  of  supersti- 
tion as  in  any  saints  of  these  times.     He 
gradually  parted  with  his  wealth,  and  ob- 
served in  one  of  his  epistles,  tliat  it  was 
to  little  purpose  for  a  man  to  give  up  his 
worldly  wealth,  except  he  denied  him- 
self; and  that  a  man  might  renounce  the 
world  heartily,  who  did  not  part  with  all 
his  riches.     The  people  of  Barcelona  in 
Spain,  where  he  lived  in  retirement,  con- 
ceived so  great  an  esteem  for  him,  that 
they  insisted  on  his  ordination.  He  writes 
thus  on  the  occasion  to  a  friend :  "  On 
Christmas-day,"   said   he,   "  the   people 
obliged  me  to  receive  the  order  of  priest- 
hood, against  my  will :  not  that  I  have 
any  aversion  to  the  office ;  on  the  contrary, 
I  could  have  wished  to  have  begun  at  the 
porter's  order,  and  so  have  gradually  risen 
into  the  clerical ;  I  submitted,  however, 
to  Christ's  yoke,  and  am  now  engaged  in 
a  ministrj'  beyond  my  merit  and  strength. 
— I   can   scarcely  yet    comprehend   the 
weight  of  that  dignity ;  I  tremble,  when 
I  consider  its  importance,  conscious  as  I 
am  of  my  own  weakness:   but  he  that 
giveth  wisdom  to  the  simple,  and  out  of 
the  mouths  of  sucklings  perfects  praise, 
is  able  to  accomplish  his  work  in  me,  to 
^ve    me  his   grace,  and  to  make   me 


worthy,    whom    he    called    when    un- 
worthy."* 

After  this  he  lived  sixteen  years  at 
Nola,  in  privacy,  where  at  length  he  was 
ordained  bishop  in  409.    The     „ 

incursions  of  the  Goths  dis-     J^»"l'"u^ 
,     ,  ,  .      ^  .  ,      ordained 

turbed  hmi  lor  some  time ;  and     bisliop 

on  this  occasion  it  was  that      .    ^^   !„ 
,  1  •     ,1  *i    ..     A.  D.  409. 

he  prayed  m  the  manner  that 

his  friend  Augustine  tells  us,  that  the 
Lord  would  not  suffer  him  to  be  tormented 
on  account  of  worldly  goods,  as  he  had 
long  been  weaned  from  them  in  his  affec- 
tions. It  pleased  God,  that  after  the  as- 
sault of  Nola  by  the  Goths  -qj  ^ 
was  over,  he  peaceably  en-  ^_  ^t.  431. 
joyed  his  bishopric  till  his 
death  in  431. 

This  holy  person  was  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  Alipius,  bishop  of  Tagasta, 
whom  we  have  already  celebrated  as 
the  townsman  and  friend  of  Augustinev 
Through  this  connexion  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  writings  of  the  bishop 
of  Hippo,  which  were  peculiarly  adapt- 
ed to  the  taste  of  one,  who,  like  Paulinus, 
knew  what  indwelling  sin  means.  Hence 
arose  a  very  peculiar  friendship  between 
the  two  bishops,  cemented  by  their  com- 
mon interest  in  the  privileges  and  doc- 
trines of  the  Gospel. 

His  letter  to  Amandus  gives  an  excel- 
lent view  of  his  divinity,  which  illustrates 
both  from  the  Old  and  New  Testament, 
much  after  the  manner  of  the  bishop  of 
Hippo.  In  writing  to  Delphinus,  who 
had  been  dangerously  sick,  he  speaks  of 
the  benefit  of  afflictions  to  the  righteous, 
as  they  exercise  their  godliness,  keep 
them  from  pride,  and  imprint  in  them  the 
fear  of  divine  justice,  which  will  dread- 
fully confound  the  ungodly,  since  it  so 
severely  chastises  the  righteous. 

Paulinus  was  intimate  with    Sulpi- 


*  This  iiumble  and  serious  language  is  the 
obvious  effect  of  a  spirit  truly  conscientious, 
deeply  sensible  of  the  holiness  of  God,  and  its 
own  unworlhiness.  Tiiere  is  not  any  thing,  in 
wiiich  primitive  piety  appears  to  more  advan- 
tage, wlien  compared  to  modern  religion,  than 
in  a  review  of  men's  conduct  witli  respect  to 
the  pastoral  office.  In  our  times  it  frequently 
iiappens,  that  youths,  who  have  really  a  reli- 
gious cast,  fancy  themselves  adequate  to  the 
most  important  of  all  offices,  before  they  hare 
attained  liie  age  of  twenty.  Parents  also  too 
ofien  look  on  tlieir  dullest  children,  as  compe- 
tent to  the  sacred  function  ;  and  it  is  much  to 
be  feared,  that  worldly  lucre  is  the  spring  that 
animates  many  to  press  into  the  ministry,  who 
never  had  any  charity  for  their  own  souls. 


478 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XIII. 


cias  Severus,  the  historian,  who  was  a 
priest  of  Agen,  a  person  of  noble  birth, 
fine  talents,  and  much  superstition;  a 
disciple  of  Martin  of  Tours.  That  he 
could  unite  so  much  elegance  of  the  Ro- 
man language  with  so  much  childishness 
of  thought,  forms  one  of  those  inconsis- 
tencies, which  abound  in  human  nature. 
And  yet  there  want  not  here  and  there  in 
his  History  marks  of  good  judgment,  and 
every  where  a  spirit  ofjpiety  prevails. 
Paulinus,  comparing  Sulpicius's  conver- 
sion with  his  own,  prefers  that  of  his 
friend,  "  because,  said  he,  in  one  of  his 
letters,  he  had  at  once  shaken  off  the 
yoke  of  sin,  and  broken  the  bands  of  flesh 
and  blood  in  the  flower  of  his  agfe ;  and 
at  a  time  when  he  was  renowned  at  the 
bar,  and  in  the  career  of  worldly  honour, 
he  despised  human  greatness,  that  he 
might  follow  Jesus  Christ,  and  preferred 
the  preaching  of  fishermen  before  all  the 
pieces  of  Ciceronian  eloquence." 

Severus  had  desired  to  have  Paulinus's 
picture.  The  bishop  of  Nola  refused, 
and  called  his  request  a  piece  of  folly. 
He  takes  occasion,  however,  to  give  a 
picture  of  his  own  heart.  Here  is  one 
passage  of  it,  much  admired  by  Augus- 
tine:* "How  should  I  dare  to  give  you 
my  picture,  who  am  altogether  like  the 
earthly  man,  and  by  my  conduct  repre- 
sent the  carnal  person?  On  every  side 
shame  oppresses  me.  I  am  ashamed  to 
have  my  picture  drawn  as  I  am,  and  I 
dare  not  consent  to  have  it  made  other- 
wise. I  hate  what  I  am,  and  I  am  not 
what  I  would  wish  to  be.  But  what 
avails  it  me,  wretched  man,  to  have  evil 
and  love  good,  since  I  am  what  I  hate,  and 
sloth  hinders  me  from  endeavouring  to  do 
what  I  love  1 1  find  myself  at  war  with  my- 
self, and  am  torn  by  an  intestine  conflict. 
The  flesh  fights  against  the  spirit,  and  the 
spirit  against  the  flesh.  The  law  of  the 
body  opposes  the  law  of  the  spirit.  Wo 
is  me,  because  I  have  not  taken  away  the 
taste  of  the  poisoned  tree,  by  that  of  the 
saving  cross.  The  poison  communicated 
to  all  men  from  our  first  parent  by  his 
sin  yet  abideth  in  me."f 


In  a  letter  to  Florentius,  bishop  of  Ca- 
hors,  the  reader  may  perhaps  find  an  ob- 
jection obviated,  which  might  arise  from 
the  last  article,  namely,  How  can  a  man 
who  finds  himself  so  miserable,  enjoy 
any  consolation'?  "Jesus  Christ,  says  he, 
is  the  rock  containing  that  spring  of  liv- 
ing water,  which  we  happily  find  not  far 
from  us,  when  we  are  very  thirsty  in  this 
world :  this  is  that  which  refreshes  us, 
and  prevents  us  from  being  consumed  by 
the  heat  of  concupiscence.  This  is  the 
rock  on  which  the  house  is  founded,  that 
shall  never  fall.  This  is  the  rock,  which 
being  opened  at  the  side,  casts  out  water 
and  blood,  to  make  us  taste  of  two  whole- 
some fountains,  the  water  of  grace,  and 
the  blood  of  the  sacrament,  which  proves 
at  once  both  the  source  and  the  price  of  our 
salvation." 

In  another  letter  to  Augustine,  he  dis- 
courses on  the  felicity  of  the  saints  after 
the  resurrection :  "  All  their  employment 
shall  then  be,  to  praise  God  everlasting- 
ly, and  to  give  him  continual  thanks." 

This  holy  bishop  was  the  delight  of 
his  age.  He  led  a  retired  and  temperate 
life,  but  with  no  great  austerity,  singu- 
larly remarkable  for  the  tenderness  of 
his  conscience,  the  meekness  of  his  spirit, 
and  a  constant  sense  of  his  own  imbecil- 
ity, and  of  the  need  of  divine  grace. 

Isidore,  of  Pelusium  in  Egypt,  spent 
his  whole  life  in  the  monastic  state,  and 
he  did  honour  to  a  course  of  life  by  no 
means  the  wisest.  He  lived  in  the  prac- 
tice of  serious  piety,  and  by  a  number  of 
letters  which  he  has  left,  he  appears  to 
have  known  the  world  much  better,  and 
to  have  been  more  useful  to  the  Church, 
and  to  society,  than  might  have  been  ex- 
pected from  a  monk. 

He  observes  on  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
that  there  is  a  divine  wisdom  in  ordering 
some  things  to  be  very  plain,  and  others 
obscure,  at  once  to  encourage  our  investi- 
gation, and  to  check  our  presumption. 
He  gives  good  rules  for  the  exposition  of 


*  Ep.  86  of  Aug. 

+A11  diis  is  the  peculiar  language  of  a  Chris- 
tian, arising  from  just  views  of  indwelling  sin 
in  its  nature  and  its  constant  influence.  Paul- 
inas describes  from  the  heart  such  things  as 
none  but  a  truly  enlightened  mind  can  know 
for  original  sin  is  not  known  at  all,  except  by 
experience.  I  need  not  say  to  the  evangelized 
reader,  how  consonant  this  language  is  to  that 


of  the  best  men  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  ia 
the  New.  And  although  decent  Pharisees 
may  be  inclined  to  think  it  excessive,  I  will 
add,  that  it  is  even  too  faint  for  the  occasion. 
Every  real  Christian  knows  that  no  words  can 
sufficiently  describe  the  strength  of  internal 
corruption.  Hence  humility,  the  faith  of 
Christ,  the  preciousness  of  the  Gospel  to  the 
mind,  and  all  the  true  holiness  which  is  exer- 
cised under  the  sun  ;  and  uniformly  it  appears, 
that  men  who  know  the  most  of  native  wick- 
edness, are  the  most  holy  in  their  lives  and 
conversations. 


Ce:tt.  v.] 


WRITERS  OF  THIS  CENTURY. 


479 


Scripture,  guards  against  the  fanciful 
interpretations  of  concise  expressions, 
where  the  connexion  has  not  been  consi- 
dered, and  teaches  us  not  to  attempt  to 
draw  the  mysteries  of  the  Gospel  from 
every  passage  of  the  Old  Testament. 
He  agrees  with  the  orthodox  in  the  great 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel ;  his  views  of 
divine  grace  are  sound  in  the  main,  but 
escape  not  the  taint  of  Semi-Pelagianism, 
which  seems  to  have  prevailed  over  the 
Eastern  church:  the  doctrine  of  the  Afri- 
can luminary  never  making  any  great 
progress  among  the  Greek  churches. 

His  conduct  on  occasion  of  the  Nesto- 
rian  controversy  was  admirable.  He  en- 
deavoured to  heal  the  ferocious  spirits  of 
the  disputants,  and  condemned  the  tem- 
pers of  those,  whose  doctrines  he  yet  ad- 
mitted to  be  sound. 

The  great  excellence  of  this  writer  is 
his  practical  rules.  For  a  specimen,  take 
his  advice  to  a  physician  who  lived 
wickedly.  "  You  profess  a  science  re- 
quiring much  wisdom ;  but  you  act  incon- 
sistently: you  cure  small  wounds  for 
others,  and  heal  not  your  own  distem- 
pers, which  are  great  and  dangerous. 
—     -         -  ?j 


Cassian 
die  iVIonk, 


Begin  at  home 

Cassian  was  a  monk  from  his  child- 
hood, and  spent  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
at  Marseilles.     He  has  been 
before  mentioned  as  the  fa- 
ther   of     Semi-Pelagianism. 
His  plausible  views  of  moderation  led 
him  into  inextricable  confusion.     He  al- 
lows that  grace  is  necessary  even  for  the 
beginning  of  faith.     Yet  he  affirms  that 
man  can  naturally  choose  good,  but  needs 
grace  to  accomplish  it.     He  thinks  that 
sometimes  grace,  and  sometimes  the  will 
of  man,  is  the  first  mover.    The  cases  of 
St.  Paul  and  St.  Matthew  seem  to  him 
to  illustrate  the  first  position ;  those  of 
Zaccheus  and  the  penitent  thief  the  se- 
cond.    In  such  endless  jargon  is  a  sensi- 
ble man  involved,  while  he  vainly  mixes 
opposite  things,  and  forgets  the  Scripture 
declaration,  "if  by  grace,  then  is  it  no 
more  of  works;   otherwise  grace  is  no 
more  grace."     Yet  his  system  has  since 
been  adopted  by  many  of  the  more  decent 
sort  of  Christian  professors,  and   will, 
whatever  may  be  said,  recommend  itself 
to  all   of  them,  who  are  unacquainted 
with  the  entire  depravity  of  human  na- 
ture.    In  him,  Semi-Pelaofianism  found 
a  very  powerful  guardian,  because  his 
learning  and  morals  were  unquestionably 
respectable.  And  it  happens  in  this  case, 


that  a  system  which  discovers  its  ab- 
surdity and  extreme  inconsistency  to 
every  man  endued  with  any  real  deorree  of 
self-knowledge,  exhibits  a  most  plausi- 
ble appearance  in  theory,  and  seems 
to  shun  the  opposite  rocks  of  self-righ- 
teousness and  Antinomianism.  So  it 
pretends;*  "but  wisdom  is  justified  of 
her  children." 

CoELESTiNE,  bishop  of  Romo,  has  al- 
ready been  noticed  as  supporting  Pros- 
per and  Hilary,  disciples  of  Augustine  in 
Gaul,  against  the  intrusions  of  Semi-P^ 
lagianism.  He  reproved  those 
French  bishops  who  favoured  ^.'e'estine 
,,       1      i  •  cm       •  J      bishop  of 

the  doctrines  ot  Cassian,  and     j^g^g 

he  published  some  articles 
concerning  grace,  of  which  a  summary 
has  already  been  given.  The  earnestness 
of  his  manner  shows  that  he  felt  what  he 
said ;  and  his  testimony  to  the  bishop  of 
Hippo  deserves  to  be  recorded.  "  We 
have  always  had  Augustine,  of  blessed 
memory,  in  our  communion,  whose  life 
and  merit  is  well  knovv'n ;  his  fame  hath 
been  unblemished,  and  his  knowledo-e  is 
so  indisputable,  that  my  predecessors 
have  looked  upon  him  as  one  of  the  most 
excellent  teachers  of  the  Church.     All 


*  Cassian  wrote  monastic  rules  and  institu- 
tions, in  which  he  teaches  "  for  doctrines  the 
commanilments  of  men."  He  instructs  tlie 
poor  monks  in  their  duties  of  implicit  sub- 
mission, and  of  voluntary  humility,  by  which 
their  understanding  would  rather  be  enslaved, 
than  any  true  mortification  of  sin  acquire<L 
In  notliing  does  the  system  of  Augustine  tri- 
umpli  moi-e  sensibly  over  that  of  Cassian, 
than  in  this  point  of  view.  I  conceive  these 
two  men  both  engaged  in  the  design  of  leading 
men  to  a  holy  life.  Witii  superstition  they 
both  were  infected.  But  in  Cassian  the  fasl>- 
ionable  evil  prevails,  reduces  itself  into  a  sys- 
tem, and  leads  the  devotees  into  a  tedious 
number  of  artificial  externals,  with  an  inten- 
tion to  break  the  human  will,  and  force  it  into 
something  like  virtue.  What  for  instance, 
can  be  more  absurd  than  his  directions  to  the 
young  probationer,  to  sulyect  himself  absolute- 
ly to  tlie  will  of  his  sujjerior  in  the  convent  ? 
To  submit  to  orders  in  a  manner  impossible 
to  be  executed,  to  endure  hardships  and  cross- 
es, without  any  reason  biU  the  arbitrary  will 
of  a  master?  Follies  which,  in  the  papacy, 
have  continued  for  ages  after.  But  see  Au- 
gustine. His  system  leads  him  to  stem  a  tor- 
rent of  superstition  :  to  attempt,  at  least,  to 
emancipate  Christians  from  the  yoke  of  boniW 
age  :  to  teach  true,  not  fictitious,  internal,  not 
merely  external,  humility  :  to  lead  the  soul  to 
Christ,  to  instruct  men  in  love,  to  enforce 
Christian  practice  from  spiritual  motiTesrin 
fine,  to  aim  at  purity  of  heart,  and  heavenly- 
mindedness. 


480 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chip.  XID. 


orthodox  Christians  have  ever  thought 
well  of  him  ;  and  he  hath  heen  generally 
reverenced  through  the  whole  world." — 
The  church  of  Rome,  though  at  this  time 
much  degenerated  from  primitive  purity, 
must  not,  however,  be  deemed  antichris- 
tian,  while  the  doctrines  of  Christ  were 
supported  in  it.  And  though  secular  am- 
bition was  gradually  making  its  way 
among  her  bishops,  yet  some  of  them 
were  real  good  men  and  faithful  pastors; 
and  I  am  willing  to  believe  that  Cceles- 
tine  was  of  the  number. 

See  the  zeal  and  uprightness  of  this 
bishop,  in  the  subject  of  episcopal  ordi- 
nation. A  person,  named  Daniel,  who 
had  come  from  the  East,  retired  into 
France.  The  monastery  where  he  lived 
accused  him  of  scandalous  crimes.  Yet 
he  had  the  address  to  get  himself  ordain- 
ed a  bishop  in  that  country.  Coelestine, 
in  vain,  had  endeavoured  to  prevent  this. 
He  blames  the  bishop  who  had  ordained 
him,  and  declares,  that  he  had  lost  the 
episcopal  dignity  himself  by  ordaining  one 
so  unworthy.  It  does  not  appear  that  he 
fulminated  a  degree  of  excommunication 
against  him.  The  superior  dignity  of 
the  bishop  of  Rome  in  the  Western  world 
was  hitherto  rather  founded  on  the  opu- 
lence of  the  see,  and  the  civil  importance 
of  the  city  of  Rome,  than  on  any  positive 
claims  of  dominion.  Ccelestine's  conduct 
was  more  like  that  of  a  Christian  bishop 
than  of  a  pope.  He  found  fault  with  the 
conduct  of  the  hierarchy  in  France,  in 
raising  at  once  to  the  episcopal  office* 
laymen  who  had  not  gone  through  the 
several  gradations  of  the  priesthood.  He| 
DECREES,  that  when  a  bishop  is  to  be 
chosen,  the  clergy  of  the  same  church, 
whose  characters  are  known,  and  who 
have  deserved  well,  be  preferred  to 
strange  and  unknown  clergymen ;  that  a 
bishop  be  not  imposed  on  any  people 
against  their  consent,  but  that  the  votes 
and  agreement  of  the  clergy,  people,  and 
magistrates,  be  followed  ;  that  no  clergy- 
man be  chosen  out  of  another  diocese, 
when  there  is  any  one  in  the  same  church 
fit  to  be  ordained  bishop. 


*  Fleury,  B.  xxiv.  56. 

f  I  use  rehictantly  the  word  Decree,  lie- 
cause  for  some  time  the  admonitions  oF  ihe 
Lishop  of  Rome  had  gone  by  the  name  of  De- 
cretals ;  though  certainly  as  yet,  bishops,  out 
of  Italy  at  least,  were  not  under  his  jurisdic- 
tion. However,  the  imperative  style  of  the 
Roman  bishops  at  this  time  is  indefensible, 
and  intimates  the  too  great  growth  of  their 
power. 


The  same  soundness  of  judgment  which 
led  Coelestine  to  oppose  interested  ordi- 
nations, and  the  undue  interference  of  se- 
cular ambition,  induced  him  also  to  op- 
pose the  democratic  spirit,  as  appears 
from  his  letter  to  the  bishops  of  Calabria 
and  Apulia,  whom  he  forbids  to  ordain 
laymen  bishops  on  the  demand  of  the  peo- 
ple. "  When  this  demand  is  against  the 
rules  of  the  Church,  it  should  never  be 
complied  with."* 

The  three  contemporary  Greek  histo- 
rians, who  continued  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory, Avhere  Eusebius  ended,  through  the 
fourth  and  part  of  the  fifth  century,  are 
Socrates,  Sozomen,  and  Theodoret  of 
Cyrus.  I  have  made  use  of  them  all 
along,  and  find  them  particularly  service- 
able, where  I  have  not  the  much  more 
satisfactory  lights  of  the  fathers  them- 
selves, Avhose  transactions  are  recorded. 
The  first  is  doubtless  a  judicious  writer, 
remarkable  for  his  candour  to  the  Nova- 
tians,  and  for  a  generous  peaceable  tem- 
per. Neither  he  nor  Sozomen  furnish  us 
with  sufficient  documents,  from  which  a 
decisive  judgment  of  their  own  personal 
characters  may  be  formed.  The  latter  is 
less  judicious,  and  very  fond  of  monks. 
The  third,  however,  surpasses 
all  men  in  admiration  of  mo-  P''^'"^'^^^'^ 
nastic  institutions,  and  is  ere-  a^,.^^ 
dulous  beyond  measure  in 
subjects  of  that  nature.  Yet  was  he 
himself  one  of  the  most  learned  and  best 
men  in  the  Eastern  church.  His  pacific 
conduct  displeased  the  bigots,  during  the 
noise  of  the  Nestorian  and  Eutychian 
controversies.  It  is  evident,  that  his  own 
views  were  orthodox ;  hut  because  he  in- 
clined to  healing  methods,  he 
was  condemned  at  one  of  the  Conderan- 
synods,  and  was  not  without  |'  '",  'r 
difnculty  remstated.  Hear  Ephesus, 
him  speak  in  his  letter  to 
Leo  of  Rome,  which  will  give  us  an  epi- 
tome of  his  character  and  story.f  "  I 
have  been  a  bishop  these  twent}''-six 
years  without  reproach.  I  have  brought 
over  to  the  Church  above  a  thousand 
Marcionites  and  many  Arians.  There  is 
not  now  an  heretic  in  the  eight  hundred 
parishes  of  my  diocese.  Often  have  I 
been  assaulted  with  stones,  and  have  sus- 


*  Coelestine  succeeded  Boniface  I.,  A.  D. 
423:  died  in  432.  He  sent  Deputies  to  the 
tliird  General  Council  held  at  Ephesus,  in 
June  431. 

t  P'leury,  xxvii.  44. 


/EXT, 


v.] 


WRITERS  OF  THIS  CENTURY. 


481 


tained  combats  with  Pagans  and  Jews. — 
Restored  Reject  not,  I  beseech  you, 
at  tlie  ^y  humble   prayer,  nor   de- 

Fourth  spise  my  old  age,  loaded  with 

General  disgrace,  after  so  many  la- 
Council  hours. — God  is  my  witness, 
heul  at  iIjjj^  j  am  not  concerned  for 

Chalcedon  ,  ,     . 

A  D  4"1  '^^y  *^^^'"  honour,  but  on  ac- 
count of  the  scandal  given, 
and  lest  several  of  the  ignorant,  and  par- 
ticularly of  the  converted  heretics,  should 
look  on  me  as  heretical,  seeing  the  autho- 
rity of  those  who  have  condemned  me ; 
and  without  considering  that  for  so  many 
years  of  my  episcopacy,  I  have  neither 
acquired  house,  nor  land,  nor  money,  but 
have  embraced  a  voluntary  poverty." 

He  was  born  at  Antioch,  in  the  year 
386,  and  ordained  bishop  of  Cyrus,  a 
Th  H  •  t  '^^^y  of  Syria,  by  the  bishop  of 
born  at  Antioch,  about  the  year  420. 

Antioch,  The  inhabitants  spake  chiefly 
A.  D.  S86.  the  Syriac  tongue,  few  of 
Ordained  them  understood  Greek  ;  and 
bishop  of  heathenish  ignorance  prevail- 
Cyrus,  pjj  among  them.     The  most 

A.  D.420.  shining  part  of  Theodoret's 
character  appeared  in  his  pastoral  employ- 
ments. He  laboured,  and  suffered  for  the 
love  of  Christ,  and  was  often  in  danger  of 
his  life  from  the  rage  of  the  multitude. 
But  God  gave  success  to  his  endeavours 
in  the  mariner  stated  above,  and  he  found, 
what  persevering  pastors  often  find,  the 
love  of  his  people  to  attend  him  at  his 
latter  end.  He  resided  constantly  in  his 
diocese,  and  no  doubt  was  signally  useful 
in  it,  by  preaching  and  by  example. 
When  called,  which  was  but  seldom,  by 
the  superior  bishop  or  patriarch  of  Anti- 
och, to  attend  his  synod,  he  went  and 
preached  on  those  occasions  at  Antioch  in 
a  manner  that  left  a  deep  impression.  All 
the  time  he  was  bishop,  he  had  no  suits 
at  law  with  any  man,  nor  did  he  or  his 
clergy  ever  appear  at  the  judgment-seats. 
His" liberality  was  unbounded;  and  in 
every  part  of  Christian  morals  he  appears 
to  have  exhibited  that  peculiar  spirit 
which  none  but  true  Christians  are  able 
to  do. 

Tlie  authority  of  Leo,  bishop  of  Rome, 
was  of  service  to  him  in  the  persecution 
before  spoken  of;  and  he  died  peaceably 
in  his  bishopric ;  though  calumny  and 
prejudice  after  his  death  prevailed  so  far 
as  to  procure  his  condemnation  in  the 
time  of  .Tustinian.  His  works  are  large, 
on  a  variety  of  subjects ;  but  they  speak 
not  for  him  equally  with  his  life ;  and  it 

Vol.  I.  2  S 


will  be  sufficient  to  say,  that  his  theology, 
with  a  strong  mixture  of  superstition, 
was  of  the  same  kind  as  that  of  Chrysos- 
tom.  But  his  spirit  was  humble,  hea- 
venly, charitable  ;  and  he  seems  to  have 
walked  in  the  faith,  hope,  and  love,  of 
the  Gospel,  a  shining  ornament  in  a  dark 
age  and  country. 

Leo,  bishop  of  Rome,  was  one  of  the 
greatest  men  of  his  time.  In  secular 
affairs,  his  successful  negotiations  have 
already  been  noticed.  In  the 
church,  it  must  be  owned  that  Leo  made 
he  took  much  pains  concern-  bishop  of 
ing  matters  of  discipline ;  l^o"**^* 
that  so  fir  as  appears  from  A.  D.  440. 
circumstances,  he  supported 
the  cause  of  truth  and  uprightness  in  ge- 
neral, though  with  a  constant  attention 
to  the  amplification  of  the  Roman  See. 
Antichrist  was  not  yet  risen  to  its  sta- 
ture; but  was  growing  apace.  He  at- 
tempted to  extend  his  influence  in  France, 
but  met  with  a  firm  resistance.  The  ce- 
libacy of  the  clergy  was  more  strictly  en- 
forced by  him  than  by  any  bishop  of 
Rome  before.  Yet,  in  Christian  doctrine 
he  was  not  only  evangelical  in  general, 
but  also  in  a  very  elaborate  and  perspi- 
cuous manner,  so  as  to  evince  the  pains 
he  had  taken  to  understand  the  Scriptures. 
His  letter  to  the  Eastern  churches,  on  the 
divine  and  human  nature  of  Christ,  is 
allowed  to  have  been  remarkably  scriptu- 
ral. He  opposed  Pelagianism  with  much 
zeal  ;  he  detected  the  evasions  of  its  de- 
fenders, who  made  grace  the  effect  of 
human  merits ;  and  he  resolved  every 
thing  into  the  grace  of  God  in  so  full  and 
clear  a  manner,  that  if  his  own  heart  was 
influenced  by  the  sentiments  which  he 
espoused,  he  must  have  been  a  humble, 
holy  Christian.  But  his  piety  was  not 
so  unquestionable  as  his  capacity  and  ac- 
curacy of  sentiment.  Candour,  however, 
will  rather  mcline  to  impute  what  is  sus- 
picious in  his  conduct,  to  the  times,  than 
to  his  disposition.  Leo  justly  reproved 
the  great  and  scandalous  violations  of 
order  and  decorum  in  the  African  ordina- 
tions of  bishops,  which  preceded  the  in- 
vasion of  Genseric.  And  he  has  left  us 
several  decrees,  from  which  the  reader 
may  collect  what  were  the  ancient  ideas 
of  pastoral  and  ecclesiastical  discipline. 

"  What,  says  this  prelate,  can  be  the 
meaning  of  laying  hands  suddenly  on 
any  man  ;  but  the  conferring  of  priests' 
orders  on  persons  of  whose  worth  we  are 
ignorant, — ^before  we  have  had  time  to 


482 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  XHI. 


try  them;  before  they  have  approved 
themselves  competent  by  their  industry, 
and  have  given  some  tokens  of  knowledge 
and  experience]" 

He  is  of  opinion,  that  pastors  should 
have  passed  through  all  the  inferior 
orders,  and  have  exercised  them  for 
some  time,  before  they  be  appointed 
bishops. 

He  declares,  that  those  who  have  not 
been  chosen  by  the  clergy,  nor  desired 
by  the  people,  nor  ordained  by  the  bish- 
ops of  the  province,  with  the  consent  of 
the  metropolitan,  are  not  to  be  accounted 
bishops. 

"  He  ought  to  be  chosen  bishop,  v/ho 
is  chosen  by  the  clergy  and  people.  In 
case  their  judgment  be  divided,  the  me- 
tropolitan should  prefer  him  who  is  of 
greatest  worth,  and  hath  most  votes.  But 
no  man  should  be  appointed  bishop  whom 
the  people  refuse." 

"  He,  who  would  go  from  one  church 
to  another,  out  of  contempt  of  his  ow^n, 
shall  be  deprived  both  of  that  which  he 
hath,  and  of  that  which  he  would  have ; 
that  he  may  neither  preside  over  those 
whom,  through  avarice,  he  hath  desired, 
nor  those  whom,  through  pride,  he  hath 
despised." 

Bishop  Leo  himself  preached  and  fed 
his  flock  at  Rome;  and  a  number  of  his] 
sermons  are  yet  extant.     The  faith  of  the 
church,  concerning  the  union  of  the  di- 
vine and  human  nature  in  the  person  of 
Christ,  was  not  neglected  in  the  course 
of  his  ministry.     This  was  still  the  pre- 
vailing   doctrine,     notwithstanding    the 
subtil  and  manifold  opposition  made  to 
it.     Leo  himself  was  one  of  the  ablest 
instruments  of  its  vindication ;  and  whe- 
ther it  is  probable  that  he  was  so  only  in 
a  speculative  manner,  let  the  reader  judge 
from  the  following  passage  of  his  ninth 
sermon  on  the  Nativity.     "For  unless 
faith  believe,  that  both  substances  were 
united  in  one  person,  language  explains 
it  not ;  and  therefore  matter  for  divine 
praise  never  fails,  because  the  abilities 
of  him  who  praises  never  suffice.     Let  us 
rejoice,    then,    that  we   are    unequal  to 
speak  of  so  great  a  mystery  of  our  mer- 
cy; and  when  we  are  not  able  to  draw- 
forth  the  depth  of  our  salvation,  let  us 
feel  that  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  vanquish- 
ed in  our  researches.    For  no 
Leo  dies,       man  more  approaches  to  the 
A.  D.  461.     knowledge  of  the  truth,  than 
he  who  imderstands,  that  in 
divine  things,  though  he  makes  much 


proficiency,  something  always  remains 
for  him  to  investigate." 

Hilary,  bishop  of  Aries,*  was  the 
successor  of  Honoratus  in  that  see.  The 
latter  was  abbot  of  the  monastery  of 
Lerins,f  an  isle  of  France, 
famous  in  those  days  for  its  Hilary, 
monks.  He  took  pains  to  bishop  of 
draw  Hilary  into  serious  Aries. 
Christianity,  which  in  these  times  was 
too  much  connected  with  the  monastic 
life.  Honoratus  himself  was  afterwards 
chosen  bishop  of  Aries,  and  his  disciple 
Hilary  was  unanimously  elected  to  suc- 
ceed him.  Hilary  has  left  us  the  Life  of 
Honoratus  ;  in  which  he  vindicates  the 
custom  of  writing  encomiums  on  deceas- 
ed holy  men.  He  says,  with  a  happy 
inconsistency,  for  he  must  be  considered 
as  a  Semi-Pelagian,  "  God  is  praised  in 
his  saints,  as  all  their  worth  and  excel- 
lency ought  to  be  imputed  to  the  Author 
of  Grace."  An  excellent  sentiment,  and 
truly  Christian!  Let  it  only  be  firmly 
and  consistently  maintained,  and  let  it 
influence  the  heart;  men  then  must  be 
humble,  the  grace  of  Christ  must  engage 
their  whole  dependence  ;  and  they,  who 
hold  in  sentiment  the  doctrines  of  Cassian, 
will  only  be  found  to  be  illogically  de- 
fective in  their  arguments,  not  unsound 
in  their  practical  views.  However,  the 
fashionable  prevalence  of  the  sentiments 
of  Cassian  in  France,  and  the  plausible 
support  which  they  received  from  several 
highly  respected  characters,  besides  Hi- 
lary of  Aries,  would  no  doubt  have  a 
pernicious  effect  on  the  minds  of  the  next 
generation. 

No  fault  can  be  found  with  Hilary's 
writing  the  life  of  a  saint.  But  the  man- 
ner of  his  doing  it,  though  unhappily  by 
no  means  singular,  is  to  be  blamed. 
With  him,  Honoratus  is  all  excellency, 
and  looks  more  like  an  angel  than  a  man. 
Suffice  it  just  to  mention  the  circum- 
stances of  his  exit.  He  fell  into  a  lan- 
guishing distemper,  which  yet  hindered 
him  not  from  executing  his  priestly  office. 
He  preached  in  the  church  in  the  year 

*  This  is  not  the  Hilary,  who,  in  conjunction 
with  Prosper,  supported  in  France  the  doctrine 
of  Augustine,  concerning  grace.  His  sentiments 
approach  more  to  Semi-Pelagianism;  yet  he  de- 
serves a  place  in  these  memoirs,  because  he  held, 
implicitly  at  least,  the  fundamentals  of  divine 
truth;  was  truly  humble  and  pious;  and  evi- 
denced to  all  men.  that  he  was  a  sincere  member 
of  the  Churr^h  of  Christ. 

+  Now  called  St.  Honorat,  or  Ilonore  de  Le- 
rin. 


Cejtt.  v.] 


WRITERS  OF  THIS  CENTURY. 


483 


Honoratas 
dies, 

A.  D.  429. 


429,  but  his  disease  increasino-,  he  died 
a  few  days  after,  Hilary  bears 
witness  to  the  piety  of  his 
last  hours,  having'  been  pre- 
sent with  him. 
The  Life  of  Hilary  himself  is  written, 
it  is  supposed,  by  Honoratus,*  bishop  of 
Marseilles,  with  the  same  partial  exag- 
gerations. Yet  some  circumstances  are 
mentioned  which  bear  strong  marks  of 
credibility.  He  often  admonished  in  pri- 
vate the  governor  of  the  city,  whose  con- 
duct had  been  very  faulty,  and  seeing  him 
one  day  come  into  church  with  his  guards, 
he  brake  off  in  the  midst  of  his  discourse, 
and  said,  that  those,  who  disregarded 
private  admonitions,  were  unworthy  ofj 
public.  It  is  recorded,  to  the  praise  of 
this  bishop,  that,  though  he  knew  how 
to  address  the  most  polished  auditory, 
and  occasionally  showed  great  literary 
powers,  he  could,  however,  adapt  him- 
self in  the  plainest  manner  to  the  appre- 
hensions of  the  vulgar  :  a  rare,  but  pre- 
cious talent  of  a  preacher,  and  surely 
more  dependent  on  the  heart  than  the 
head.  The  labours  of  this  holy  person 
were  very  great,  and  in  preaching  he  was 
so  zealous,  that  he  was  obliged  to  check 
himself  by  a  sign  agreed  on,  lest  he 
should  carry  his  discourse  to  too  great  a 
length.  Prosper  candidly  allows,  that 
his  life  and  death  were  holj".  Leo,  of 
Rome,  who  had  an  unhappy  quarrel  with 
him  in  his  lifetime,  spake  ho- 
nourably of  him  after  his 
death.  I  have  only  to  regret 
that  I  have  it  not  in  my  power 
to  gratify  the  reader  with  more 
particulars  of  the  labours  and  works  of 
so  pious  a  man,  and  so  zealous  a  preacher. 
ViNCENTius,  of  the  same  monastery  of 
Lerins,  was  likewise  renowned  for  his 
piety.  He  left  behind  him  a 
treatise  on  the  marks  of  here- 
sy. With  him,  besides  the 
testimony  of  Scripture,  uni- 
versality and  antiquit}^  are 
added  as  essential  and  concurring  requi- 
sites of  the  evidence  of  orthodoxy ;  and 
though  popery  can  b^'no  means  stand  the 
test  of  these,  (for  it  had  not  as  yet  pro- 
perly existed  in  the  church,)  it  has  not- 
withstanding availed  itself  of  his  rules, 
and  pressed  them  into  her  service. 
E'leh  erius  EucHERius,  of  Lyons,  is 
Bp.  of  another  of  the  same   stamp, 

Lyons,  and    his   excellent    life    and 


Hilary 
died, 

A.  D.  449. 


Vincen 
tius  of 
Lerins. 


See  page  484  of  this  Vol. 


death   are   attested  by  Pros-     A.  D.  434. 
per.  Died,  450. 

Prosper,  of  Ries  in  Aquitain,  was  a 
layman  who  distinguished  himself  in  this 
century  in  the  defence  of  the  doctrines  of 
grace.  He  largely  extracted  from  Au- 
gustine's works  the  fundamentals  of  his 
positions  ;  and  wrote  with  much  earnest- 
ness a  defence  of  them.  He  was  enu-ao-- 
ed  in  a  laboured  controversy  with  the 
Semi-Pelagians  in  France  ;  but  contro- 
vers}',  managed  with  a  spirit  like  his, 
serious,  candid,  and  argumentative,  not 
abusive  and  censorious,  and  conversant 
on  topics  of  real  importance,  is  an  advan- 
tage, not  a  detriment  to  the  cause  of  true 
religion.  He  bears  a  cheerful  testimony 
to  the  solid  piety  of  several  of  his  oppo- 
nents in  France,  as  we  have  seen  already, 
and  appears  only  zealous  for  divine  truths, 
and  not  for  any  particular  party.  It  was 
an  advantage  to  the  truth  revived  by  Au- 
gustine, that  under  the  cautious  and  ju- 
dicious management  of  Prosper,  it  was 
cleared  of  objections  and  explained,  and 
rescued  from  aspersions,  without  losing 
any  thing  of  its  sterling  purit)^  Of  Pros- 
per himself,  I  can  say  nothing;  except 
that  his  writings  speak  for  his  piety,  hu- 
mility and  integrity.  Suffice  it  to  give 
two  or  three  quotations,*  one  of  %vhich 
obviates  the  most  specious  objections 
that  have  been  made  to  the  sentiments  of 
Augustine :  "  Setting  aside  that  distinc- 
tion which  the  divine  knowledge  confines 
within  the  secret  of  eternal  justice,  we 
ought  most  sincerely  to  believe  and  pro- 
fess, that  God  would  have  all  men  to  be 
saved  ;  since  the  apostle,  whose  sentence 
this  is,  most  earnestly  directs,  what  in 
all  churches  is  most  purely  observed,  that 
prayer  be  made  to  God  for  all  men, 
whence,  that  many  perish,  is  the  desert 
of  those  who  perish ;  that  many  are  sav- 
ed, is  the  gift  of  the  Saviour,  f 

"  Let  human  debility,  says  he,  ac^ 
knowledge  itself,  and  the  condemned 
succession  of  all  generations  in  the  first 
man ;  and  when  (he  dead  are  quickened, 
the  blind  illuminated,  the  ungodly  jus^ 


*  Pro.  Aug.  doct. 

+  The  allenlive  reader  has  seen  this  to  be  the 
spntimentoCthe  anonymous  author  of  the  calling 
of  Iho  Gentiles.  Perhaps  no  two  propositions 
are  more  certainly  and  decisively  scriptural  than 
these  two  of  Prosper.  It  is  tlie  vain  attempt  to 
flear  them  of  a  supposed  ineonsistenoy,  which 
has  confounded  many  reasoners.  The  Church 
of  England  has  exactly  hit  this  medium  in  all 
her  public  writings.  To  know  where  to  stop  is 
true  wisdom. 


484 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  XHI. 


tified,  let  them  confess  Jesus  Christ  their 
life,  and  light,  and  righteousness." 

"We  act  with  liberty,  but  with  liberty 
redeemed,  over  which  God  is  the  gov- 
ernor." 

"  Grace  does  more  than  persuade  and 
teach  by  kind  advice  and  exhortation ;  it 
changes  also  the  mind  within,  and  forms 
it  anew,  and  from  a  broken  vessel  makes 
it  new  in  the  energy  of  creation.  This, 
not  the  admonitions  of  the  Law,  not  the 
words  of  a  prophet,  not  nature  so  studi- 
ously preferred  to  her,  performs.  He 
only  who  made,  renews.  An  apostle 
may  run  through  the  world,  preach,  ex- 
hort, plant,  water,  rebuke,  and  be  urgent; 
but  that  the  hearer  may  benefit  by  these 
means,  neither  the  scholar,  nor  the  teacher 
effects,  but  grace  alone. — This  orders 
the  seed  of  faith  to  take  root  in  the  mind, 
this  keeps  and  cherishes  the  harvest  to 
maturity — It  is  God  who  raises  the  dead, 
frees  the  prisoners,  pours  understanding 
into  dark  hearts,  and  infuses  love,  by 
which  we  love  him  again:  and  the  love 
which  he  infuses  is  himself." 

Once  more :  hear  his  vigorous  testi- 
mony to  the  entire  depravity  of  nature, 
from  a  practical  sense  of  which,  he  was, 
I  doubt  not,  led  to  see  the  suitableness 
of  his  views  of  grace  to  the  exigencies  of 
fallen  humanity. 

"  The  mind,  which  originally  had  light 
from  the  Supreme  Light,  involves  the 
will  in  darkness,  and  leaving  the  light, 
chooses  to  grow  black  in  earthly  dark- 
ness ;  nor  can  it  voluntarily  lift  up  its 
captive  eyes  on  high,  because,  by  the 
robbery  of  the  tyrant,  it  hath  even  lost 
the  knowledge  of  the  greatness  of  the 
wound  under  which  it  lies  prostrate." 

Primasias  was  an  African  bishop,  who 
for  some  years  attended  the  ministry  of 
Augustine,  whose  views  he  followed,  as 
appears  from  his  writings, 
particularly  his  comments  on 
St.  Paul's  epistles.  But 
though  he  seems  conversant 
in  the  writings  of  Augustine 
and  Jerom,  he  is  not  a  mere  copyist,  but 
discovers  an  original  vein  of  thought,  and 
appears  to  have  been  well  furnished  with 
polite  learning.  He  says,  "  Faith  is  the 
gift  of  God,  and  is  infused  by  the  secret 
inspiration  of  grace,  not  by  human  labour, 
nor  by  nature,  but  by  the  Holy  Spirit," 
He  vehemently  opposes  self-righteous 
sentiments,  and  defends  with  much  accu- 
racy the  genuine  doctrines  of  the  Gospel." 
It  is  surprising,  that  of  so  able  a  writer, 


Primasius, 
a  disciple 
of  Augus- 
tine. 


we  should  have  no  account  with  respect 
to  his  life  and  transactions.* 

TiMOTHEUs  JElurus,  bishop  of  Alex- 
andria, wrote  nothing  worthy  of  a  distinct 
memorial.  I  mention  him  only  as  an  in- 
stance of  the  unhappy  state  of  that  once 
flourishing  Christian  city.  It  had  a  suc- 
cession of  turbulent,  ambitious  bishops  : 
the  bad  effect  on  the  inhabitants  was  but 
too  fully  evidenced  by  their  conduct : 
they  had  murdered  his  predecessor,  and 
the  way  which  he  took  to  fix  himself  in 
his  See,  was  by  flattering  them  in  their 
vices.  I  scarcely  remember  anything 
good  of  Alexandria  in  all  this  century. 
It  seems  to  have  been  precipitating  itself 
into  the  darkness  of  Mahometanism, 
which  God  was  preparing  for  it  as  a 
scourge  on  account  of  its  dreadful  abuse 
of  the  light  of  the  Gospel. 

Salvian,  priest  of  Marseilles,  was  an 
eloquent,  neat  and  beautiful  writer.  His 
manner  is  very  serious,  and  he  presses 
the  necessity  of  good  works,  and  parti- 
cularly of  almsgiving,  with  great  vehe- 
mence. He  excels  in  vindicating  the 
judgments  of  God  on  the  wicked  nominal 
Christians  of  his  time.  But  of  his  ac- 
quaintance with  real  Christianity,  from 
the  scanty  materials  M'hich  I  have  seen 
of  him,  I  find  no  evidence. 

HoNORATUs,  bishop  of  Marseilles,  is 
celebrated  as  a  great  extempore  preacher ; 
his  ministry  was  much  attended  by  clergy 
and  people,  and  he  was  desi- 
red often  to  preach  in  other 
churches.  Gelasius,  bishop 
of  Rome,  had  a  high  esteem 
for  him.  These  accounts  may 
seem  simple  and  mean  ;  but 
much  evidence  arises  from 
them,  that  true  religion  had  some  preva- 
lence in  France  in  this  century.  Much 
preaching  and  much  controversy  on  mat- 
ters of  evangelical  importance,  though 
attended  with  evils,  prove  that  Christ  is 
present  by  his  Spirit. 

Faustus,  bishop  of  Ries,  was  an  En- 
glishman, and  was  first  a  monk  of  the 
monastery  of  Lerins,  of  which  he  was 
chosen  abbot.  After  the  death  of  Maxi- 
mus,  bishop  of  Ries,  he  was  chosen  his 
successor.  He  composed  several  trea- 
tises, governed  his  diocese  unblamably, 
led  a  holy  life,  and  died  regretted  and 
esteemed  by  the  church.  Though,  in  the 
controversy  which  has  so  much  called  for 
our  attention  in  this  century,  he  favoured 
the  Semi-Pelagians,   he  seems  to  have 


Honoratus, 
tiie   bishop 
of  Mar- 
seilles, 
died  about 

A.  D.  594. 


*  Centur.  Magdeb.  ('entury  V. 


Cent.  V.] 


WRITERS  OF  THIS  CENTURY. 


485 


done  so  rather  through  fear  of  the  ab- 
uses of  predestination,  and  a  misunder- 
standing of  the  consequences  of  Augus- 
tine's doctrine,  than  through  the  want  of 
piety  and  humility.  For  he  composed  a 
treatise  concerning  Saving  Grace,  in 
which  he  showed  that  the  grace  of  God 
always  allures,  precedes,  and  assists  the 
human  will,  and  that  all  the  reward  of 
our  labour,  is  the  gift  of  God.  A  priest, 
named  Lucidus,  was  very  tenacious  of 
the  sentiments  of  Augustine,  and  was  op- 
posed at  least  by  the  greater  part  of  the 
French  bishops  in  his  neighbourhood. 
Fanstus  endeavoured  to  correct  his  ideas, 
by  suggesting,  that  we  must  not  separate 
grace  and  human  industry ;  that  we  must 
abhor  Pelagius,  and  yet  detest  those  who 
believe  that  a  man  may  be  in  the  number 
of  the  elect  without  labouring  for  salva- 
tion. He  adds  many  other  cautionary 
maxims  of  the  same  kind,  to  which  no 
sober  and  judicious  follower  of  Augustine 
will  object.  His  treatment  of  Lucidus  is 
gentle  and  candid.  Hence  I  wonder  not 
that  the  presbyter  was  induced,  at  the 
council  which  was  called,  to  asseiit  to  all 
that  was  required  of  him. 

On  the  whole,  after  a  careful  review  of 
the  lights  of  antiquity  on  this  subject,  it 
appears  to  me,  that  there  were  a  number 
of  serious  and  pious  persons  on  both  sides 
of  the  question  in  France  ;  that  the  con- 
troversy was  carried  on  with  a  degree  at 
least  of  moderation ;  that  men,  who  really 
feared  God,  and  lived  by  faith  on  his 
Son,  in  practical  humility,  diifered  rather 
in  Avords  than  in  things,  while  they  deba- 
ted on  this  difficult  subject ;  that  yet  the 
views  of  Augustine  are  scriptural,  and 
most  consistent,  and  would  in  all  ages, 
be  allowed  so  to  be,  if  men  had  a  suffi- 
cient degree  of  patient  attention  to  distin- 
guish his  positions  from  the  abuses 
which  may  be  made  of  them;  that  the 
Semi-Pelagian  notions  have,  however, 
been  held  by  men,  whose  experience  was 
contradictory  to  their  sentiments,  men 
truly  pious  and  holy;  but,  that  the  danger 
of  these  notions  (as  all  errors  in  subjects 
relating  to  grace  must  be  dangerous)  lies 
in  the  bad  use,  which  persons  unacquain- 
ted with  the  operations  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  will  be  sure  to  make  of  them. 
France  was  at  this  time  divided  between 
the  two  parties  ;  but  as  ignorance  of  true 
religion  increased,  Augustine's  views  of 
grace  grew  less  and  less  fashionable,  and 
were  confined  to  particular  situations, 
while  wickedness  flourished.  1 

2s2 


Gelasius. 


I  add  only,  that  profaneness  has  no 
right  to  triumph  on  account  of  these  con- 
troversies. Their  existence,  and  the  se- 
rious and  charitable  manner  of  conducting 
them,  showed  that  real  godliness  was 
alive  in  that  country ;  nor  is  it  probable, 
that  there  was,  in  any  part  of  the  world, 
at  that  time,  more  genuine  piety  than  in 
France.  When  men  are  silent  on  topics 
of  divine  grace,  when  they  gladly  listen 
to  the  sneers  of  secular  writers,  who  af- 
fect to  treat  all  the  controversialists  with 
equal  contempt,  and  are, content  to  think 
so  superficially  on  religion,  as.  to  live 
without  any  determinate  sentiments  on 
the  doctrines  of  Scripture,  then  is  the 
time  when  wickedness  will  reign  without 
a  check;  and  then  what  is  called  philoso- 
phy will  domineer.  God  hath  left  such  a 
people,  for  the  present  at  least,  to  their 
own  imaginations. 

Victor,  of  Vita,  of  whose  affecting 
history  of  the  African  perse- 
cutions  I  have  made  much  use,  * '*^'°''' 
and  who  himself  suffered  for  righteousness 
sake,  will  deserve  to  be  added  to  this  list. 
Of  Gelasius,  bishop  of  Rome,  no  more 
needs  to  be  added  to  what  has 
been  said,  than  that  he  wrote 
zealously  against  Pelagiauism. 

Julian  Pomerius,  a  priest  in  France 
about  the  end  of  this  century,  deserves  at- 
tention for  his  practical  works.  A  few 
sentences,  descriptive  of  the 
characters  of  good  and  bad 
bishops  and  preachers,  will 
show  the  taste  of  the  times,  as  well  as  af- 
ford some  sentiments  not  uninteresting  to 
the  pastors  of  this  day. 

"  A  wicked  bishop  seeks  after  prefer- 
ment and  riches;  chiefly  aims  to  gratify 
his  passions,  to  confirm  his  authority,  and 
to  enrich  himself.  He  avoids  the  labori- 
ous and  humbling  part  of  his  office,  and 
delights  in  the  pleasant  and  the  honoura- 
ble." Julian  applies  to  such  men's  con- 
sideration the  views  of  the  31th  chapter 
of  Ezekiel.  "A  good  bishop  converts 
sinners  to  God  by  his  preaching  and  ex- 
ample— lastly,  he  holds  himself  fast  to 
God  only,  in  whom  alone  he  puts  his  trust." 
The  difference  between  a  good  and  a 
bad  preacher  he  thus  lays  down:  "The 
one  seeks  the  glory  of  Jesus  Christ,  by 
explaining  doctrines  in  familiar  discourse. 
The  other  uses  the  utmost  strength  of  his 
eloquence  to  gain  reputation.  The  latter 
handles  trifles  with  elaborate  language; 
the  former  elevates  a  plain  discourse  by 
I  the  weight  of  his  thoughts." 

v4. 


Julian 
Pomerius. 


486 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  I. 


CENTURY  VI. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  LIFE  OF  FULGENTIUS,  AND  THE 
STATE  OF  THE  AFRICAN  CHURCHES 
IN    HIS   TIME. 

In  the  year  495,  a  storm  began  again  to 
lower  over  the  African  Churches.  Thrasa- 
mond,  whose  reign  then  commenced,  as 
obstinate  in  Arianism  as  Hu- 
Thrasa-  neric,  but  more  sagacious  and 
"^ond,  less  bloody,  mingled  the  arts 

king  of  the     ^^    o-entleness    and    severity 
Af.  ;„n  ao-amst   them.      On   the    one 

J\H  ICa,  111 

beo-ins  his      hand  he  strove  to  gain  over 
reign,  the  orthodox  by  lucrative  mo- 

A.  D.  495.  tives,  on  the  other  he  forbad 
the  ordination  of  bishops  in 
the  vacant  Churches.*  Eugenius,  whose 
faithfulness  was  so  severely  tried  in  the 
former  persecution,  had  been  called  to 
sleep  in  Jesus  before  the  commencement 
of  this.  The  African  bishops  showed 
however  that  divine  grace  had  not  for- 
saken them.  They  determined  unani- 
mously not  to  obey  an  order,  which 
threatened  the  extinction  of  orthodoxy. 
They  ordained  bishops,  and  filled  the  va- 
cant Sees,  though  they  foresaw  the  proba- 
bility of  Thrasamond's  resentment.  But 
they  thought  it  their  duty  to  take  care  of 
their  flocks  at  this  hazard,  rather  than  to 
seem  to  consent  to  the  king's  unrighteous 
prohibitions.  Thrasamond, 
enraged,  determined  to  banish 


Thrasa- 


^cuir'"  ^'^^™  a^l-  Fulgentius  about 
wiili  se-  that  time  was  chosen  bishop 
verity.  of  Ruspae.    In  him  we  behold 

another  instance  of  the  effects 
of  the  religion  revived  under  Augustine. 
Fulgentius's  life  is  written  by  one  of  his 
disciples,  and  dedicated  to  Felician,  a 
bishop,  who  was  the  successor  of  Fulgen- 
tius. The  review  of  it,  and  of  his  own 
works,  will  give  us  a  specimen  of  the 
power  of  divine  grace  victoriously  strug- 
gling under  all  the  disadvantages  of  mo- 
nastic superstition,  and  the  childish  igno- 
rance of  a  barbarous  age.  Fulgentius 
was  descended  from  a  noble  family  in 
Carthacre,  where  his  father  was  a  senator. 

•  See  Fleury,  B.  XXX.  Vol.  iii. 


His  grandfather  Gordian,  flying  from  the 
arms  of  Huneric,  retired  into  Italy.     Af- 
ter bis  decease,  two  of  his  sons,  returning 
into  Africa,  now  settled  under  the  Vandal 
government,  found  their  family-mansion 
possessed  by  the  Arian  clergy.    By  royal 
authority  however  they  received  part  of 
their  patrimony,  and  retired  to  Constanti- 
nople.    In  that  part  of  the  world,  at  Tel- 
lepte,  Fulgentius  was  born,  being  the  son 
of  Claudius,  one  of  the  brothers,  and  of 
Marriana,  a  Christian  lady,  who,  being 
soon  left  a  widow,  gave  her  son  a  very 
liberal  education,  for  which  Constantino- 
ple afforded  at  that  time  peculiar  advan- 
tages; and  thus  his  mind  became  stored 
with  Greek  and  Roman  learning.     As  he 
increased  in  religious  seriousness,  he  in- 
clined more  and  more  to  a  monastic  life, 
for  which  he  gradually  prepared  himself 
by  successive  austerities  in  Africa,  the 
country  of  his  father,  to  which  he  return- 
ed with  his  mother.     He  was  received 
into  the  monastery  of  Faustus,  a  bishoj) 
whom  the  Arian  persecution  had  banished 
from  his  diocese  to  a  place  contiguous  to 
it,  where  he  erected  his  monastery.     The 
spirit  and  fashion  of  the  times  so  trans- 
ported him,  that,  at  first,  he  refused  even 
to  see  his  own  mother  who  came  to  visit 
him,  though  he  afterwards  behaved  to  her 
with  the  greatest  filial  duty.     He  under- 
went severe  bodily  sufferings  from  the  re- 
newal of  the  Arian  persecution.     He  was 
beaten  with  clubs  so  cruelly,  that  he  con- 
fessed afterwards  he  scarcely  found  him- 
self capable   of  enduring   the  pain  any 
longer,  and  was  glad  to  induce  his  tor- 
mentors by  some  conversation  to  allow  an 
interval  to  his  afflictions.     For  he  seems 
to  have  been  of  a  weak  and  delicate  con- 
stitution, and   the  softness  of  his  early 
education  rendered  him  unfit  to  bear  much 
hardship.     His  mind,  hov/ever,  appears 
to  have  been  serene  and  faithful  to  his 
Saviour,  whom,  in  real  humility  and  sin- 
cerity though  tarnished  with  the  supersti- 
tion of  the  times,  he  served  according  to 
the   fundamentals   of  the   Gospel.     The 
Arian  bishop  of  Carthage,  who  had  known 
Fulgentius,  and  esteemed  his  character, 
highly  disapproved    of   this    treatment, 
which  he  had  received  from  a  presbyter 


Cent.  Yl.] 


THE  LIFE  OF  FULGENTIUS,  ETC. 


487 


Fulgen- 
tius,  Bish- 
op of  Rus- 
piE,  ba- 
nishe(U 
into  Sar- 
dinia. 


of  his  own  religion  and  diocese,  and  told 
the  injured  youth,  that,  if  he  would  make 
a  formal  complaint  before  him,  he  would 
avenge  his  cause.    Many  advising  him  to 
do  so,  "  It  is  not  lawful,"  says  Fulgen- 
tius,  "  for  a  Christian  to  seek  revenge. 
The  Lord  knows  how  to  defend  his  ser- 
vants.    Should  the  presbyter  through  me 
be  punished,  I  shall  lose  the  reward  of 
my  patience  with  God,  and  the  more  so, 
as  it  would  give  an  occasion  of  stumbling 
to  the  weak,  to  see  an  Arian  punished  by 
a  Monk."     By  and  by  he  retired  into  the 
more  interior  parts  of  Africa.    Some  time 
after   he   sailed   to   Syracuse,   and    then 
visited  Rome,  and  saw  there  king  Theo- 
doric  in  the  midst  of  a  magnificent  assem- 
bly.    If  men  in  this  life,  seeking  vanity, 
attain   such   dignity,  what   will   be   the 
glory  of  saints  who  seek  true  honour  in 
the  new  Jerusalem  ] — this  was  the  reflec- 
tion of  Fulgentius.   Ruspae  in  Africa  was 
the    place    to   which,   much 
against  his   will,  he  was  at 
length   elected    bishop:    but 
this   exaltation   lessened  not 
the  severity  of  his  way  of  life : 
and  by  the  Arian  persecution 
he  was  banished  into  Sardinia, 
in  company  with  other  faith- 
ful witnesses  of  orthodoxy.     Upwards  of 
sixty  bishops  were  with  him  in  exile. 
Thrasamond  sent  more  still  into  Sardinia, 
in  all  220,  exerted  himself  mightily  in 
overcoming  the  constancy  of  the  orthodox, 
and  delighted  to  ensnare  them  with  cap- 
tious questions.     Fulgentius  was  sent  for 
by  him  to  Carthage,  and  by  his  skill  in 
anmment,  and  his  readiness  in  answering 
questions,  excited  the  king's  admiration — 
till  through  the  advice  of  his  Arian  clergy, 
who  looked  on  the  presence  of  Fulgentius 
as   dangerous   at   Carthage,  he  was   re- 
manded  to   Sardinia.      Soon 
after,  Hilderic,  the  successor 
of  Thrasamond,  in  the  year 
523,  favouring  the  orthodox, 
put  a  total  end  to  the  persecu- 
tion, and  Ruspaj  once  more 
beheld  her  bishop. 

He  lived  among  his  flock  from  this 
time  to  his  death,  eminent  in  piety,  hu- 
mility, ~ 


Hilderic 
succeeds 
Thrasa- 
mond, 

A.D.  52.3. 


and  charity.  For  near  seventy 
days  he  suffered  extreme  pains 
in  his  last  sickness — "Lord, 
give  patience  here  and  rest 
hereafter,"  was  his  constant 
prayer — and  he  died  at  length, 
as  he  had  lived,  an  edifying  example  of 
every   Christian  virtue.     I  feel  almost 


Fulgentius 
dies, 

A.D.  529. 


ashamed  to  have  written  so  barren  a  life 
of  a  man  undoubtedly  excellent  in  godli- 
ness.    But  the  reader,  as  well  as  myself, 
must  be  content  with  the  poverty  of  ma- 
terials.   In  an  age  of  learning  and  genius 
the  life  of  Fulgentius  would  have  shown 
abundantly.     In  his  treatise  to  Morinus 
on  Predestination,  he  observes,*  "  The 
internal  master,  from  whom  we  have  re- 
ceived the  supply  of  celestial  doctrine, 
not  only  opens  to  inquirers  the  secrets  of 
his  words,  but  does  also  himself  inspire 
the  grace  to  make  inquiry.     For  we  can- 
not so  much  as  hunger  after  the  bread 
which  comes  down  from  heaven,  unless 
an  appetite  be  given  to  persons  before 
fastidious,   by  him  who   deigns   also  to 
give  himself  to  satisfy  the  hungTy.  From 
him  it  is,  that  thirsting  we   run  to  the 
fountain,  who  aflfords  to  us  himself,  that 
we  may  drink."  He  afterwards  expresses 
himself  with  great  energy  "  on  the  in- 
ternal   doctrine    of    divine    inspiration, 
where  truth  speaks  the  sweeter,  as  it  is 
the  more  secret."     I  shall  not  expect  any 
man,  but  one  who  is  truly  taught  of  God, 
to  give  a  candid  interpretation  of  this.  "  I 
pray  to  be  taught  many  more  things  which 
I  do  not  know,  by  him,  from  whom  I  have 
received  the  little  which  I  do  know.     I 
beg  by   his    preventing    and    following 
grace  to  be  instructed," f  &c.     In  what 
follows  he  shows  how  seriously  he  had 
made   the   sentiments   of  Aug-ustine  his 
own,  in  discussing  points  exceedingly  in- 
tricate, with   that   author's  modesty  and 
dexterity,  particularly  in  resolving  all  sin 
into  pride.^ 

In  a  subject  so  arduous  as  Predestina- 
tion, it  is  very  easy  to  push  men  into 
difficulties.  Our  Author  observes§  that 
some  Frenchmen  had  objected  to  Augus- 
tine, that  he  had  described  men  as  predes- 
tinated not  only  to  judgment  but  also  to 
sin  :  from  which  charcfes  the  learned  and 
holy  Prosper  defended  the  sentiments  of 
the  African  prelate,  whose  death  pre- 
vented any  answer  from  himself.  Prosper 
says,  the  unbelief  of  men  is  not  generated 
from  predestination ;  for  God  is  the  author 
of  good,  not  of  evil.  Infidelity  is  not  to 
be  referred  to  the  divine  constitution,  but 
only  to  the  divine  prescience. 

With  equal  dexterity  he  defends  the 
faith  of  the  Trinity,  in  a  book  addressed 
to  king  Thrasamond.  Let  it  suffice  to 
mention  one  argument  for  the  divinity  of 


Book  I.  Ch. 
Ch.  XVU. 


I. 


t  Ch.  IV. 
§  Ch.  XXX. 


488 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


the  Holy  Ghost,  toward  the  close.  "  If 
he  can  quicken  who  is  not  God  ;  if  he  can 
sanctify  who  is  not  God  ;  if  he  can  dwell 
in  believers  who  is  not  God  ;  if  he  can 
give  grace  who  is  not  God,  then  the  Holy 
Ghost  may  be'denied  to  be  God,  If  any 
creature  can  do  those  things,  which  are 
spoken  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  then  let  the 
Holy  Ghost  be  called  a  creature."  In  a 
treatise  on  the  incarnation  and  grace  of 
Jesus  Christ*  he  answers  the  trite  objec- 
tion against  divine  election  drawn  from 
the  words,  "  God  would  have  all  men  to 
be  saved,"  by  showing  that  upon  the 
views  of  those  who  see  no  mystery  in  the 
subject,  but  resolve  the  distinction  into 
the  merits  or  demerits  of  men.  Almighty 
God  ceases  to  be  incomprehensible,  as 
the  Scripture  describes  him  to  be.  He 
allows  the  great  truth,  that  God  would 
have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  yet  there  is 
a  depth,  not  to  be  fathomed  by  man  in  the 
destruction  of  so  many  sinners.  Much 
more  might  be  quoted  from  this  author, 
on  subjects  essentially  connected  with  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.  But  the  diifusiveness 
of  the  quotations  from  Augustine  may 
supercede  the  necessity  of  enlarging  on 
the  views  of  one,  who  so  closely  followed 
his  steps,  and  who  wrote  and  lived  with 
a  similar  spirit. 

Besides  several  doctrinal  treatises,  we 
have  also  a  few  epistles  of  this  saint. 
The  fourth  of  Proba,  concerning  prayer, 
H's  F  's-  deserves  to  be  carefully  studi- 
tles.  ^^'    It  is  an  excellent  sample 

of  the  humble  piety  of  the 
African  school.  He  instructs  the  lady  in 
his  favourite  doctrine  of  grace  connected 
with  humility,  and  justly  infers,  that  if  a 
man  as  yet  innocent  could  not  remain  so 
by  his  natural  power,  much  less  can  this 
be  expected  from  him  now  that  he  is  in  a 
state  of  so  great  depravity.  He  describes, 
in  a  pathetic  manner,  the  snares  arising 
from  the  craft  of  Satan,  and  the  corrupt 
workings  of  the  heart,  declaring  that 
though  the  Lord  from  time  to  time  attends 
with  aids  during  the  sharp  war,  lest  his 
people  faint,  yet  our  mortal  nature  is  suf- 
fered to  be  overloaded  with  the  burden  of 
corruption,  that  we  may  feel  our  help- 
lessness, and  liave  speedy  recourse  to 
divine  grace.  He  describes  the  conflict 
between  flesh  and  spirit;  shows  that  it 
must  last  through  life;  that  prayer  and 
watching  are  ever  necessary,  and  that  a 
conceit  of  our  perfection  would  lead  us 

*  Ch.  VII. 


into  deadly  pride.  He  recommends  a 
humble,  contrite  frame  of  spirit,  not  only 
for  the  beginning,  but  for  the  whole 
course  of  a  Christian's  progress,  and  con- 
cludes with  a  beautiful  view  of  the  perfect 
rest  from  sin  which  remains  for  him 
hereafter.  It  is  refreshing  to  the  mind, 
to  see  the  real  principles  of  Christianity 
appearing  in  great  vigour  and  clearness 
in  this  little  composition. 

The  epistle  of  Eugyptius*  on  Charity, 
while  it  describes  this  greatest  of  Chris- 
tian graces  in  a  manner  much  resembling 
that  of  Augustine,  demonstrates  the  be- 
nevolent spirit  of  the  writer.  In  an  epistle 
to  Theodoras  a  Senator,|  he  congratulates 
him  on  his  victory  over  the  world.  He 
had  been,  it  seems,  a  Roman  consul,  and 
had  given  up  secular  pursuits  through  the 
love  of  heavenly  things.  Fulgentius 
strongly  reminds  him  to  whose  grace 
alone  he  was  indebted  for  the  change, 
and  recommends  hnmility,:{:  "  a  virtue 
which  neither  those  have  who  love  the 
world,  nor  those  who  profess  to  have  re- 
nounced the  world  by  their  own  strength." 
By  which  distribution  of  the  unconverted 
into  two  sorts  he  points  out  the  same  di- 
vision of  men,  which  has  ever  taken  place 
from  the  time  of  Christ.  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees  were  their  names  among  the 
Jews ;  in  the  Gentile  world  the  appella- 
tion of  vStoic  and  Epicurean  gave  the 
same  distinction.  In  the  school  of  Au- 
gustine, lovers  of  the  world  formed  one 
denomination,  confident  boasters  in  their 
own  strength  the  other  ;  and  in  our  times 
the  same  difference  is  commonly  marked 
by  the  terms  worldly-minded  and  self- 
righteous  ;  while  in  all  ages  the  genuine 
religion  of  real  humanity  stands  contra- 
distinguished from  both  these  classes. 
Fulgentius  recommends  to  Theodorus  the 
constant  study  of  the  Scriptures.  "  If 
you  come  to  them  meek  and  humble, 
there  you  will  find  preventing  grace,  by 
which,  when  fallen,  you  may  rise ;  ac- 
companying grace,  by  which  you  may 
run  the  way  of  righteousness  ;    and  fol- 


*  Ep.  5.  t  Ep.  6. 

t  The  practice  of  Fulgentius  agreed  with  his 
doctrine.  About  tlie  end  of  the  year  524,  a  bishop 
in  an  African  council  disputed  precedency  with 
him. — The  council  decided  (or  Fulgentius,  who 
lor  that  time  acquiesced  in  the  authority  of  the 
council.  But,  observing  how  much  the  other 
was  afflicted  at  the  determination,  in  a  future 
council  he  publicly  desired  that  it  must  be  re- 
versed. Ilis  humility  was  admired,  and  his  re- 
quest was  granted. 


Oest.  VI.] 


JUSTINE.— C.ESARIUS. 


489 


lowing  grace,  by  which  you  may  reach 
the  heavenly  kingdom." 

In  the  epistle  to  Venantia  concerning 
Repentance,*  he  steers  in  the  middle 
course  between  presumption  and  despair, 
invites  all  men  of  every  age  to  repent  and 
be  converted,  under  the  confident  expec- 
tation of  acceptance  with  God  through 
Jesus  Christ,  and  mentions  our  Lord's 
parable  of  the  different  hours  in  which 
labourers  are  brought  into  the  vineyard, 
as  an  argument  that  no  time  is  fixed  to 
debar  the  returning  sinner.  Jesus  would 
not  have  come  to  save  the  lost  in  this  last 
age  of  the  world,  if  human  wickedness 
was  ever  too  strong  for  divine  mercy  and 
goodness.  He  observes,  that  the  great 
defect  of  Judas  in  his  repentance  lay  in 
this,  that  he  had  no  faith  in  that  blood 
which  he  had  betrayed.  He  quotes  per- 
tinent scriptures,  and,  to  comprehend  in 
one  nervous  sentence  the  whole  subject, 
he  says,!  "  A  salutary  conversion  is  two- 
fold ;  it  is  when  repentance  leaves  not 
him  who  hopes  in  the  divine  favour,  nor 
hope  deserts  the  penitent :  and  it  is  evi- 
denced by  this,  if  a  man  with  his  whole 
heart  renounce  his  sin,  and  with  his  whole 
heart  placed  his  hope  of  forgiveness  in 
God.  For  sometimes  the  devil  takes 
away  hope  from  the  penitent,  sometimes 
repentance  from  him  who  hopes.  In  the 
first  place  he  overwhelms  the  man  whom 
he  burdens,  in  the  second  he  throws  him 
down  whom  he  sets  at  ease." — Hear  his 
testimony  to  the  mystery  of  the  Gospel. 
"  The  only  begotten  God  so  loved  human 
nature,  that  he  not  only  freed  it  from 
the  power  of  the  devil,  but  also  placed  it 
at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  in  himself 
above  all  ofnod  ano-els." 

In  his  epistle  congerning  the  baptism 
of  a  dying  negro,  v,-ho  had  given  previous 
proofs  of  sincerity,  while  he  was  a  cate- 
chumen, but  in  the  time  of  baptism  itself 
was  senseless  and  incapable  of  professing 
his  faith ;  he  endeavours  to  obviate  the 
doubts  of  those  who  were  afraid  lest  his 
incompetency  should  prevent  his  salva- 
tion. There  are  two  points  observable  in 
this  epistle,  one  is  the  custom  of  the 
church  in  presenting  infants  to  baptism, 
the  other  is,  that  however  rapid  the  pro- 
gress of  superstition  had  been  in  the  time 
of  Fulgentius,  yet  the  most  destructive 
superstitions,  and  those  which  are  directly 
subversive  of  Christian  faith  and  purity, 
both  in  doctrine  and  practice,  were  as  yet 


Ep.  7. 


t  Ch.  V. 


unknown.  He  assigns  as  a  reason  for 
not  baptizing  the  dead,  that  sins  areirre- 
missible  alter  the  separation  of  the  soul 
from  the  body.  He  supports  his  opinion 
with  the  declaration  of  the  Apostle,  that 
we  must  be  judged  according  to  the  thino-s 
done  in  the  body.  Nothing  can  be  more 
conclusive  against  the  pernicious  doctrine 
of  purgatory. 

I  observe  further  that  he  uses  the  word 
"to  justify"  in  the  same  sense  in  which 
Augustine  does  ;  nor  does  the  trae  idea 
of  the  word  seem  to  be  recovered  by  the 
Christian  world  till  the  days  of  Luther.* 

He  speaks  of  the  evils  of  the  Pelagian 
heresy,  and  describes  the  strength  and 
ability  given  to  Augustine  against  it,  and 
strongly  recommends  the  writings  of  that 
father  to  the  Christian  world,  as  contain- 
ing a  more  copious  instruction  of  divine 
grace,  than  had  been  known  some  time 
before,  though  the  doctrine  itself,  he 
contends,  had  ever  been  held  in  the 
Church.f 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  STATE  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  OTHER 
FARTS  OF  THE  ROMAN  EMPIRE,  TILI» 
THE  DEATH  OF  JUSTIN,  INCLUDING 
THE  LIFE  OF  C^SARIUS. 

In  the  beginning  of  this  century,  Alaric 
king  of  the  Visigoths  reigned  at  Tou- 
louse,  and  was  sovereign  of  a  kingdom 
on  the  confines  of  France,  and  Spain, 
though  afterwards,  the  Visigoths,  by  the 
victorious  arms  of  the  Franks,  were  con- 
fined to  the  latter  country.  Most  of  his 
subjects  were  of  the  general  Church,  and 
he  himself  was  an  Arian ;  yet  he  treated 
them  with  great  humanity,  and  gave 
leave  to  the  bishops  of  his  kingdom  to 
meet  together  at  the  city  of  Agde. 
Twenty-four  bishops  assembled,  the  pre- 
sident of  whom  was  Cassarius,  bishop  of 
Aries.  They  made  a  number  of  canons, 
relating  to  discipline,  two  or  three  parti- 
culars of  which  may  be  mentioned.  "  All 
clergymen  who  serve  the  church  faithful- 
ly shall  receive  salaries  proportionable  to 
their  services."  This  rule,  so  simple 
and  general,  was  the  ancient  provision 
for  the  maintenance  of  pastors.  But,  by 
another  canon  of  this  council,  clergymen 
are  allowed,  provided  they  have  the  bish- 
op's leave,  to  reserve  to  themselves  the 


*  De  Verit.  Pijed.  B.  I.  C.  XIV. 
t  Ibid.  B.  XL  C.  XVm. 


490 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H, 


revenues  of   the   Church,*    savin;^    its 
rights,  but  without  the  power  of  giving 
away  or  alienating  any  part ;  and  here  is 
the  origin  of  benefices.    "  In  all  Churches 
the  creed  shall  be  explained  to  the  com- 
petentsf  on  the  same  day,  a  week  before 
Easter.     All  such  laymen  as  shall  not 
receive  the  communion  three  times  a  year, 
at   the   three   great   fe3tivals,:t  shall  be 
looked  on  as  heathens.     Oratories  may 
be  allowed  in  the  country  to  those  who 
live  at  a  great  distance  from   the  parish 
churches,  for  the  ease  and  convenience  of 
their  families  ;  but  they  must  appear  at 
their  parish  churches  on  certain  solemn 
festivals."    This  last  rule  showed  at  once 
a  regard  for  parochial  order,  and  for  the 
instruction  of  the  people. §    The  next  is 
equally  laudable  :  "  Laymen  are  ordered 
to  remain  in  the  Church  till  the  blessing 
is  pronounced."     Caesarius  was  very  zea- 
lous against  the  abuses  meant  to  be  rec- 
tified by  this  canon.     He  observed  one 
day  some  persons  going  out  of  the  Church 
to  avoid  hearing  the  sermon  :  "  What  are 
you  about,  my  children]"  cried  he  with 
a  loud  voice,  "  Where  are  you  going  1 
Stay,  stay,  for  the  good  of  your  souls. 
At  the  day  of  judgment  it  will  be  too  late 
to  exhort  you."     This  just  and  charitable 
zeal  prevailed  at  length  :  but  he  was  of- 
ten obliged  to  cause  the  Church  doors  to 
be  shut,  after  the   Gospel  was  read,  to 
prevent  the  indecent  practice.     His  peo- 
ple  were  however  reclaimed,  and  they 
repented  by  degrees.     There  are  still  ex- 
tant two  of  his  sermons  on  this  subject. 
Mankind  in  all  ages  are  apt  to  be  weary 
of  God's  word  ;  there  were  however  pas- 
tors in  the  western  Church,  who  served 
for  charity,  and  not  for  lucre.     Another 
canon  deserves  to  be  mentioned.     It  for- 
bad auguries,  and  divinations,    and  the 
opening  of  the  Scriptures  with  a  view  to 
make  an  omen  of  the  first  words  that  of- 
fered.    We  have  seen  that  Augustine  had 
opposed  this  last  mentioned  superstition. 
Here  it  was  forbidden  under  penalty  of 
excommunication.     Yet  it  still  prevailed. 
I  see  the  African  schools,  virtuously  but 
unsuccessfully,    struggling    against    the 
increasing  darkness  and  superstition. 


*  Fleury,  B.  XXXI.  1.  Vol.  IV. 

t  Who  seem  to  have  been  those  who  applied 
for  baptism. 

t  Christmas,  Easter,  and  Whitsuntide. 

§  The  union  of  these  two  in  just  proportion 
gives  a  perfect  idea  of  good  discipline.  It  would 
be  well  if  similar  care  were  taken  for  many 
places  in  our  own  country,  far  distant  from  parish 
churches. 


Caesarius  had  spent  some  part  of  his 
youth  in  the  famous  monastery  of  Lerins.* 
Hearing  afterwards  that  he  was  actually 
designed  to  be  made  bishop  of  Aries,  he 
hid  himself  among  the  tombs.  But  he 
was  taken  out  thence,  at  the  age  of  thirty, 
was  appointed  bishop,  and  continued  in 
that  Church  above  forty  years.  He  de- 
lighted in  singing,  and  as  he  found  the 
laity  were  apt  to  talk  in  the  Church  while 
the  clergy  were  singing,  he  induced  the 
laity  to  join  with  them  in  psalmody; 
and,  in  a  sermon  still  extant,  he  exhorts 
them  to  sing  with  their  hearts,  as  well  as 
their  voices.  In  another  sermon  he  ex- 
horts them  to  throw  off  all  distracting 
thoughts,  before  they  prostrate  them- 
selves for  prayer.  "Whoever,"  says  he, 
"  in  his  prayers,  thinks  on  a  public  place 
of  resort,  or  the  house  he  is  building, 
worships  that  place  or  that  house."  He 
directs  them  also  not  to  be  content  with 
hearing  the  Scriptures  read  in  the  Church, 
but  to  read  them  also  at  home. 

This  holy  man  gave  himself  entirely 
to  reading  and  preaching.  He  preached 
on  all  Sundays  and  holidays.  If  he  was 
himself  hindered  from  preaching,  he 
caused  his  own  sermons,  or  those  of  Au- 
gustine, whom  he  highly  revered,  or 
those  of  Ambrose,  to  be  read  by  other 
ministers.  His  style  was  plain,  and 
adapted  to  common  capacities.  He  en- 
tered into  practical  particulars,  searched 
the  consciences  of  his  hearers,  and  se- 
verely reproved  idolatrous  and  supersti- 
tious usages. 

He  was  once,  by  calumny,  ejected 
from  his  Church ;  but  Alaric,  his  sove- 
reign, on  the  discovery  of  his  innocence, 
restored  him.  He  was  exposed  to  simi- 
lar sufferings  afterwards ;  but  was  again 
delivered,  and  amidst  the  confusions  of 
the  times  distinguished  himself  exceed- 
ingly by  acts  of  mercy.  He 
died  in  the  year  542,  univer-  A.  D.  542. 
sally  lamented. 

In  the  mean  time  the  cause  of  Arianism 
was  gradually  declining,  partly  by  the 
progress  of  the  Franks,  and  partly  by 
the  influence  of  Sigismund,  king  of  Bur- 
gundy, who  succeeded  his  father  Gonde- 
baud,  having  been  brought  over  to  ortho- 
doxy by  Avitus,  bishop  of  Vienne,  a  year 
before. 


*  This  little  island,  which  we  have  had  re- 
peated occasion  to  mention,  is  now  called  St- 
Honorat,  is  close  to  the  French  coast,  and  lies 
between  Nice  and  Toulon. 


Cent.  VI.] 


JUSTINIAN. 


491 


Sigismuiid 
slain, 

A.  D.  523. 


Sigismund,  king  of  the  Burgundians, 
having  been  induced,  by  the  calumny  of 
his  second  wife,  to  put  to  death  his  son 
Sigeric,  and  finding  afterwards  his  error, 
repented  in  great  bitterness,  and  besought 
God  to  punish  him  in  this  life 
and  not  in  the  next.  His 
prayer  seems  to  have  been 
hoard  ;  for,  in  the  year  5*23, 
he  was  attacked  by  Clodomir, 
king  of  the  Franks,  the  successor  of 
Clovis,  and  was  afterwards  slain  with 
his  wife  and  children.  Clodomir  himself 
was  soon  after  slain  in  Burgundy,  and 
his  three  sons  were  brought  up  by  Clo- 
tilda, the  widow  of  Clovis,  their  grand- 
mother. 

Such  was  the  state  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  in  France  during  the  former  part 
of  this  century.  In  Italy,  some  degree 
of  genuine  piety  may  be  presumed  to 
have  still  existed,  though  I  have  no  in- 
teresting particulars  to  record.  If  we 
turn  our  eyes  to  the  East,  the  prospect  is 
far  more  disagreeable.  Factions  and 
feuds,  heretical  perversions  and  scanda- 
lous enormities  fill  up  the  scene.  Under 
the  emperor  Justin,  Christianity  began  at 
length  to  wear  a  more  agreeable  aspect 
in  some  respects,  and  peace  and  good 
order,  in  external  things  at  least,  were 
in  a  measure  restored.  In  the  year  522, 
Zamnaxes,  king  of  the  Lazi,  a  people 
who  inhabited  the  country  anciently  call- 
ed Colchis,  being  dead,  his 
son  Zathes  repaired  to  Con- 
stantinople, telling  the  empe- 
ror that  he  was  desirous  of 
receiving  the  Gospel,  and  of 
relinquishing  the  idolatry  of 
his  ancestors.  They  had  been 
vassals  to  the  king  of  Persia,  and  had 
been  obliged  to  perform  sacrifices  after 
the  Persian  mode.  He  put  himself  there- 
fore under  the  protection  of  Justin,  and 
desired  to  receive  the  crown  from  his 
hands.  Justin  granted  his  requests,  and 
thus  the  Lazi  became  vassals  to  the  East- 
ern Empire,  and  embraced  Christianity. 
The  Iberians,  who  bordered  on  their  ter- 
ritories, and  were  also  subjects  to  the 
king  of  Persia,  had  already  received  the 
Gospel.  How  far  any  thing  of  the  real 
spirit  of  Christ's  religion  was  imbibed 
by  either  nation,  I  know  not.  I  can  only 
say,  the  limits  of  the  Christian  name 
were  extended  in  the  East.* 

In   Arabia    Felixf  there  were  many 


Zathes 
comes  to 
Constanti- 
nople, 

A.  D.  522. 


»  Fleury,  XXXI.  59. 


t  Id.  60. 


Christians    subject  to    a    kino-*    called 

Dounouas,  a  Jew,  who  caused  those  who 

were  unwilling  to  become  Jews  to  be 

cast  into  pits  full  of  fire.     In    ^     , 

the  year  522  he  besieged  Ne-    ^  ""^"^ 
„,„      „    *  •   u  i--^    1     1         JJounouas, 

gra,    a    town    inhabited    by     .   ,.        * 

Christians.  Having  persuad-  " 
ed  theni  to  surrender  by  capitulation,  he 
broke  his  oath,  burnt  the  pastors,  and  be- 
headed the  laymen,  and  carried  all  the 
youth  into  captivity.  Here  then  the  real 
church  of  Christ  may  be  traced  by  suffer- 
ings voluntarily  undergone  for  his  sake. 
The  next  year,  Elesbaan,  king  of  Abys- 
sinia, a  country  which,  as  we  have  for- 
merly seen,  had  been  Christian  since  the 
days  of  Athanasius,  supported  by  the 
emperor  Justin,  invaded  the  territories  of 
the  Arabian  Jew,  subdued  his  country 
and  slew  him.  Thus  the  Arabian  Chris- 
tians were  relieved.  Elesbaan  himself 
was  very  zealous,  and  gave  this  proof  of 
his  zeal,  that  he  resigned  his  crown  to 
embrace  the  monastic  life. 


CHAPTER   III. 


THE    STATE    OF    THE 
THE    REIGN    OF 


CHURCH   DURING 
JUSTINIAN. 


Justiniaa 
becomes 
emperor, 

A.  D.  52r. 


On  the  death  of  Justin,  surnamed  the 
Thracian,  his  nephew  Justinian  succeed- 
ed at  Constantinople  in  the  year  527. 
He  was  then  forty-five  years  old,  and 
reigned  thirty-nine.  I  scarce- 
ly know  any  prince,  whose 
real  and  ostensible  character 
were  so  different.  If  one 
judge  by  external  things,  he 
may  appear  one  of  the  wisest,  the  most 
pious,  and  the  most  prosperous  of  men. 
He  re-united  Africa  and  Italy  to  the  Ro- 
man empire;  he  is  to  this  day  famous 
for  his  code  of  laws;  he  was  temper- 
ate and  abstemious  in  private  life,  and 
was  incessantly  employed  in  religious 
acts  and  ceremonies ;  he  honoured  monks 
and   persons  reputed  holy,  built  sump- 


*  Bruce,  in  his  Travels  into  Abyssinia,  toward 
the  latter  end  of  the  1st  vol.,  calls  tliis  king  I^hi- 
ncas,  who,  he  says,  threw  Christians  into  jiits  of 
fire,  particularly  a  preacher  Ilawaryat,  signify- 
ing the  Evanjielical,  with  ninety  of  liis  compa- 
nions. Tlie  king  of  Abyssinia,  who  fought 
against  the  Jew,  he  calls  Caleb.  His  story,  as 
extracted  from  Abyssinian  and  Arabian  annals, 
is  the  same  ;  and  their  correspondence,  in  this 
instance,  with  the  Greek  history,  gives  some  tes- 
timony to  the  autiienticily  of  the  materials  of 
Bruce's  Abyssinian  liistory. 


492 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


[Chap.  HI. 


tuous    churches,    endowed   monasteries, 
was  liberal  beyond  measure  in  the  sup- 
port of  the   externals   of  religion,   was 
incessant  in  the  encouragement  of  ortho- 
doxy, at  least  of  that  which  to  him  ap- 
peared to  be  so;  indefatigable  through 
the  course  of  a  long  life  in  public  affairs ; 
seems  scarcely  to  have  ever  unbended 
himself  in  any  recreations,  spent  much 
time  in  religious  speculations,  rooted  out 
idolatry   from   its   obscure   corners,   and 
brought  over  a  number  of  barbarous  kings 
,  and  nations  to  the  profession  of  Chris- 
tianity.    What  a  character,  if  his  heart 
had  been  right !     His  understanding  and 
capacity  indeed  have  been  called  in  ques- 
tion;  but  I  think   unjustly.     No   weak 
man  could  have  done  half  of  what  he  did. 
He  must  have  been  a  person  of  superior 
talents,  and  of  very  vigorous  and  strong 
faculties.     But  so  far  as  appears  from  his 
conduct,  he  was,  in  religion,  altogether 
the  slave  of  superstition,  in  morality  the 
slave  of  avarice.     For  gold  he  sold  his 
whole  empire  to  those  who  governed  the 
provinces,  to  the  collectors   of  tributes, 
and   to   those   who   are   wont   to   frame 
plots  against  men  under  any  pretences. 
He  encouraged  the  vilest  characters  in 
their  detestiljle  and  infamous  calumnies, 
in  order  to  partake  of  their  gains.     He 
did  also  innumerable  pious  actions,  says 
Evagrius,*  and  such  as  are  well  pleasing 
to  God,  provided  the  doers  perform  them 
with  such  goods  as  their  own  property, 
and  offer  their  pure  actions,  as  a  sacrifice, 
to  God.     In  this  emperor  then  it  may  be 
seen  more  eminently  what  a  poor  thing 
the  body  of  christian  religion  is  without 
the  spirit.     Whatever  benefit  the  church 
might,  in  some  cases,  derive  from  his  ad- 
ministration, particularly  in  what  relates 
to  the  extension  of  its  pale,  this  is  to  be 
ascribed   to  the  adorable   Providence  of 
God  bringing  good  out  of  evil.     On  the 
other  hand  the  evil  he  wrought  was  pal- 
pable.    Dissensions  and  schisms,  forced 
conversions  attended  with  cruelties,  which 
alienated  men's  minds  still   more   from 
godliness,  the  growth  of  superstition  and 
formality,  the  miserable  declension  of  real 
internal    godliness, — especially   through 
the  East,  where  his  influence  was  most 
extensive, — and    the    increase   of   igno- 


rance and  practical  wickedness,  were  the 
undoubted  consequences  of  Justinian's 
schemes. 

In  truth  this  man  attempted  too  much : 
he  pressed  uniformity  of  doctrine  through 
the  world  by  imperial  menaces  and  arms : 
he  laboured  to  bring  all  nations  into  a 
nominal  attachment  to  Christianity:  he 
prescribed  what  bishops  and  laity  should 
believe,  and  was  himself,  in  effect,  the 
pope  as  well  as  the  emperor  of  the  Ro- 
man world ;  yet,  wretched  being !  he 
seems  not  to  have  known  any  one  thing 
in  religion  in  a  right  manner.  In  exter- 
nal things  he  could  not  but  sometimes  be 
right,  in  internal  religion  it  was  hardly 
possible  he  should  be  so ;  for  he  was  ig- 
norant of  his  own  heart,  while  his  eyes 
and  ears  with  insatiable  curiosity  were 
intent  on  all  persons  and  objects.  It  will 
not  be  pertinent  to  the  design  of  this  his- 
tory to  enter  into  a  detail  of  the  actions 
of  such  a  prince ;  but  the  view  of  his 
character,  which  I  think  is  supported  by 
the  concurrent  testimony  of  civil  and  ec- 
clesiastical historians,  may  teach  per- 
sons of  eminence,  either  in  power,  or 
learning,  or  genius,  who  shall  give  their 
minds  to  religious  objects,  to  be  in  the 
first  place  more  concerned  for  their  own 
genuine  conversion,  and  for  personal  god- 
tiness;*  and  then  to  contract  and  limit 
their  plans  within  the  humble  circle  that 
belongs  to  a  fallible,  confined,  and  short- 
lived creature  like  man ;  and  steadily  to 
move  within  that  circle  in  the  propagation 
and  support  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and 
of  whatever  is  virtuous  and  praiseworthy, 
without  being  seduced  by  romantic  and 
dazzling  schemes  to  attempt  what  is  vastly 
above  their  reach ;  for  by  this  method 
they  may  be  the  victims  of  their  own 
ambition  or  avarice,  while  they  think 
they  serve  God,  and  may  fill  the  world 
with  evil,  while  they  vainly  suppose 
they  are  its  benefactors.  But  these  are 
ideas  with  which  the  profane  and  the 
careless  governor  has  no  right  to  meddle : 


*  Ch.  XXX.  B.  1 V.  Evagrius Scholasticua.  His 
ecclesiastical  history  taiies  us  up,  just  after  we  are 
deserted  by  Socrates,  Sozomen,  and  Theodoret, 
the  tripartite  historians  of  the  same  period  :  and 
in  future  I  must  make  some  use  of  him,  though 
inliistorical  merit  far  inferior  to  tlie  three  former 


*  Nothing  shows  in  a  stronger  Hglit  the  empti- 
ness of  his  mind  than  his  boasting  after  lie  had 
finished  the  magnificent  Church  of  St.  Sophia,  "I 
have  excelled  thee,  Solomon !"  Yet  was  this  vain 
emperor  made  use  of  by  Divine  Providence  as  a 
shield  to  support  external  Christianity  at  least  in 
the  world.  In  his  time  Ciiosroes  king  of  Persia 
persecuted  the  Christians  in  his  dominions  with 
extreme  cruelty,  and  publicly  declared  that  he 
would  wage  war  not  only  with  Justinian,  but 
also  with  the  God  of  the  Christians.  The  mili- 
tary measures  and  the  rehgious  zeal  of  Justinian 
however  checked  the  progress  of  his  ferocity. 


Cext.  VI.] 


JUSTINIAN. 


493 


Justinian  was  neither  the  one  nor  the 
other.  He  was  in  earnest  through  life, 
though  void  of  humility,  faith  and  chari- 
ty; and  for  serious  spirits,  the  caution, 
which  his  character  is  calculated  to  give, 
will  stand  an  instructive  lesson. 

In  his  first  year  lie  made  laws  relating  to 
bishops  :  a  few  words  of  them  will  deserve 
to  have  a  place  in  this  history.  "The 
absence  of  bishops,*  says  he,  is  the  reason 
that  divine  service  is  so  negligently  per- 
formed; that  the  affairs  of  the  Churches 
are  not  so  well  taken  care  of,  and  that 
the  ecclesiastical  revenues  are  employed 
in  the  expenses  of  their  journeys,  and  of 
their  residence  in  this  city,  Constantino- 
ple, with  the  clergy  and  domestics  who 
accompany  them. — Let  no  bishops  quit 
their  churches  to  come  to  this  city,  without 
an  order  from  us,  whatever  may  happen. — 
If  we  find  their  presence  to  be  necessary 
here,  we  will  send  for  them."  What 
motives  induced  bishops  to  attend  the 
courts  so  much,  is  easy  to  guess  ;  and  we 
have  here  a  plain  description  how  much 
the  Eastern  Church  was  seculaiized,  and 
how  it  gradually  ripened  into  a  fitness 
for  desolating  judgments. 

Justinian  says  further,  when  an  episco- 
pal see  becomes  vacant,  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city  shall  declare  in  favour  of 
three  persons,  whose  faith  and  manners 
shall  be  testified  by  witnesses,  that  the 
most  worthy  may  be  chosen.  He  pro- 
ceeds to  lay  down  rules  to  restrain  the 
avarice  of  bishops;  rules,  which  had  no 
existence  in  purer  times,  because  a  purer 
spirit  prevailed. 

In  the  year  S^O,  a  council,  memorable 
for  its  evangelical  spirit,  was   held   at 

„  .,  c  Orano-e  in  France.  Csesarius 
Council  ot  P     1      J      TT     u  J        T 

Oraii''e  "^^^^  •'^  head.     He  had,  as  1 

A  1)" -'^q  observed,tasted  the  doctrine  of 
Augustine  concerning  grace, 
and  was  therefore  zealous  for  its  propa- 
Sfation.  We  may  reasonably  suppose  the 
articles  of  this  council  to  have  been 
framed  in  opposition  to  the  attempts  made 
in  France  in  favour  of  Semi-Pelagianism, 
as  well  as  to  give  testimony  to  the  grace 
of  the  Gospel.— Thirteen  bishops  were 
present,  and  we  have  a  pleasing  spectacle 
of  the  work  of  the  Divine  Spirit  flourish- 
ing in  a  considerable  degree  in  France, 
particularly  in  the  parts  about  Orange,  and 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Rhone.  "  Adam's 
sin,"  says  the  coimcil,t  "did  not  only 
hurt  the  body,  but  the  soul ;  it  descended 


•  Fleuiy,  B.  XXXII.  10.  t  lb.  12. 

Vol.  I.  2T 


to  his  posterity;  the  grace  of  God  is  not 
given  to  men  because  they  call  upon  him, 
but  that  grace  is  the  cause  that  men  do 
call  upon  him :  the  being  cleansed  from 
sin,  and  the  beginning  of  our  faith,  is  not 
owing  to  ourselves,  but  to  grace.  We 
are  not  able  by  our  own  natural  strength 
to  do  or  think  any  thing  which  may  con- 
duce to  our  salvation.  We  believe  that 
Abel,  Noah,  Abraham,  and  the  other 
fathers,  had  not  by  nature  that  faith  that 
8t.  Paul  commendeth  in  them,  but  by 
grace."  To  clear  the  Almighty  of  being 
the  author  of  sin,  they  add  however,  "  that 
some  may  be  predestinated  to  evil,  we 
not  only  disbelieve,  but  detest  those  who 
think  so." 

These  words  express  in  substance  the 
sentiments  of  these  holy  men.  But  to 
enable  the  reader  to  judge  more  precisely 
for  himself  what  they  were,  I  shall  give 
him  two  passages  from  the  fifth  and  se- 
venth canons,  translated  at  length  from 
the  Latin  original.  "  If  any  one  say,  that 
the  beginning  or  increase  of  faith,  and  the 
ver)'  affection  of  belief  is  in  us,  not  by  the 
gift  of  grace,  that  is,  by  the  inspiration  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  correcting  our  will  from 
infidelity  to  faith,  from  impiety  to  piety, 
but,  by  nature,  he  is  an  enemy  to  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Apostles."  "  If  any  man 
affirm,  that  he  can,  by  the  vigour  of  nature, 
think  any  thing  good  which  pertains  to 
salvation' as  he  ought,  or  choose,  or  con- 
sent to  the  saving,  that  is  to  evangelical, 
preaching,  without  the  illumination  and 
inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  gives 
to  all  the  sweet  relish  in  consenting  to 
and  believing  the  truth,  he  is  deceived  by 
an  heretical  spirit." 

I  have  been  solicitous  to  preserve  faith- 
fulness to  the  original  in  this  short  ab- 
stract. Doubtless  the  sweet  relish  they 
speak  of  is  no  other  than  that  ineffable  de- 
light in  the  perception  and  obedience  of 
the  Gospel,  which  characterizes  the  godly 
in  all  affos,  subjects  them,  though  unjust- 
ly, to  the  charge  of  enthusiasm,  and  pro- 
duces real  practical  Christianity.  In  eve- 
ry effusion  of  the  Spirit  of  God  it  always 
appears  in  rich  exuberance,  and  is  as  dis- 
tinct from  formal  or  even  merely  theore- 
tical views  of  religion,  as  the  substance  is 
from  the  shadow.  I  look  on  it  as  a  re- 
markable fact,  that  so  plain  a  testimony 
to  vital  religion  should  be  given  in  the 
South  of  France  in  the  sixth  century, 
when  the  Christian  world  was  ever/ 
where  so  overspread  with  darkness.  It 
seems  that  in  this  part  of  France  at  least, 


494 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


Semi-Pelagianism  had  been  checked  :  in- 
deed, as  several  espousers  of  it  were  real 
g-ood  men,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at, 
that  by  further  experience  and  attention 
they  might  be  led  to  embrace  in  system 
what  in  their  own  sensations  they  must 
have  known  to  be  true,  namely,  that  man, 
by  nature,  is  lost  and  helpless  in  sin,  and 
that  grace  only  can  revive  him.  Cajsa- 
rius,  of  Aries,  was  in  all  probability 
highly  instrumental  in  producing  this 
change  of  sentiment ;  for  we  should  re- 
collect, that  Hilary,  of  Aries,  had  been  a 
Semi-Pelagian.  I  should  rejoice  to  be 
able  to  gratify  the  spiritual  reader  with 
the  account  of  the  lives,  labours,  and 
works  of  these  thirteen  bishops  of  France, 
which  were  probably  useful  and  edifying. 
But  my  records  say  no  more;  and  this 
is  one  of  the  thousand  cases  in  which  I 
have  occasion  to  regret,  how  little  of  real 
Church-history  has  been  written,  how 
much  of  ecclesiastical  perversions  and 
abuses. 

In  the  same  year  a  council  was  held 
also  at  Vaison,*  at  which  were  present 
twelve  bishops,  of  whom  Ca?sarius  was 
one.  They  decreed,  according  to  the  cus- 
tom observed  in  Italy,  that  all  country 
priests  should  receive  into  their  houses 
young  men,  who  might  be  readers  in  the 
Church,  that  they  should  educate  them 
with  a  paternal  regard,  causing  them  to 
learn  the  Psalms,  to  read  the  Scriptures, 
and  to  be  acquainted  with  the  word  of 
God;  and  in  this  way  should  provide 
themselves  with  worthy  successors. | 
For  the  convenience  of  the  people,  the 
pastors  were  allowed  to  preach  not  only 
in  the  cities,  but  in  all  the  country  pa- 
rishes. 

About  this  time  the  monastic  rules  of 
Benedict  were  established,  which  after- 
wards were  received  through  the  western 
Churches.  They  are  full  of  forms,  and 
breathe  little  of  the  spirit  of  godliness. 
The  very  best  thing  that  I  can  find  re- 
corded of  the  superstitious  founder,  is  the 
zeal  with  which  he  opposed  idolatry.  In 
that  part  of  Italy,  where  the  Samnites 
formerly  dwelt,  the  worship   of  Apollo 


Council  of 
Clermont, 
A.  D.  535. 


•  Fleury,  B.  xxxii.  12. 

+  This  is  quite  cousonant  to  the  ancient  me- 
thod of  educating  men  for  the  pastoral  offices, 
and  supplied  the  want  of  ecclesiastical  semina- 
ries. While  so  much  attention  was  paid  to 
education  and  the  word  of  God,  there  is  rea- 
son to  believe  that  (he  doctrines  of  the  Gospel 
must  have  been  taught  with  some  success  in 
France. 


had  been  still  continued.  He  eradicated 
this  idolatry,  and  instructed  the  peasants 
in  Christianity. 

In  a  council  held  at  Clermont,*  in  the 
year  535,  I  see  canonical  methods  were 
still  used  to  prevent  the  interference  of 
secular  power  in  the  appointment  of  bish- 
ops. "  To  correct  the  abuse 
of  obtaining  bishoprics  by  the 
favour  of  princes,  it  is  decreed, 
that  he  who  is  a  candidate  for 
a  bishopric  shall  be  ordained  by  the  elec- 
tion of  the  clergy  and  citizens,  and  the 
consent  of  the  metropolitan,  without  ma- 
king use  of  the  protection  of  persons  in 
POWER.  Otherwise  the  candidate  shall  be 
deprived  of  the  communion  of  the  Church, 
which  he  is  desirous  of  governing." 

Hilderic,  king  of  the  Vandals  in  Africa, 
having  been  deposed  by  Gilimer,  Justi- 
nian, by  his  renowned  general  Belisarius, 
recovered  the  country  from  the  Barbarians, 
and  reunited  it  to  the  empire.  This  put 
an  end  to  the  dominion  of  Arianism  in 
that  region.  The  orthodox  were  rein- 
stated ;  two  hundred  and  seventeen  bish- 
ops held  a  council  at  Carthage;  Arians  and 
Donatists  were  forbidden  to  hold  assem- 
blies, and  the  lands  which  had  been  taken 
from  the  Arians  were  restored 
by  an  edict  of  Justinian  in  the 
year  535.  The  face  of  true 
religion  was  recovered  in  this 
country;  its  spirit  I  cannot 
find.  The  best  symptom 
was  the  extension  of  Christi- 
anity among  the  Moors,  by  the  zealous 
care  of  Justinian.  Ho\u  far  any  cordial 
change  took  place  among  them  does  not 
appear. 

In  the  year  536,  Belisarius,  the  hero  of 
this  age,  took  Rome  from  the  Goths, 
though  some  time  elapsed  after  this  event 
before  the  Gothic  power  was  annihilated 
in  Italy.  But  what  has  this 
our  history  to  do  with  his  tri- 
umphs ?  His  master  showed 
much  zeal  for  religion,  though 
ill  directed ;  and  what  is 
worse,  not  principled  with  the  genuine 
fear  of  God.  The  General  scarcely  seem- 
ed to  profess  any  religion  at  all ;  and  the 
most  remarkable  ecclesiastical  transaction 
in  which  he  was  concerned  is  sufficient  to 
brand  his  name  with  eternal  infamy.  A 
very  brief  view  of  it  shall  suffice. f    The- 


.lustinian 
restores  to 
the  Arians 
their 
lands, 
A.  D.  535. 


Belisarius 
takes 
Rome, 
A.  D.  536. 


*  Fleury,  B.  xxxii.  44. 
f  Fleury,  B.  xxxii.  57, 


Cekt.  VI.] 


JUSTINIAN. 


495 


odora,  the  empress,  orave  an  order  to  Vigi- 
lius,  deacon  of  the  Roman  Church,  to  re- 
quire Belisarius  to  secure  his  election  to 
the  bishopric  of  Rome,  and  the  expulsion 
of  Silverius,  at  tliat  time  bishop.  Vigi- 
lius  was  in  that  case  to  present  Belisa- 
rius with  two  hundred  pounds  oi"  gold. 
The  venal  General  executed  the  order  on 
the  infamous  conditions,  and  delivered 
Silverius  into  the  hands  of  Vigilius,  who 
sent  him  into  the  island  of  Paliuaria, 
where  he  died  of  hunger.*  It  was  worth 
while  just  to  mention  this  villany,  that, 
if  any  persons  have  been  seduced  into  an 
admiration  of  the  character  of  Belisarius 
on  account  of  his  military  prowess,  they 
may  see  how  much  splendor  of  false  vir- 
tue may  exist  in  a  man  who  is  altogether 
void  of  the  fear  of  God. 

Justinian,  though  at  first  he  seemed  to 
take  some  pains  to  correct  the  conse- 
quences of  this  scandalous  transaction  of 
his  wife,  of  his  General,  and  of  the  un- 
principled bishop  of  Rome,  at  length  suf- 
fered the  whole  scheme  to  stand.  Still 
he  persisted  to  meddle  in  religious  con- 
troversies, and  issued  an  edict  for  the  con- 
demnation of  Origen's  error. 

In  the  year  542,  a  council  held  at  Or- 
leans ordered,  that  if  any  person  desired 
to  have  a  parish  church  erected  on  his 
estate, f   he   should   first    be 
Council  of     oblic-ed  to  endow  it,  and  to 
A.  D  542       ^"^    ^^   incumbent.     Hence 
the  origin  of  patronages. 
In  the  year  555  died  Vigilius,  bishop  of 
Rome,   after  having   governed   eighteen 
years  in  the  see  which  he  had   so  ini- 
quitously    obtained.     Selfish 
duplicity  marked  his  charac- 
ter more  eminently  than  that 
of  any  Roman  bishop  before 
But  he  paid  dear  for  his  intrigues 


Dealli  oF 
Vigilius, 
A.  D.  555. 

him. 


and  dissimulation.  Justinian,  who  had 
the  ambition  of  acting  as  an  infallible 
judge  of  controversies  himself,  suffered 
not  Vigilius  to  be  the  pope  of  the  Church. 
On  the  contrary,  a  little  before  his  death. 
he  was,  though  very  reluctant,  compelled 
by  the  emperor  to  consent  to  the  decrees 
of   a  council  held   at  Constantinople  ;:j: 


*  So  Liberatns  in  his  Breviary  ;  but  Proco- 
pius,  a  living  witness,  says,  that  lie  was  inur- 

of 
to 


dered  at  the  instigation  of  Antonia,  tiie  witV 
Belisarius,  by  Eugenia,  a  woman  devoted 
her. 

f  Fleury,  B.  xxxiii.  15. 

I  This  was  the  fifth  general  council,  or  llie 
second  of  Constantinople,  A.  D.  553,  and  27lh 
year  of  Justinian. 


which,  by  the  influence  of  Justinian,  con- 
demned the  writings  called  the  Three 
Chapters;  that  is,  three  books,  or  pas- 
sages of  books,  one  of  which  was  the 
work  of  the  pious  Tbeodorel  of  Cyprus. 
The  controversy  itself  was  idle  and  frivo- 
lous; yet,  how  many  p:iges  of  ('hurch- 
history,  so  called,  does  it  fill!  But  I  can 
find  no  vestige  of  piety  in  the  whole  trans- 
action. "  Therefore  eternal  silence  be  its 
doom." 

Several  western  bishops,  because  they 
refused  to  condemn  the  three  chapters, 
were  banished  by  the  order  of  Justinian. 
What  advantage  was  it  to  the  Church, 
that  Italy  and  Africa  were  recovered  to 
nominal  orthodoxy,  and  to  the  Roman 
empire,  when  she  was  thus  oppressed  by 
her  pretended  protector ! 

Justinian,  in  his  old  age,  fell  into  the 
notion,  that  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ 
was  incorruptible.  Having  once  formed 
the  sentiment,  he  drew  up  an  edict,  and, 
in  his  usual  manner,  required  his  sub- 
jects to  embrace  it.  pjutychius,  bishop 
of  Constantinople,  had  the  honesty  to 
refuse  the  publication  of  it.  "  This,  said 
he,  is  not  the  doctrine  of  the  Apostles. 
It  would  follow  from  thence  that  the  in- 
carnation was  only  in  fancy.  How  could 
an  incorruptible  body  have  been  nourish- 
ed by  the  milk  of  its  mother  ]  How  was 
it  possible  for  it,  when  on  the  cross,  to 
be  pierced  by  the  nails,  or  the  lance?  It 
cannot  be  called  incorruptible  in  any  other 
sense,  than  as  it  was  always  unpolluted 
with  any  sinful  defilement,  and  was  not 
corrupted  in  the  grave." 

But  the  imperial  mandate  was  stronger 
than  the  arguments  of  the  bishop,  how- 
ever reasonable.  He  was  roughly  treat- 
ed, was  banished  from  his  see,  and  died 
in  exile  :  he  acted  however  uprightly, 
and  seems  from  his  integrity  to  have  been 
a  Christian  indeed.  Anastasius,  bishop 
of  Aiitioch,  resisted  also  with  much  firm- 
ness ;  he  was  a  person  of  exemplary 
pietv,  whom  Justinian  in  vain  endeavour- 
ed to  gain  over  to  his  sentiments.  Ashe 
knew  the  emperor  intended  to  banish  him, 
he  wrote  a  farewell  discourse  to  his  peo- 
ple. He  took  pains  to  confirm  the  minds 
of  men  in  just  ideas  of  the  human  nature 
of  Christ,  and  daily  recited  in  the  Church 
that  sayintr  of  the  Apostle  :  "  If  any  man 
preach  to  you  any  other  Gospel  than  that 
which  ye  have  received,  let  him  be  ac- 
cursed."*    The  example  of  a  truly  holy 

•  Gal.  i. — Evagrius,  B.  IV.  toward  the  end. 


496 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


and  upright  person  supporting  a  just  cause 
is  very  prevalent.  Most  around  him  were 
induced  to  imitate.  An  opinion  directly 
subversive  of  the  real  sufferings  of  Christ, 
on  which  the  efficacy  of  his  atonement 
depends,  appeared  altogether  unchristian. 
But  God  had  provided  better  things  for 
us,  says  Evagrius.  While  the  old  im- 
perial pope  was  dictating  the  sentence  of 
banishment  against  Anastasius  and  other 
prelates,  he  was  smitten  with  the  stroke 
of  death.  Let  not  profane  persons  exult 
over  him;  but  let  those  who  exercise 
their  thoughts  on  religion,  take  care  to 
study  the  written  word  with  humility, 
prayer,  and  pious  reverence,  warned  by 
the  apostasy  of  a  man,  who  for  many 
years  had  studied  divinity,  and  fell  at 
last  into  an  error,  equally  subversive  of 
the  dictates  of  common  sense,  and  of 
Christian  piety,  and  diametrically  oppo- 
site to  all  Scripture :  let  us  remember, 
however,  that  his  follies  and  persecu- 
tions were  the  occasion  of  exhibiting  some 
excellent  characters  even  in  the  eastern 
Church,  who  showed  that  they  bore  not 
the  Christian  name  without  a  just  title  to 
that  best  of  all  appellations. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

MISCELLANEOUS    AFFAIRS  TO    THE    END 
OF  THE    CENTURY. 

Justin,  the  nephew  of  Justinian,  suc- 
ceeded.* He  recalled  the  bishops  whom 
the  late  emperor  had  exiled,  Eutychius, 
of  Constantinople,  alone  excepted.  The 
reason  of  this  exception  I  cannot  learn ; 
but,  after  the  decease  of  John,  his  suc- 
cessor, who  held  the  see  twelve  years, 
Justin  was  prevailed  on  to  restore  Euty- 
chius, who  continued  bishop  of  Constan- 
tinople till  his  death.  His  integrity  and 
piety  should  scarcely  be  doubted  after 
the  long  course  of  suffering  which  he  sus- 
tained on  account  of  the  faith  of  Jesus. 
But,  in  his  old  age  he  embraced  a  whim- 
sical notion,  that  our  bodies  after  the  re- 
surrection become  thinner  than  air.  A 
notion  which  it  would  not  have  been 
worth  while  to  have  mentioned  at  all  on 
its  own  account:  but  it  is  a  specimen  of 
the  low  state  of  Christian  knowledge  in 
the  East,  and  of  the  predominancy  of 
Origenism  and  Platonism,  which  had 
never  been   exterminated  in  Asia,  since 


*  Evagi-ius,  V.  C.  3. 


they  had  gained  admission  into  the 
Church.  For  the  opinion,  though  not  so 
fundamentally  erroneous  as  that  of  Justi- 
nian, originated  from  the  same  fanciful 
school :  and  we  may  see  what  a  blessing 
it  was  to  the  West  to  have  been  instruct- 
ed in  the  Christian  doctrines  of  grace 
through  Augustine,  whence  the  purity 
and  simplicity  of  the  faith  was  preserved 
in  a  much  superior  manner,  and  fantastic 
notions  could  not  so  easily  be  received 
among  ihem.* 

A  number  of  Britons   having  been  ex- 
pelled from  their  country  by  the  arms  of 
the  Anglo-Saxons,  who  had   entered  the 
island  in  the  year  446,  cross- 
ed the  sea  and  settled  in  the     Origin  of 
adjacent   parts  of   France. —     Briianny, 
Hence  the  origin  of  the  French     A.  D.  446. 
province  of  Britanny.     With 
them  the  faith  of  the   Gospel  was  pre- 
served, as  well  as  with  their  brethren  in 
Wales  and  Cornwall,  and  some  parts  of 
Scotland  and  Ireland,    while   the  major 
part  of  England  was  covered  with  Saxon 
idolatry.     Sampson,  originally  a  Welsh- 
man, left  his  own  country  and  came  into 
Britanny.     This  man  founded  a  monas- 
tery at  Dol,  and  was  bishop  of  Uol  him- 
self some   years.     He    died 
about  the  year  565,  and  was     Death  of 
renowned  for  piety  and  learn-     '''5  bishop 
ing  in  his  day.     He  had  been     °'  ^°^' 
educated  in  his  native  country     A.  D.  565. 
by  Heltut,  who  was  said  to 
have  been  the  disciple  of  Germanus,  of 
Auxerre.     Thus  the   seed    sown  in  our 
island  by  that  holy  person  brought  forth 
fruit ;  and  it  is  only  to  be  regretted  that 
the  accounts  of  these  things  are  so  slight 
and  scanty.     About  the  same  time  died 
St.  Malo,  who,  to  prevent  his  being  ap- 
pointed  bishop  of  Winchester,    forsook 
our  island,  and  fled  to  the  coast  of  France. 
To    the   west  of  Britanny  there  was  an 
island    called    Aletha,    now   called    St. 
Male's,  the  greatest  part  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  which  were  Pagans.     At  the  de- 
sire  of   the   few    Christians    wlio   were 
there,    Malo   laboured   among   them  till 
most  of  the  inhabitants  received  the  Gos- 
pel, and  persuaded  him  to  reside  among 
them  as  their  bishop,  which  he  did  till 
his  death. "j"     Other  British   bishops  are 
celebrated,  who  in  the  same  ao-e  were 
distinguished  for  their  piety  and  useful 
labours  in  Britanny. 


*  Eutychius,    iiowever,   before  lie  died,  re- 
tracted his  error. 
t  Fleury,  B.  XXXIV.  14. 


Cejtt.  VI.] 


MISCELLANEOUS  AFFAIRS. 


497 


Gildas,  surnamed  the  Wise,  another 
disciple  of  Heltut,  was  born  at  Dumbar- 
ton, in  Scotland  ;  he  preached  with  mnch 
success,  in  the  best  sense,  so  far  as  ap- 
pears, in  his  native  country  and  in  Ire- 
land. He  afterwards  came  over  into 
Britanny,  and  built  the  monastery  of 
Buis,  which  is  still  called  by  his  name, 
says  my  author.  Two  of  his  discourses 
on  the  ruin  of  Great  Britain  are  still  ex- 
tant, in  which  he  deplores  the  vices  and 
calamities  of  the  times,  and,  ascribing- 
the  desolations  made  by  the  Saxons  to 
the  depravity  of  his  countrymen,  he  with 
honest  vehemence  exhorts  six  British 
princes  to  repentance.  He  addresses 
with  much  spirit  the  clergy  of  Great  Bri- 
tain, and  rebukes  them  for  their  igno- 
rance, avarice,  and  simony. 

From  these  hints,  in  conjunction  with 
what  has  been  elsewhere  related,  these 
thing's  are  evident ;  namely,  that  there 
had  been  a  considerable  degree  of  pare 
religion  among  our  ancestors  befjre  the 
invasion  of  the  Saxons  ;  that  even  after 
the  declension  and  decay,  there  were 
still  faithful  pastors,  who  carried  back 
into  France  that  spirit  of  godliness  which 
the  latter  country,  by  the  means  of  Ger- 
manus  of  Auxerre,  had  brought  over  into 
our  island ;  and  that  the  poison  of  Pela- 
gianism  must  have  had  a  considerable  in- 
fluence in  the  production  of  that  national 
decay  of  piety  which  Gildas  so  feelingl}' 
deplores. 

Colomban,  an  Irish  priest  in  this  cen- 
tury, came  over  into  the  northern  parts  of 
Scotland,  and  laboured  with  much  suc- 
cess among  the  Picts.*  The  southern 
parts  of  Scotland  had  been  evangelized 
long  before  by  the  instruction  of  Ninias, 
a  British  bishop,  Avho  had  himself  been 
instructed  at  Rome.  Colomban  lived 
thirty-four  years  after  his  passage  into 
Britain.  His  disciples  were  remarkable 
for  the  holiness  and  abstemiousness  of 
their  lives.  Thus,  while  the  Gospel  was 
rapidly  withdrawing  from  the  East,  where 
it  first  arose,  God  left  not  himself  with- 
out witness  in  the  most  distant  parts  of 
the  West. 

Radegunda,  daughter  of  Bertharius, 
king  of  Thuringia,  having  been  taken 
captive  by  the  Franks  in  her  infancy,  fell 


*  Probably  they  were  originally  Britons 
who  fled  into  Scotland  fi-om  the  arms  of  the 
Saxons,  and  were  called  Picts,  Lecause  they 
painted  their  bodies,  according  to  the  custom 
of  our  barbarous  ancestors. 
2x2 


to  the  lot  of  king  Clotaire,  who  married 
her.  This  woman  might  have  been  added 
to  the  list  of  those  pious  persons  of  her 
sex,  who  were  made  highly  instrumental 
in  instructing  mankind,  had  she  not  im- 
bibed monastic  ideas,  the  pest  which 
iufeeted  godly  persons,  in  general,  in 
these  times,  and  which,  though  it  could 
not  ruin  their  relation  to  God,  cut  otF  the 
greatest  part  of  their  usefulness.  She 
obtained  a  separation  from  her  husband, 
and  followed  the  monastic  rules  with 
great  austerity  to  her  death.  These  rules 
were  now  grown  stricter  than  ever;  the 
vows  were  made  perpetual,  and  this  godly 
queen,  who  might  have  caused  her  light 
to  shine  in  a  blessed  manner  in  the  world, 
was  shut  up  during  the  remainder  of  her 
life  in  a  nunnery. 

Toward  the  latter  end  of  this  century, 
the  Lombards  came  from  Pannonia  into 
Italy,  and  settled  there  under  Alboinus, 
their  first  king.  They  fixed  their  metro- 
polis at  Pavia.  As  they  were  Arians  by 
profession,  heresy  again  took  root  in  Italy, 
whose  inhabitants  felt  all  the  horrors  and 
miseries  which  a  savage  and  victorious 
nation  could  inflict.  But  the  Church 
needed  the  scourge ;  the  Roman  See  had 
been  dreadfully  corrupt  under  Vigilius, 
and  formal  superstition  was  corroding  the 
vitals  of  genuine  godliness. 

At  the  same  time  .lohn  Climmachus 
flourished,  who  was  abbot  of  the  monas- 
tery of  Mount  Sinai,  in  Arabia,  near  to 
which  was  a  little  monastery,  called  the 
Prison,  in  which  all  who  had  committed 
any  great  crime,  since  they  entered  on 
the  monastic  state,  voluntarily  confined 
themselves.  The  account  which  Clim- 
machus gives  of  it  is  striking.  The  poor 
prisoners  spent  their  time  in  prayer,  with 
every  possible  external  mark  of  self-denial 
and  wretchedness.  They  did  not  allow 
themselves  any  one  comfort  of  human 
life.  In  their  prayers  they  did  not  dare 
to  ask  to  be  delivered  entirely  from  pun- 
ishment; thej'  only  bogged  not  to  be 
punished  with  the  utmost  rigour.  The 
voluntary  torments  they  endured  were 
amazing,  and  this  voluntary  humility  of 
theirs  continued  till  death.  But  I  turn 
from  the  disaoreeable  scene  to  make  one 
remark : 

How  precious  is  the  light  of  the  Gos- 
pel !  How  gladly,  we  may  suppose, 
would  many  of  these  miserable  persons 
have  received  the  doctrine  of  free  forgive- 
ness by  faith  in  the  atoning  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  if  it  had  been  fjvithfully  preached 


498 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap. 


among  them  !  How  does  their  serious- 
ness rebuke  the  levity  of  presumptuous 
sinners  among  ourselves,  who  trifle  with 
the  light !  how  deeply  fallen  was  the 
East  from  the  real  genius  of  Christianity, 
when  men  distressed  for  sin  could  find  no 
hope  but  in  their  own  formalities  and 
rigid  austerities ! 

In  the  year  584,  Levigildus,  king  of  the 
Visgoths  in  Spain,  having  married  his 
eldest  son  Hermenigildus,   to   Ingonda, 

daughter  of  the  French  king, 
Remarka-  i^qctqh  to  find  effects  from  the 
Levi"-!!-  marriage  which  he  little  ex- 
<liis  °  pected.  Ingonda,  though  per- 

A  D   584      secuted  by  her  mother-iu-lavv, 

the  wife  of  the  Spanish  mon- 
arch, persevered  in  orthodox}^,  and,  by 
the  assistance  of  Leander,  bishop  of  Se- 
ville, under  the  influence  of  divine  grace, 
brought  over  her  husband  to  the  faith. 
The  father,  enraged,  commenced  a  griev- 
ous persecution  against  the  orthodox  in 
his  dominions.  Hermenigildus  was  led 
into  the  grievous  error  of  rebelling  against 
his  father,  not  through  ambition,  it  seems, 
but  throHgh  fear  of  his  father,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  bent  on  his  destruction.  Being 
obliged  to  fly  into  a  church,  he  was  indu- 
ced by  his  father's  promises  to  surrender 
himself.  Levigildus  at  first  treated  him 
with  kindness,  but  afterwards  banished 
him  to  Valentia.  His  wife  Ingonda  flying 
to  the  Grecian  emperor,  died  by  the  way. 
Sometime  after,  the  young  prince,  loaded 
with  irons,  had  leisure  to  learn  the  vanity 
of  earthly  greatness,  and  exhibited  every 
mark  of  piety  and  humility.  His  father 
sent  to  him  an  Arian  bishop,  offering  him 
his  favour,  if  he  would  receive  the  com- 
munion at  his  hands.  Hermenigildus 
continued  firm  in  the  faith,  and  the  king 
enraged,  sent  officers,  who  dispatched 
him.  The  father  lived  however  to  repent 
of  his  cruelty ;  and  the  young  prince, 
notwithstanding  the  unjustifiable  step  in- 
to which  his  passions  had  betrayed  him, 
had  lived  long  enough  to  give  a  shining 
example  of  Christian  piety.  Levigildus, 
before  he  died,  desired  Leander,  bishop 
of  Seville,  whom  he  had  much  persecuted, 
to  educate  his  second  son  Recaredus*  in 
the  same  principles  in  which  he  had  in- 
structed his  eldest.  Recaredus  succeeded 
his  father  in  the  government,  and  embra- 
ced orthodoxy  with  much  zeal,  the  conse- 
quence was  the  establishment  of  orthodoxy 
in  Spain,  and  the  destruction  of  Arianism, 

*  Gregory  of  Tours,  B.  Vlll.  C.  ult. 


which  had  now  no  legal  settlement  in  the 
world,  except  with  the  Lombards  in  Italy. 
Though  this  account  be  general  and  exter- 
nal, it  seemed  proper  to  give  it,  as  an 
illustrious  instance  of  the  work  of  Divine 
Providence,  effecting  by  the  means  of  a 
pious  princess  a  very  salutary  revolution 
in  religion. 

I  have  collected  in  this  chapter  the  few 
events  which  appeared  worthy  of  notice 
from  the  death  of  Justinian  to  the  end  of 
this  century,  with  a  studied  exclusion  of 
the  concerns  of  Gregory  the  first,  bishop 
of  Rome.  He  is  a  character  deserving  to 
be  exhibited  distinctly.  And  in  connexion 
with  his  affairs,  whatever  else  has  been 
omitted,  which  falls  within  our  plan,  may 
be  introduced  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER    V. 

GREGORY  THE  FIRST,  BISHOP  OF  ROME. 
HIS    PASTORAL    LABOURS. 

He  was  a  Roman  by  birth,  and  of  a 
noble  family.  But  being  religiously  dis- 
posed, he  assumed  the  monastic  habit, 
and  was  eminently  distinguished  by  the 
progress  he  made  in  piety.*  It  was  not 
till  after  he  was  drawn  back,  in  a  degree, 
to  a  secular  life,  by  his  employments  in 
the  Church,  that  he  became  thoroughly 
sensible  what  advantage  he  had  enjoyed 
for  his  own  soul  from  religious  retire- 
ment. With  tears  he  owned  that  he  had 
had  the  world  under  his  feet  while  he 
was  absorbed  in  heavenly  contempla- 
tion ;  but  was  now  bereft  of  comfort. 
"  Now,"  says  he,  "  my  mind,  by  reason 
of  pastoral  cares,  is  oppressed  with  the 
business  of  secular  persons,  and  after  so 
fair  an  appearance  of  rest,  is  defiled  with 
the  dust  of  earthly  action.  And  suffering 
itself  to  be  distracted  by  outward  things 
in  condescension  to  many,  even  while  it 
desires  inward  things,  it  returns  to  them, 
without  doubt,  more  faintly.  I  weigh, 
therefore,  what  I  endure  :  I  weigh  what  I 
have  lost,  and  while  I  look  at  that  which 


*  Bede    Eccles.    Hist.  B.    II.    C.    I. It 

.should  be  observed  here,  tliat  before  this  he 
had  studied  the  Roman  jurisprudence,  was 
eminent  in  that  and  every  other  fashionable 
secular  kind  of  knowledge,  had  been  distin- 
guished as  a  senator,  an<l  promoted  by  Justin 
IF.  to  the  govt-rnment  of  the  city  of  Rome,  an 
arduous  and  important  office,  which  he  had 
discharged  with  singular  prudence,  fidelity, 
and  justice. 


Cejtt.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


499 


I  have  lost,  my  present  burdens  are  more 
heavy." 

In  truth,  in  different  periods  of  his  life 
he  moved  in  opposite  extremes.  He  was 
one  while  dormant  in  the  quietism  of  so- 
litude; another  while,  involved  in  the 
multiplicity  of  episcopal  cares  at  Rome. 
If  his  lot  had  been  cast  in  the  earlier  and 
purer  days  of  Christianity,  he  would  nei- 
ther have  been  a  monk,  nor  a  bishop 
charg-ed  with  such  extensive  secular  con- 
cerns,  and  so  would  have  avoided  the 
evils  of  which  he  complains.  The  tjreat 
Sees  in  these  times,  that  of  Rome  in  par- 
ticular; through  the  increasing;  oTowtli  of 
spiritual  domination,  and  the  load  of 
worldly  business  very  improperly  con- 
nected with  it,  worldly,  though  in  some 
sense  ecclesiastical,  were  indeed  ag'ree- 
able  enouorh  to  minds  like  that  of  Vicrilius, 
earthly  and  ambitious,  but  were  fatiguing 
beyond  measure  to  men  like  Gregory, 
who  unfeignedly  loved  heavenly  things. 
Nothing  could  be.  more  unwise  than  the 
custom  which  prevailed  of  encouraging 
monasticism  and  very  large  episcopal 
governments  at  the  same  time.  The 
transition  from  the  one  to  the  other,  as  in 
Gregory's  case  (and  it  was  a  common 
one,)  must  to  holy  minds,  like  his,  have 
been  a  trial  of  no  small  magnitude.  The 
serious  complaints,  however,  which  Gre- 
gory made  of  this  trial  during  the  wliole 
scene  of  his  bishopric,  proceeded  from 
the  spirituality  of  his  affections;  and  all, 
who  have  enjoyed  in  private  the  sweets 
of  communion  with  God,  and  have  found 
how  difficult  it  is,  in  the  hurry  of  business, 
to  preserve  a  degree  of  the  same  spirit, 
will  sympathize  with  him.  A  medio- 
crity, and  a  mixture  of  employment  and 
retirement  is,  doubtless,  the  best  situation 
for  religious  improvement. 

Being  drawn  from  his  monastery,  and 
ordained  to  the  ministry,  he  was  sent 
from  Rome  to  Constantinople,  to  transact 
ecclesiastical  affairs.  Here  he  became 
acquainted  with  Leander,  afterwards  bi- 
shop of  Seville,  the  same  person  that  we 
have  spoken  of  in  the  relation  of  the  af- 
fairs of  Spain.  Leander  and  he  found  in 
each  other  a  similarity  of  taste  and  spirit; 
Gregory  opened  his  heart  to  him :  "  I  found 
my  soul,"  says  he,  "convinced  of  the 
necessity  of  securing  salvation;  but  I  de- 
layed too  long,  entangled  with  the  world. 
At  length  I  threw  myself  into  a  monaste- 
ry; now  I  thought  I  had  placed  an  insu- 
perable bar  between  myself  and  the  world. 
But  again  I  am  tossed  on  the  tempestu- 


ous ocean,  and  unless  I  may  enjoy  the 
communion  of  my  brethren,  T  can  find  no 
solace  to  my  soul."* 

He  had,  however,  taken  with  him  some 
of  the  brethren  of  his  monastery,  and  with 
them  had  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  Christian 
discourse,  and  of  searching  the  Scriptures. 
Here,  also,  through  their  exhortation,  he 
began  his  long  commentary  on  the  book 
of  Job,  which  he  finished  in  his  episco- 
pacy.f  His  residence  at  Constantinople 
was  not  without,  at  least,  some  use  to 
the  church.  By  his  arguments  and  influ- 
ence he  quashed  the  fanciful  notion  of 
the  archbishop  Eutychius,  already  men- 
tioned, concerning  the  qualities  of  the 
human  body  after  the  resurrection.  Had 
it  not  been  for  the  timely  and  vigorous 
opposition  of  a  man  so  respectable  as 
Gregory  was  for  knowledge  and  piety, 
the  notion  might  have  continued,  with 
many,  to  the  disgrace  of  Christianity  at 
this  day.  The  emperor  Tiberius,  who 
had  succeeded  Justin,  supported  the  la- 
bours of  Gregory  with  his  authority. 

Gregory,  even  from  his  youth,  was 
afflicted  with  frequent  complaints  in  his 
stomach  and  bowels;  and  by  his  own  ac- 
count in  his  letters,  he  appears  to  have 
suffered  much  in  his  body  all  his  days. 
The  vigour  of  his  mind  however  was  not 
depressed,  and  perhaps  few  men  ever 
profited  more  than  he  did  by  such  chas- 
tisements. His  labours,  both  as  a  pastor 
and  an  author,  were  continued,  and  in  all 
probability,  received  peculiar  unction 
from  his  afflictions. 

After  his  return  to  Rome,:{:  there  was 
so  great  an  inundation  of  the  Tiber,  that 
it  flowed  upon  the  walls  of  the  city,  and 
threw  down  many  monuments  and  an- 
cient structures.§  The  granaries  of  the 
church  were  overflowed,  by  which  a  pro- 
digious quantity  of  wheat  was  lost.  Pre- 
sently after,  an  infectuous  distemper  in- 
vaded the  city.  Pelagius  the  bishop  fell 
a  victim  to  it  amonff  the  first.  The  de- 
struction  prevailed,  and  many  houses 
were  left  without  an  inhabitant.  In  this 
distress,  the  people  were  anxious  to 
choose  a  bishop  in  the  room  of  the  de- 
ceased Pelagius,  and  by  unanimous  con- 
sent the  election  fell  upon  Gregory.  He, 
with  that  humility  which  formed  invaria- 


*  Grcgor.  Pi'ef.  to  Job,  C.  I. 


fBede. 
I  Vita  Gregor.  liicert.  autor. 
§  These  inundations  of  the  Tiber  were  not 
uncommon.     Tlie  classical  reader  wiU  recol- 
lect in  Horace,  Ode  II.  Lib.  I. 

Ire  dejectum  monumenta  regis,  &;c. 


500 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.V. 


bly  a  striking  feature  of  his  cliaracter, 
earnestly  refused,  and  loudly  proclaimed 
his  own  unworthiness.  He  did  more; 
he  wrote  to  Mauritius,  the  successor  of 
Tiberius,  beseeching  him  to  withhold 
his  assent.*  Germanus,  the  Governor  of 
Constantinople,  intercepting  the  messen- 
ger, and  opening  the  letter  of  Gregory, 
informed  Mauritius  of  the  election.  The 
emperor  confirmed  it  with  pleasure.  In 
the  mean  time  the  plague  continued  to 
make  dreadful  havoc ;  and  Gregory,  how- 
ever backward  to  receive  the  office  of  a 
bishop,  forgot  not  the  duties  of  a  pastor. 
A  part  of  liis  sermon  on  this  occasion 
may  give  us  some  idea  of  the  best  preach- 
ing of  those  times;  for  I  know  none  in 
those  days  which  is  superior,  and  but 
little  which  is  equal,  to  that  of  Gregory. 
"Beloved  brethren,  we  ought  to  have 
feared  the  scourge  of  God  before  it  came; 
at  least,  after  having  felt  it,  let  us  trem- 
ble. Let  grief  open  to  us  the  passages 
of  conversion;  and  let  the  punishment, 
which  we  feel,  dissolve  the  hardness  of 
our  hearts.  For,  to  use  the  prophet's 
language,  'the  sword  hath  come  even 
into  the  soul.'  Our  people,  behold,  are 
smitten  with  a  weapon  of  divine  indigna- 
tion, and  each  is  carried  oft'  by  the  rapid 
devastation.  Languor  does  not  precede 
death,  but  death  itself  with  hasty  strides, 
as  you  see,  outstrips  the  tardy  course  of 
languor.  Every  person,  who  is  smitten, 
is  carried  off",  before  he  has  opportunity 
to  bewail  his  sins.  Conceive  in  what 
state  that  man  will  appear  before  his 
Judge,  who  is  hurried  off  in  the  midst  of 
his  sins. — Let  each  of  us  repent  while  we 
have  time  to  weep,  before  the  sword  de- 
vour us. — Let  us  call  our  ways  to  re- 
membrance.— Let  us  come  before  his  face 
with  confession,  and  lift  up  our  hearts 
with  our  hands  to  the  Lord. — Truly  he 
gives  to  our  trembling  hearts  a  confidence, 
who  proclaims  by  the  prophet,  'I  would 
not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  rather  that 
he  should  be  converted  and  live.'  Let 
none  despair  on  account  of  the  greatness 


•  The  assent  of  the  emperor  to  the  election 
of  a  bishop  of  Rome  appears  plainly  to  have 
been  necessary  by  tlie  custom  of  lliese  times. 
But  tlie  total  exclusion  of  the  people  from  all 
concern  in  these  appointments  bad  not  yet 
obtained.  It  is  obvious  to  be  noticed  also,  bow 
dependent  the  bisliop  of  Rome  was  on  the 
emperor.  Antichrist  liad  not  yet  formall) 
begun  bis  reign,  nor  would  have  been  known 
atRorae  to  this  day,  hisd  all  the  Cishnps  re- 
sembled Gregory. 


of  his  crimes.  Think  how  the  inveterate 
evils  of  the  Ninevites  were  wiped  off"  by 
three  days  repentance;*  and  that  the  con- 
verted robber  in  the  very  article  of  death 
obtained  the  rewards  of  life.  Let  us 
change  our  hearts,  and  encourage  our- 
selves before  hand  with  the  thought  that 
we  have  obtained  what  we  ask. — Impor- 
timity,  so  disagreeable  to  man,  is  well 
pleasing  to  the  Judge  of  truth ;  l)ecause  the 
good  and  merciful  Lord  loves  to  be  over- 
come by  prayers. — Remember  the  Psalm- 
ist :  '  Call  upon  me  in  the  time  of  trouble ; 
so  will  I  hear  thee,  and  thou  shalt  praise 
me.'  He  admonishes  us  to  call  upon 
his  name,  and  witnesses  by  this  his  readi- 
ness to  forgive." 

Gregory  concluded  his  discourse  with 
appointing  a  litanyj  to  be  performed  by 
seven  companies,  who  were  to  march  at 
break  of  day  from  different  churches,  and 
to  meet  at  one  place.  The  first  company 
consisted  of  the  clergy ;  the  second,  of 
abbots  with  their  monks;  the  third,  of 
abbesses  with  their  nuns;  the  fourth,  of 
children ;  the  fifth,  of  laymen ;  the  sixth, 
of  widows  ;  the  seventh,  of  married  wo- 
men. Fourscore  persons  in  one  hour, 
Vv'hile  the  people  were  supplicating  in 
the  litany,  died  of  the  plague.  Gregory, 
however,  persisted  in  praying  and  preach- 
ing till  the  plague  ceased. 

He  was  all  this  time  as  eager  to  avoid 
the  honour  of  the  episcopal  office,  as  he 
was  to  discharge  the  duty  of  it.  The  gates 
were  watched,  and  his  flight  was  prevent- 
ed for  a  time.     But  he  found     --, 

,  ,    .  Gregory 

means   to   be  conveyed  in  a     ^|^g  Great 

wicker  basket  out  of  the  city,     made 
and  concealed   himself  three     bishop  of 
days.     The  zealous  search  of    Rome 
the  people  discovered  him  at     ;'.?Y"st  his 
length,  and  he  was  obliged  to     ^-^^^^  " 
enter  upon  his  bishopric.  This  ' 

happened  in  the  year  590.  ^-  "•  ^^"• 

Gregory  continued  to  discharge  the  of- 
fice in  the  same  spirit,  in  which  he  began 
it.     Other  bishops  had  been  sedulous  to 
adorn  churches  with  gold  or     „,   .   . 
silver;  he  gave  himself  whol-     ^  ;|;;|f|,f" 
ly,  so  far  as  he  could,  to  the     q,, 
care  of  souls. +     The  melan- 


iregory. 


*  I  translate  faithfully ;  the  expression 
marks  the  want  of  evangelical  accuracy  in 
Gregory,  tliougli  not  surely  the  want  of  evan- 
gelical bnmility.  It  is  not  to  be  imagined  that 
lie  considered  repentance  as  a  proprer  atone- 
ment for  sin. 

t  The  word  signifies  Supplication. 

i  Bede. 


Cext.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


501 


choly  circumstances  of  his  accession  cor- 
responded with  the  gloomy  state  of  the 
Church, — in  the  East,  almost  universally 
fallen, — in  the  West,  tarnished  with  much 
superstition,  and  defiled  by  variety  of 
wickedness.  The  whole  period  of  his 
episcopacy,  which  was  thirteen  years  and 
a  half,*  was  disastrous  beyond  measure, 
because  of  the  ferocious  Lombards;  and 
Gregory  himself  was  firmly  persuaded 
that  the  end  of  the  world  was  near. 
Hence  he  had  evidently  a  strong  con- 
tempt of  sublunary  things,  a-nd  loved  to 
refresh  his  mind  with  prospects  beyond 
the  grave.  Nor  has  the  sceptical,  philo- 
sophical taste,  as  it  is  called,  of  this  day, 
any  reason  to  plume  itself  on  comparison 
with  that  of  Gregory.  What  is  there,  for 
instance,  in  the  scene  we  have  been  just 
reviewing,  which  should  excite  the  con- 
tempt of  the  philosopher,  or  rather,  of  the 
infidel  who  calls  himself  philosopher] 
Some  superstition  has  appeared  in  it:  it 
was  an  age  of  superstition :  the  form  of 
Christianity  was  degenerated  even  in  the 
best;  but  the  divine  religion  sparkled 
through  the  gloom  in  the  real  life  of  hu- 
mility, faith,  and  repentance.  The  spi- 
ritual benefit  of  many,  it  is  highly  proba- 
ble, resulted  from  the  pastoral  labours  and 
litanies  of  Gregory;  and  whether  is  more 
rational,  to  fear  the  wrath  of  God,  when 
his  hand  is  upon  us,  to  weep  and  pray, 
and  implore  his  grace  and  mercy,  in  re- 
liance on  the  promises  of  his  word,  be- 
holding the  scourge  as  really  sent  from 
God  ;  or  to  harden  the  heart  in  jocose  and 
fastidious  sneers  at  the  weakness  of  su- 
perstition, and  to  see  and  learn  nothing 
from  the  desolating  judgments  of  the  Al- 
mighty, that  may  lead  us  to  repentance. 

In  Gregory's  works  we  have  a  collec- 
tion of  epistles,  which  will  give  us  a  view 
of  his  labours  and  transactions.  Disci- 
„.  _  .  pline,  and  indefatigable  atten- 
HisEpis-  ^Jqj^  ^q  order,  justice,  mercy, 
and  piety,  mark  all  his  pro- 
ceedings. The  inordinate  amplitude  of 
authority  and  of  extensive  jurisdiction,  to 
which  superstition  had  already  advanced 
the  Roman  See,  and  which  aiforded  such 
copious  fuel  to  pride  and  ambition  in 
some  of  his  predecessors  and  many  of  his 
successors,  was  to  him  only  the  cause  of 
anxious  care  and  conscientious  solicitude. 
Italy  and  Sicily  were  of  themselves  too 
large  a  theatre  of  action;  but  with  the  go- 
vernment of  these  he  received  the  pre- 

*  Bede. 


vailing  notion  of  a  superintendence  of  the 
Roman  See  over  all  the  churches,  derived 
from  St.  Peter.  In  him,  at  least,  the  idea 
excited  no  pleasing  sensations  of  domi- 
nion. A  fatherly  inspection  of  Christen- 
dom without  civil  power  called  him  to  in- 
cessant labour;  besides  that  his  own  dio- 
cese was  much  too  great  for  any  one 
man's  capacity.  Humility  and  the  fear 
of  God  were  his  ruling  dis|)ositions;  and 
it  is  evident  to  a  careful  observer  of  Gre- 
gory, that  he  exerted  authority  in  full 
consistency  with  these.  Moreover  he 
found  time  to  expound  the  Scriptures,  to 
perform  the  oflice  of  a  sedulous  pastor, 
and  to  write  much  for  the  instruction  of 
mankind.  Deeply  must  the  spirit  of  that 
man  have  been  impressed  with  the  pros- 
pects and  hopes  of  immortality,  who 
amidst  bodily  infirmities,  and  in  times  of 
public  perplexity,  could  persevere  in  such 
a  course  of  arduous  labours.  I  shall  en- 
deavour to  enable  the  reader  to  form  a 
judgment  for  himself  of  the  man,  by  a  re- 
view of  his  letters;  omitting  those  which 
are  the  least  interesting. 

He  directed  the  bishops  of  Sicily  to 
hold  an  annual  visitation  at  Syracuse  or 
Catana  under  his  subdeacon,  and  to  at- 
tend in  it  to  things  which  related  to  the 
public  and  ecclesiastical  welfare,  to  re- 
lieve the  necessities  of  the  poor  and  op- 
pressed, and  to  admonish  and  correct 
those  who  had  fallen  into  errors.  In 
which  council  he  begs  that  they  would 
be  guarded  against  malice,  envy,  and  dis- 
cord, and  maintain  a  godly  unity  and  cha- 
rity.* 

He  reminds  the  praetor  of  Sicily,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  send  corn  into  Italy  from 
that  fruitful  granary  of  the  empire,  to  be 
just  and  equitable  in  his  dealings,  to  re- 
member that  life  is  short,  that  he  must 
soon  appear  before  the  Judge  of  all,  and 
that  he  can  carry  away  with  him  nothing 
of  his  gains,  and  that  only  the  causes  and 
methods  of  his  (rains  will  follow  him  to 
judgment.f 

To  a  friend  he  writes  thus  on  his  pro- 
motion :  "I  value  not  the  congratulations 
of  strangers  on  my  advancement.  But  it 
is  a  serious  grief  to  me,  that  you,  who 
know  me  thoroughly,  should  felicitate  me 
on  the  occasion.  Ve  have  long  known 
my  wish  ;  I  should  have  obtained  the  rest 
which  I  sought,  could  I  have  been  grati- 
fied in  it."i: 

"  If  charity,"  says  he,  writing  to  John 


»  B.  I.  Ep.  1. 


t  Ep.  2.  i  Ep.  3. 


502 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  V. 


bishop  of  Constantinople,  "  consist  in  the 
love  of  our  neighbour,  why  do  not  ye  love 
me  as  yourselves  ?  With  what  ardour 
and  zeal  ye  would  fly  from  the  weight  of 
episcopacy  I  know,  and  yet  ye  took  no 
pains  to  hinder  the  imposition  of  this  bur- 
den on  me.  But  as  the  government  of  an 
old  and  crazy  vessel  is  committed  to  me, 
■weak  and  unworthy  as  I  am,  I  beseech 
you,  by  the  Lord,  that  you  would  stretch 
out  the  hand  of  prayer  to  my  relief."* 

The  employment  of  deciding  causes, 
which  in  these  times  fell  to  the  lot  of 
bishops,  must  have  been  tedious  and  bur- 
densome to  a  mind  of  conscientious  ex- 
actness, like  that  of  Gregory.  Hear  how 
feelingly  he  complains  of  the  load,  in  a 
letter  to  Theoctista,  sister  to  the  em- 
peror : 

"  Underf  colour  of  the  bishopric,  I  find 
I  am  brought  back  to  the  world,  in  which 
I  am  enslaved  to  such  a  quantity  of  earth- 
ly cares,  as  I  never  remember  to  have 
been  infested  with  in  my  lay  capacity.    I 
have  lost  the  sublime  joys  of  myself;  and, 
sinking  inwardly,  seem  to  rise  externally. 
I  deplore  my  expulsion  from  the  face  of 
my  Maker.     I  was  endeavouring  to  live 
out  of  the  world  and  the  flesh :  to  drive 
away  all  the  phantasms  of  body  from  the 
«yes   of  my  mind,  and  to  see  supernal 
joys  mentally;  and  with  my  inmost  soul 
panting  after  God,  I  said,  my  heart  hath 
said  to  thee,  '  thy  face.  Lord,  will  I  seek.' 
Desiring  nothing,  and  fearing  nothing  of 
tlie  world,  I  seemed  to  have  almost  real- 
ized that  of  the  prophet:  'I  will  cause 
thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the 
earth.'     Surely  it  is   so  with  him,  who 
looks  down  from  his  intellectual  elevation 
on  all  the  grandeur  and  glory  of  the  earth. 
But  suddenly  from  the  height  of  peace 
and  stability,  impelled  by  the  whirlwind 
of  this  temptation,  I  have  fallen  into  fears 
and  terrors ;  because  though  I  fear  not  for 
myself,  I  fear  much  for  those  who  are 
committed  to  my  charge:   I  am  shaken 
with   the   fluctuations   of  causes   on  all 
sides,  and  say,   '  I  am  come  into  deep 
waters,  so  that  the  floods  run  over  me.' 
After  the  hurry  of  causes  is  over,  I  desire 
to  return  to  my  heart,  but  excluded  from 
it  by  the  vain  tumults  of  thoughts,  I  can- 
not return." — Such  is  the  picture  which 
Gregory  draws  of  his  mental  situation  in 
the  midst  of  all  his  envied  greatness.  Ex- 
perience and  habit  might  in  time  lessen 
his  anxieties.     Nor  was  it  through  want 


Ep.  4. 


t  Ep.  5. 


of  capacity  for  business  that  he  suflfered 
thus   extremely.      No   age  ever   saw   a 
bishop  more  vigorous,  firm  and  circum- 
spect.    The  immensity  of  ecclesiastical 
employment,   which    went    through   his 
hands,   seems   almost  incredible.     I  re- 
joice to  find  in  him  such  vivid  tokens  of 
that  spiritual  sensibility  and  life,  which 
it  is  the  great  business  of  this  history  to 
delineate,  as  it  appeared  from  age  to  age 
in  the  church,  and  which  distinguishes 
real    Christians   as   much  from  nominal 
ones,  as  from  all  other  men.  In  the  mean 
time   I   have   to  regret,  that  while   the 
power  and   experience   of  godliness  de- 
cayed, the  amplitude  of  bishoprics  was  so 
much  augmented,  and  that  so  much  extra- 
neous matter,  which  ought  to  have  been 
committed   to  other  hands,  was  thrown 
upon  them.     The  consequence  has  been 
that  the  dignitaries    of  the  church  have 
ever  since  been  thrown  into  circumstances 
peculiarly  disadvantageous.     Those  of  a 
secular  spirit  have  toiled  with  eagerness 
for  worldly  and  selfish  ends,  without  feel- 
ing any  injury  to  the  spiritual  life,  he- 
cause  they  had  none;  those  of  a  heavenly 
spirit  have  felt  like  Gregory  under  the 
united  pressures  of  conscientious  care  and 
the  tumult  of  thoughts  very  alien  from 
the  Christian  life,  and  tending  to  extin- 
guish it. 

The  pious  and  upright  Anastasius  of 
Antioch  has  been  already  introduced  to 
the  reader's  notice.  Gregory  had  con- 
tracted an  intimacy  with  him  while  in 
the  East,  and  he  writes  to  him  thus  in 
answer  to  his  letter :  "  I  received  your 
letter,  as  a  weary  man  does  rest,  as  a 
sick  man  health,  as  a  thirsty  person  a 
fountain,  as  one  overcome  with  heat  a 
shade.  I  read  not  mere  words  ;  I  per- 
ceived the  heart  itself  to  be  discovering 
your  affection  towards  me  in  the  spirit." 
He  goes  on  to  complain  of  Anastasius's 
cruel  kindness,  in  having  contributed  to 
his  promotion,  and  describes  his  burdens 
in  his  usual  manner.  "  But  when  you 
call  me  the  mouth  and  lamp  of  the  Lord, 
and  a  person  capable  of  profiting  many, 
this  is  added  to  the  load  of  my  iniquities, 
that  I  receive  praise  instead  of  punish- 
ment for  my  sins.  How  I  am  overload- 
ed, no  words  can  express  ;  you  may  form 
some  idea  from  the  brevity  of  my  letter, 
in  which  I  say  so  little  of  Him  whom  I 
love  above  all.  I  have  begged  of  the 
emperor  to  allow  you  to  visit  me  at 
Rome,  that  while  I  enjoy  your  company, 
we  may  relieve  the  tediousness  of  our 


Cbitt.  VT.] 


GREGORY  I, 


503 


pilgrimage  by  conversing  together  of  the 
heavenly  country."*  It'  is  not  easy  for 
persons,  unacquainted  with  their  own 
heart,  to  believe  all  this  S(Mi9n  of  unwor- 
thiness  to  be  genuine  in  Gregory;  men 
who  know  themselves  will  believe  that 
he  spake  sincerely. 

Gregory  was  solicitous  for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Lombards  from  the  Arian  he- 
resy, and  therefore  he  wrote  to  the  bish- 
ops of  Italy,  to  avail  themselves  of  their 
influence  to  unite  all  the  young  persons 
of  that  nation,  who  had  been  baptized  in 
the  Arian  communion,  to  the  general 
church,  to  preach  to  them  the  doctrine  of 
eternal  life,  and  to  secure  to  themselves 
a  pleasing  account  of  their  pastoral  la- 
bours at  the  last  day.f  Under  his  admi- 
nistration a  gradual  accession  of  this 
people  was  made  to  the  church,  notwith- 
standing the  great  power  of  the  Lombard 
princes,  and  their  obstinate  attachment  to 
Arianism.  Indeed  the  shining  example 
of  Gregory  himself  must  have  made  a 
very  powerful  impression  on  the  minds 
of  all  who  had  opportunity  of  know- 
ing him.  He  was  careful  to  preserve  the 
great  revenues  of  the  church,  but  no  man 
was  ever  more  conscientious  to  employ 
them  to  good  purposes.  As  he  loved  to 
imitate  his  predecessor  Gelasius,:j;  he  fol- 
lowed the  statement  of  the  revenues 
which  he  had  drawn  up,  and  formed  an 
estimate  of  them  in  money  ;  distributions 
of  which  he  made  to  the  clergy,  monas- 
teries, churches,  the  officers  of  his  house, 
deaconries,  and  hospitals.  He  regulated 
the  sums  to  be  allotted  to  each  at  four 
times  of  the  year,  an  order  which  was 
observed  three  hundred  years  after.  A 
great  volume  was  kept  in  the  palace  of 
the  Lateran,  containing  the  names  of  the 
poor  who  were  the  objects  of  his  libera- 
lity, their  age  and  circumstances,  at 
Rome,  in  Italy,  and  even  in  distant  pro- 
vinces. On  every  first  day  of  the  month, 
he  distributed  to  the  necessities  of  the 
poor,  according  to  the  season,  various 
articles  of  provision.  Everyday  he  dis- 
tributed alms  to  the  sick  and  infirm;  and 
before  he  sat  down  to  eat,  he  sent  por- 
tions from  his  table  to  some  indigent  peo- 
ple, who  were  ashamed  to  appear.  It 
would  be  tedious  to  recount  from  his  let- 
iers§  the  instances  of  his  liberality.  He 
pressed  his  agents  to  inform  him  of  ob- 


•  Ep.  7.  t  Ep.  17. 

t  Fleiiry,  B.  xxxv.  C.  xvi..  Vol.  iv. 

^  B,  L  Ep.  18,  44,  23,  57,  65,  54,  30.  « 


jects,  and  loved  to  exceed  the  expecta- 
tions of  his  petitioners.  But  wiiile  he 
abounded  in  benefactions,  he  would  re- 
ceive none  himself.  "  We  ouo-ht  to  re- 
fuse," said  he,  writing  to  Felix  bishop 
of  Messina,  "presents  which  are  expen- 
sive to  the  churches.  Send  to  the  other 
clergymen  every  year  what  is  established 
by  usage.  But  as  I  love  not  presents,  I 
forbid  you  to  send  me  any  for  the  future. 
I  thank  you  for  the  palm-trees  which  yoa 
sent  me,  but  I  have  caused  them  to  be 
sold,  and  have  sent  you  the  price  of 
them."  The  unhappy  wars  of  Italy 
having  caused  great  desolations  of  the 
Churches,  that  the  remaining  inhabitants 
might  not  be  forsaken,  he  gave  those 
churches  in  chartje  to  the  neisrhbourinor 
bishops.  If  two  of  them  did  not  contain, 
singly,  a  sufficient  number  of  persons  to 
constitute  a  diocese,  he  joined  them  toge- 
ther under  one  bishop,  insisting  on  equal 
care  being  taken  of  that  in  which  he  did 
not  reside,  as  of  that  in  which  he  did. 
lie  made  no  difficulty  of  obliging  a  bish- 
op to  leave  a  small  church,  where  he  was 
little  more  than  titular  pastor,  to  govern 
a  more  important  one.*  Having  disco- 
vered several  abuses  committed  in  the 
management  of  the  revenues  in  Sicily,  he 
took  care  to  reform  them.  "  We  are 
informed,"  says  he,|  "  that  corn  is 
bought  of  the  peasants,  under  the  market 
price  ;  I  direct  that  they  be  paid  always 
according  to  the  current  price,  without 
deducting  the  corn  lost  by  shipwreck, 
provided  that  you  take  care  that  tliey  do 
not  transport  it  out  of  season.  We  for- 
bid all  base  exactions;  and,  that  after 
my  death  the  farmers  may  not  be  charged 
anew,  let  a  certificate  be  delivered  to 
them  in  writincr,  containingf  the  sum 
which  each  is  obliged  to  pay.  Take  par- 
ticular care,  that  false  weights  be  not 
made  use  of  in  receiving  the  payments, 
as  the  deacon  Servus  Dei  discovered,  but 
break  them  in  pieces,  and  cause  new 
ones  to  be  made.  I  have  been  informed 
tliat  farmers  are  distressed  at  the  first 
time  of  the  payment  of  their  rents  ;  for, 
having  not  yet  sold  their  fruits,  they  are 
obliged  to  borrow  at  heavy  interest.  Sup- 
ply them  therefore  out  of  the  stock  of  the 
church  with  what  they  may  have  borrow- 
ed, and  receive  tiieir  payments  by  de- 
grees, lest  you  oblige  them  to  sell  their 


*  Ep.  42.     He  writes  thus  to  Ptter  his  agent 
in  Sicily, 
t  B.  I.  Ep.  64,  he.  B.  II.  Ep.  20. 


504 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


commodities  at  an  under  price,  to  make 
good  their  rents.     In  general,  I  will  not 

SUFFER    THE    CHURCH    TO    BE     DEFILED    BY 
BASE  GAINS." 

This  is  a  specimen  of  the  uprightness 
and  attention  of  Gregory  to  those  secular 
concerns,  under  which  his  spirit  so  much 
groaned.     A  pharisee  would  have  found 
a  feast  for  his  pride  in  so  much  henefi- 
cence.      But   Gregory  was   humble,  he 
could  not  find  rest  to  his  soul  in  such  ex- 
ercises, however  laudable  ;  and  though 
his  heart  and  head  seemed  as  well  fitted 
as  any  man's  in  any  age  for  such  work, 
and  though  he  went  through  it  with  much 
ability  and   success,  yet   it  were  to  be 
wished  that  he  had  been  allowed  a  larger 
portion  of  time  to   pay  attention   to  the 
more  spiritual  duties  of  his  station.  This 
short  extract  however   (for  the  account 
might  have  been  swelled  to  a  large  size) 
may  deserve  some  attention  from  persons, 
whether  ecclesiastical  or  secular,  whose 
employments  are  of  a  similar  nature.  Let 
them    ask    themselves,     whether    with 
Gregory's   care   for  the   preservation  of 
their  rights  (and  in  that  he  was  as  firm 
and   strenuous   as  Christian   charity  al- 
lows,) they  are   also  like  him  upright, 
disinterested,  and  merciful.     And  as  hu- 
man malignit}'  has  been  abundantly  gra- 
tified  in   large  details  of  the   encroach 
meats  and  oppressions  of  churchmen,  it 
falls  within  the  plan  of  these  memoirs, 
to  show  that  all  churchmen  have  not  been 
thus  iniquitous;  that  those  who  are  hum- 
ble  and    evangelically  pious,    are    also, 
above  all  men,  upright,  munificent,  and 
liberal. 

Peter,  bishop  of  Terraco  in  Spain,  had 
consented  to  a  species  of  persecution  of 
the  Jews  in  his  diocese,  by  permitting 
them  to  be  molested  in  their  festivities, 
and  to  be  more  than  once  driven  from  the 
place  in  which  they  celebrated  them.  Let 
those,  who  have  been  led  by  fashionable 
historians  to  annex  the  idea  of  persecution 
to  that  of  the  priesthood,  take  notice,  that 
Gregory  bishop  of  Rome  wrote  to  Peter, 
to  condemn  the  practice,  and  to  give  his 
decisive  opinion,  that  the  Jews  should 
not  be  in  the  least  molested,  that  they 
ought  to  be  won  over  to  the  faith  by  the 
SWEETNESS  of  Gospel-prcaching,  and  by 
the  denunciation  of  divine  judgments 
against  infidelity,  and  that  these  were 
christian  arts  and  methods,  while  those  of 
a  different  nature  tended  only  to  harden 
and  disgust  the  human  mind.* 

*  B.  1.  Ep.  34.  ~ 


To  Leander  of  Seville*  he  expresses 
with  tears  the  pressures  of  his  mind  under 
loads  of  solicitude,  and  earnestly  entreats 
his  prayers.  He  congratulates  him  also 
on  the  conversion  of  king  Recaredus  of 
Spain,  and  while  he  rejoices  at  the  news 
of  that  prince's  piety  and  virtues,  he  ad- 
monishes the  bishop  to  watch  over  the 
royal  convert,  that  his  life  may  corres- 
pond to  so  hopeful  a  beginning.  He 
wrote  sometime  after  to  the  same  prince, 
to  recommend  to  him  a  strong  guard  over 
anger,  pride,  and  lust,  vices  more  pecu- 
liarly apt  to  infest  princes.  Of  all  the 
princes  of  this  time,  he  seems  most  to 
have  adorned  the  gospel.  He  was  just, 
munificent,  and  liberal.  And  before  he 
left  the  world,  he  publicly  confessed  his 
sins,  and  appeared  to  have  been  possess- 
ed of  true  piety,  so  far  as  we  can  judge. 
He  died  about  the  close  of  this  century. 

To   Virgilius  and  Theodorus,  bishops 
of  Marseilles,  he  writes  on  occasion  of  the 
persecuting  methods  made  use  of  against 
the   Jews.     He   again    bears    testimony 
against   the  compulsory  practices;    and 
declares  how  sorry  he  is  to  find,  that  many 
of  that  people  had  been  brought,  by  vio- 
lence rather  than  by  preaching,  to   the 
baptismal    font.     "  If  a  Jew  is  brought 
thither  by  necessity,  not  by  the  sweetness 
of  the  word,  returning  to  his  former  super- 
stition, he  dies  in  a  worst  state  than  that 
from  which  he  seemed  to  be  regenerated. 
Preach  frequently  to  them,  that  they  may 
desire  to  be  changed,  through  the  love  of 
what  they  hear.     Thus   your   desire   cf 
saving  souls  will  be  accomplished,  and 
the  convert  will  not  return  like  the  dog 
to  his  vomit.     Preach,   that   their  dark 
minds  may  be  illuminated,  and  that  under 
God  they  may  be  brought  to  real  regene- 
ration."]" 

He  wrote  also  to  Pascasius,  bishop  of 
Naples,  complaining  of  the  violence  used 
to  the  Jews  in  driving  them  from  their 
solemnities.  He  blames  this  method, 
and  exhorts  to  the  same  purpose  as  be- 
fore.:}: It  is  well  known  wliat  different 
methods,  since  the  time  of  Gregory,  have 
been  supported  by  the  Roman  Popes.  I 
appropriate  the  term  Pope  to  Antichrist, 
who  did  not,  accurately  speaking,  exist 
as  yet  in  the  Western  church.  On  the 
other  side,  Gregory  was  zealous  to  sup- 
press the  attempts  of  Jews  to  seduce 
Christians,  and  prohibited  their  purcha- 
sing of  Christians  for  slaves. § 


*  Ep.  41. 
I  B.  II.  Ep. 


15. 


t  B.  I.  Ep.  45. 
§  B.  U.  Ep.  76. 


Ci 


VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


505 


The  Lombards  were  a  constant  scourge 
to  Italy  in  the  time  of  Gregory,  and  he 
was  aware  of  their  intentions  to  invade 
Sicily.  Hence  he  wrote  to  all  the  bish- 
ops of  the  island  to  sujjplicate  the  Lord 
in  litanies  every  fourth  and  sixth  day  of 
the  week,  and  exhorted  them  not  only  to 
draw  their  flocks  to  this  association  of 
prayer,  but  also  to  preach  to  them  the 
doctrine  of  repentance.  "  For  if  the  gra- 
cious Lord  behold  us  loving  his  com- 
mands, he  is  able  to  defend  us  from  the 
enemy,  and  to  prepare  eternal  joys  for 
us."* 

Natalis,  bishop  of  Salonae,  had  written 
to  Gregory  in  defence  of  the  entertain- 
ments given  by  the  clergy.  The  bishop 
of  Rome  allows  his  assertions,  but  under 
these  important  restrictions,  "  that  no 
absent  persons  be  slandered  at  these 
meetings,  that  none  be  made  an  ob- 
ject of  ridicule,  that  the  empty  discourse 
of  secular  business  be  avoided,  that  the 
word  of  God  be  read  in  them,  that  no 
more  meat  and  drink  be  used  than  is 
needful  for  the  refreshment  of  the  bod}", 
and  to  fit  it  for  the  discharge  of  duty.  If 
this  be  your  practice,  I  confess  you  to 
be  masters  of  temperance."|  But  it 
seems  Gregory's  animadversions  on  the 
feasting  of  the  Salonian  clergy  had  given 
offence,  by  that  v/hich  he  adds :  "  You 
take  it  ill  to  be  reprehended  by  me,  who, 
thougli  I  am  your  superior  in  church  dig- 
nity (I  do  not  mean  as  a  man,)  am  will- 
ing to  be  corrected  and  reproved  by  all. 
I  thank,  indeed,  that  man  as  my  friend, 
through  whose  advice  I  am  enabled  to 
wipe  off  the  blemishes  of  my  soul  before 
the  appearance  of  the  awful  Judge."  One 
cannot  form  any  great  idea  of  the  piety  of 
this  Natalis,  who  had  excused  himself 
from  assiduous  reading  of  the  Scriptures, 
partly  on  account  of  tlie  pressure  of  tribu- 
lations, partly  by  a  mere  cavil,  because 
our  Lord  had  told  his  disciples,  that  it 
should  be  given  them  in  the  same  hour 
what  thej'  should  speak.  Gregory  in- 
forms him,  that  tlie  Scriptures  were  given 
us,  that  we,  through  patience  and  comfort 
of  them,  might  have  hope.  How  he  an- 
swers the  cavil,  it  is  not  necessary  to 
say.  "  But  we  cannot  be  like  you," 
Natalis  had  said.  The  bishop  of  Rome 
was  not  to  be  seduced  by  such  evasive 
flattery.     "  The  encomiums  you  bestow 


*  B.  IX.  45.  Hence  I  apprehend  llie  origin 
of  the  use  of  tlie  Litany  on  Wednesdays  and 
Fridays  in  public  worship. 

t  B".  II.  3". 

Vol.  I.  2U 


on  me,"  said  he,  "  seem  to  be  spoken  in 
derision,  because  I  cannot  in  truth  find 
them  realized  in  my  experience."  We 
see  in  all  this,  on  one  side,  a  zealous  pas- 
tor labouring  to  revive  a  sense  and  spirit 
of  godliness  in  his  brethren;  on  the  other, 
a  slothful  and  false-hearted  minister,  poor- 
ly excusing  himself  by  feigned  apologies, 
from  doino-  the  Lord's  work  with  vitrour 
and  sincerity. 

After  having  given  a  beautiful  descrip- 
tion of  charit}'  in  writing  to  Dominicus 
bishop  of  Carthage,  *  he  shows  how 
deeply  his  soul  was  penetrated  with  the 
importance  of  the  pastoral  office.  In  their 
views  of  this,  many  of  the  ancient  Fathers, 
whom  we  deride  for  their  superstitions, 
do  far  excel  the  generality  of  pastors  in 
our  times.  Let  him  who  ha.5  entered  on 
this  office  with  merely  secular  views, 
read,  and,  if  he  can,  blush  and  weep,  after 
he  has  considered,  that  no  age  since  the 
Apostles'  days  has  ever  seen  one  more  in- 
tently and  sincerely  laborious  than  Gre- 
gory. "  Weighty  indeed  is  the  office  of 
a  Pastor.  He  must  be  an  example  to  the 
flock,  and  after  this  he  must  learn  to 
keep  himself  humble.  He  must  ever  be 
intent  on  the  ministry  of  the  word,  re- 
membering who  hath  said,  occupy  till 
I  COME.  This  we  then  trulj-^  execute, 
when  by  life  and  doctrine  v;e  gain  the 
souls  of  our  neighbours,  strengthen  the 
weak  by  setting  before  ihem  the  joys  of 
the  heavenly  kingdom,  and  bend  the 
proud  by  sounding  aloud  the  punishments 
of  hell,  when  we  spare  none  against  truth, 
and  when  given  up  to  heavenly  friend- 
ships, we  fear  not  human  enmity.  I  trem- 
ble at  my  own  infirmity.  How  can  I  sus- 
tain the  last  judgment,  seeing  so  very  lit- 
tle fruit  of  my  labours.  Dearest  brother, 
I  implore  your  prayers  for  me.  By  the 
union  of  charity,  we  have  a  common  in- 
terest." 

To  Boniface,  bishop  of  Rhegium,  he 
gives  a  handsome  reproof  for  boasting  of 
the  good  deeds  he  had  done.  He  owned 
that  he  rejoiced  to  hear  of  his  works  of 
mercy.  But  he  was  sorry  to  find,  that 
he  himself  had  spoken  of  them  to  many 
persons.  He  warns  him  to  take  care  that 
he  did  not  mar  the  whole  by  ostentation. 
"  What  are  v/e,  dust  and  ashes,  that  we 
should  covet  the  praise  of  men'?  Him 
you  should  seek  to  please,  whose  coming 
we  expect,  and  whose  retributions  will 
know  no  end."t 

p]vano-elus,  a  deacon  of  the  church  of 


*  B.  ii.  3y. 


t  B.  ii.  43. 


506 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  V. 


Sypontum,  had  complained  to  Gregory, 
that  his  daughter  had  been  defloured  by 
Felix,  the  grandson  of  the  bishop  of  the 
same  name.     The  bishop  of  Rome,  not 
without  some  animadversion  on  the  bisli- 
op's  careless  education  of  his  grandson, 
ordered,  on  supposition  of  the  truth  of  the 
fact,  that  Felix  should  be  obliged  to  marry 
the  young  woman,  or,  in  case  of  refusal, 
be  scourged  and  confined  in  a  monastery, 
excommunicated,  and  remain  in  a  state  of 
penance,  and  not  be  suffered  to  go  abroad 
till  farther  orders  were  received  from  Gre- 
gory.*    It  seemed  proper  to  mention  this 
ancient  precedent  of  the  practice  of  spiri- 
tual courts.  Doubtless,  they  were,  in  their 
origin,  courts  of  censure  on  immoralities 
not  so  easily  cognizable  in  courts  of  com- 
mon law.  The  necessities  of  society,  and 
the  depravity  of  human  nature,  seem  to 
require  the  existence  of  such  tribunals. 
The  Roman  office  of  censor  was  of  the 
same  kind.     Nor  would  mankind  be  dis- 
posed to  depreciate  them,  were  they  na- 
turally as  sincere  in  their  regard  for  the  ho- 
nour of  God  and  for  moral  decorum,  as  they 
are  for  the  preservation  of  property.   The 
abuses  of  these  courts  among  ourselves 
are  well  known.     But  why   persons  of 
rank  and  property  in  our  country  do  not 
labour  to  regulate  them,  or  rather,  do  not 
endeavour  to  institute  a  censorship  of  mo- 
rals that  shall   be  practicable  and  effec- 
tual,— why   they    indiscriminately    con- 
demn the  whole  principle,  while  they  per- 
mit lewdness  to  be  practised  without  any 
restraint, — are  questions  not  hard  to  be 
determined.     In   the   mean   time,  every 
lover  of  equity  and  decency  should  prefer 
a  spiritual  court,  armed  with  some  power 
for   the   suppression   of  vice,  before  the 
licentiousness,  which,  under  the  name  of 
liberty,  threatens  among  ourselves  to  dc' 
stroy  all  the  barriers  which  our  ancestors 
erected    against   vice    and    immorality 
Severe  as  Gregory's   conduct  may  now 
seem,  it  was  wholesome,  no  doubt,  and 
society  felt  the  good  consequences. 

In  writing  to  Priscus,  a  patrician  of 
the  East,  he  justly  describes  the  mixed 
state  of  human  affairs,  and  the  duties  of 
Christian  faith  and  humility.  The  thought 
is  common  to  moralists  in  all  ages ;  but 
Gregory  ennobled  it  with  real  principles 
of  Christianity. 

Gregory  corresponded  also  with  TheO' 
dolinda,   the    queen   of  the   Lombards 
She  was  the  widow  of  their  kintr  Autha^ 


rit,  a  zealous  Arian.  After  his  death,  she 
married  Aigilulfus,  a  Lombard,  whom  the 
nation  received  as  king.  Beingf  orthodox 
herself,  she  brought  over  her  husband, 
and  the  whole  nation,  at  length,  to  the 
same  persuasion.  Gregory  congratulated 
her  on  the  happy  prospect  of  the  progress 
of  Christianity  among  the  Lombards. 
What  degree  of  real  piety  was  in  all  this, 
does  not  appear  :  the  temporal  benefit  of 
Gregory's  labours  was,  however,  evident 
in  the  establishment  of  peace  for  some 
time  between  the  Lombards  and  the  Ro- 
man empire.* 

Anastasius,  bishop  of  Antioch,  seems 
ever  to  have  been  a  special  favourite 
of  Gregory.  He  had  been  ejected  from 
his  See  by  the  injustice  of  Justin,  the 
successor  of  Justinian,  and  had  lived  in 
exile  a  number  of  years.  He  was  at 
length,  however,  restored  to  his  situa- 
tion,]"  and  Gregory  wrote  to  him  a  letter 
on  the  occasion,  full  of  pious  and  tender 
sentiments.  In  this  letter,  he  endeavours 
to  solace  the  mind  of  the  prelate  with  the 
same  scriptural  views  and  promises,  with 
which  his  own  had  been  refreshed  under 
a  variety  of  afflictions.  The  hope  of 
glory  hereafter  to  be  revealed,  it  is  evi- 
dent, was  the  spring  of  joy  to  his  own 
soul,  and  enabled  him  to  bear  calamities 
with  patience.:):  In  another  letter  to  him, 
he  writes,  "  you  ought  to  keep  in  mind,  as 
you  do,  what  is  written  :  '  In  the  last  days 
perilous  times  shall  come.' — And  though 
in  old  age  you  suffer  much,  remember 
him,  who  told  St.  Peter,  that  when  he  was 
old,  another  should  gird  him.  Yet,  in 
saying  this,  I  recollect  that  from  youth 
have   laboured  under  many  adver- 


*  B.  IT.  79,  81. 


you 


Numbers  rejoice  at  our  sorrows, 


write;    but  we  know  who  hath 


sities. 
as  you 

said,  '  Ye  shall  weep  and  lament,  but  the 
world  shall  rejoice ;  and  ye  shall  be  sor- 
rowful, but  your  sorrow  shall  be  turned 
into  joy.'  We  feel  the  performance  of 
the  former  part,  let  us  expect  the  latter 
part  also.  You  say  that  some  who  ought 
to  relieve,  add  burdens  to  you  ;  I  know 
there  are  those  who  come  in  sheep's 
clothing,  but  who  inwardly  are  ravening 
wolves.  We  are  not  disturbed  on  account 
of  their  ambition  in  arrogating  all  honour 
to  themselves,  because  we  trust  in  the 
Almighty,  whose  law  and  rule  is,  that 
those  who  covet  what  belongs  to  others, 
are  sooner  on  that  account  deprived  of 


B.  XII.  Ep.  7 

I  Evagrius, 


t  B.  IV.  81. 
B.  VI.  toward  the  end. 


Ceitt.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


507 


their  own.  For  we  know  who  hath  said, 
♦  He  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  aba- 
sed,' and,  '  a  haughty  spirit  before  a  fall.' 
In  these  days,  as  I  find,  new  heretical 
wars  arise,  which  would  reduce  to  nothing- 
the  prophets,  the  gospel,  and  all  the 
fathers  together.  But  while  Anastasius 
lives,  we  trust  in  the  grace  of  our  Protec- 
tor; their  swords  will  be  broken  in 
pieces,  striking  against  a  rock.  The 
Church,  in  the  mean  time,  by  the  sublilty 
of  heretics,  is  sharpened  in  her  doctrine, 
and  learns  the  truth  more  accurately. 
The  heart  of  God  approaches  to  us,  and, 
by  temptations  we  are  brought  to  feel 
him  more  sensibly.  What  I  suffer  from 
the  swords  of  barbarians,  and  from  the 
perverseness  of  judges,  I  spare  to  relate, 
that  I  may  not  increase  the  sorrow  of  him 
whom  I  wish  to  console.  But  I  weigh 
those  words,  '  This  is  your  hour,  and  the 
power  of  darkness.'  The  power  of  light 
then  shall  have  its  day  afterwards;  be- 
cause the  elect  are  the  light  of  the  world, 
and  it  is  written,  '  the  upright  shall  have 
dominion  over  them  in  the  morning :' 
hence,  all  we  suffer  in  the  hour  and  power 
of  darkness  is  not  to  be  regretted.  You 
wish,  if  it  were  possible,  that  we  might 
converse  without  pen  and  ink,  and  it  is  a 
painful  circumstance  that  we  are  almost 
as  distant  from  one  another  as  East  and 
West.  But  truly  we  by  grace  are  made 
one.  Why  wish  you  for  the  wings  of 
the  dove,  which  you  have  already  1  The 
wings  are  the  love  of  God  and  our  neigh- 
bour. By  them  the  Church  flies  through 
the  earth :  if  you  had  not  these  wings, 
you  would  not  have  come  to  me  by  your 
epistles  with  so  much  affection.*  As 
your  life  is  necessary  to  all  good  men, 
may  you,  after  a  long  time,  arrive  at  the 
joys  of  the  heavenly  country  !" 

I  have  only  to  add  concerning  Anas- 
tasius, that  he  lived  five  years  after  his 
restoration,  and  died  about  the  end  of  the 
century.  W^e  are  much  in  the  dark  con- 
cerning the  trials  of  this  great  and  good 
man.  Gregory's  words  however  will 
stand  as  proper  to  be  addressed  to  the 
suffering  children  of  God  in  all  ages.  I 
conceive  the  bishop  of  Antioch  to  have 
been  a  luminary  in  the  East,  envied  and 
persecuted  extremely,  bearing  testimony 
to  the  faith  of  Christ  in  the  decline  of  the 
Eastern  Church;  and  that  his  life  and 
transactions  would  be  verj'  instructive,  if 
they  had  been  transmitted  to  posterity 


•h>hu,  the 
l>ishop  or 
]):itiiarch 
of  Con- 
staruiiio- 
ple,  udnio- 
iiislieil  by 
Gregory 
for  assu- 
ming the 
title'of 
universal 
bishop. 


John,  bishop  of  Constantinople,  disturb- 
ed in  Gregory's  time  the  peace  of  the 
Ciuirch,  by  assuming  to  himself  the  title 
of  universal  bishop.*  The 
pride  and  arrogance  with 
which  he  assumed  it,  was 
only  oriualled  by  the  obsti- 
nacy with  which  he  perse- 
vered. Gregory  wrote  with 
much  vehemence-|-  against  his 
haughtiness,  and  on  this  oc- 
casion, laid  down  some  me- 
morable rules  of  humility, 
which  severely  condemned, 
not  himself,  but  his  succes- 
sors in  the  Roman  See.  In 
what  a  state  must  the  East  have  been,  to 
revere  as  a  great  saint,  both  living  and 
dying,  so  proud  a  man  as  John  of 
Constantinople !  But  their  godliness 
was  nearly  expiring,  and  the  Mahometan 
scourge  was  at  hand. 

Gregory  wrote  to  Dominicus  an  African 
bishop,  entreating  his  prayers,  and  thank- 
ing him  for  his  presents.  By  this  letter 
it  appears  that  the  spirit  of  true  godliness 
was  not  yet  extinct  in  Africa.:^:  There  is 
another  letter  to  the  same  person,  who, 
it  seems,  was  bishop  of  Carthage.  It  is 
full  of  the  spirit  of  charity  and  devo- 
tion, though  there  is  fnothing  in  it  that 
calls  for  any  particular  attention. § 

Cyriacus  succeeded  John  of  Constan- 
tinople, whose  pride  has  been  mentioned 
already.  At  his  solemn  ordination  the 
people  shouted,  "  This  is  the  day  which 
the  Lord  hath  made  ;  we  will  rejoice  and 
be  glad  in  it."||  Superstition  naturally 
paved  the  way  for  the  dominion  of  the 
Clergy;  and  the  bishops  of  the  great 
Sees  were  gradually  increasing  in  secular 
grandeur.  The  congratulation  just  men- 
tion was  calculated  to  encourage  Cyriacus 
to  emulate  the  ambition  of  his  predecessor^ 
Gregory^  justly  finds  fault  with  it,  in  a 
letter  to  the  great  men  of  Constantinople, 
shows  that  the  acclamation  properly  be- 
longed to  the  stone  ■v\1iich  the  Lord  had 
laid  for  a  foundation  in  iiis  Church,**  and 
observes  that  it  was  impious  to  ascribe 
those  praises  to  the  creature,  which  be- 
long to  the  Creator.  Yet  he  is  willing 
to  excuse  the  mistake  as  proceeding  from 
a    charitable     intention.      Gregory,    no 


*  B.  YII.  Ep.  5. 


*  Tliis  bishop  goes  bv  the  name  of  John  the 
Fasler.     He  died  A.  D.'  595. 

fB.lV.  82.  |R.  V.  119. 

§  Id.  162.  II  Ps.  cxviii.  24. 

*i  B.  VI.  171.  « ♦  Ps.  cxviii.  22. 


508 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


doubt,  had  himself  too  high  views  of  the 
dignity  of  his  own  See,  and  its  supposed 
relation  to  Saint  Peter  blinded  his  judg- 
ment. The  exaltation  of  Constantinople, 
through  the  domineering  pretensions  of 
the  late  bishop,  excited  his  jealousy ;  and^ 
so  subtle  and  intricate  are  the  motions  of  i 
the  heart,  that  he  himself  might  not  at  all 
be  aware  of  the  selfishness  which  pro- 
bably influenced  his  conduct.  I  doubt  not, 
however,  from  the  unaffected  humility  of 
his  whole  life,  that  he  cordially  detested 
sacerdotal  ambition.  The  excessive  dig- 
nity of  the  prelatical  character  would 
have  done  little  harm  to  Christendom, 
had  all  prelates  been  like  Gregory,  But, 
as  this  was  not  to  be  expected,  tlie  state 
ought  to  have  set  bounds  to  ecclesiastical 
encroachments  before  this  period. 

Gregoria,  a  lady  of  the  bed-chamber 
to  Augusta  the  empress,  in  lier  anxiety 
for  her  soul,  and  in  the  height  of  her 
admiration  of  Gregory,  by  letter  requested 
him  to  inform  her,  if  he  could,  by  revela- 
tion, that  her  sins  were  forgiven  her.* 
Gregory  assured  her,  "  that  certainty  in 
this  matter  was  not  attainable  :  we  must 
repent  and  mourn  over  our  sins,  and  apply 
for  pardon  continually."  He  declares 
himself  unworthy  of  having  such  a  reve- 
lation made  to  him,  and  gives  her  useful 
and  salutary  advices,  so  far  as  he  saw 
into  the  system  of  divine  truth.  In  regard 
to  the  doctrine  of  justification,  he  seems 
to  have  had  the  same  sentiments  which 
Augustine  had,  and  with  the  same  con- 
fusion of  ideas.  How  superstition,  ser- 
vility, and  darkness  prevailed  in  the 
Church  at  this  time,  is  but  too  evident. 
Yet  Gregory  was  a  luminary,  compared 
with  most  of  his  contemporaries. 

To  a  person  named  Andrew,  affecting 
secular  greatness,  he  writes  with  much 
pathos  on  the  vanity  of  sublunary  things, 
a  subject  which  he  touched  with  more 
sensibility,  because  he  was  strongly  im- 
pressed with  the  idea  of  the  world  Ijeing 
nearly  at  an  end.")" 

Serenus,  bishop  of  Marseilles,  observ- 
ing that  some  of  his  people  adored  the 
images  which  had  been  placed  in  church- 
es, in  his  zeal  brake  them. 
The  wor-  and  by  this  conduct  gave  so 
ship  of  much  disgust,  that  many  with- 

Images.         drew   from   his   communion. 
Gregory  rebukes  him  on  this 
account,  and  wishes  him  to  conciliate  the 
affections  of  the   people,  by  permitting 


B.  VLEp.  186. 


t  B.  VI.  Ep.  190. 


them  to  make  use  of  images,  as  pieces 
of  history  to  instruct  their  minds  in  the 
great  facts  of  Christianity.  He  advises 
him  to  allow  them  as  books  for  the  illite- 
rate people,  and  at  the  same  time  to  cau- 
tion them  seriously  against  paying  any 
adoration  to  them. — I  have  stated  the 
substance  of  the  sentiments  of  both  these 
bishops.*  It  seems  not  probable,  that 
those  who  deserted  Serenus  on  this  ac- 
count, had  much  Christianity  to  lose. 
Gregory  had  not  the  opportunity  of  knov^-- 
ing  so  well  as  we  do  the  danger  of  his 
advice.  Thus  far  is  evident,  that  image- 
worship  had  not  generally  commenced  in 
Gregory's  time,  and  that  he  seriously 
reprobated  the  practice.  From  these 
facts,  however,  the  gradual  approxima- 
tion to  idolatry  may  be  traced,  and  the 
danger  of  such  a  mode  of  teaching,  as 
that  which  Gregory  recommends,  has 
been  so  abundantly  proved  since  his 
time,  that  no  doubt  remains  but  in  this 
instance  the  bishop  of  Marseilles  judged 
better  than  he. 

The  correspondence  between  Gregoiy 
and  Brunehalt,  the  queen  of  Austrasia  or 
Burgundy,  a  division  of  the  French  mo- 
narchy, which  took  place  amidst  the 
confusions  of  that  country  after  the  death 
of  Clovis,  will  deserve  to  be  succinctly 
stated.!  ^^^  ^^^  ^"  ambitious,  disso- 
lute woman;  yet,  in  that  age  of  super- 
stition, she  endeavoured  to  impose  both 
on  herself  and  on  the  world  by  an  ap- 
pearance of  piety.  She  attempted  to  ex- 
tend her  power  while  her  young  male 
descendants  were  on  the  throne ;  and  per- 
mitted, or  rather  encouraged,  their  vi- 
cious conduct,  that  she  might  herself 
keep  the  reins  of  government.  Gregory, 
though  he  commends  her  respectful  at- 
tention to  the  forms  of  religion,  blames 
her  ecclesiastical  proceedings  in  some 
matters  of  great  moment.  He  represents, 
with  much  earnestness,  the  irregular  and 
even  simoniacal  ordinations  of  pastors  in 
France,  and  observes,  with  great  energy, 
the  deplorable  state  of  the  flocks,  and  the 
scandal  of  all  godliness,  which  must 
lensue  from  such  conduct.  Finding  that 
his  remonstrances  had  little  effect,  he 
urges  her  still  more  strongly  on  the  same 
subject,  and  observes  the  probability  of 
divine  vengeance  overtaking  her  family, 
if  she  corrected  not  these  enormities.  It 
is  remarkable  that  this  wicked  woman 


*  B.  VII.  190.  B.  IX.  9. 
+  B.  VII.  113.  B.  IX.  57. 


64. 


Cext.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


509 


was  afterwards  put  to  a  cruel  death,  and 
that  her  descendants  were  slain  or  ex- 
pelled. From  some  parts  of  the  more 
early  correspondence  between  them,  one 
would  think  that  Gregory  thought  highly 
of  her  virtues.  Time,  however,  unde- 
ceived him,  and  it  must  be  confessed, 
that  he  treated  her  with  the  undissem- 
bled  plainness  which  becomes  a  Christian 
pastor. 

The  bodily  afflictions  of  Gregory,  in 
connection  with  the  miseries  of  the  times, 
are  forcibly  described  by  him  in  a  letter 
toltalica,  a  patrician  lady.* 

"  I  can  find  nothing  else  to  say  of  my- 
self, than  that  as  a  just  punishment  of 
my  sins,  I  have  been  almost  eleven 
months  confined  to  my  bed.  I  am  so 
oppressed  with  the  gout,  that  life  is  a 
heavy  punishment.  I  faint  daily  through 
pain,  and  breathe  after  death  as  my  re- 
medy.f  Among  the  clergy  and  people 
of  the  city,  scarcely  a  freeman  or  a  slave 
is  exempt  from  fevers.  Africa  and  the 
East  are  also  full  of  misery  and  desola- 
tion. I  see  the  end  of  all  things  ap- 
proaching ;  be  therefore  less  solicitous 
on  account  of  your  own  calamities.  Study 
with  alacrity  that  godliness,  which  has 
the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  as 
well  as  of  that  which  is  to  come." 

In  a  letter  to  Eulogius,:j:  bishop  of 
Alexandria,  written  the  year  after,  he 
says,  "  I  have  been  near  two  years  con- 
fined to  my  bed,  in  constant  pain. — Often 
have  I  been  forced  to  return  to  my  bed, 
when  I  scarcely  had  left  it,  by  the  vio- 
lence of  pain. — 'Thus  I  die  daily,  and  yet 
live.  But  I  am  a  grievous  criminal,  and, 
as  such,  deservedly  shut  up  in  so  painful 
a  prison.  I  daily  cry  with  the  Psalmist, 
Bring  my  soul  out  of  prison,  that  I  may 
give  thanks  to  thy  name."  While  he 
lived,  he  was  frequently  thus  afflicted  ; 


»  B.  VII.  127. 

+  In  another  letter  he  speaks  of  a  tlisordei- 
different  from  the  gout  ;  namely,  u  grievous 
burning  heat,  that  spread  over  all  liis  body, 
and  took  away  his  spirits.  By  sncli  severe 
exercises  was  this  good  man  trained  for  tiie 
kingdom  of  heaven,  and  lie  evidently  grew  in 
humility,  tender  sympathy  with  others  in 
distress,  and  ardent  breathings  for  the  heaven- 
ly country. 

t  This  Eulogius,  by  preaching  and  writing, 
strengthened  the  hands  of  the  godly  in  the 
East,  and  lessened  the  influence  of  heretics. 
He  seems,  by  Gregory's  correspondence  with 
him,  to  have  been  a  wise  and  pious  pastor, 
such  as  in  Alexandria  and  the  East  were  rare- 
ly to  be  found. 

2c2 


but  the  vigour  of  his  mind  was  unabated, 
and  his  faculties  were  unclouded. 

Another  instance  of  his  bodily  suffer- 
ings shall  close  this  branch  of  his  story. 
Writing  to  his  friend  Venantius,  who 
was  likewise  afflicted  with  the  gout,  he 
says,  "  what  ought  we  to  do,  but  to  call 
our  sins  to  remembrance,  and  to  thank 
God,  that  he  purifies  us  by  afflicting  our 
flesh. — Let  us  take  care,  that  we  pass 
not  from  one  degree  of  torment  to  an- 
other, and  let  us  consider  the  goodness 
of  God,  who  threatens  us  with  death, 
that  he  may  imprint  in  us  an  edifying 
fear  of  his  judgments.  How  many  sin- 
ners have  continued  immersed  in  sin 
through  life  without  a  head-ach,  and 
have  suddenly  been  cast  into  hell !" — I 
rejoice  to  find  in  this  great  man  the  marks 
of  that  deep  humility,  which  is  known 
only  to  true  converts,  and  of  that  wise 
improvement  of  affliction,  of  which  the- 
orists may  reason,  but  which  saints  only 
feel.  He  concludes  thus  benevolently 
and  piously  to  his  friend ;  "  May  the  Lord 
infuse  into  your  soul  these  words  by  the 
inspiration  of  his  Spirit,  cleanse  you 
from  your  iniquities,  give  you  here  the 
joy  of  his  consolation,  and  eternal  reward 
hereafter."* 

Gregory  having  been  informed,  that 
Clementina,  a  woman  of  quality,  had 
harboured  some  suspicions  against  him, 
wrote  to  her  in  a  charitable  spirit,  and 
with  the  intention  of  effacing  the  dis- 
agreeable impressions.  He  at  the  same 
time  mildly  reproved  her  for  the  want  of 
a  placable  and  forgiving  temper.  He  re- 
minds her  of  the  well-known  petition 
in  the  Lord's  prayer,  and  delivered  seve- 
ral weighty  sentiments  adapted  to  the  sub- 
ject, j- 

On  no  occasion  was  Gregory  wanting 
to  impress  on  men's  minds  the  care  of  the 
soul.  Two  persons  having  requested  his 
assistance  in  their  temporal  difficulties, 
after  having  said  what  the  case  required, 
he  exhorted  them  not  to  murmur  at  the 
divine  dispensations,  nor  to  undertake 
any  thing  unjust  under  the  pretence  of 
necessity;  but  to  fix  their  hope  on  the 
mercy  of  their  Redeemer,  who  forsaketh 
not  those  who  trust  in  him,  to  occupy 
their  minds  with  divine  things,  and  to 
repose  on  him  who  gives  what  we  have 
not,  repairs  what  we  have  lost,  and  pre- 
serves what  he  has  repaired. ^ 

The  subdeacon  was  an  officer  of  the 


•  B.  IX.  25.      1 13.  Vm.  16.     t  B.  XI.  23. 


510 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VI. 


Church,  who  superintended,  under  the 
bisliop  of  Rome,  the  distant  bishoprics 
and  parishes  which  belonged  to  his  juris- 
diction.* Gregory  wrote  to  Anthemius, 
the  siibdeacon  of  Campania,  that  he  had 
heard  of  Paschasius,  a  bishop,  who  was 
so  slothful,  that  he  neglected  every  pas- 
toral duty,  admitted  of  no  advice,  and 
gave  himself  up  to  the  building  of  a  ship. 
It  seems  he  used  to  go  down  to  the  sea 
on  this  very  unclerical  employment  with 
one  or  two  of  his  clergymen,  and  was 
held  in  derision  by  all  the  country.  Gre- 
gory directs  his  subdeacon  to  reprimand 
him  in  the  presence  of  some  presbyters, 
or  gentlemen  of  the  neighbourhood,  and 
try  by  that  method  to  reform  him.  Should 
that  prove  ineffectual,  he  enjoins  him  to 
send  Paschasius  to  Rome,  to  answer  for 
himself  before  Gregory. 

I  know  not  th'^  result ;  but  it  seemed 
worth  while  to  mention  the  case,  as  it 
illustrates  the  state  of  the  church  disci- 
pline of  that  day,  as  well  as  the  vigilant 
attention  of  Gregory.  That  so  many 
should  nominally  sustain  the  pastoral 
character,  whose  taste  and  genius,  as 
well  as  disposition  and  sentiments,  are 
repugnant  to  it,  and  who  seem  qualified 
to  excel  in  any  thing  rather  than  what  is 
sacerdotal,  is  matter  for  lamentation. 
The  profane  avarice  of  parents  educating 
their  children  for  the  ministry  at  all 
events,  is  one  great  cause  of  it. 


CHAPTER  VI, 


GREGORY  S  CONDUCT  TOWARD  THE   EM- 
PERORS MAURITIUS  AND  PHOCAS. 

It  is  impossible  for  any  impartial  per- 
son, who  has  attended  to  the  spirit  and 
conduct  of  Gregory  as  exhibited  in  his 
pastoral  memoirs,  not  to  feel  a  conviction 
of  the  eminent  piety,  integrity,  and  hu- 
mility of  this  bishop.  Yet  it  has  been 
the  fashion  to  arraign  his  character  with 
great  severity,  on  account  of  his  conduct 
in  the  latter  part  of  his  life.  He  has  been 
accused  of  great  ingratitude  towards  one 
excellent  and  virtuous  emperor,  and  of 
egregious  flattery  towards  another  who 
was  profligate  and  tyrannical.  The  evi- 
dence already  adduced  of  his  disposition 
and  temper  should  naturally  dispose  us  to 
receive  with  much  caution  such  grievous 
accusations.     I  shall  throw  totjether  into 


this  chapter  the  facts  on  which  our  judg- 
ment is  to  be  founded.* 

A  series  of  events  had  given  Gregory  a 
strong  prejudice  against  the  government 
of  Mauritius.  Their  opposition  of  senti- 
ment had  remarkably  alienated  their  spi- 
rits from  one  another,  though  they  once 
had  the  most  sincere  esteem  for  each 
other's  character.  Gregory  had  been  very 
acceptable  to  Mauritius,  who  had  strong- 
ly favoured  his  promotion  to  the  bishopric. 
Nor  is  there  any  reason  to  doubt  of  the 
sincerity  of  the  bishop's  professions  of  a 
very  high  regard  for  the  emperor,  when 
he  made  them.  Changes  of  this  sort  are 
common  amongst  mankind,  and  the  de- 
clarations which  men  make  at  different 
times  of  the  characters  of  the  same  per- 
sons, however  contradictory,  are  not  to  be 
always  charged  to  insincerity. 

Mauritius  made  a  law,  to  prohibit  men, 
who  had  held  civil  offices  under  the  go- 
vernment, from  undertaking  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  Church.  Of  this  Gregory 
approved  ;  but  a  clause  in  the  same  law, 
which  forbad  military  men  to  enter  into 
monasteries  till  the  time  of  their  service 
was  expired,  or  till  they  were  disabled 
for  the  profession,  met  not  with  the  same 
approbation.  Gregory,  too  fond  of  mo- 
nastic institutions,  and  conceiving  them 
necessary  for  the  souls  of  some,  though 
not  of  all,  expostulated  with  the  emperor 
on  the  impiety  of  the  decree.  He  does 
so,  however,  with  all  possible  decency 
and  respect,  and  lays  open  his  sentiments 
with  a  frankness  and  modesty,  which  do 
honour  to  his  character.  Doubtless  he 
was  mistaken,  and  the  mistake  was  com- 
mon to  him  with  the  most  pious  of  those 
times.  He  promulged,  however,  the  em- 
peror's decree  through  Italy,  and  thus,  as 
he  himself  says,  he  was  faithful  to  God, 
at  the  same  time  obedient  to  his  prince,  j 
In  this  transaction,  in  which  it  does 
not  appear  that  he  succeeded  with  the 
emperor,  the  zeal  of  Gregory  was  quick- 
ened by  the  strong  presentiments  of  the 
near  approach  of  the  day  of  judgment, 
which  filled  his  mind.  This  mistaken  no- 
tion seems  to  have  dwelt  with  Gregory; 
nor  was  it  in  him  a  mere  speculation.  He 
was  practically  serious  in  the  expectation. 
I  find  him  pressing  it  in  another  letter  to 
the  nobles  and  landholders  of  the  island 
of  Sardinia,  whom  he  reproved  for  suffer- 


B.  XI.  29. 


*  See  Bower's  History  of  the  Popes,  Vol- 
ii.  Greirorv. 
tB.Xli.  Ep.  100. 


Cent.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


511 


iiiff  their  labourers  to  remain  in  a  state  of 
idolatry.  He  justly  observes,  that  they 
were  bound  in  conscience  to  take  care  of 
the  spiritual  instruction  of  those  who  la- 
boured for  them  in  temporal  things,  and 
he  earnestly  exhorts  them  to  promote  the 
charitable  work.*  The  selfishness  and 
insensibility,  with  which  so  many,  in 
modern  times,  can  reap  lucrative  advan- 
tages, from  the  labours  of  mariners,  slaves, 
and  apprentices,  with  no  more  attention 
to  their  best  interests,  than  if  they  were 
of  the  brute  creation,  here  naturally  forces 
itself  on  our  attention.  Other  letters  of 
the  same  kind,  demonstrate  the  zeal  of 
Gregory  for  the  propagation  of  Christian- 
ity among  idolaters  and  infidels. 

Italy  suffered  extremely  from  the  Lom- 
bards, as  has  been  observed,  and  we  can 
form  no  hopeful  idea  of  the  real  conver- 
sion of  Aigilulph,  the  husband  of  TheO' 
dolinda,  since  he  still  ravaged  the  Roman 
territories,  and  filled  them  with  misery 
and  desolation.  These  evils  were  a  con- 
stant source  of  affliction  to  the  tender  spi- 
rit of  Gregory,  yet  he  failed  not  to  im- 
prove them  IN  HIS  HOMILIES,  TO  THE  IN- 
STP.LX'TION  OF  HIS  FLOCK.       Willing  tO  put 

a  stop  to  the  effusion  of  blood,  and  averse 
to  shedding  even  that  of  the  Lombards  by 
nourishing  intestine  feuds  among  them, 
as  he  might  have  done,  he  strove  to  make 
peace  wnih  Aigilulph,  and  had  even  suc- 
ceeded, when  the  Exarch  of  Ravenna,  the 
emperor's  governor  of  Italy,  perfidiously 
brake  the  peace,  and  provoked  the  Lom- 
bard king  to  renew  his  hostilities.     The 
Exarch  himself,  finding  his  own  profit  in 
the  continuance  of  the  war,  was  for  per- 
severing in  it  at  all  events,  and  his  heart 
was  hardened   against  the  sufferings  of 
the  people,  which  Gregory  deplored.   In- 
volved as  we  find  this  holy  bishop  in  po- 
litical concerns  far  more  than  it  were  to 
be  wished,  it  is  yet  pleasing  to  see  him 
uniformly  supporting  the  Christian  cha- 
racter.   For  now  a  severe  trial  came  upon 
him.     Mauritius,  induced  by  representa- 
tions fro.m  the  Exarch,  reproached  him 
severely  with  his  conduct,  and  in  effect 
called   him  a  foolish  person.     Gregory, 
humble  as  he  was,  felt  the  indignity,  of 
all  others  the  hardest  to  be  borne  by  men 
of  understanding.     Yet  he  checked  his 
spirit,  and  brake  not  the  just  bounds  pre- 
scribed to  the  Christian  and  to  the  subject 
of  an  emperor.     "  While  you  reprove 


•  B.  III.  23. 


me,"  says  he,  "  in  sparing,  you  have  not 
spared  me.     While  you  politely  tax  me 
with  simplicity,  you  doubtless  call  me  a 
fool.     I  own  the  charge.     Had  1  not  been 
so,  I  should  not  have  come  hither  to  this 
episcopal  scene,  to  endure  what  I  suffer 
amidst  the  Lombard  wars. — Indeed  if  I 
saw  not  the  daily  increase  of  the  calami- 
ties of  the  Romans,  I  should  gladly  be 
silent  with  respect  to  personal  contempt. 
But  this  is  my  affliction;  the  same  cause 
which  subjects  me  to  the  imputation  of 
folly,  brings  my  countrymen  under  the 
yoke  of  the  Lombards.     And  while  I  am 
not  believed,  the  strength  of  the  enemy 
increases   mightily.     This  I  suggest   to 
my  good  Lord,  that  he  may  believe  of  me 
what  evils  he  pleases,  only  let  him  not 
give  his  ears  to  any  sort  of  persons  con- 
cerning the  public  good,  but  regard  facts 
more  than  words. — I  know  I  am  a  sinner; 
I  daily  offend,  and  am  daily  chastised.    I 
trust  the  chastisement  of  your  displeasure 
will  work  for  my  good  at  the  last  day. 
But  let  me  recount  my  grievances.    First, 
the  peace  ^  had  made  with  Aigilulph, 
with  no  loss  to  the  state,  is  broken.     In 
the  next  place,  soldiers  are  removed  from 
Rome,   some   to   perish   by  the   enemy, 
others  to  defend  Perusium,  while  Rome 
is  exposed  to  danger.    Further,  Aigihilph 
appears  with  his  forces  ;  with  these  eyes 
I  have  seen  Romans,  like  dogs,  tied  with 
cords,  and  dragged  to  be  sold  as  slaves 
among  the  Franks. — As  to  myself,  in  the 
integrity  of  my  conscience  I  am  not  de- 
jected with  false  accusations;  I  am  pre- 
pared to  endure  all,  provided  my  soul's 
salvation    be   not   endangered.      But    it 
grieves  me  to  the  heart,  that  Gregory  and 
Castorius,  who  did  all  that  men  could  do, 
while  Rome  was  besieged,  have  fallen 
under  your  displeasure  on  my  account. 
That  you  threaten  me  with  an  awful  ac- 
count at  tlie  day  of  judgment,  will  require 
a  few  w^ords  in  answer.     I  beseech  you 
cease  from  this  language.     '  Judge  no- 
thing  before  the  time,'  says  that  excellent 
preacher  Paul.     I  oidy  say  this  in  brief, 
that,  unworthy  sinner  as  I  am,  I  rest  more 
on  the  mercy  of  Jesus  than  on  your  jus- 
tice.    Men  are  very  ignorant  of  the  mea- 
sures of  HIS  judgment;  perhaps  what  you 
commend,  he  will  blame;  and  wliat  you 
blame,  he  will  commend.     I  leave  uncer- 
tain things ;  I  have  recourse  to  prayers  and 
tears  alone,  begrsinor  that  the  Lord  would 
rule  our  pious  emperor  with  his   hand, 
and  acquit  him  at  that  awful  judgment; 
at  the  same  time  that  he  would  teach  me 


512 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VI. 


The  pride 
of  John, 
bishop  of 
Constan- 
tinople. 


SO  to  please  men,  that  I  lose  not  his  eter- 
nal grace."* 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  jealous 
uneasiness   of  Gregory  at   the   pride  of 
John,   bishop   of  Constantinople.      The 
title  of  Universal  Bishop,  had 
upon  his  own  application  been 
conferred    upon    him   in    an 
Eastern  council,  and  the  po- 
licy of  some  former  emperors 
had  induced  them  to  compli- 
ment the  prelates  of  Constantinople  with 
it;  because  the  honour  and  influence  of 
the  imperial  city  were  augmented  by  this 
means.     Gregory  was  the  more  vexed  at 
this,  because  the  synod  of  Chalcedonj 
had  offered  the  same  title  to  the  Roman 
bishops,  and  they  had  not  accepted  it. 
He  in  his  letters  called  himself  the  ser- 
vant of  the  servants  of  God.     Such  hu- 
mility might  have  been  thought  affected 
in  a  person  not  eminent  for  this  grace. 
Doubtless  it  would  have  been  more  pru- 
dent in  him  not  to  have  assumed  it.     But 
it  continues  to  this  day  the  title  of  his 
successors,  a  standing  mark  of  egregious 
hypocrisy !     That  which    deceived  Gre- 
gory in  this  case  was  the  erroneous  no- 
tion of  the  pre-eminence  of  his  own  See, 
as  belonging  to  St.  Peter;  yet  I  no  way 
doubt  but  he  sincerely  abhorred  the  pride 
of  the  Eastern  prelate.     Had  he  himself, 
however,  been  more  completely  humble 
and  less  superstitious,  he  would  liave  suf- 
fered the  affair  to  pass  with  greater  indif- 
ference.   While  in  one  respect  we  behold 
tliis  good  man  acting  the  patriot  and  the 
Christian,  relieving  the  distressed,  and 
ransoming  the  captives  with  unbounded 
liberality,  nominally  possessing  great  ec- 
clesiastical wealth,  but  employing  it  all 
to   the   most    beneficent    purposes,   and 
sparing  no  labour  or  fatigue  ;  in  another 
we  see  him  writing  and  negotiating  with 
persevering  vehemence  concerning  a  title, 
in  which,  though  his  cause  was  unques- 
tionably just,  his  eagerness  was  unneces- 
sarily sanguine.     He   solicited  the  ein- 
peror  Mauritius  on  the  subject,  but  in  vain. 
And  this  was  an  additional  cause  of  the 
prejudices,  which  they  imbibed  against 
each  other. 

Mauritius  cannot  be  vindicated  in  sup- 
porting the  odious  pride  of  John  against 
the  just  demands  of  Gregory.  The  evil, 
by  the  countenance  of  the  emperor,  con- 


gory  had  still  more  weighty  causes  of 
complaint,  and  such  as  his  episcopal  duty 
called  on  him  to  lay  before  the  emperor. 
This  he  did  in  a  letter  to  Constantia, 
the  empress.  "  Knowing,"  says  he,  "  that 
there  were  many  Gentiles*  in  Sardinia, 
that  they  worshipped  idols,  and  that  the 
clergy  were  remiss  in  preaching  our  re- 
deemer to  them,  I  sent  a  bishop  from 
Italy  thither,  who,  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
being  with  him,  brought  over  many  of 
them  to  the  faith.  I  am  informed,  that 
those,  who  persevere  in  idolatry,  give  a 
fee  to  the  judge  of  the  island,  that  they 
may  be  allowed  to  do  so  with  impunity. 
Some,  having  been  baptized,  and  ceasing 
to  worship  idols,  are  still  obliged  to  pay 
the  same  fine  to  the  judge  :|  who,  when 
the  bishop  blamed  him,  answered,  that 
he  had  paid  so  much  money  for  the  pur- 
chase of  his  office,  that  he  could  not  re- 
cover his  expenses  but  by  such  perqui- 
sites. The  island  of  Corsica  also  is  op- 
pressed with  such  exactions  and  griev- 
ances, that  the  inhabitants  are  scarcely 
able  to  pay  the  tributes  even  by  the  sale  of 
their  children.  Hence  the  number  of  pro- 
prietors in  the  island,  relinquishing  the 
Roman  government,  are  reduced  to  put 
themselves  under  the  protection  of  the 
Lombards.  For  what  more  grievous  op- 
pression can  they  suffer  from  the  barba- 
rians than  to  be  obliged  to  sell  their  chil- 
dren ] — I  know  that  the  emperor  will  say, 
that  the  whole  produce  of  the  revenue  in 
these  islands  is  applied  to  the  support  and 
defence  of  Italy.  Be  it  so;  but  a  divine 
blessing  ought  not  to  be  expected  to  attend 
the  gains  of  sin."    He  wrote  again  to  the 


tinued,   and   John's    successor   assumed 
the  same  Anti-Christian  title.     Bat  Gre- 


B.  IV.  Ep.  75. 


t  Ibid.  76. 


*  The  term  means  idolaters  in  the  language 
of  the  fathers.     B.  lY.  Ep.  77. 

t  Gregory  was  mucli  afflicted  to  find,  that  al- 
inostall  the  peasants  of  the  island  were  still  idola- 
ters. Januarius,  bishop  of  Cagliari,  was  indolent ; 
tlie  slaves  belonging  to  his  own  church  were 
idolaters;  the  other  bishops  of  the  province  were 
equally  negligent.  Hospiton,  the  cliief  of  the 
barbarians,  liad,  however,  received  ttie  Gospel; 
and  to  him  Gregory  recommended  Ids  missiona- 
ries, cxliorting  him  to  exert  himself  for  tlie  sal- 
vation of  his  countrymen.  Gregory  rebuked 
Januarius  for  his  rieglectof  discipline  in  general, 
though  he  had  exercised  it  severely  in  one  in- 
stance, in  which  he  had  met  with  a  personal 
atTront.  The  world  is  still  the  same;  I  could 
wish  that  what  has  been  nieniioned  did  not  uive 
just  cause  to  the  reader,  to  recollect  not  only  the 
state  of  religion  in  the  West  Indies,  but  nearer 
at  liome,  in  Ireland,  in  which,  nuiwiihslanding 
there  are  such  a  number  of  bishoprics  and 
churches,  a  superstitious  and  idolatrous  religion 
prevails  to  this  day. 


Cent.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


513 


empress,  against  the  pride  of  John,  and 
speaks  superstitiously  on  the  merits  of 
St.  Peter,  while  he  laments  his  own  un- 
worthiness.  Twenty-seven  years,  he  ob- 
serves, the  Roman  church  had  suffered 
from  the  desolation  of  the  Lombards ;  and 
its  daily  expenses,  partly  on  account  of 
the  war,  and  partly  in  the  support  of  the 
indigent,  were  incredibly  great. 

Gregory  had  also  other  just  causes  of 
complaint  against  the  emperor.  Proper- 
ty, he  saw,  was  entirely  fluctuating  and 
insecure  on  account  of  oppressive  exac- 
tions, insidious  proceedings  in  wills, 
and  various  artifices  employed  by  the 
emperor's  ministers.*  These  evils  were 
constantly  practised  in  Italy,  and  Gre- 
gory had  deplored  them  in  vain. 

Evagrius  delivers  a  very  pompous  en- 
comium on  the  character  of  Mauritius. f 
But  his  praise  is  declamatory  and  vague, 
and  liable  to  the  suspicion  of  flattery,  as 
Mauritius   was   then   living.      After   all 
due  allowances  made  on  account  of  the 
emperor's  distance  from  Italy,  it  is  im- 
possible to  vindicate  his   conduct.     He 
wanted  not  military  virtues,  and  had  some 
sense  of  religion.     But  avarice  was  the 
predominant  feature  of  his  character ;  and 
how  much  this  vice  prevails  to  eclipse  all 
laudable  qualities  in  a  man,  was  never 
more  illustrated  than  in  the  conduct  of 
Mauritius.     Chagan,  king  of  the  Avares, 
a  Scythian  nation  on  the  banks  of  the 
Danube,  offered,  for  a  ransom,  to  liberate 
some  thousands  of  prisoners.     He  even 
proposed  to   do  it  at  a  low   price;    but 
Mauritius  would  not  part  with  his  money, 
and  the  barbarian  in  a  rage  massacred  all 
his  prisoners.     Mauritius,  though  cove- 
tous, was  not  inhuman :   he  was  struck 
with  horror  at  the  news,  and  besought 
God,  that  his  punishment  might  be  in 
this  life,  not  in  the  next.     His  prayer 
was  answered  in  the   former  part  of  it 
undoubtedly,  and  I  hope  also  in  the  latter 
As  he  had  alienated  the  affections  of  his 
soldiers  by  his  refusal  to  supply  their 
wants,  they  elevated  Phocas,  a  centurion, 
to  the  Imperial  throne.     Mauritius  fled, 
but  was  seized,  and  inhumanly  murdered 
with  his  wife  and  family.     Five  of  his 
sons  were  slain  in  his  sight  before  he 
himself  received  the  fatal  stroke.     The 
little  spark  of  divine  grace,  which  for 
years  seems  to  have  maintained  a  dubious 


existence  in  a  heart  by  nature  extremely 


•  R.  XI.  F,p.  36. 

+  Toward  the  close  of  his  history. 


avaricious,  was  fanned  into  a  flame  by 
the  keen  blast  of  wholesome  affliction. 
Mauritius  bore  the  scene  with  silent  re- 
signation, repeating  only,  as  each  of  his 
children  was  butchered,  "Righteous  art 
thou,  O  Lord,  and  true  are  thy  judgments." 
A  nurse,  who  took  care  of  his  youngest 
son,  placed  her  own  in  its  room  :  Mauri- 
tius detecting  the  generous   fraud,  dis- 
covered it  to  the  executioners,  and  prevent- 
ed its  effect. — ^This  is  a  transaction  of 
civil  history,  but  it  falls  in  with  our  plan. 
The  great  faults  of  one,  who  had  a  latent 
spark  of  grace  within  him,  were  punish- 
ed in  this  life  by  the  wickedness  of  the 
monster  Phocas,  and  the  story  deserves  to 
be  remembered  as  a  beacon  to  warn  pro- 
fessors of  godliness  against  the  love  of 
the  world.     Mauritius  seems  to  have  pro- 
fited abundantly  by  the  scourge,  and  to 
have  died  in  such  a  frame  of  mind  as  be- 
longs  only  to   Christian.     We   are   not 
apt  to  be  aware  of  the  advantages  which 
society  receives  from  Christianity.     Let 
us  suppose  this  emperor  to  have   been 
totally   unacquainted    with,    or    entirely 
averse  to  Christian  principles.     How  im- 
mensely more  pernicious  his  natural  dis- 
position  would    have   been,   unchecked 
internally,    as  well    as  externally,  can 
scarcely  be  conceived. 

The  images  of  Phocus  and  of  his  wife 
Leontia,  were  sent  to  Rome,  and  received 
with  much  respect  by  the  people,  and  by 
Gregory  himself.     It  cannot  be  supposed, 
that  the  bishop  of  Rome  could  be   ac- 
quainted with  the  personal  character  of 
Phocas,  who  was  in  truth  a  man  of  ex- 
traordinary   wickedness;    and    the   late 
transactions  at  Constantinople  would  na- 
turally be  misrepresented  to  him  in  the 
accounts  transmitted  thence.    Prejudiced 
as  he  was  against  Mauritius,  and  willing 
to  hope  better  things  from  the  new  empe- 
ror, he  wrote  him  a  congratulatory  letter, 
in  which  he  studiously  avoided  saying 
any, thing  on  the  detail  of  circumstances, 
of  which  he  must  have  been  very  insuffi- 
ciently informed,  and  dwelt  on  that  which 
was  certain,  namely,  the  adorable  hand 
of  Divine   Providence  in  changing   the 
times,  and  in  transferring  kingttoms,  as 
he  pleases.     He  exults  in  the  prospect 
which  he  had  too  eagerly  formed  of  a 
wise,  just  and  pious  administration.     He 
modestly  hints  at  the  great  abuses  of  the 
late  government,  and  exhorts  Phocas  to 
redress   them,  reminding   him,   "that  a 
Roman  emperor  commands  freemen,  and 


514 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VH. 


not  slaves."*  Such  is  the  substance  of 
his  letter,  in  which  I  see  nothing  un- 
worthy of  the  piety  and  patriotisnfi  of 
Gregory,  but  much  of  his  wonted  care 
for  the  good  of  the  church  and  the  public. 

Gregory  wrote  again  to  Phocas,  to 
apologize  for  the  want  of  a  deacon,  who 
should  reside  at  Constantinople.  Pho- 
cas had  complained  to  him  of  this,  and 
invited  him  to  send  one.  The  bishop 
informed  him,  that  the  severity  of  the 
late  government  had  deterred  all  clergy- 
men from  going  thither.  But,  as  he  now 
hoped  better  things,  he  sent  him  a  person, 
whom  he  recommended  to  his  protection. 
He  beseeches  Phocas  to  listen  to  his  re- 
lation of  facts,  as  he  would  thence  learn 
more  distinctly  the  miseries  which  Italy 
had  sustained  without  redress,  for  thirty- 
five  years,  from  the  Lombards.]"  Is  it 
at  all  surprising,  that  this  language  should 
be  used  by  a  man  who  sincerely  loved 
his  country,  and  knew  little  of  the  new 
emperor;  who  probably  had  received  a 
false  account  of  his  actions  and  character, 
and  who  had  so  long  been,  on  Christian 
principles,  both  patient  and  loyal  to  an 
oppressive  government. 

In  another  letter  to  Leontia  he  is  not  to 
be  excused  from  the  charge  of  an  unhappy 
superstition.  He  talks  of  Peter  the 
Apostle,  reminds  her  of  the  scripture- 
text,  on  the  perverted  use  of  which  hangs 
the  whole  structure  of  the  papacy, :f:  and 
of  his  intercession  in  heaven.  He  prays, 
that  she  and  her  husband  may  be  en- 
dowed with  princely  virtues,  and  ex- 
presses, I  will  not  say  with  flattery,  but 
with  an  expectation  much  too  sanguine, 
his  hopes  of  the  blessings  of  the  new 
administration. 

Phocas  was  displeased  with  Cyriacus, 
the  bishop  of  Constantinople,  because  he 
had  generously  interested  himself  in  fa- 
vour of  the  remaining  branches  of  Mauri- 
tius's  family ;  and  while  he  courted  the 
favour  of  Gregory  and  of  the  Romans  at  a 
distance,  he  tyrannized  at  home  in  an  un- 
common manner.  But  Gregory  died  the 
next  year  after  Phocas's  promotion,  and 
had  not,  probably,  time  enough  to  know 
his  genuine  character,  and  was  himself 
also  so  bowed  down  with  pains  and 
infirmities,  that  he  was  unable  to  answer 
a  letter  of  Theodolinda,  queen  of  the 
Lombards.  He  had  promised  to  do  it, 
if  his  health  was  restored  :   but  he  grew 


B.  XI,  Ep.  36.  t  lb.  43. 

^  Matt.  xvi.  18. 


less  and  less  capable  of  business  till  he 
died.  Had  health  and  opportunity  per- 
mitted, the  vigour  and  piety  of  his  cha- 
racter give  me  no  room  to  doubt,  that  he 
would  have  rebuked  the  Roman  tyrant 
in  such  a  manner,  as  to  have  quite  silenced 
the  accusations,  which,  on  this  account, 
have  been  thrown  upon  him.  That  he 
should  have  opposed  the  usurpation  of 
Phocas,  will  not  be  expected  from  those 
who  consider  the  views  of  the  primitive 
Christians,  who  intermeddled  not  with 
politics ;  but  he,  who  plainly  rebuked 
Mauritius,  would  certainly  not  have 
spared  his  successor,  whose  conduct  was 
far  more  blameable.* 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Gregory's  conduct  with  respect 
to  england. 

This  also  has  been  a  source  of  much 
accusation  against  the  Roman  prelate. 
Protestant  writers,  in  their  zeal  against 
popery,  have  censured  his  domineering- 
spirit  with  acrimony,  as  if  the  British 
Christians  had  been  protestants,  and  the 
Roman  Christians  papists,  accurately 
speaking.  But  Gregory  v^as  no  pope, 
nor  had  the  Britons  separated  from  the- 
general  Church,  and  formed  a  purer  estab- 
lishment of  their  own.  Superstition  and 
ecclesiastical  power,  in  the  excess,  ad- 
hered indeed  to  the  conduct  of  the  Roraaa 
prelate,  as  the  fault  of  the  age,  not  of  his 
temper;  and  if  he  had  perfectly  avoided 
the  fashionable  evils  of  his  time,  he 
would  have  been,  I  had  almost  said,  more 
than  human.  But  the  ideas,  peculiarly 
popish,  were  not  yet  matured  in  the 
churches.  Dissenting  writers,  I  find, 
have  been  seduced  by  the  same  sort  of 
prejudices  as  divines  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  it  is  curious  to  observe, 
how  different  writers  can  find  in  the  fea- 
tures of  the  British  Church,  the  very 
fitrure  of  their  own  denomination.  I 
ought  to  profit  by  the  mistakes  of  others ; 
that  is,  to  forget  my  own  times  and  con- 


*  Pliocas  took  away  the  title  of  Universal 
Bishop  iVom  the  prelate  of  Constantinople, 
and  granted  it  to  Boniface  III.  the  next  suo- 
cessor  but  one  to  Gregory.  After  Phocas's 
death  the  prelate  of  the  East  re-assumed  the 
title.  The  two  bishops  each  preserved  it,  and 
with  equal  ambition  strove  for  the  pre-emi- 
nence. 


Gbjtt.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


515 


nexions ;  to  transplant  myself  into  the  age 
of  which  I  write  ;  to  make  liberal  allow- 
ances for  its  customs  and  prejudices,  and 
to  enable  the  reader,  from  facts  them- 
selves, to  form  his  own  judgment. 

For  near  a  century  and  a  half  the  Gos- 
pel of  Christ  had  been  declining  in  Britain, 
and  for  the  greatest  part  of  that  time  had 
been,  as  we  have  seen,  confined  to  Wales 
and  Cornwall,  or  to  the  mountains  of 
Scotland.  Ireland  too  still  preserved 
something  of  the  light,  while  the  Angles 
or  Saxons,  our  ancestors,  destroyed  every 
evangelical  appearance  in  the  heart  of 
the  island.  No  barbarians  were  ever 
more  ferocious,  or  more  idolatrous  ;  and 
the  Britons,  who  escaped  their  ravages, 
oppressed  one  another  with  civil  broils. 
Being  favoured  with  some  cessation  from 
their  wars  with  the  Saxons,  they  lost  by 
degrees  all  traces  of  former  piety,  though 
the  form  of  Christianity  still  remained. 
One  proof  among  others,  which  the  old 
historian  Gildas  gives  of  their  entire  want 
of  Christian  zeal  is,  that  they  took  not 
the  least  pains  for  the  conversion  of  the 
Saxons.  Seven  Saxon  kingdoms,  called 
the  Heptarchy,  were  now  formed,  alto- 
gether ignorant  and  idolatrous,  while  the 
few  British  churches  were  inattentive  to 
the  propagation  of  Christian  truth  in  the 
island.  And  the  Saxons  continued,  some 
of  them  for  a  century,  others  more  than 
two  centuries,  immersed  in  darkness.* 

One  cannot,  from  these  circumstances, 
form  any  agreeable  idea  either  of  the 
piety  or  of  the  knowledge  of  the  British 
Christians.  Nor  are  the  excuses  which 
our  protestant  historians  are  inclined  to 
make  for  their  want  of  zeal,  at  all  satis- 
factory. It  has  been  said  that,  "  The 
hostilities  of  the  Angles  would  cause 
such  attempts  to  be  arduous ;"  but  let  the 
reader  only  reflect  how  such  difficulties 
were  surmounted  by  zealous  and  chari- 
table Christians  in  former  ages.f  I 
cannot  but  therefore  subscribe^  to  the 
testimony  of  our  ancient  historians, :j: 
"  that  much  worthier  pastors  were  sent 
by  the  divine  goodness,  through  whom, 
those,  whom  God  had  foreknown,  might 
believe  to  salvation.*'  A  testimony  as 
evangelical  in  its  language,  as  it  is  solid 
in  fact. 

It  was  about  150  years  after  the  arrival 
of  the  Saxons  in  Britain,  that  Gregory 


•  Bede. 

t  See  Warner's  Eccl. 
ginning. 


Hist. 


towards  the  be- 
t  Bede. 


Mission  to 
Britain. 


sent  his  famous  mission  into  onr  island, 
toward  the  close  of  the  sixth 
century.  It  was  no  sudden  pj;egory's 
thought,  but  the  effect  of 
much  deliberation.  Even  be- 
fore his  consecration  at  Rome,  walking 
one  day  in  the  forum,  he  saw  some  very 
handsome  youths  exposed  to  sale.  Ask- 
ing of  what  country  they  were,  he  was 
informed  they  were  of  the  island  of 
Britain.  "  Are  the  inhabitants  of  that 
island  Christians  or  Pagans  V  They  are 
Pagans,  was  the  reply.  Alas  !  said  he, 
deeply  sighing,  that  the  prince  of  dark- 
ness should  possess  countenances  so 
luminous,  and  that  so  fair  a  front  should 
carry  minds  destitute  of  eternal  grace. 
What  is  the  name  of  the  nation  1  Angli, 
it  was  said.  In  truth  they  have  angelic 
countenances,  and  it  is  a  pity  they  should 
not  be  coheirs  with  angels  in  heaven. 
What  is  the  province  from  which  they 
come  ■?  Deira,  that  is  Northumberland, 
he  was  told.  It  is  well,  said  he,  De  ira, 
snatched  from  the  wrath  of  God,  and  call- 
ed to  the  mercy  of  Christ.  "What  is 
the  name  of  their  kingi"  Ella,  was  the 
answer.  Playing  upon  the  name,  "Al- 
leluia should  be  sung  to  God  in  those 
regions."*  Impressed  with  the  import- 
ance of  the  object,  he  earnestly  entreated 
the  then  Roman  bishop  to  send  a  mission 
to  the  island,  offering  himself  as  one 
ready  for  the  task.  Nothing  but  the  offi- 
cious benevolence  of  the  Roman  citizens 
prevented  the  work  at  that  time.  Gregory 
was  too  much  beloved  at  Rome  to  be 
allowed  to  leave  it. 

It  was  the  character  of  Gregory  to 
pursue  with  unwearied  attention  any  plan 
or  scheme  of  piety  or  discipline,  which  he 
had  once  conceived.  After  his  consecration 
in  the  j'ear  595,  he  directed  a  presbyter, 
whom  he  had  sent  into  France,  to  instruct 


*  I  leave  to  fastidious  sceptics,  such  as  the 
historian  Hume,  to  sneer  at  Gregory's  want  of 
taste  in  these  sevei-al  allusions.  'I'iie  candid 
reader  will  impute  ihein  to  the  times,  not  to 
the  man  ;  and  the  devout  and  chai-itable  will 
adore  the  gooilness  of  God,  which  was  begin- 
tiing  to  provide  such  precious  benefits  for  our 
country  ;  benefits,  which  call  for  ceaseless 
j'ratitude  to  the  Author  of  all  good,  and  should 
endear  the  memory  of  the  Komari  j)relate  to 
our  latest  posterity.  An  elegant  ei)igram  on 
Milton,  by  a  countryman  of  Gregory,  turns  on 
the  same  conceit  : 

Ut  mens,  forma,  decor,  facies,  mos,  si  pie- 
tas  sic, 

Non  Anglus,  verura  hercle,  Angelus  ipse 
fores. 


516 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  VH. 


some  young  Saxons    of   seventeen    or 
Missions  to     ^ighteen    years    of   age,   in 
England,        Christianity.  He  intended  to 
A  D  59r       prepare  them  for  the  mission 
into  our   island  ;  and  in  the 
year  597  he  actually  sent  missionaries 
hither.     They  were  a  number  of  monks, 
at  the  head  of  whom  was  one  named  Au- 
gustine. In  obedience  to  Gregory's  direc- 
tions, they  proceeded  on  their  journey ; 
but  their  hearts  failed  them,  when  they 
reflected  on  the  difficulties  and  dangers 
to  which  they  thought  themselves  likely 
to  be  exposed.     The  faith  and  zeal  and 
simplicity  of  a  Christian  missionary  were 
at  this  time  grown  rare  in  the  world ; 
and  Augustine  was  sent  back  by  the  rest, 
to  entreat  Gregory  to  discharge  them  from 
the  service.    The  prelate  wrote  exhort- 
atory  letters,  advising  them  to  proceed  in 
confidence  of  Divine  aid.     He  informed 
them,  that  it  had  been  better  not  to  have 
begun  a  good  work,  than  to  recede  from 
it  afterwards.     He  entreated  them  not  to 
be  deterred  by  the  labour  of  the  journey, 
nor  by  the  breath  of  malevolence.     He 
set  before  them  the  heavenly  prospects, 
and  prayed  that  he  himself  might  see  the 
fruit  of  their  labour  in  the  eternal  country. 
For  though,  says  he,  I  cannot  labour  with 
you,  may  lat  the  same  time  be  found  in  the 
joy  of  retribution,  because  I  am  willing 
to  labour  !  Nor  did  he  neglect  any  means 
proper  lo  accommodate  the  missionaries  : 
he  recommended  them  to  the  attention  of 
Etherius,  bishop  of  Aries,  and  secured 
them  all  the  assistance  in  France,  that 
might  expedite  their  passage  into  Britain, 
and  every  convenience  which  they  needed. 
Thus  animated,  they  arrived  in  Britain.* 
There   was,    however,    a  remarkable 
concurrence  of  providential   circumstan- 
ces which  facilitated  the  work,  and  gave 
it  a  more  expeditious  success  than  might 
have  been  expected  from  appearances.  It 
is  very  observable,  how  much  the  Lord 
has  made  use  of  women  in  the  propagation 
of  the  Gospel  among  idolaters.  To  former 
instances  of  this  sort,  we  must  add,  that 
two  queens  were  concerned  in  this  work, 
one  of  whom  was  the  infamous  Brunehout, 
whose  correspondence  with  Gregory  has 
been  noticed.      Desirous   to   cover    her 
vices  by  the  appearance  of  religion,  she 
had,  at  Gregory's  request,  given  the  mis- 
sionaries every  possible  assistance.    The 
other,  a  character  on  whom  the  mind  will 
dwell   with   pleasure,  was   Bertha,   the 


Bede,  B.  1. 


only  daughter  of  Caribert,  king  of  Paris, 
a  descendant  of  Clovis.  Ethelbert,  to 
whom  she  had  been  married  in  his  fa- 
ther's lifetime,  was  now  king  of  Kent, 
and  one  of  the  most  wise  and  powerful  of 
the  Saxon  princes.  He  had  not  been  al- 
lowed to  marry  the  French  princess  but 
on  the  express  stipulation,  that  she  should 
be  permitted  to  make  free  profession  of 
Christianity,  in  which  she  had  been  edu- 
cated. She  brought  over  with  her  a 
French  bishop  to  the  court  of  Dorober- 
nium,  now  Canterbury.  Her  principles 
were  firm  and  sound :  her  conduct  was 
worthy  of  the  Christian  name  ;  and  her 
influence  over  her  husband  was  consider- 
able. Her  zealous  piety  was  not  inferior 
to  that  of  the  queen  Clovis,  which  had 
been  attended  with  such  happy  conse- 
quences in  France  ;  and  every  thing  con- 
spired to  favour  the  missionaries. 

Ethelbert  assigned  Augustine  a  habi- 
tation  in   the   isle  of  Thanet.     Here  he 
remained  at  first  with  his  associates,  who 
were  nearly  forty.     By  the  direction  of 
Gregory,    they   had    taken    with    them 
French   interpreters,    by    whose    means 
they  informed  the  king,  that  they  were 
come  from  Rome,*  and  brought  him  the 
best  tidings  in  the  world,  eternal   life  to 
those  who  received  them,  and  the  end- 
less  enjoyment  of  life  with  the  living 
and  true  God.     After  some  days,  Ethel- 
bert paid  them  a  visit ;  but  being  appre- 
hensive of  enchantments,  he  took  care^to 
receive  them  in  the  open  air,  where  he 
thought   he   should   be   safer   than  in  a 
house.     The  missionaries  met  him,  sing- 
ing litanies  for  their  own  salvation,  and 
that  of  those  for  whose  sake  they  came 
hither.|      Sitting   down,  by  the   king's 
direction,  they  preached  to  him  and  his 
attendants    the   word  of  life.     I  cannot 
produce  the  smallest  extract  of  the  ser- 
mon ;  but  that  it  explained  the  fundamen- 
tals, at  least,  of  the  Gospel,  there  seems 
no  reason  to  doubt.     One  may  form  some 
idea  of  it  by  the  king's  answer,  which 
was  to  this  effect,  "  They  are  fine  words 
and   promises,  which  ye  bring,  but  be- 
cause they  are  new  and  uncertain,  I  can- 
not afford  my  assent  to  them,  nor  relin- 
quish those  religious  practices  which  I 


*  Bede,  B.  I.  Ep.  25,  kc. 

f  As  I  write  not  the  history  of  snptTstilion, 
but  of  Christian  religion,  I  lliiiik.  not  myself 
obliged  to  copy  all  tlie  accounts  I  meet  with  in 
ancient  records  which  relate  to  the  termer. 
Justice,  in  the  extreme,  has  been  done  lo  them 
by  other  writers. 


Okst.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


517 


myself,  tog-ether  -with  all  the  English 
nation,  have  for  so  lontr  a  time  observed. 
But  as  ye  are  come  hither  from  a  great 
distance,  and  as  I  seem  to  discover  that 
ye  are  willing  to  communicate  to  us  those 
things,  which  ye  believe  to  be  true  and 
most  excellent,  we  are  not  willing  to  dis- 
turb you,  but  rather  to  receive  you  in  a 
friendly  manner,  and  to  afford  you  what 
majf  be  necessary  for  your  support ;  nor 
do  we  hinder  you  from  uniting  all,  whom 
ye  can  persuade  by  preaching,  to  the 
faith  of  your  religion."  He  gave  them 
a  mansion  in  the  royal  city  of  Canterbury, 
with  all  necessary  accommodations,  and 
the  license  of  preaching  the  word.  As 
they  approached  the  city,  they  sang  in 
concert  this  litany ;  We  pray  thee,  0 
Lord,  in  all  thy  mercy,  that  thine  anger 
and  thy  fury  may  be  removed  from  this 
city,  and  from  thy  holy  house,  because 
we  have  sinned.     Alleluia. 

Certainly  the  human  mind  was  in  a 
debased  and  childish  state  at  this  time 
throughout  a  great  part  of  the  world.  It 
had  long  been  sinking  in  its  powers  and 
taste.  The  heathen  philosophers  and 
orators  of  these  times  appear  no  way  su- 
perior to  Christian  authors  and  pastors, 
in  the  use  and  cultivation  of  the  under- 
standing. Such  men  as  Gregory  and  his 
missionaries  should  not  be  compared 
with  Cicero  and  Demosthenes,  l)ut  with 
their  own  contemporaries  ;  and  had  this 
been  done  by  writers  who  treat  them 
with  perfect  contempt,  the  injustice  of 
that  contempt  would  have  appeared.  It 
must  be  expected  that  the  work  of  divine 
grace  in  different  ages,  will,  in  its  effects 
and  manifestations,  exhibit  the  com- 
plexion and  colour  of  the  objects  with 
which  it  is  surrounded.  The  snbtilty  of 
Satan  will  not  fail  to  take  every  possible 
advantage  of  this  circumstance,  and  I  can 
believe  that  even  more  superstitions  than 
those  recorded  by  Bede  attended  the  la- 
bours of  the  Roman  missionaries.  In  our 
own  times  of  refinement,  evils  far  more 
plausible,  but  not  less  pernicious,  ac- 
company the  same  salutary  work.  I  have 
not,  however,  observed  any  thing  idola- 
trous, or  otherwise  directly  subversive  of 
Christianity,  to  have  yet  prevailed  in  any 
of  the  fashionable  superstitions.  These 
things  being  premised,  let  us  consider 
what  most  probably  was  the  doctrine 
preached  by  Augustine  ;  I  say  probably, 
since  the  wretched  narratives  from  whicli 
I  draw  my  information  have  given  no  ac- 
count. 1'hat  eternal  salvation  and  for- 
VoL.  I.  2  X 


giveness  of  sin  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
was  his  capital  doctrine,  seems  evident 
in  a  great  measure  from   Kthelhert's  ob- 
servation of  the  good  news  which  they 
brought.     I  may  still   more   confidently 
say,  that  his  sermon  was  not  a  system  of 
moral   duties.     For   how  could   tliat  he 
called   good    news  ?     All   the   diiricully 
with  Ethelbert  was,  to  believe  what  they 
promised  ;  the  very  same  difficulty  which 
strikes  all  unrenewed  minds  at  the  first 
hearing  of  the   Gospel.     And   Avhen   to 
this  we  add  what  we  certainly  know  of 
Gregory's  sentiments,  and  consider  Au- 
gustine  as    preaching    according  to  his 
views,  the  evidence  seems  to  rise  even 
beyond   probability.     Ethelbert,   a  pru- 
dent and  sensible  prince,  though,  as  yet 
at  least,  by  no  means  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  Christianity,  sees  no  suspicious 
mark  in  the  lanoruaore  and  conduct  of  tha 
preachers.     The  air  of  genuine  sincerity 
is  simple,  and   above  the   possibility  of 
imitation.     Candid  and  intelligent  minds 
perceive  it  almost  intuitively.     The  king 
of  Kent  could  see  no  selfish  motive  that 
was  likely  to  influence  these  men.    They 
spake  with  an  earnestness  that  showed 
their  own  conviction  of  the  excellency  of 
their  doctrine,  and  their  desire  of  profit- 
ing their  fellow-creatures.     Not  an  atom 
of  gain  was  to  be  acquired  to  the  See  of 
Rome:  the  whole  mission  was  disinter- 
ested.    Hence  the  candid  prince  was  in- 
duced  to   give   them  countenance;  and 
the  Gospel  appears  to  have  been  preach- 
ed by  these  missionaries  with  plainness 
and  sincerity. 

Their  conduct  at  Canterbury  was  cor- 
respondent to  these  beginnings.  They 
prayed,  fasted,  watched,  preached  the 
word  of  life  to  all,  as  opportunity  served  : 
they  lived  as  men  above  the  world  :  re- 
ceived nothing  from  those  whom  they 
taught,  except  necessaries :  they  ])rac- 
tised  what  they  taught,  and  showed  a 
readiness  to  suffer,  or  even  to  die,  for  the 
truth  which  they  preached.  Some  be- 
lieved and  were  baptized,  admiring  their 
innocent  lives,  and  tasting  the  sweetness 
of  their  doctrine.  Near  the  city  there 
was  an  old  church,  built  in  the  limes  of 
the  Romans,  in  which  queen  Bertha  was 
wont  to  pray.  In  this  the  missionaries 
first  held  their  assemblies,  sang,  prayed, 
preached,  and  baptized,  till,  the  king 
himself  being  converted  to  the   faith,* 


*  I  Iiope  Bede's  expression  (B.  I.  Ep.  26,)  is 
true  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  words. 


518 


HISTORY  OF  TiUK  CHUKUH: 


[Chap.  VII. 


they  obtained  a  larger  license  for  preach 
ing-  every  where,  and  of  building  or  re 
pairing  churches.  When  he  himself, 
amonor  others,  delighted  with  the  holi- 
ness  of  their  lives,  and  the  preciousness 
of  Gospel  promises,  confirmed  by  many 
miracles,*  believed  and  was  baptized, 
numbers  crowded  to  hear,  and  received 
the  word.  The  king,  congratulating  the 
new  converts,  declared  that  he  would 
compel  no  man  to  become  a  Christian ; 
however  he  embraced  those  who  did  so 
with  a  more  intimate  affection  as  fellow- 
heirs  of  the  grace  of  life.  For  the  mis- 
sionaries had  taught  him,  that  the  service 
of  Christ  ought  to  be  voluntary,  not 
com])ulsive.  He  now  gave  to  them  a 
settlement  in  Canterbury,  suited  to  their 
station,  with  all  necessary  accommoda- 
tions. 

Aug-ustine  returning  into  France,  re- 
ceived ordination,  as  the  archbishop  of 
the  English  nation,  from  the  bishop  of 
Aries,  and  returning  into  Bri- 
Augustine  tain,  sent  Laurentius  the  pres- 
ordained  byter,  and  Peter  the  monk,  to 
r'^of  th  acquaint  Gregory  with  his 
English  success,  and  to  receive  an- 
nution.  swers   to   various   questions. 

To  his  inquiries  concerning 
the  maintenance  of  the  clergy,  Gregory  an- 
swered, that  the  donations  made  to  the 
Church  were,  by  the  customs  of  the  Ro- 
man See,  divided  into  four  portions,  one 
for  the  bishop  and  his  family  to  support 
hospitality,  a  second  to  the  clergy,  a  third 
to  the  poor,  a  fourth  to  the  reparation  of 
churches :  that  as  the  pastors  were  all 
monks,  they  ought  to  live  in  common, 
with  a  remarkable  exception,  which 
proves  that  the  absolute  prohibition  of 
marriage,  one  of  the  marks  of  Antichrist,| 
was  not  yet  enjoined  the  clergy,  namely, 
that  those  of  them  who  preferred  the  mar- 
riage state,  might  be  allowed  to  marry, 
and  receive  their  maintenance  out  of  the 
monastery.  To  another  question,  which 
related  'to  the  diversity  of  customs  and 
liturgies  in  different  churches,  the  answer 
of  Gregory  was  liberal ;  namely,  that  the 
new  bishop  was  not  bound  to  follow  the 
precedent  of  Rome,  but  that  he  might  se- 


*  Wluit  shall  be  said  concerning;  these  mi- 
racles ?  The  credulity  of  that  age  should  not 
lead  one  to  den}' all  that  is  said  of  them.  It 
was  a  new  scene  :  Evangelists  wei-e  preaching 
among  pagans.  Certain  it  is,  that  every  one 
concerned  in  those  scenes  believed  their  rea- 
lity. 

f  1  Tim.  iv.  3. 


lect  whatever  parts  or  rules  appeared  the 
most  eligible,  and  best  adapted  to  pro- 
mote the  piety  of  the  infant  church  of 
England,  and  compose  them  into  a  sys- 
tem for  its  use.  A  number  of  other  ques- 
tions and  answers  are  recorded  likewise, 
too  uninteresting  to  deserve  a  place  here.* 
Yet  amidst  the  childish  superstition  of 
the  times,  the  enlightened  mind  of  Gre- 
gory appears;  and  his  occasional  com- 
ment on  St.  Paul's  words,  concerning  the 
law  in  his  members  warring  against  the 
law  of  his  mind,  in  which  the  bishop  un- 
derstands the  Apostle  as  describing  him- 
self to  be  free  and  enslaved  at  the  same 
time,  with  a  double  respect  to  his  natural 
and  spiritual  state,  evinces  the  solidity  of 
his  evangelical  knowledge. 

Augustine  having  intimated,  that  the 
harvest  was  plenteous,  but  that  the  la- 
bourers were  few,  Gregory  sent  him  more 
missionaries,  and  directed  him  to  consti- 
tute a  bishop  at  York,  who  might  have 
other  subordinate  bishops;  yet,  in  such  a 
manner,  that  Augustine  of  Canterbury 
should  be  metropolitan  of  all  England. 
Such  were  the  rudiments  of  the  English 
church. — Gregory  has  been  censured  for 
excessive  eagerness  in  settling  a  plan  of 
ecclesiastical  government  for  places  as 
yet  not  in  the  least  evangelized :  and  it 
must  be  owned,  that  this  extreme  care  of 
subordination  and  uniformity  does  seem 
premature;  but  the  spirit  of  the  times  fa- 
voured such  hasty  external  institutions. 

Gregory  thought  long  and  deeply  of 
this  his  favourite  infant  Church;  and 
wrote  to  Mellitus,  one  of  the  missionaries 
going  to  Britain,  an  account  of  the  fruits 
of  his  meditations;  which  were,f  that  the 
idol-temples  being  purged  of  their  un- 
cleanness,  should  be  converted  into 
churches  for  the  use  of  the  natives,  in 
which  they  might  worship  God,  accord- 
ing to  the  Gospel.  And  reflecting  that 
they  had  been  wont  to  sacrifice  to  dae- 
mons, and  in  their  sacrifices  to  indulge 
themselves  in  feasts,  he  directs  that,  set- 
ting apart  all  sacrifices,  and  whatever 
was  connected  with  idolatry,  they  might 
be  allowed  on  the  day  of  the  Church's 
dedication,  or  on  the  martyrdom  of  Saints, 
to  make  booths  for  themselves  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  churches,  and  enjoy 
themselves  intemperate  banquets.  This 
latter  direction  appears  dangerous ;  the 
reason  he  assigns  for  it  is,  that  the  Eng- 
lish, if  they  found  their  usual  entertain- 


*  Bede,  B.  I.  C.  27. 


t  Ibid.  30. 


Cext.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


519 


ments  to  be  altogether  prohibited,  niii^ht 
be  induced  to  relapse  into  idolatry.  I 
cannot  compare  Gregory's  compliances  to 
the  Jesuitical  artifices  practised  in  after 
ages  among  the  Chinese,  because  it  ap- 
pears that  idolatry  was  absolutely  pro- 
hibited, and  the  real  Christian  religion 


the  near  prospect  which  he  himself  had 
(if  the  end  of  the  world,  and  of  whicli  he 
failed  not  to  inform  the  king  of  Kent:* 
the  latter  reigned  fifty  years, 
and  died  in  616.  As  a  states- 
man he  was  screat,  as  a  Christian  greater 
still.     And  few  princes  in  any  age  were 


A.  D.  C16. 


taught  in   Britain:  but  a  man  who  knew i richer   blessings  to  their  subjects   than 


human  nature  so  well  as  this  bishop  did, 
might  have  foreseen  the  practical  ex- 
cesses which  his  licence  would  encour- 
age, and  should  have  committed  to  God 
himself  the  success  of  his  own  cause 
amontr  the  Encrlish. 

Hearing  from  Augustine  of  his  miracu- 
lous powers,  Gregory,  who  seems  to  have 
entertained  no  doubt  of  their  reality,  cau- 
tions him  excellently  against  pride  and 
presumption  on  their  account,  informs 
him  that  they  were  given  him  more  for 
the  sake  of  the  new  converts  than  of  him- 
self, and  teaches  him  the  all-important 
lesson  of  humilit3^  He  wrote  also  to 
Ethelbert,  to  congratulate,  instruct,  and 
exhort  him,  setting  before  him  the  exam- 
ple of  the  great  Constantine,  and  pressing 
him  to  extend  the  propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel.*    His  zeal  was  much  animated  by 

*  Hume  iChap.  I.  of  his  History  of  England) 
represents  this  exhortation  to  extend  the  propa- 
gation of  tlie  Gospel  as  inconsistent  with  the 
conduct  of  Augustine,  "  who  had  thought  proper, 
in  ihe  commencement  of  his  mission,  to  assume 
the  appearance  of  the  greatest  lenity."    Thus  it 
is  that  men.  more  malignant  than  intelligent  in 
Christian  history,  pervert  facts,  and   represent 
pious  men  as  hypocritical  in  their  moderate  con- 
duct.   The   triilh  is,  neither  Constaniine,    nor 
Theodosiiis,  nor  Gregory,  nor  any  of  the  ancients, 
ever  compelled  any  man  to  become  a  Christian, 
either  in  t!ie  beginning  or  progress  of  religion. 
Nor  does  :iny  thing  of  the  kind  appear  in  Gre- 
gory's lei'.f  r  to  Ethelbert.     But  he.  like  Theorlo- 
sius,  directed  that  the  worship  of  idols  sliould  be 
destroyed.     Men  were  allowed  to  remain  aloot 
all  their  davs  from  Christianity  if  they  pleased. 
Forced  conversions,  like  those  of  popery  in  after 
ages,  were  as  yet  unknown, and  persecution,  the 
other  mark  of  Antichrist,  as  yet  existed  not  in 
the  Church.    It  is  \ery  possible  that  the  indif- 
ferent spirit  of  our  times  may  be  disgusted  wilii 
that  part  of  the  conduct  of  Theodosius  and  Gre- 
gory, which  related  to  the  destruction  of  idols, 
and  call  it  persecution.    Be  it  so:   I  have  (in 
Chap.  XVI.  Cent,  iv.)  examined  this  point  with 
as  much  exactness  as  I  can.     But  let  not  men  of 
sincere  piety  and  fervent  charity  for  the  good  of 
souls,  be  represented  as  if  they  were  hypocriti- 
cal in  their  moderation  at  first,  and  as  if  they 
intended  to  establish  tyraimy  afterwards.   Their 
plan  was,  whether  it  be  agreeable  to  present 
reigning  maxims  or  not,  to  compel  no  man  to  re- 
ceive Christianity,  and  at  the  same  rime  to  ren- 
der the   practice  of  idolatry  impracticable.    I 
believe  majiy,  who  have  written  against  them 


Ethelbert  and  Bertha. 

But  this   fine   gold  was   not  without 
some  alloy!     Before  these  events  there 
existed,  in  Wales  particularly,  a  British 
Church.     Augustine  willing  to  establish 
a  uniformity  of  discipline  and  customs  in 
the  island,  invited  the  Welsh  bisho])3  to 
a  conference,  and  began  to  admonish  them 
to  enter  into  Christian  peace  and  concord, 
that  with  hearts  united  they  might  join 
in  evangelizing  the  pagans.   The  Britons 
observed   Easter   at  a   season    different 
from  that  of  the  Roman  Church,  and  did 
many  other  things  contrary  to  her  cus- 
toms.    The  conference  proved  fruitless  ; 
the  Britons  would  hearken  to  no  prayers 
or   exhortations;   and  Augustine   in   the 
close  had  recourse  to  a  miraculous  sign.j 
A  blind  man  was  introduced  to  be  healed. 
We  are  told  that  the  Britons  had  no  suc- 
cess; but  that  Augrustine's  prayers  were 
heard,  and  his  sight  was  restored.     The 
Britons  were  induced  to  confess,  that  Au- 
gustine was  sent  of  God,  but  pleaded  the 
obstinacy  of  their  people,  as  a  reason  for 
their  non-compliance. — A  second  sytiod 
was  appointed,  attended  by  seven  British 
bishops,  and  many  of  their  learned  men, 
belonging  to   the   famous  monastery  at 
Bangor,  of  which  Dinoth  was  at  that  time 
the  libbot.      Before   these   came   to  the 
synod,  they  asked  the  advice  of  a  person 
of  reputed  sanctity,  whether  they  should 
give  up  their  own  traditions  on  the  au- 
thority of  Augustine  or  not.   Let  humilitj', 
said  he,  be  the  test,  and  if  you  find,  when 
you  come  to  the  synod,  that  he  rises  up 
to  you  at  your  approach,  obey  him  ;  it 
not,  let  him  be  despised  by  you.     On  so 
precarious  an  evidence,  it  seems,  did  he 
rest  the  proof  of  humility.     It  happened, 
that  Augustine  continued  sitting  on  their 
arrival,  Vhich  might  easily  have  taken 
place  without  any  intentional  insult:  the 
Britons    were    however    incensed. 


and 


as  persecutors,  have  not  distinctly  understood 
this  distinction.  All  I  contend  lor  here  is  this, 
thev  acted  consistentlv  and  uprightly. 

♦'Gresory  had  alreadv  wriuen  to  queen  Ber- 
tha, and'  stimulated  her  zeal  to  labour  for  the 
conversicm  of  her  husband. — Id.  C.  32. 

+  Bed.  B.  II.  C.  2. 


Enr 


Q'Zi) 


niciuni    ur    insii  v^nuin^n; 


[UHAP.    Vll. 


would  hearken  to  no  terms  of  reconcilia- 
tion. Augustine  proposed  to  them  to 
agree  with  him  only  in  three  things, 
leaving  other  points  of  difference  unde- 
cided, namely,  to  observe  Easter  at  the 
same  time  with  the  rest  of  the  Christian 
world,  to  administer  baptism  after  the 
Roman  manner,  and  to  join  with  Augus- 
tine in  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  Eng- 
lish. In  all  other  things,  says  he,  we 
will  bear  you  with  patience.  The  Bri- 
tons were  inexorable,  and  refused  to  ac- 
knowledge his  authority.  "  If  you  will 
not  have  peace  with  brethren,  said  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury ,  roused  at  length 
into  an  unbecoming  warmth,  you  will 
have  war  with  enemies ;  and  if  you  will 
not  preach  to  the  English  the  way  of  life, 
you  will  suffer  death  at  their  hands."  It 
happened  afterwards,  that,  in  an  invasion 
of  the  Pagan  Saxons  of  the  North,  the 
Bangorian  monks  were  cruelly  destroyed, 
though  long  after  the  death  of  Augustine. 
He  died  in  peaceable  possession  of  the 
See  of  Canterbury,  after  having  lived  to 
see  the  Gospel  propagated  with  increas- 
ing success.  He  ordained  Mellitus  and 
Justus  bishops ;  London  was  brought  into 
the  pale  of  the  Church,  and  the  southern 
parts  of  the  island  found  the  benefit  of 
his  labours,  and  of  those  of  his  auxiliaries. 

I  shall  close  the  story  of  English  af- 
fairs with  the  death  of  Augustine,  whicli 
happened  early  in  the  7th  century.  And 
as  the  ground  I  am  now  upon  has  been 
disputed,  I  am  willing  to  lay  open  all  the 
information  which  antiquity  can  give  us. 
Let  us  hear  some  other  accounts  of  these 
transactions. 

Writers,  who  have  been  studious  of 
the  honour  of  our  country,  tell  us,  that 
when  Augustine  came  into  England  he 
found  seven  bishops  and  an  archbishop 
supplied  with  godly  governors  and  ab- 
bots, and  that  the  church  was  in  goodly 
order,  at  Bangor  particularly:  that  Di- 
noth  the  abbot  showed  Augustine  that 
they  owed  him  no  subjection  :  that  their 
bishops  had  been  independent  of  Rome: 
that  the  bishops  of  Rome  had  no  more 
right  to  their  obedience  than  other  Chris- 
tians had,  and  that  the  bishop  of  Caer- 
leon  upon  Usk  was  their  proper  superior  ;* 
and  that  in  revenore  for  this  honest  asser- 
tion  of  their  independency,  the  Kentish 
king  procured  the  invasion  and  slaughter 
of  the  British  monks  mentioned  above. 

*  Galfridus  Moiiometensis,  B.  IV.  C.  12. 
See  Nicholls  on  the  Common  Prayer. 


How  Christianity  was  afterwards  pro- 
pagated in  our  island,  and  how  the  dis- 
putes between  the  Roman  and  British 
churches  terminated,  will  properly  fall 
under  our  consideration  hereafter.  In 
the  mean  time,  the  injustice  of  ascertain 
writer*  to  the  memory  of  Gregory,  in  ac- 
cusing him  of  exercising  tyranny  over 
the  British  Church  is  very  glaring.  We 
have,  by  an  early  association  of  ideas, 
been  so  habituated  to  condemn  every 
thing  that  is  Roman  in  religion,  that  we 
are  not  easily  open  to  conviction  on  this 
subject.  It  should,  however,  be  remem- 
bered, that  not  the  least  revenue  could 
accrue  to  Gregory  from  the  conversion  of 
Britain;  nor  did  he  sugo-est  or  intimate 
any  lucrative  plan,  directly  or  indirectly. 
If  there  were  any  improper  steps  taken, 
they  must  not  be  charged  to  a  selfish  or 
interested  spirit,  such  as  that  which  has 
since  animated  the  papacy.  The  doc- 
trines avowedly  and  earnestly  taught  by 
Gregory  and  his  followers,  were  the  doc- 
trines of  Grace;  and  though  no  account 
of  the  faith  of  the  Welsh  monks  is  given 
us,  there  is  great  reason  on  account  of 
the  Pelagian  leaven  of  our  island,  to  fear 
it  was  not  so  truly  Christian  as  that  of 
Gregory.  That  they  were  uncharitable, 
ajjpears  incontestable  from  their  neglect 
of  the  Saxon  pagans,  and  their  obstinate 
refusal  to  hearken  to  any  advice  on  that 
head.  And  the  reader  has  already  had  a 
view  of  their  manners,  very  different  from 
the  flattering  account  of  Galfridus.  The 
extent  of  the  British  Church,  before  the 
arrival  of  Augustine,  was  so  inconsidera- 
ble, that  when  Gregory  planned  the  hier- 
archy of  this  island,  it  is  probable  he 
knew  little  of  the  very  existence  of  such 
a  Church.  The  fault  of  ambitious  en- 
croachment must,  therefore  be  laid  to 
Augustine.  Seduced  he  undoubtedly  was, 
according  to  the  common  superstition  of 
the  age,  by  an  excessive  zeal  for  uniform- 
ity. And  that  admirable  method  of  unit- 
ing zeal  for  establishments  with  a  spirit 
of  toleration,  which  was  discovered  to- 
ward the  close  of  the  last  century,  was  as 
yet  unknown.  The  Britons  had  been  in- 
dependent, and  they  had  a  right  to  con- 
tinue so ;  but  I  believe,  from  all  appear- 
ances, that  Augustine's  desire  to  make  a 
connexion  with  the  Romans  sprang  from 
charitable  views. 

What   could   be   the   meaning  of  his 
wishing  the  Britons  to  baptize  after  the 


*  Bower's  Lives  of  Popes,  Vol.11.  Gregory^ 


Cent.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


521 


Roman  manner  ?  Tliis  question  has  ex- 
ercised tlie  critical  talents  of  authors. 
After  all,  as  baptism  by  trinal  immersion 
was  then  the  Roman  mode,  this  seems  to 
give  the  most  natural  account  of  the  cir 
cumstance. 

The  charge  of  Galfridus,  in  accusing  the 
Romans  of  employing  the  pagans  to  mur 
der  the  British,  is  too  absurd  to  merit 
any  serious  notice.  Augustine  died  long- 
before  it  happened.  Gregory  himself 
was  deceased  before  the  controversies  be- 
tween Angustine  and  Dinoth  took  place. 
He  has  been  accused  of  extreme  incon- 
sistency, in  being  imperious  toward  here- 
tics, and  indulgent  toward  pagans*  and 
Jews.  But  a  more  exact  acquaintance 
with  cases  would  enable  men  to  form  a 
better  judgment.  Gregory,  like  all  real 
good  men,  was  averse  to  use  violent 
methods  in  proselyting;  he  knew  that 
conversion,  if  sincere,  must  be  voluntary. 
But  when  men  once  have  been  received 
into  the  Christian  pale,  the  same  zeal 
which  laboured  for  their  conversion,  is 
studious  for  their  uniform  attachment  to 
Christian  fundamentals.  It  was  no  breach 
of  charity  in  Gregory  to  attempt  to  hin 
der  the  promotion  of  a  Donatist  in  the 
Christian  church  in  Africa,  and  such  an 
attempt  was  very  consistent  with  that 
charity  which  forbad  the  persecution  of 
the  Jews. 

On  the  whole,  Gregory's  conduct  with 
respect  to  our  island  appears  one  of  the 
most  shining  efforts  of  Christian  charity. 
His  missionaries,  in  general,  acted  lauda- 
bly ;  and  tlie  real  establishment  of  Chris- 
tianity was,  under  God,  effected  by  their 
means.  There  was  a  stain  of  rivalry  and 
jealousy,  as  we  have  seen,  which  appear- 
ed in  their  conduct;  but  they  were  men. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    WORKS    OF    GREGORY. 

This  great  prelate,  worn  out  at 
length  with  labours  and  diseases,  slept 
in  Jesus  in  the  year  604,f 
after  he  had  enjoyed,  shall  I 
say — or  endured,  his  bishop- 
ric thirteen  years  and  six 
months.  Xo  man  in  any  age  ever  gave 
himself  up  more  sincerely  to  the  service 
of  God,   and  the  benefit  of  his  fellow- 


Death  of 

Gregory, 

A.  D.  604. 


*  Bower. 


fFleury,  Vol. 
2x2 


iv.  B.  xxxvi.43. 


creatures.  Power  in  him  was  a  volun- 
tary servitude,  undertaken  not  for  himself, 
but  for  all  the  world.  Even  the  growth 
of  superstition,  with  which  he  was  strong- 
ly infected,  wliile  it  secured  to  him  the 
cheerful  obedience  of  the  lait}',  contribut- 
ed nothing  to  his  ease  or  secular  emolu- 
ment. The  belief  of  the  Roman  bishops' 
succession  to  Peter,  which  he  found  preva- 
lent in  Europe,  was  accidentally  strength- 
ened by  his  eminent  piety  and  his  labo- 
rious virtues. 

Had  he  even  been  disposed  to  extend 
his  authority  to  much  greater  lengths,  all 
the  world  would  have  been  prone  to  sub- 
mit to  his  decrees;  so  firmly  was  the 
opinion  of  his  integrity  established  among 
men.  His  conscience,  however,  would 
not  suffer  him  to  carry  anything  farther 
than  precedents  had  sanctioned ;  and  who, 
especially  in  an  age  of  superstitious  cre- 
dulity, could  doubt  the  justice  of  his  pre»- 
tensions,  while  the  pre-eminence  was  so 
painful,  so  disinterested,  and  so  bene- 
ficially exerted  1 

For  I  cannot  persuade  myself  to  call 
him   Pope.      He  pretended  not  to  any- 
thing like  infallibility,  nor  did  he  ever 
attempt  any  thing  like  a  secular  domina- 
tion.    The  seeds  of  Antichrist  were  vigo- 
rously shooting  indeed;  and  the  reputa- 
tion  of    Gregory    doubtless   contributed 
much   to   mature   the    poisonous    plant. 
But  idolatry,  spiritual  tyranny,  and  the 
doctrine  of  the  merit  of  works,  the  three 
discriminating  marks  of  the  papacy,  had, 
as  yet,  no  settled  establishment  at  Rome. 
Had  this  man  lived  in  our  age,  he  would 
doubtless   have    beheld,   with   astonish- 
ment, on  the  one  hand,  the  worldly  spirit  of 
many  Christian  pastors  so  called,  and  on 
the  other  the  impiety  of  numerous  infidels 
who  are  continually  railing  against  the 
religious.     His  mind,  naturally  vigorous, 
industrious  and  active,  would  doubtless 
have  shaken  off  the  gloom  and  credulity 
of  superstition;  but  he  would  have  been 
amazed  to  hear  the  pompous  pretences  to 
philosophy,  in  which  every  juvenile  scio- 
list indulges  himself.     He  would  have 
examined  the  fruits,  and  have  been  at  a 
loss  to  conceive  with  what  propriety  the 
term    philosopher  could  be  applied   to 
sceptics,  blasphemers,  atheists,  levellers, 
and  sensualists.     He  would,  as  a  bishop, 
have  tried  what  could  be  done  to  stem 
the  torrent,  and  have  exerted  in  the  way 
of   discipline,   which   was   his   peculiar 
talent,  his  usual  address,  mildness   and 
resolution.   He  would  have  mourned  over 


522 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  VIII. 


his  beloved  England,*  if  he  had  seen  her 
so  absurdly  enslaved  to  ideas  of  mistaken 
liberty,  as  to  spurn  at  decent  rules  of 
discipline,  and  to  discountenance,  as  ty- 
ranny, godly  attempts  to  introduce  and 
support  them.  He  would  have  been 
ready  to  say,  "this  people  are  enemies 
to  their  own  good ;"  he  would  have  pitied 
them,  wept  and  consoled  himself  with 
his  usual  refuge,  the  views  of  a  better 
world,  and  have  done  what  good  was  still 
in  his  power,  by  the  example  of  a  holy 
life,  by  painful  preaching,  and  by  pious 
writings. 

Of  these  last  we  have  many  still  extant. 
He  particularly  excelled  in  devotional 
composition.  Litanies  had 
The  Lita-  j^gg^  ,iggj  [^  ^j^g  West  before 
ny  com-  j^jg  time,  in  calamitous  sea- 
piled  by  i     •  i  r 

r..«.n-n,-V        sons,  as  during  plague  or  ta- 

mme.  ihese  were  collected, 
and  the  choicest  parts  selected  from  them, 
and  compiled,  through  the  care  of  Gre- 
gory, into  one  large  litany,  not  much  dif- 
ferent from  that  used  by  the  Church  of 
England  at  this  day.  It  was  much  cor- 
rupted afterwards  in  the  popish  times, 
was  reformed  by  Hermanus,  archbishop 
of  Cologne,  in  the  days  of  Luther,  and 
afterwards  improved  by  our  reformers. 

But  the  Church  of  England  is  not  only 
indebted  to  Gregory  for  the  Litany.  In 
his  Sacramentary  he  embodied  the  col- 
lects of  the  ancient  Church,  and  improved 
old,  or  made  new  ones.  Galasius,  before 
him,  had  appointed  public  prayers,  com- 
posed by  himself  or  others.  These  were 
all  placed  in  the  offices  by  Gregory.  And 
by  a  comparison  of  our  Book  of  Common 
Prayer  with  his  Sacramentary,  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  almost  all  the  collects  for  Sun- 
days, and  the  princijial  festivals  in  the 
Church  of  England,  were  taken  out  of  the 
latter.  To  me  it  appears  to  be  an  advan- 
tage, that  our  reformers  followed  anti- 
quity so  much  in  the  work.  The  purifi- 
cation of  the  ancient  services  from  the 
corrupt  and  idolatrous  mixtures  of  popery, 
was  as  strong  an  indication  of  their  judg- 
ment as  the  composition  of  prayers  alto- 
gether new  could  have  been,  which,  how- 
ever,  they  scrupled  not  to  introduce  in 


*  The  gratitude  of  Bede  lias  (B.  II.  C.  1. 
Ecc.  Hist. )  led  him  to  apply  to  Gregory  the 
words  of  St.  Paul  in  regard  to  the  Corinthians. 
As  an  Englishman  who  felt  his  obligations  to 
Gregory,  he  says,  "  the  seal  of  his  apostleship 
are  we  in  the  Lord."  The  testimony  of  anti- 
quity to  Gregory's  beneficent  piety  toward 
this  island  is  uniform. 


various  parts  of  the  Liturgy.    From  the 
brief  account  I  have  given,*  it  appears, 
that  the  Service  of  our  Church  is  far  more 
ancient  than  the  Roman  Missal,  proper- 
ly speaking.     And  whoever  has  attended 
to  the  superlative  simplicity,  fervour,  and 
energy  of  the  prayers,  and  of  the  collects 
particularly,  will  have  no  hesitation  in 
concluding,  that  they  must  have  been  com- 
posed in  a  time  of  true  evangelical  light 
and  godliness.     It  is  impossible  indeed 
to  say  how  early  some  parts  of  the  Litur- 
gy were  written  ;   but  doubtless  they  are 
of  very  high  antiquity.  Many  persons,  in 
dark  times,  and  under  the  disadvantage 
of  slothful  ignorant  pastors,  have   been 
enlightened  and  nourished  through  their 
medium,  and  not  a  few,  I  trust,  of  my 
readers  can  justly  confess  with  me,  how 
much  their  devotion  has  been  assisted  by 
the  public  use  of  them.     Let  any  unpre- 
judiced person  compare  with  the  Liturgy 
several  forms  of  prayer  composed  in  mo- 
dern times,  and  he  will  find  an  unction  to 
attend  the  former,  of  which  the  latter  is 
destitute.     The  present  age  is  certainly 
much  tinctured,  in  general,  with  a  scep- 
tical, philosophic  spirit,  which  in  its  na- 
ture is  not  favourable  to  the  production  of 
devotional  compositions. 

The  historical  evidence  hence  resulting 
of  the  religious  spirit  of  the  times  is  great. 
The  Western  Church  was  far  from  being 
wholly  corrupt  in  the  close  of  the  sixth 
century.f  The  doctrines  of  grace  revived 
by  Augustine  were  still  predominant : 
divine  life  was  much  cloo-ged  indeed  with 
the  asthma  of  superstition ;  but  its  pulse 
was  yet  vigorous.  I  close  this  digression, 
if  it  may  be  called  one,  with  remarking, 
that  the  continued  use  of  these  liturgies 
in  the  churches  of  the  West,  demonstrates 
the  concurrent  testimony  of  antiquity  in 
favour  of  evangelical  doctrine. 

Of  Gregory's  epistles  nothing  more  is 
needful  to  be  added  to  the  numerous  ex- 
tracts from  them,  which  have  supplied 
me  with  materials  for  his  history. 

His  exposition  of  the  book  of  Job  is 
very  voluminous.  In  a  letter  to  Leander 
prefixed  to  it,  he  speaks  of  the  tripartite 
sense,  according  to  the  ideas  , 

of  Augustine,  with  sufficient  exS7on 
justness  and  accuracy;  yet  of  the  book 
through  fondness  for  system     of  Job. 


*  Nicholls  on  B.  of  Com.  Prayer. 

f  That  beautiful  and  sublime  ode,  called 
Te  Deum,  ascribed,  though  not  with  certainty, 
to  Ambrose,  was  incontestably  used  in  the 
Church  before  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century. 


Cejtt.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


523 


he  carries  his  point  too  far,  so  as  to 
destroy  sometimes  the  literal  sense,  after 
the  vicious  mode  of  Origen.  We  may 
believe  him,  when  he  describes  the  corres- 
pondence of  the  subject  to  his  own  bodily 
atflictions  ;  and  he  frankly  owns  his  ne- 
glect of  language  and  style.  Few  read- 
ers will  be  tempted  to  search  the  work 
throughout,  on  account  of  the  heaviness 
of  his  manner,  and  the  total  want  of  ele- 
gance. Yet  piety  and  humility  are  every 
where  predominant ;  and  though  it  can  by 
no  means  be  called  a  just  commentary  on 
the  book  of  Job,  he  in  general  avoids  de- 
viations from  the  analogy  of  faith,  by  the 
evangelical  purity  of  his  frame  and  tem- 
per, and  he  had,  I  doubt  not,  real  com- 
munion with  God  in  the  work.  Let  us 
hear  his  humble  confession  at  the  close ;  it 
deserves  the  serious  notice  of  authors,  and 
in  that  most  salutary  science  of  self-know- 
ledge demonstrates  a  proficiency  worthy 
of  a  follower  of  Augustine. 

"  Having  finished  my  work,  I  see  I 
must  return  to  myself.    The  hunian  mind 
is  frequently  bewildered,  even  when  it 
attempts  to  speak  correctly.     For  while 
we  study  propriety  of  language,  we  are 
drawn   out  of  ourselves,  and  are  apt  to 
lose  simplicity.     From  speaking  in  pub- 
lic let  me  return  to  the  court  of  the  heart ; 
let  me  call  my  thoughts  to  a  serious  con- 
sultation with  a  view  to  discern  myself, 
that  I  may  observe  whether  I  have  spoken 
evil  inadvertently,  or  good  in  a  wrong 
spirit.  For  then  only  is  real  good  spoken 
in  a  right  spirit,  when  we  mean  by  it  to 
please  him  alone  from  whom  we  receive 
it.     I  am  not  conscious  of  having  said 
evil;  yet  I  will  not  maintain  that  I  am 
absolutely  innocent  in  this  respect.     The 
good  which  I  have  spoken  I  have  receiv- 
ed from  above,  and  it  is  less  good,  through 
my  sinfulness.     For,  averting  my  con- 
templation from  words  and  sentences,  the 
leaves  and  branches,  and   narrowly  in- 
specting the  root  of  my  intention,  I  know 
that  I  meant  earnestly  to  please  God  :  but 
the   desire   of  human   praise   inJ.ensibly 
mixes  with  this  intention.  I  discover  this 
slowly  and  afterwards,  and  find  that  the 
execution  corresponds  not  with  the  first 
intention.     While   we    really    mean    to 
please  God  at  first,   the  love  of  human 
praise  steals  into  the  mind,  and  overtakes 
and  accompanies  the  pure  design ;  as  in 
eating,  what  was  begun  through  necessity 
and  in  innocence,  terminates  too  often  in 
excess.     If  we  are  strictly  examined  by 
the  divine  Judge,  how  can  we  escape  1 


Our  evils  are  our  own  without  mixture, 
and  our  good  things  are  defiled  with  im- 
purity. What  I  feel  within,  I  lay  open 
to  my  reader.  In  expounding  I  have  not 
concealed  what  I  think  ;  in  confessino- 1 
hide  not  what  I  suffer. — I  beg  every  rea- 
der to  pray  for  me.  If  the  value  of  his 
prayers  and  of  my  exposition  be  compared, 
he  will  have  the  advantage.  He  receives 
from  me  only  words ;  but  repays  me  with 
tears  of  supplication." 

His  pastoral  care  is  a  monument  of  the 
author's  intense  seriousness.  I  have  al- 
ready observed  in  many  Christian  pas- 
tors, and  in  Gregory  as  emi- 
nently  as  in  most,  a  very  "regory's 
strong  sense  of  the  import-  c^re"'^'' 
ance  of  the  clerical  office, 
which  rebukes  the  presumption  of  mo- 
derns more  keenly  than  any  words  of 
mine  can  do.  With  the  ancients  scarcely 
any  person,  however  qualified,  seemed 
adequate  to  the  cure  of  souls ;  with  us 
every  stripling  undertakes  it  without  fear 
or  hesitation.  The  treatise  itself  deserves 
to  be  read  throughout  by  every  candidate 
for  the  pastoral  ofiice.  I  know  not  how 
to  select  any  parts  of  it  particularly,  and 
its  brevity  forbids  and  discourages  all  at- 
tempts at  abridgment.* 

The  exposition  of  the  Canticles  is  wor- 
thy of  the  godly  spirit  of  Gregory.    I 
shall  hazard    a  quotation  or 
two,  which  I  doubt  not  will     Gregory's 
correspond    with  the    sensa-     exposition 
tions  01  minds  acquamted  spi-     tides, 
ritually   with   Jesus    Christ, 
however  the    profane  may  ridicule,  and 
the  phlegmatic  may  censure.   It  is  worth 
while  to  show,  that  a  spirit  of  union  with 
Christ  has  ever  been  felt  in  his  Church. 

On  the  first  verse  of  the  Canticles  he 
says,  "  Let  him  whom  I  love  above  all, 
nay  alone,  let  him  come  to  me,  that  he 
may  touch  me  with  the  sweetness  of  his 
inspiration.  For  when  I  feel  his  influ- 
ence, I  leave  myself  by  a  sudden  change, 
and  being  melted  am  transformed  into 
his  likeness.  The  holy  mind  is  disgust- 
ed with  all  things  which  it  feels  from  the 


*  Should  the  young  caiidi<late  for  the  mi- 
nistry object,  as  he  justly  may,  the  difficulty 
of  meeting  with  tliis  woik  of  Gregory,  let  him 
substiliUe  in  its  place  liislinp  Burnet's  treatise 
on  the  same  subject.  It  is  to  be  lamented  that 
so  valuable  a  book  is  so  little  read  and  known, 
and  that  while  the  public  taste  has  called  for 
repeated  editions  of  inflammatory  politics,  this 
treasure  of  pastoral  information  is  dwindled 
into  an  oblWioo  little  short  of  contempt. 


524 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  IX. 


body,  and  desires  to  become  altogether 
spiritual^;  and  while  sensual  objects  mur- 
mur around,  it  tlies  into  spiritual  things, 
and  desires  to  hide  itself  in  them.  There- 
fore it  desires  the  loving  kindness  of  the 
Lord,  because  without  that  it  feels  no 
power  to  approach  him." 

On  the  words,  "  draw  me,  we  will  run 
after  thee,"  he  observes,  "  Divine  grace 
prevents  us.  He,  who  is  drawn,  runs, 
because  being  strengthened  by  divine 
love  he  passes  over  all  obstacles." 

The  defective  taste  and  learning  of  his 
age  forbid  us  to  expect  any  very  accurate 
and  solid  exposition  ofso  difficult  a  prophet 
as  Ezekiel.  In  fact,  it  is  in  occasional 
passages,  independent  of  system,  that 
Gregory  shines.  1  single  out  a  passage 
as  an  instance  of  this;*  "Generally 
those  who  most  excel  in  divine  contem- 
plation, are  most  oppressed  with  temp- 
tation. By  the  first  the  soul  is  lifted  up 
to  God,  by  the  second  it  is  pressed  down 
into  itself.  Were  it  not  for  this  the  mind 
would  fall  into  pride.  There  is,  by  the 
divine  disposition,  a  wonderful  tempe- 
rature in  tliis  subject,  that  the  saint  may 
neither  rise  too  high  nor  sink  too  low." 

Observe  how  divinely,  in  one  of  his 
homilies  on  the  Gospels, f  he  speaks  con- 
cerning the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
On  the  words  in  St.  John's  Gospel,  he 
(the  Spirit)  shall  teach  you  all  things,  he 
says,  "  Unless  the  Spirit  be  with  the 
heart  of  the  hearer,  the  word  of  the  teacher 
is  barren.  Let  no  man  attribute  to  the 
teacher  what  he  understands  from  his 
mouth ;  for,  unless  there  be  an  internal 
teacher,  the  tongue  of  the  external  one 
labours  in  vain.  Why  is  there  such  a 
difference  in  the  sensations  of  hearers,  all 
hearing  the  same  words  1  It  is  to  be 
ascribed  to  this  special  teaching.  John 
himself  in  his  epistle  teaches  the  same, 
'  the  anointing  teaches  you  of  all  things.' " 
It  is  plain  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was 
not  departed,  as  yet,  from  the  Roman 
churcli,  while  his  internal  instructions, 
despised  so  fearlessly  by  the  profane,  and 
scrutinized  so  malignantly  by  many  or- 
thodox professors  in  our  days,  were  re- 
garded with  so  much  simplicity  and  re- 
verence. 


it  will  not  be  saying  enough  in  his  praise, 
though  it  is  a  truth,  that  it  would  have 
been  to  the  advantage  of  the  reputation  of 
the  Roman  Church  if  he  had  been  the  last 
of  that  name. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


WRITERS    OF    THIS    CENTURY. 


His  dialogues,  if  indeed  they  be  his, 
or  be  not  much  interpolated,  dishonour 
his  memory  by  the  excess  of  superstition. 

Thus  far  of  the  first  of  the  Greofories  ; 


*  Toni.II.  Homil.  on  Ezek.  xiv. 
t  Tom.  II.  p.  451. 


FcLGENTius  adorned  the  beginning, 
and  Gregory  the  close  of  this  century, 
which  produced  no  other  authors  of  equal 
merit.  And  the  decay  in  learning  and 
knowledge  was  so  great,  that  I  shall  de- 
tain the  reader  a  very  little  time  on  this 
article. 

Ennodious,  bishop  of  Pavia,  wrote 
against  those,  who  afiirmed,  that  man 
could  only  choose  evil.  With  gross  igno- 
rance of  the  connexion  and  scope  of  St. 
Paul's  argument,  he  quotes  his  words  in 
the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  ch.  vii.  as 
favourable  to  his  views,  "  For  to  will  is 
present  with  me,  but  how  to  perform  that 
which  is  good  I  find  not :"  thus  ascribing 
to  man,  as  such,  what  the  apostle  evi- 
dently speaks  of  as  descriptive  of  the 
regenerate.  He  maintains  that  man  by 
nature  has  power  to  turn  himself  to  God, 
and  deduces  from  the  contrary  doctrine 
the  consequences  which  the  advocates  for 
the  doctrine  of  free-will  in  all  ages  have 
done  from  the  days  of  Cicero,  who,  it  is 
remarkable,  reasons  exactly  in  the  same 
manner. 

On  tlie  other  hand,  John  IMaxentius,  a 
Scythian  monk,  in  company  -with  a  num- 
ber of  monks,  his  brethren,  strenuously 
defended  the  doctrines  of  grace.  In  a 
confession  of  their  faith  is  this  sentence  : 
"  that  free-will,  since  the  entrance  of  sin, 
has  of  itself  no  other  power  but  that  of 
choosing  some  carnal  good  and  pleasure,* 
and  that  it  can  neither  desire  nor  will, 
nor  do  anything  for  eternal  life,  but  by 
the  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 

So  remarkable  a  confession  would  seem 
to  show  some  distinct  knowledge  of  the 
depravity  of  the  heart.  Maxentius  and 
his  brethren  were  ill  treated  by  Hormisdas, 
bishop  of  Rome,  a  bold  and  dexterous 
politician,  of  whose  theological  know- 
ledge and  practical  piety  I  find  no  proofs. 
He  accused  them  of  turbulence  and  self- 
conceit,  and  after  a  year's  attendance  at 
Rome  they  were  expelled  thence  by  his 


*Du  Pin,  Cent.  6lh. 


Cbut.  VI.] 


GREGORY  I. 


525 


order.  I  cannot  find  that  Hormisdas  gave 
any  decided  opinion  on  the  subject  him- 
self; probably  he  had  never  studied  it; 
but  he  acted  imperiously  and  decisively. 
Maxentius  wrote  with  vigour  in  defence 
of  the  doctrines  of  grace,  and  I  wish  I 
could  gratify  the  reader  with  a  larger  ac- 
count of  a  man,  who  was  counted  worthy 
to  suffer  shame  for  the  faith  of  Christ. 
The  controversy  between  the  defenders  of 
grace  and  of  human  powers  was  still 
alive,  and  the  Western  Church  continued 
still  divided  upon  it. 

Facundus,  bishop  of  Hermiana  in  Af- 
rica, deserves  to  be  mentioned  for  the 
sake  of  one  sentence:  "The  faithful,  in 
receiving  the  Sacrament  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  receive  his  body 
and  his  blood  ;  not  that  the  bread  is  pro- 
perly his  body,  and  the  cup  his  blood  ; 
but  because  they  contain  in  them  the 
mystery  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ."*  Though  it  makes  no  part  of 
our  system  to  confute  the  particular  points 
of  popery,  I  could  not  omit  so  clear  a 
testimony  against  transubstantiation. 

The  Western  Church  is  indebted  for 

*  Du  Pin,  Facundus. 


The  sec- 
ond coun- 
cil of 
Ma  scon, 

A.  D.  585. 


historical  information  to  Gregory  of 
Tours;  the  Eastern,  to  Eviga'rus.  It 
must  be  confessed  that  they  are  ineletmnt 
and  injudicious  writers.  They  had  the 
literary  taste  of  this  century. 

The  truly  evangelical  second  council 
of  Orange  has  been  already  reviewed. 
The  second  council  of  of  Mascon,  held  in 
585,  is  worthy  of  notice. 
They  were  very  zealous  for 
the  observation  of  Sunday. 
Let  none  follow  any  business 
on  this  day,  say  they;  let 
none  yoke  oxen,  or  prosecute 
suits  of  law ;  but  let  all  the  world  apply 
themselves  to  sing  the  praises  of  God. 
They  decree  penalties  against  sabbath- 
breakers.  An  advocate,  who  was  guilty 
of  the  crime,  was  to  be  driven  from  the 
bar ;  a  peasant  or  a  slave  to  receive  some 
stripes.  They  exhort  Christians  also  to 
spend  the  evening  of  Sunday  in  prayers. 
They  forbid  bishops  to  keep  birds  and 
dogs  for  game.  They  ordain  the  cele- 
bration of  a  Synod  every  three  years  in  a 
place  appointed  by  the  bishop  of  Lyons 
and  king  Gontranus.  A  proof  may  hence 
be  drawn  that  some  spirit  of  genuine  reli- 
gion was  still  preserved  in  France. 


526 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  I. 


CENTURY  VII. 


CHAPTER   I. 


THE    ENGLISH    CHURCH. 

The  diversity  of  circumstances  in 
different  ages  of  the  Ciiurch  constantly 
admonishes  an  historian,  who  loves 
method  and  perspicuity,  to  vary  the 
arrangement  of  his  materials.  No  ab- 
stract rules,  hut  the  circumstances  of  each 
period,  should  direct  him  in  this  matter. 
In  the  century  before  us,  barren  and  un- 

S'omising  as  it  is  for  the  most  part,  Great 
ritain  shone  with  distinguished  lustre. 
As  she  was  a  world  within  herself,  her 
ecclesiastical  affairs  were  little  connected 
with  those  of  the  Continent.  Hence  the 
propriety  of  reviewing  them  by  them- 
selves.— In  this  subject  I  shall  closely 
follow  the  venerable  Bede,  whose  narra- 
tion extends  to  the  year  731. — Though 
much  of  his  history  is  fabulous  and  super- 
stitious, it  is  still  of  the  greatest  value, 
because  it  Is  the  only  light  which  we 
have  concerning  the  progress  of  the 
Gospel  in  our  own  country  for  several 
generations;  and  some  rays  of  truth, 
piety,  and  good  sense,  now  and  then 
break  out  in  the  historian  amidst  the 
clouds  of  legendary  romance. 

After  the  death  of  Augustine,  Lau- 
rentius,  the  first  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
whom  he  had  ordained,  succeeded  to  that 
See.  He  trode*  in  the'steps  of  his  pre- 
decessor, and  laboured  to  promote  the 
best  interests  of  the  English  by  frequent 
preaching  of  the  word,  and  by  a  diligent 
and  useful  example.  I  doubt  not  the  sin- 
cerity of  this  prelate ;  though  seduced  by 
the  charms  of  a  nominal  unity,  he  la- 
boured, as  the  first  missionary  Augustine 
had  done,  to  bring  the  British  Churches 
to  a  conformity  with  the  Church  of 
Rome.  He  was  actuated  by  the  same 
subtile  spirit  of  selfish  ambition,  of  which 
even  the  best  men  in  all  ages  have  not 
been  void ;  it  operates  imperceptibly, 
through  the  native  energy  of  in-dwelUng 
sin.  The  papist,  the  national  churchman, 
and  the  sectary,  are  each  liable  to  its 
influence,    though    in    truly   regenerate 


*  Bede,  B.  H.  C.  4 


spirits  there  exists,  likewise,  a  divine 
principle,  by  the  operation  of  which  the 
sordid  views  of  secular  gain  are  entirely 
excluded.  In  this  manner  I  would  appre- 
ciate the  characters  of  the  Romish  mis- 
sionaries in  England.  Their  disinterested 
labours,  just  views  of  Christian  doctrine, 
and  holy  and  unblemished  lives,  ought  to 
have  exempted  them  from  the  intem- 
perate censures  of  writers,  who  seem  to 
think  an  indiscriminate  aversion  to  the 
Church  of  Rome  to  be  one  of  the  principal 
excellencies  of  a  protestant  historian.* 

Laurentius,  in  conjunction  with  Melli- 
tus,  bishop  of  London,  and  Justus,  bish- 
op of  Rochester,  endeavoured  to  reduce 
the  "  Scots,  who  inhabited  Ireland"!  to 
a  conformity  with  the  English  Church. 
The  three  prelates  wrote  to  them  with 
this  view,  and  declared  themselves  to  be 
sent  by  the  Roman  See  to  propagate  the 
Gospel  among  the  pagan  nations.  Lau- 
rentius complained  of  the  bigotry  of  a 
certain  Irish  bishop,  who,  coming  to 
Canterbury,  refused  to  eat  at  the  same 
table,  or  even  in  the  same  house  with 
him.  The  archbishop  could  not  prevail 
either  with  the  Britons  or  with  the  Irish 
to  enter  into  his  views.  "  Even  the  pre- 
sent times,  says  our  author,  declare  how 
little  success  he  had."  At  the  period  in 
which  Bede  concludes  his  history,  the 
greatest  part  of  the  British  churches  re- 
mained still  distino-uished  from  the  Eng- 
lish.  The  bishops  of  Rome  continued  to 
superintend  the  latter;  and  while  Ethel- 
bert  lived,  the  Gospel  flourished.  This 
prince  died  after  a  reign  of  fifty-six  years, 
twenty-one  years  after  he  had  embraced 
Christianity,  and  was  buried  by  the  side 
of  his  deceased  queen  Bertha.  Among 
other  benefits  which  the  English  derived 
from  him,  there  was  a  code  of  laws  form- 

*  I  advert,  particularly,  to  Bower's  Lives 
of  the  Popes,  and  to  Warner's  Ecclesiastical 
History  oF  our  own  country.  Their  laborious 
collection  of  facts  deserves  commendation. 
I  avail  myself  of  all  the  helps  which  offer,  for 
the  supply  of  materials. — Hut,l  mean  to  extol 
the  Churtli  of  Christ,  wherever  I  can  find  her  ; 
nor  should  a  Roman  dress,  when  she  appears 
in  it,  convey  any  prejudice  to  my  mind. 

t  Bede's  own  words,  which  demonstrate 
that  the  Irish  were  anciently  called  Scots. 


Ce^tt.  vn.] 


ENGLISH  CHURCH. 


527 


ed  after  the  example  of  the  Romans,* 
which  was  still  extant  in  Bede's  time, 
and  was  particularly  calculated  to  pro- 
tect the  persons  and  property  of  the 
Church. 

His  son  and  successor  Eadbald  not  only 
despised  Christianity,  but  also  lived  in 
incest  with  his  father's  wife.  Whence 
all,  who  had  embraced  the  Gospel  through 
motives  purely  secular,  were  induced  to 
relapse  into  idolatrj-.  Sabereth,  king  of 
the  East  Saxons,  who  had  followed  the  ex- 
ample of  Ethelbert  who  was  his  uncle,  be- 
ing deceased,  his  three  sons  became  joint 
heirs  of  his  kingdom.  Immediately  they 
resumed  the  idolatry,  which  they  had 
intermitted  a  little  in  their  father's  life- 
time, and  encouraged  their  subjects  to  do 
the  same.  These  princes  observing  the 
bishop  of  London  to  distribute  the  bread 
of  the  Eucharist  in  the  church,  asked 
why  he  did  not  give  it  to  them  as  he  had 
done  to  their  father,  and  as  he  did  at  that 
very  time  to  the  people.  "  If  you  will 
be  washed,  replied  Mellitus,  in  the  same 
laver  of  regeneration  in  which  your  fa- 
ther was,  you  may  partake  of  the  same 
sacred  bread  :  but  if  ye  despise  the  laver 
of  life,  ye  cannot  partake  of  the  bread  of 
life."  We  will  not,  said  they,  enter  into 
that  fountain  ;  we  do  not  know  that  we 
need  it,  yet  we  choose  to  eat  of  that 
bread.  In  vain  did  the  upright  pastor 
seriously  and  diligently  admonish  them, 
that  it  was  not  possible  for  any  person 
remaining  uncleansed  from  sin  to  partake 
of  the  communion  :  in  a  rage  they  de- 
clared, "  If  you  will  not  gratify  us  in  so 
small  a  matter,  you  shall  not  remain  in 
our  province."  They  thereupon  ordered 
him  to  be  o-one  with  his  associates. 

Mellitus,  thus  expelled,  came  into 
Kent  to  consult  with  Laurentius  and 
Justus.  The  three  bishops  agreed  to 
leave  the  country,  that  they  might  serve 
God  with  freedom  elsewhere,  rather  than 
remain  among  enemies  without  fruit. 
Mellitus  and  Justus  waiting  the  issue, 
retired  first  into  France.  The  three 
princes  not  long  after  were  slain  in  battle, 
but  their  subjects  remained  still  incorri- 
gible. 

Laurentius  intending  to  follow  the  two 
bishops,  employed  himself  in  prayer  in 
the  church  during  the  silent  hours  of  the 
night,  with  much  agony  and  many  tears, 
entreating  God  to  look  upon  the  state  of 
the  English  Church,  which,  after  such 


»  Bede,  Id.  C.  5. 


promising  beginnings,  seemed  now  on 
the  eve  of  a  total  dissolution.  Next 
morning  he  paid  a  visit  to  the  king,  who 
struck  at  last  with  horror  for  his  crimes 
and  relenting,  when  he  appeared  in  im- 
minent danger  of  losing  his  Christian  in- 
structors for  ever,  forbad  his  dei)arture, 
reformed  his  own  life  and  manners,  was 
baptized,  and  from  that  time  became  a 
zealous  supporter  of  the  faith.* 

Eadbald  was  determined  to  show  the 
sincerity  of  his  zeal.  He  recalled  Melli- 
tus and  Justus  from  France,  after  a  year's 
exile.  Justus  was  reinstated  in  Roches- 
ter ;  but  Mellitus  could  not  recover  his 
See.  The  Londoners  preferred  idolatry, 
and  Eadbald  had  not  the  same  power 
which  his  father  had  possessed  in  that 
city  to  oblige  them  to  receive  him.  So 
far,  however,  as  his  influence  extended, 
he  exerted  it  for  the  cause  of  Christ,  and 
from  the  time  of  his  conversion,  adorned 
the  Gospel,  and  propagated  it  among  his 
people. 

Laurentius   being  deceased,   Mellitus 
was   appointed   the   third  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  while  Justus  still  presided 
at  Rochester.  These  two  bishops  govern- 
ed the  English  Church  with  much  care 
and  labour.f     Mellitus,  after 
having  given   the   most  un-     Death  of 
doubted    proofs    of    genuine     Mellitus, 
piet)%  and  presided  over  the     A.  D.  624. 
diocese   of    Canterbury    five 
years,  died  in  the  year  G24,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Justus. 

England  was  still  governed  by  the 
Saxon  Heptarchy.  Seven  kingdoms, 
often  at  war  with  one  another,  and  also 


*  Bede,  C.  6. 

I  was  unwilling  to  introduce  into  the  narra- 
tive the  story  of  St.  Peter's  whipping  of  Lau- 
rentius tliMt  niglit  in  the  cliurcii,  and  reprov- 
ing of  iiiin  for  liis  cowardice  ;  whence  he  was 
said  to  have  heen  induced  to  wait  upon  Ead- 
bald next  morning,  who  was  struck,  it  seems, 
with  remorse  at  the  sight  of  the  stripes  which 
ihe  Liisliop  had  received.  Stoi-ies  of  this  sort 
\\{;yt:  innuraerahle  in  those  times.  The  steady 
perseverance  of  Eadbald,  and  the  entire 
change  both  of  his  private  and  jiublic  coiuhicl, 
demonstrate  the  reality  of  his  conversion.  He 
most  probably  retained  an  inward  reverence 
for  the  religion  in  which  he  had  been  instruct- 
ed in  his  childhood,  against  which  liis  grand 
objection  seems  to  have  been  the  love  of  a 
dissolute  life.  The  Lord  honoured  the  pray- 
ers of  Laurentius  with  success,  and  recovered 
the  English  ('hurch  at  the  last  extremity.  The 
substance  of  the  narrative  remains  entire,  ab- 
stracted from  the  legend  which  disgraces  it. 

t  Bede,  C.  7. 


528 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I, 


with  the  old  native  Britons,  exhibited  in 
our  island  scenes  of  the  most  unpleasant 
nature.     Nor  is  any  portion  of  our  his- 
tory in  a  secular  view  less  interesting. 
Nevertheless  in  this  dull  period  it  pleased 
God    to   shovsr   the  power   of  his   grace 
among  our  ancestors.     Hitherto  Kent  al- 
most alone  had  been  illuminated  ;  but  the 
Gospel  was    now    introduced   into   the 
North,  where  reigned   Edwin,   king  of 
the  Northumbrians.     And  a  woman  v.'as 
once  more  honoured  as  the  instrument  of 
salvation  to  a  king  her  husband,  and  to 
many  of  his  subjects.     Edwin  had  sent 
to  Eadbald  to  desire  his  sister  Ethelburg 
or  Tate*   in    marriage.      The    Kentish 
prince,    with    that    Christian    sincerity 
which  had  ever  distinguished  him  since 
his  conversion,  answered,  that  it  was  not 
lawful  to  marry  his   sister  to  an  infidel. 
Edwin  replied,  that  he  would  certainly 
grant  free   liberty  of  conscience  to  the 
princess   and   to   her  attendants,  adding 
that  he  himself  would  receive  the  same 
religion  if  it   appeared   more   worthy  of 
God.     Upon  this  Eadbald  consented,  and 
sent  his  sister  into  Northumberland, ]■  at- 
tended by  Paulinus,  who  was  consecrat- 
ed  bishop  of  the    North   of 
E norland   by   Justus    in    the 


Paulinus 
made 
bishop  of 
the  North 
of  Eng- 
land, 


year 


625. 


The   reason 


A.  D.  C25. 


for 
sending  him  was,  that  by 
daily  exhortations  and  admi- 
nistration of  the  communion 
he  might  guard  tlie  young 
])rincess  and  her  attendants 
from  the  infection  of  idolatry. 
But  Providence  had  a  higher  and  more 
extensive  aim,  and  infused  into  the  heart 
of  Paulinus:}:  a  strong  desire  to  propagate 
the  Gospel  in  these  regions.  He  labour- 
ed much  both  to  preserve  Ethelburg  and 
her  attendants  in  Christian  simplicity, 
and  to  draw  over  some  of  the  Pagans  to 
the  faith.  But  though  he  preached  a 
long  time,  "  still,  says  Bede,  the  god  of 
this  world  blinded  the  minds  of  unbe- 
lievers." After  some  time  Edwin  was 
very  near  being  murdered  by  an  assassin 
whom  the  king  of  the  West  Saxons  sent 
against  him,  and  the  same  night  his 
queen    was     delivered    of   a    daughter. 


While  the  king  was  thanking  his  gods 
for  the  birth  of  a  daughter,  Paulinus  be- 
gan to  give  thanks  to  the  Lord  Christ. 
Edwin  told  him,  that  he  himself  would 
worship  Christ,  and  renounce  all  his 
gods,  if  he  would  give  him  victory  over 
the  king  of  the  West  Saxons,  who  had 
attempted  to  murder  him,  and,  for  the 
present,  he  gave  the  young  infant  to 
Paulinus  to  be  baptized.  She  was  the 
first  Northumbrian  who  was  admitted 
into  the  visible  Church  by  the  ordinance 
of  baptism ;  and  twelve  of  the  king's  fa- 
mily were  baptized  on  that  occasion. 
Edwin  collecting  his  forces  vanquished 
the  West  Saxons,  and  killed  or  reduced 
into  subjection  all  who  had  conspired 
against  him.  Returning  victorious,  he 
determined  no  longer  to  serve  idols.  He 
was,  however,  in  no  hurry  to  be  baptiz- 
ed, but  resolved  to  examine  seriously  the 
grounds  and  reasons  of  Christianity.  He 
attended  Paulinus's  instructions,  held 
conferences  with  prudent  and  knowing 
persons,  and  was  himself  observed  fre- 
quently to  commune  with  his  own  heart, 
in  silence,  and  anxiously  to  inquire  what 
was  true  religion.  All  who  use  his  me- 
thods will  not  fail  to  know  the  truth. 

Edwin  was  doubtless  in  good  earnest, 

and  at  length  lield  a  consultation  with  his 

intimate  friends  and  counsellors,  "What 

says  he,  "this  hitherto  unheard  of 


*  Bede,  C.  9. 

+  This  term  meant  in  those  times  all  that 
part  of  England  which  lies  to  the  north  of  tlie 
Humber. 

i  He  was  one  of  the  monks  whom  Gregory 
had  sent  into  England,  and  possessed  much  of 
the  pious  and  zealous  spirit  of  that  renowned 
prelate. 


IS, 

doctrine,  tliis  new  worship  ]"  Coifi,  the 
chief  of  the  priests,  answered,  "  See 
you,  0  king,  what  this  is,  which  is  late- 
ly preached  to  us  1  I  declare  most  frankly 
what  I  have  found  to  be  true,  that  the  re- 
ligion we  have  hitherto  followed  is  of  no 
value.  If  the  gods  could  do  any  thing, 
they  would  more  particularly  distinguish 
me  with  their  favours  who  have  served 
them  so  diligently.  If  the  new  doctrine 
be  really  better,  let  us  embrace  it."  An- 
other of  the  nobles  observed,  that  he  had 
taken  notice  of  a  swallow,  which  had 
rapidly  flown  through  the  king's  house, 
entering  by  one  door  and  going  out  at  the 
other.  This  happened,  he  said,  when 
the  king  was  sitting  at  supper  in  the  hall : 
a  fire  burning  in  the  midst,  and  the  room 
being  heated,  a  tempest  of  rain  or  snow 
raged  without ;  the  poor  swallow  felt  in- 
deed a  temporary  warmth,  and  then  es- 
caped out  of  the  room.  "  Such,"  says 
he,  "  is  the  life  of  man  ;  but  what  goes 
before,  or  comes  after,  is  buried  in  pro- 
found darkness.  Our  ignorance  then, 
upon  such  principles  as  hitherto  we  have 
embraced,  is  confessed ;  but  if  this  new 


Cext.  vir.] 


ENGLISH  CHURCH. 


529 


doctrine  really  teach  us  any  thing  more 
certain,  it  will  deserve  to  be  followed." 
These  and  similar*  reflections  were  made 
by  the  king's  counsellors.    Colli  express- 
ed also  a  dc'siro  to  boar  Paulinus  preach, 
which,  by  the  king's  order,  was  compli- 
ed with.     The  chief  priest,  having  heard 
the  sermon,  exclaimed,  "  I  knew  former- 
ly, that   what  we   worshipped  was    no- 
thing;   because   the   more    studiously  I 
sought  for  truth,  the  less  I  found  it.  Now 
I  openl)'^  declare,  that  in  this  preaching 
appears  the  truth,  which  is  able  to  afford 
us   life,  salvation,  and  eternal  bliss.     I 
advise  that  we  instantly  destroy  the  tem- 
ples and  altars,  which  we  have  served  in 
vain."     The  king  feeling  the  conviction 
with  no  less  strength,  openly  confessed 
the  faith  of  Christ,  and  asked  Coifi,  who 
should  be  the  first  man  that  should  pro- 
fane the  idolatrous  places.     "I  ought  to 
do  it,"  replied  the  priest,  "  I,  who  wor- 
shipped them  in  folly,  will  give  an  ex- 
ample to  others  in  destroying  them,  by 
the  wisdom  given  me  from  the  true  God." 
He  immediately  went  to  the  temple  and 
profaned  it,  rejoicing  in   the   knowledge 
of  the  Most  High,  and  ordered  his  com- 
panions to  burn  the  building  with  its  en- 
closures.    The  place  was  still  shown  in 
our  author's  time,  not  far  from  York  to 
the  east  of  the  Derwent. 

In  the  eleventh  year  of  Edwin's  refgn, 
this  prince,  Avith  all  his  nobles  and  very 
many  of  the  commonalty,  was  baptized, 
one  hundred  and  eig-hty  years 
after  the  arrival  of  the  Saxons 
in  Britain,  and  in  the  year  of 
Christ  G27.     This  was  per- 
formed at  York  in  a  wooden 
oratory,  in  which  Edwin  had 
been  first  proposed  as  a  cate- 
chumen for  baptism.     By  the  advice  of 
Paulinus  he  afterwards  began  to  build  on 
the  same  spot  a  church  of  stone,  which 
however  he  did  not  live  to  finish,  but  it 
was  completed  by  Oswald,  his  successor. 
Paulinus,  first  bishop  of  York,  continued 
for  six  years,  till  the  death  of  Edwin,  to 
preach  the  Gospel ;  and  as  many  as  were 
ordained  to  eternal  life  believed. f     Ed- 
win's children  were  afterwards  baptized  ; 
and  so  strong  was  the  desire  of  his  sub- 
jects for  Christianity,  that  Paulinus  com- 
ing with  the  king  and  queen  to  a  royal 


Edwin  and 
his  nobles, 
kc.  bap- 
tized, 

A.  D.  627. 


*  Bede,  C.  13. 

f  Tlicy  are  Bede's  words  ;  the  scriptural 
reader  knows  whence  he  borrowed  them.  Id. 
C.  14. 

Vol.  I.  2  Y 


villa,  called  Adregin,  spent  there  thirty- 
six  days  in  teaching  and  baptizing  from 
morning  till  night.  At  another  tune  he 
baptized,  in  the  river  Swale,*  which 
flows  near  Catterick,  a  number  of  per- 
sons who  resorted  thither.  Many  of 
these  conversions  may  be  supposed  to 
have  been  the  result  of  mere  complaisance 
to  the  court.  But  there  is  every  reason 
to  believe,  that  there  was  a  real  eH'usion 
of  the  Spirit  at  this  time.  And,  in  the 
present  age,  when  men  profess  much  to 
think  for  themselves,  it  will  not  be  easy 
to  find  a  person  in  high  life  attending 
with  a  more  cool  and  reasonable  a  spirit 
to  the  nature  and  evidences  of  true  reli- 
gion, than  Edwin  and  his  nobles  did  at 
a  time  which  we  call  extremely  liarba- 
rous.  They  thought  impartially,  and  they 
had  the  indispensable  qualification  of  be- 
ing serious  in  their  researches. 

EdAvin  induced  also  Carpwald,  king  of 
the  East  Angles,  to  embrace  the  Gospel. 
Redwald,  the  father  of  this  prince,  had 
been  baptized  in  Kent,  but  had  been  se- 
duced by  his  wife  into  idolatry.  Carp- 
wald was  succeeded  by  his  brother  Sibert, 
a  man  of  singular  zeal  and  piety,  whose 
labours  for  the  spiritual  benefit  of  his 
subjects  were  much  assisted  by  Felix,  a 
Burgundian  Christian.  This  person  had 
received  a  commission  from  Honorius, 
the  successor  of  Justus  at  Canterbur}^  to 
preach  among  the  East  Angles,  which  he 
did  with  great  success,  and  lived  and  died 
bishop  of  Diimmock.)" 

The  zealous  Paulinus  preached  also  in 
Lincolnshire,  the  first  province  south  of 
the   Humber,:):    where   the   governor    of 
Lincoln§  with  his  house  was  converted 
to  God.     Bede  informs  us  that  a  friend 
of  his  heard  an  old  person  make  this  de- 
claration, "  I  was  baptized,  together  with 
a  multitude  of  others,  in  the  river  Chanta(| 
by  Paulinus,  in  the  presence  of  Edwin." 
Wonderful  things  are  told  us  of  the  per- 
fect peace,  order,  and  justice  which  pre- 
vailed during  the  reign  of  the  wise  and  . 
pious  king  of  Ncrthnmberland. 

Attempts  were  made  all  this  time  by 
the  bishops  of  Rome,  to  induce  the  Irish 
to  unite  themselves  to  the  English 
Church,  but  in  vain.  John  the  bishop  of 
Rome  wrote  letters  also  into  Ireland  against 


qui  vicum  juxta  Cataractara  pr:e- 


*  Sualva 
terfliiit. 
t  Now  Dunwich  in  Suffolk 


t  Bede,  C.  16. 
II  Now  Trent. 


§  Lindecolina. 


530 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


the  Pelagian  heresy,  which  was  reviving 
there. 

Edwin,  after  having  six  years  served 
the  cause  of  Christ,  was  slain  in  a  battle, 
which  he  fought  with  Carduella,  a  Bri- 
tish  prince,  a  Christian   by  profession, 
and  with  Penda,  king  of  the  Saxon  prin- 
cipality of  Mercia,  a  professed    Pagan. 
It  is  remarkable  that  the  British  prince 
used  his  victory  with  savage  barbarity, 
and   our  author  complains   that,   to  his 
times,  the  British  Christians  looked  on 
the  English  only  as  Pagans.     Paulinus, 
after  this   mournful   event,  retired  with 
Edwin's   queen   into   Kent,   whence  he 
had  brought  her.     There  being  a  vacancy 
at  Rochester,  he  was  by  Eadbald,  who 
still  reigned  in  Kent,  fixed  in  that  See, 
which  he  held  to  his  death.     His  deacon 
James,  whom  he  had  left  in  Northumber- 
land,   preserved   still   some   remains    of 
Christianity  in  a  province  now  overrun 
by  Pagans.     Such  are  the  vicissitudes  of 
the  Church   in  this   world:  her  perfect 
rest  is  above. 

The  situation  of  the  North  was,  after 
this,  deplorable.  Cedwalla,  a  British 
king,  tyrannized  with  the  fiercest  barba- 
rity over  the  subjects  of  Edwin,  till  at 
length  Oswald,  his  nephew,  vanquished 
and  slew  him,  and  established  himself  in 


of  Easter,  as  all  the   Christians  in  the 
British  Isles  were,  except  the  Saxons. 
To  him  Bede  applies  the  expression,  that 
"  he   had   a  zeal   for   God,  though   not 
FULLY*  according  to  knowledge."     Os- 
wald, whom  early  education  had  rather 
prejudiced  in  favour  of  the  same  schism, 
gave  him  an  episcopal  See  in  the  isle  of 
Lindisfarn.f     But  there  was  a  great  dif- 
ficulty  which    attended    his    ministry ; 
Aidan  spake   English  very  imperfectly. 
Oswald    himself,    therefore,    who    tho- 
roughly understood  Irish,  acted  as  his 
interpreter.      The  zeal  of  this  monarch 
was  indeed  extraordinary,  to  induce  him 
to  take  such  pains.     Encouraged  by  his 
protection,    more   Irish    ministers  came 
into  the  North  of  England,  and  churches 
wen;  erected  ;  the  Gospel  was  preached, 
and  Northumberland,    by  the   zeal   and 
piety  of  the  new  missionaries,  recovered 
the  ground  which  it  had  lost  by  the  ex- 
pulsion of  Paulinus.     Even  to  the  year 
HIGX  the  principles  of  evangelical  piety 
flourished  in  the  Irish  school ;  at  which 
time  this  people  were  reduced  to  the  Ro- 
man communion. 

Adrian  himself  was  a  shining  example 
of  godliness.  He  laboured  to  convert 
infidels  and  to  strengthen  the  faithful. 
He  gave  to  the  poor  whatever  presents  he 


the  kingdom.  He  had.  in  his  younger  received  from  the  great,  and  employed 
days,  lived  an  exile  in  Ireland,  and  had  himself  with  his  associates  in  the  Scrip- 
there  been  baptized.     Desirous  of  evan-jtures  continually.     He  strictly   avoided 


gelizing  his  people,  he  sent  for  a  pastor 
out  of  Ireland,  who,  after  he  had  made 
some  fruitless  attempts,  returned  into  his 
own  country,  complaining  of  the  intract- 
able disposition  of  the  Northumbrians. 
"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Aidan,  a  monk 
who  was  present  at  his  complaints,  "  that 
your  austere  manners  and  conduct  to 
wards  them,  were  unsuitable  to  their 
state  of  extreme  ignorance.  They  should 
be  treated  like  infants  with  milk,  till 
they  become  capable  of  stronger  meat." 
The  consequence  was,  what  probably 
Aidan  littlp  expected;  he  was  himself 
deputed  by  an  Irish  council  to  enter  on 
the  mission. 

The  character  of  this  missionary* 
would  have  done  honour  to  the  purest 
times.  We  may  more  confidently  de- 
pend on  the  account  given  of 
him,  because  he  belonged  not 
to  the  Roman  communion,  to 
which  Bede  was  supersti- 
tiously  devoted,  but  was  a 
schismatic  in  the  observation 


everyt'ning  luxurious,  and  every  appear- 
ance of  secular   avarice   and   ambition  : 


Character 
of  Aidan 
the  mis- 
sionary. 


*  Btde,  B.  111.  C.  3,  4, 5. 


*  Non  plene,  Warner,  by  omitting  the  ex- 
pression FUXLT,  misrepresents  our  venerable 
historian,  as  if  he  had  looked  on  Aidan  as 
wrong  in  point  of  knowledge  altogether.  la 
another  place  he  invidiously  compares  the  la- 
boriousness  and  simplicity  of  the  Irish  mis- 
sionary with  the  pomp  of  the  Roman  pastors 
sent  by  Gregory.  We  have  seen  abundant 
proof  of  the  integrity  and  diligence  of  the  lat- 
ter. The  iruthis,  that  though  God  is  no  re- 
specter of  persons,  man  is  very  apt  to  be  so. 
Wherever  he  sends  pastors  fitted  and  commis- 
sioned by  himself,  genuine  traces  of  their 
work  appear,  and  leave  salutary  li-uits  behind 
them.  The  Irish  Saint  Columban,  and  after 
him  Aidan,  as  well  as  the  Roman  missionaries 
of  the  Gregorian  school,  influenced  by  the^ 
same  Holy  Spirit,  left  wholesome  vestiges  of 
their  labours  in  the  British  Isles,  which  ex- 
tended even  to  distant  ages.  Had  the  former 
been  Protestants,  properly  speaking,  and  the 
latter  Papists,  the  same  estimate  ought  to  have 
been  formed,  though  such  a  distinction  in  re- 
gard to  those  ages  is  chimerical. 

f  Now  called  Holy  Island,  four  miles  from 
Berwick.  |  Bede,  C.  4. 


ClKT.  VII.] 


ENGLISH  CHURCH. 


531 


he  redeemed  captives  with  the  monej' 
which  was  given  him  by  the  rich  :  Iio 
instructed  them  afterwards;  and  lilted 
them  for  the  ministry. 

The  king  was  not  inferior  to  the  prelate 
in  his  endeavours  to  promote  godliness. 
Uncorrupt  and  huml)le  in  tiie  midst  ol' 
prosperity,  he  showed  himself  the  bene- 
factor of  the  poor  and  the  needy,  and 
cheerfully  encourasred  every  attempt  to 
spread  the  knowledge  and  practice  of 
godliness  among  men. 

In  the  mean  time  Byrinus  was  sent 
from  Rome  into  Britain,  who,  arriving 
among   the   West   Saxons,  and   findinn- 


The  king 
of  Kent, 
died, 

A.  D,  640. 

His  son 

Eascoii- 
bert  de- 
stroyed all 
the  idols  in 
his  do- 
minions. 


them  all  pagans,  laboured  to  instruct 
theoi.  Cynigilsus,  their  king,  the  father 
in-law  of  Oswald,  received  baptism  from 
him.  The  two  princes  gave  to  Byrinus 
the  city  of  Dorcinca;*  where  he  resided 
as  bishop,  and  the  Gospel  was  propagated 
with  success  through  this  branch  of  the 
heptarchy. 

In  Kent  Eadbald  died  in 
the  year  640,  f  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son  Eascon- 
bert,  who  reigned  twenty- 
four  years,  was  zealous  in  the 
support  of  godliness,  and  was 
the  tirst  Saxon  king  who  to- 
tallj'  destroyed  all  the  idols 
in  his  dominions. 

Oswald  at  length,  in  the 
thirty-eighth  year  of  his  age, 
was  slain  in  battle  by  the  same  Penda, 
king  of  Mercia,  who  was  mentioned  be- 
fore. A  memorable  instance  of  the 
unsearchable  ways  of  Providence  !  Two 
kings,  whose  equals  in  piety  and  virtue 
are  not  easily  found  in  any  age,  both  lose 
their  lives  in  battle  with  the  same  enemy, 
a  barbarian  and  a  pagan !  But  thry 
served  God  not  for  worldly,  but  heavenly 
blessings. 

Providence  was  however  preparing  the 
way  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel 
through  the  whole  heptarchy.  Young 
Penda,  son  of  the  tyrant  of  ^lercia,  de- 
siring in  niarrianfe  tlie  daughter  of  Oswv. 
brother  and  successor  to  Oswald,  his 
reception  of  Christianity  was  made  the 
condition  ;  and  the  young  prince,  we  are 
told,  on  hearing  the  doctrines  of  the  Gos- 
pel preached,  was  induced  to  declare, 
that  he  would  become  a  Christian,  even 
if  Oswy's  daughter  were  denied  him. 
Two  years  before  the  death  of  old  Penda, 


the  son  married  the  Northumbrian  prin- 
cess, and  patronized  Christianity  in  that 
part  of  his  father's  dominions  which  was 
committed  to  his  government.  But  the 
latter  renewed  hostilities  against  Oswy, 
and  at  length  was  slain  in  battle.*  Oswy, 
now  master  of  Mercia  and  Northum- 
berland, applied  himself  to  propagate 
Christianity  among  his  new  sul)iects. 
Through  his  influenee  also  the  Gospel 
was  restored  to  the  kingdom  of  the  East 
Saxons;  and  London,  which  had  rejected 
the  ministr}^  of  Mellitus,  again  embraced 
the  religion  of  Christ. 

In  this  century,  Kentigern,  bishop  of 
Glasgow  in  Scotland,  being  expelled 
from  his  See,  founded  a  monastery,  and  a 
bishopric  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Elwy 
in  North  Wales.  Archbishop  Usher, 
quoting  .lohn  of  Tininouth,  says,  there 
was  in  the  abbey  965  monks,  one  of 
whom  was  named  Asaph.  Kentigern, 
being  called  back  to  Glasgow,  appointed 
Asaph  abbot  and  bishop  of  Llan-Elwy. 
Of  Asaph  it  is  recorded  that  he  was  a 
zealous  preacher,  and  that  he  used  to  say, 
"they  envy  the  salvation  of  souls  who 
withstand  the  preaching  of  the  Word." 
The  See  has  since  borne  his  name ;  and 
he  seems  to  have  had  a  spirit  superior  to 
the  monastic  superstition,  in  which  he 
was  educated. f  Marianus  Scotus,  in  his 
Chronicle,  says,  in  regard  to  this  century, 
"  Ireland  was  filled  with  Saints.  Their 
schools  were  renowned  for  ages.":}; 

But  it  is  time  to  bring  die  English 
Church  history  of  this  century  to  a  close. 
That  there  was  a  real  effusion  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  on  England,  so  that  numbers  were 
turned  from  idols  to  the  living  God  ;  the 
pastors,  first  of  the  Koman,  and  after- 
wards of  the  British  communion,  laboured 
in  the  work  with  simplicity  and  success, 
has  been  evidenced.  We  have  had  also 
several  instances  ofthe  completion  of  that 
prophecy,  "  Kings  shall  be  thy  nursing 
fathers,  and  Queens  thy  nursing  mo- 
thers."§  But  the  zeal  and  purity  of  the 
Christian  spirit  seldom  last  much  longer 
than  thirty  or  forty  years  in  any  place. 
The  native  depravity  of  man  gradually 
quenches  the  Spirit  of  God.  and  the 
power  of  godliness  is  soon  buried,  or  at 
least  very^faintly  subsists  in  the  midst  of 


♦  Now  Dorchester,  near  Oxford, 
t  Bede,  C.  8, 


•  The  battle  was  fought  between  Oswy  and 
Penda,  near  Lnydcn,  now  Leeds,  in  York- 
shire, at  Winwidfield,  on  the  river  Winvaed, 
now  Aire. 

t  Alliitn  Butler,  Vol.  V.  |  Idem. 

§  Isaiah,  xlix.  23. 


532 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  U. 


factious  contentions  and  worldly  lusts. 
This  I  find  to  have  been  the  case  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  century  in  England. 
Wilfrid,  bishop  of  York,  a  very  suspi- 
cious character,  in  his  exile  laboured 
indeed  among  the  Frisians,  and  is  said 
to  have  been  the  first  missionary  who 
taught  that  people.  If  he  did  any  real 
good  among  them,  it  was  the  most  useful 
pan  of  his  life  ;  for  in  Britain  he  seems 
to  have  fomented  turbulence  and  con- 
tention. However,  he  paved  the  way  for 
more  upright  missionaries,  whose  labours 
in  Friezeland  shall  be  mentioned  here- 
after. The  craft  of  Satan  too  commonly 
succeeds  in  fomenting  divisions,  even 
among  those  who  with  equal  sincerity 
are  enffacred  in  the  best  of  causes. 
While  such  men  as  Paulinus  and  Aidan 
lived,  the  diversity  of  sentiments  produ- 
ced no  great  mischief.  Afterwards,  as 
depravity  increased,  and  the  spirit  of 
faith  and  love  grew  colder,  very  hurtful 
disputes  arose,  to  the  scandal  of  the  Gos- 
pel. The  Roman  Church,  however, 
acquired  more  and  more  influence,  though 
it  was  very  far  from  pervading  the  whole 
of  the  British  isles  at  the  end  of  the  cen- 
tury. But  nothing  particularly  pertinent 
to  the  design  of  this  history  occurs.  Let 
it  suffice  us  to  say,  that  our  ancestors  saw 
in  this  century  a  blessed  time,  the  fruits 
of  which  will  abide  forever. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE  PROPAGATION  OF    THE    GOSPEL    IN 
GERMANY  AND  ITS  NEIGHBOURHOOD. 

The  northern  part  of  Europe  had  still 
remained  in  the  darkness  of  idolatry.  In 
this  century  they  were  visited  by  the 
Mos-^,  High.  The  Britons,  Scots,  and 
Irish,  were  honoured  as  the  principal 
instruments  in  the  work;  and  this  cir- 
cumstance affords  an  additional  evidence 
to  the  account  already  given  of  the  genu- 
ine spirit  of  godliness  which  prevailed 
in  the  British  isles.  The  French  had 
also  their  share  in  the  blessed  cause.  I 
shall  throw  together  the  very  imperfect 
hints  which  are  preserved  to  us  of  these 
important  transactions.  Though  the  first 
instance  more  properly  relates  to  France 
than  to  Germany,  it  may  with  no  great 
impropriety  be  mentioned  in  this  chapter. 
Omer,  bishop  of  Tarvanne,  the  old  metro- 
polis of  the  Morini  in  Artois,  laboured 


with  success  in  the  cultivation  of  a  wil- 
derness. Vice  and  idolatry  were  very 
predominant  in  his  diocese ;  but  bj^  the 
assistance  of  Bertin,  a  vSwiss,  his  kins- 
man, he  was  enabled  to  eradicate  invete- 
rate evils,  and  to  civilize  a  race  of 
barbarians. 

The  erection  of  many  convents  in  Ger- 
many for  the  Scotch  and  Irish,  some  of 
which  are  still  extant,  is  to  be  accounted 
for  from  the  ecclesiastical  connexions  of 
their  ancestors.  Many  persons  travelled 
from  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  with  the 
laudable  purpose  of  preaching  Christ  in 
Batavia,  Belgium  and  Germany.*  And 
however  superstition  might  tarnish  their 
labours,  there  must  have  been  a  nobler 
principle  to  induce  men  to  undergo  so 
much  danger,  with  hardly  any  possible 
prospect  of  lucre  or  fame.  Mere  philoso- 
phers are  generally  but  too  liberal  in 
censure  and  raillery :  we  seldom,  how- 
ever, hear  of  them  engaging  in  any  work 
of  so  disinterested  a  nature.  Only  the 
love  of  God  in  Christ  can  support  the 
spirit  of  men  in  such  enterprizes. 

Columbian,  an  Irish  monk,  distin- 
guished from  him  of  the  same  name, 
spoken  of  before,  who  was  called  "  the 
Ancient,"  toward  the  close  of  the  fore- 
going century  had  extirpated  the  remains 
of  expiring  paganism  in  France.  He 
also  passed  the  Rhine,  and  evangelized 
the  Suevi,t  the  Boii,^  and  other  German 
nations.  He  laboured  in  the  cause  to  his 
death,  which  happened  in  the  .  ^  g. ^ 
year  615.  Gal,  one  of  his 
companions,  laboured  with  much  zeal 
about  the  lakes  of  Zurich  and  Constance. 
Near  the  latter  lake,  at  a  little  distance 
from  Bregent,  he  erected  a  monastery, 
which  still  bears  his  name.  In  fortitude 
and  laboriousness  he  was  inferior  to  none 
of  the  missionaries  of  this  age.  But  we 
find  very  little  worthy  of  being  recorded 
concerning  him. 

The  account  of  Kilian,  another  Irish 
missionary,  is  somewhat  more  satisfac- 
tory. He  received  a  commission  from 
the  bishop  of  Rome,  toward  the  end  of 
the  century,  to  preach  to  the  infidels  ;  and 
with  some  of  his  disciples  he  came  to 
Wirtzbourg  upon  the  Mayne,  where  a 
pagan  duke  called  Gosbert  was  governor. 
The  duke  received  the  Gospel,  was  bap- 


*  Mosheim,  Cent.  7lh.  C.  1. 
f  This  people  itihabited  the  places  between 
ihe  UliiiieanJ  the  Elbe. 
I  Now  Bavarians. 


Cext.  VII.] 


GERMAN  CHURCH. 


533 


IMurder  of 
Kilian  and 
his  com- 
panions, 

A.  D.  GS8. 


tized,  and  many  followed  his  example. 
Bat  he  had  married  his  brother's  wife. 
The   missionary  united   discretion   with 
zeal,  and  deferred  his  admonitions  on  this 
head,  till  he  found  that  his  pupil  the  duke 
was  firmly  settled  in  the  faith.*     Kilian 
at  length  ventured  to  act  the  part  of  John 
the  Baptist,  and  the  event  was  in  a  great 
measure   similar.     Gosbert  promised   to 
obey,  but  delayed  the  execution  of  his 
promise  till  he  should  return  from  an  ex- 
pedition.  The  mischief  of  procrastination 
against  the  light  of  conscience  was  never 
more  strongly  illustrated.     In  his  absence 
Geilana,  for  that  was   the  name  of  the 
German   Herodias,   procured 
the  murder  of  Kilian  and  his 
companions.     They  were  en- 
gaged in  devotional  exercises, 
and  died  with  the  patience  of 
martyrs  in  the  year  G8S.   Fos- 
bert  was  prevailed  on  by  the  artifices  of 
Geilana  to  sutfer  the  murderers  to  escape 
with  impunit)%    But  all  the  actors  in  this 
tragedy,  Gosbert  among  the  rest,  came  to 
an  unhappy  end ;  and  there  is  no  doubt 
but  that  in  this  case,  as  well  as  many 
others,  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  became 
the  seed  of  the  Church.    Numbers  of  the 
eastern  Franks  had  embraced  Christian- 
ity, and   sealed  the  ministry  of  Kilian. 
Barbatus,  born  in  the  territory  of  Bene- 
vento,  in  Italy,  in  the  beginning  of  this 
century,  was  also  a  great  ornament  to  it. 
I\Ieditation    on   the   Scriptures   was   his 
chief  delight.     He  was  acknowledged  to 
excel  in  preaching.     He  acted  as  curate 
of  Morcona   near   Benevento,  and   gave 
great  offence  by  his  faithfulness.    By  the 
malice  of  the  people  he  was  obliged  to 
retire  to  Benevento.     This  town  was  pos- 
sessed by  the  Lombards,  who  were  chiefly 
Arians ;  many  of  them  were  indeed  idola- 
ters, though  some  were  of  the  general 
Church,  with  their  duke  Arichis,  a  friend 
of  Gregory  I.     Barbatus  labouring  there 
found    the   Christians,   so    called,   very 
idolatrous.     They  worshipped   a  golden 
viper,  and  a  tree  on  which  the  skin  of  a 
wild  beast  was  hung.     He  preached  and 
prayed  a  long  time :  at  length  the  em- 
peror Constans  besieging  Benevento,  the 
wicked  inhabitants  were  intimidated  so 
far,  as  to  repent  of  their  idolatry.     Bar- 
batus was  allowed  to  cut  down  the  tree, 
and  to  melt  the  golden  viper,  of  which  he 
made  a  sacramental  chalice.    This  man 


was  appointed  bishop  of  Bene- 
vento in  6G3,  and  destroyed 
every  vestige  of  idolatry  in 
the  whole  state.  He  lived 
afterwards  to  bear  a  testi- 
mony by  his  presence  in  the 
council  of  Constantinople, 
against   the  IMonothelite  he- 


resy, 


and  died  in  G82.     See 


Burl>atus 
made 
bisliop  of 
Beneven- 
to, 

A.  D.  663. 

Died, 
A.  D.  682. 


English 
mission- 
aries ill- 
treated  in 
Holland, 
retired 
iiUo  Den- 
mark, 

A.  D.  693. 


Butler's  Lives. 

Toward  the  conclusion  of  the  century, 
Willibrod,  an  English   missionary,  and 
eleven  of  his  countrymen,  crossed  over 
the  sea  into  Holland,  to  la- 
bour among  the  Friczeland- 
ers.     But  being  ill-treated  by 
the  king  of  Friezeland,  who 
put  one  of  their  company  to 
death,*  they  retired  into  Den- 
mark.    Returning,   however, 
into   Friezeland  in  the   year 
(J93,  they  propagated    divine 
truth   with   success.     Willi- 
brod was  ordained  bishop  of  Wilteburgf 
by  the  Roman  prelate,  and  laboured  in  his 
diocese  to  his  death;  while  his  associates 
spread   the  Gospel   through  Westphalia 
and  the  neighbouring  countries.:): 

It  was  in  this  century,  the  former  part 
of  it,  according  to  the  researches  of  one 
author,§  the  latter  part,  according  to  those 
of  another,l|  that  Bavaria  received  the 
Gospel  from  the  ministry  of  Rupert,  or 
Robert,  bishop  of  Worms.  He  was  in- 
vited by  Theodo,  duke  of  Bavaria.  His 
ministry  prospered,  and  he  was  appointed 
bishop  of  Saltzburg.  The  increasing 
harvest  required  more  missionaries:  he 
therefore  returned  to  his  own  country, 
and  brought  twelve  assistants  :  from  that 
time  Christianity  was  established  in  Ba- 
varia. Corbinian,  another  Frenchman, 
watered  where  Rupert  had  planted.  Duke 
Theodo  received  him  gladly.  His  son 
and  successor  Grimoald  was  induced  to 
|)art  with  his  wife,  whom  he  had  married 
contrary  to  the  Levitical  laws  of  matri- 
monial consanguinity ;  and  so  far  as  can 
be  judged  from  very  imperfect  accounts. 


Fleury,  B.  XL. 
2  y2 


37. 


•   Mosheim,  Ceirt.  V'lL  C.  1. 

f  Now  Utrecht. 

I  Disen,  an  Irish  monk,  taught  the  Gospel 
in  Ireland,  France,  and  Germany.  His  labours 
were  most  remarkably  crowned  with  success 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Mentz. — Alb.  Butler. 

§  Velserius  Rerutn  Boi<  .irum,  B.  IV. 

I  Fleury,B.  XLI.  31.  If  Fleury's  chrono- 
logy be  right,  the  greatest  part  of  the  narra- 
tive before  us  belongs  to  the  next  centurj-. 


534 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


Ihe  Gospel  was  received  with  great  sin- 
cerity in  this  country.*^ 

Some  time  after,f  Emmeram,  an  Aqui- 
tanian  Frenchman,  leaving  his  country 
and  his  large  possessions,  travelled  to 
Ratisbon,  to  spread  the  Gospel.  He  was 
well  received  by  another  Theodo,  duke  of 
Bavaria.  He  observed,  that  the  Bava- 
rians were,  many  of  them  at  least,  still 
addicted  to  idolatrous  rites,  which  they 
mixed  with  Christianity.  The  old  inha- 
bitants were  particularly  guilty  of  these 
things.  He  laboured  among  them  three 
years,  preaching  in  all  the  towns  and  vil- 
lages, and  reserved  for  himself  only  the 
bare  necessaries  of  life.  His  success 
was  great,  and  his  end  was  worthy  of  his 
profession.  Lambert,  a  son  of  the  duke, 
murdered  him  at  length  with  savage  bar 
harity.  He  had  been  offered  a  large  reve 
nue  and  a  settlement  at  Ratisbon  by 
Theodo,  which  he  had  refused,  declaring 
that  he  only  wished  to  preach  Christ 
crucified. 

Marinue  and  Auian,  two  Egyptians, 
came  into  Bavaria,  and  were  very  sue 
cessful  in  the  same  cause.  But  the  ex 
cessive  austerity  which  ihey  brought  with 
them  from  the  East  must  have  been  detri- 
mental to  their  work.  The  former  at 
length  was  murdered  by  robbers;  the  lat- 
ter died  a  natural  death.  EUo,  bishop  of 
Noyon,  carefully  visited  his  large  diocese, 
especially  the  pagan  parts  of  it,  and  was 
very  successful  among  the  Flemings,  the 
Antwerpers,  and  the  Frisons.  At  first  he 
found  them  fierce  and  exceedingly  obsti- 
nate. But  God  was  with  him  both  in 
life  and  doctrine.  Every  Easter  he  bap- 
tized great  numbers,  who  had  been 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  God  in  tlie 
preceding  year.  Very  aged  persons, 
amidst  crowds  of  children,  came  to  be 
baptized,  and  there  is  the  fairest  evidence 
of  his  evangelical  success. 

This  is  all  that  I  can  find,  with  cer- 


*  This  missionary  was  remarkable  for  pri- 
vate devotion,  as  well  as  public  labours.  He 
reserved  to  himself  a  considerable  portion  of 
time  every  day  for  prayer  and  meditation. 
But  from  Albau  Butler's  account  I  learn,  that 
Grimoald  persecuted  Corbinian  on  account  of 
his  faithfulness;  and  that  Biltrude,  the  relict 
of  Griraoald's  broiher,  hired  assassins  to  mur- 
der him.  Both  Grimoald  and  Biltrude  perish- 
ed miserably.  If  the  former  was  induced  to 
repentance  at  all,  he  seems  to  have  relapsed. 
After  the  death  of  his  persecutors,  Coi-biiiian 
returned  to  Frisengen,  and  laboured  till  his 
death,  which  happened  in  the  year  730. 

t  Velser.  Id. 


tainty,  of  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel 
in  the  seventh  century  in  Germany  and 
the  neighbouring  countries.  The  cen- 
sures of  Mosheim,  as  if  the  greatest  part 
of  the  missionaries  were  not  sincere,  or 
as  if  many  of  the  monks  covered  their 
ambition  with  the  cloak  of  mortification, 
appear  to  me  illiberal  and  unfounded,* 
and  would  have  been  more  worthy  of  a 
modern  sceptic.  Superstition  and  an  ex- 
cessive attachment  to  the  Roman  See  is 
very  visible  among  thein.  But  the  little 
account  of  facts,  which  we  have,  hears 
testimony  to  their  uprightness.  Where 
is  that  charity  which  hopeth  all  things, 
if  we  are  to  suppose  men  to  be  wrong, 
against  all  appearances  ]  If  ecclesias- 
tical historians  had  delighted  as  much  in 
recording  good  as  they  have  in  recording 
evil,  it  is  probable  a  more  ample  refuta- 
tion of  the  inconsiderate  aspersions  of 
this  author  might  have  been  exhibited  to 
the  reader. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 
IN  THIS   CENTURY. 

Phocas,  the  Greek  einperor,  was  de- 
posed and  put  to  death  by  Heraclius  in 
the  year  610.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
vicious  and  profligate  tyrants,  and  may 
be  compared  with  Caligula, 
Nero,  and  Domitian.  Since  Phocas 
the  days  of  Constantine  such     P"'  to 

characters  had  been  exceed-     •l^athby 

TTi  1  ,1         Heraclius, 

ing  rare,     r  or  such  was  the  ' 

benign  influence  of  the  Gos-  A.  D.  610. 
pel,  that  even  amidst  all  the 
corruptions  and  abuses  of  it,  which  were 
now  so  numerous,  a  decency  of  character 
and  conduct,  unknown  to  their  Pagan 
predecessors,  was  supported  by  the  em- 
perors in  general.  Heraclius,  the  suc- 
cessor of  Phocas,  reigned  thirty  years. 
In  the  beginning  of  his  reign  the  Per- 
sians desolated  the  eastern  part  of  the 
empire,  and  made  themselves  masters  of 
.Terusalein.  While  Asia  groaned  under 
their  cruelties  and  oppressions,  and  was 
afflicted  with  scourge  after  scourge,  for 
her  long  abuse  of  the  best  gift  of  God, 
an  opportunity  was  given  for  the  exercise 
of  Christian    graces   to   a  bishop  of  a 


*  Mosheim,  Id.  1  find  no  just  reason  to  sus- 
pect any  of  them,  except  Wilfri<l,  bishop  of 
York,  mentioned  in  the  last  Chapter. 


CexXt.  VII.] 


GENERAL  HISTORY, 


535 


Christian 
coiuluct  of 
John  the 
Almoner, 
hislioj)  of 
Alexan- 
dria. 


Church,  which  had  long  ceased  to  pro- 
duce Christian  fruit. 

This  was  John,  bishop  of  Alexandria, 
called  the  Almoner,  on  account  of  his  ex- 
tensive liberality.  He  daily  supplied 
with  necessaries  those  who  flocked  into 
Egypt,  after  they  had  escap- 
ed the  Persian  arms.  lie 
sent  to*  Jerusalem  the  most 
ample  relief  for  such  as  re- 
mained there  :  he  ransomed 
captives  ;  placed  the  sick  and 
wounded  in  hospitals,  and 
visited  them,  in  person,  two 
or  three  times  a  week.  He  even  seems 
to  have  interpreted  too  strictly  the  sacred 
rule,  "  of  givinor  to  him  that  asketh  of 
thee.'  His  spirit  however  was  noble  ; 
"  Should  the  whole  world  come  to  Alex- 
andria," said  he,  "they  could  not  ex- 
haust the  treasures  of  God." 

The    Nile    not    having    risen   to   its 
usual  height,  there  was  a  barren  season ; 
provisions   were  scarce,  and   crowds  of 
refugees   sliil    poured    into   Alexandria 
John  continued,  however,  his  liberal  da 
natives,  till  he  had   neither  money,  nor 
credit.     The  prayer  of  faith  was  his  re- 
source, and  he  still  persevered  in  hope. 
He  even  refused  a  very  tempting  oiler  of 
a  person,  who  would  have  bribed  him 
with  a  large  present,  that  he  might  be 
ordained  deacon.     "  As  to  my  brethren 
the  poor,"  said  the  holy  prelate,  "  God, 
who  fed   them,  before   you  and  I  were 
born,  will   take  care  to  feed  them   now, 
if  we   obey  him."      Soon  afterward  he 
heard  of  tiie  arrival  of  two  large  ships 
which  he  had  sent  into  Sicily  for  corn. 
"I  thank  thee,  0  Lord,"  cried  tiic bishop 
in  a  rapture  of  joy,  "  that  thou  hast  kept 
me  from  selling  thy  gift  for  money." 

From  the  beginning  of  his  bishopric 
he  supported  7,500  poor  persons  by  daily 
alms.  He  was  accessible  to  them  on  all 
occasions ;  and  what  is  most  material, 
divine  faith  seems  to  have  influenced  his 
acts  of  love.  "  If  God,"  said  he,  "  al- 
low us  to  enter  his  house  at  all  times,  and 
if  we  wish  him  speedily  to  hear  us,  how 
ought  we  to  conduct  ourselves  toward 
our  brethren ■?"  He  constantly  studied 
the  Scriptures,  and,  in  his  conversation, 
was  instructive  and  exemplary.  Slander 
and  evil  speaking  he  peculiarly  disliked. 
If  any  person  in  his  presence  was  guilty 
in  this  respect,  he  would   give  another 


Fleury,  B.  xsxvii.  10. 


turn  to  the  discourse.  If  the  person  still 
persisted,  he  would  direct  his  servant  not 
to  admit  him  any  more. 

The  long  course  of  heresy,  licentious- 
ness, and  ambition,  which  had  filled  the 
Alexandrian  Church,  supported  by  the 
shameful  examples  of  such  pastors  as 
Theophilus  and  other  profligate  men, 
must  have  reduced  it  to  the  lowest  ebb ; 
and  I  wonder  not  to  find,  that  persons 
behaved  indecently,  even  in  public  wor- 
ship. Joim,  one  day  seeing  several  leave 
the  church  after  the  reading  of  the  Gos- 
pel, went  out  also,  and  sat  down  among 
them.  "  Children,"  said  he,  "  the  shep- 
herd should  be  with  his  flock ;  I  could 
pray  at  home,  but  I  cannot  preach  at 
home."  By  doing  this  twice,  he  reform- 
ed the  abuse.  Let  it  be  marked,  as  an 
evidence  of  the  zeal  of  this  prelate,  who, 
like  another  Josiah,  seems  to  have  been 
sent  to  reform  a  falling  church,  that  the 
preaching  of  the  word  engaged  much  of 
ills  heart.  The  contempt  of  preaching  is 
a  certain  token  of  extreme  degeneracy. 

A  canon  was  made  at  Paris,  in  a  coun- 
cil, in  the  year  G14,  the  same  year  in 
which  Jerusalem  was  taken, 
which  enjoins  that  he  shall  be 
ordained  to  succeed  a  deceased 
bishop,  who  shall  be  chosen 
by  the  archbishop,  together 
with  the  bishops  of  the  pro- 
vince, the  clergy  and  the  j)eo- 
ple,  without  any  prospect  of 
gain :  if  the  ordination  be 
conducted  otherwise  through 
compulsion  or  neglect,  the 
election  shall  be  void.  The 
intelligent  reader  will  hence 
judge  of  the  state  of  ecclesi- 
astical polity  at  that  time. 

In  Gl()  John  the  Almoner  departed  from 
Alexandria,  for  fear  of  the 
Persians,  and  died  soon  after 
in  Cyprus,  in  the  same  spirit 
in  which  he  had  lived ;  and 
with  him  ends  all  that  is 
worth  recording  of  the  church  of  Alex- 
andria. 

In  the  same  year  the  haughty  Ghos- 
roes,  king  of  Persia,  having  conquered 
Alexandria  and  Kgvpt,  and  taken  Chal- 
codon,  Heraclius,  who  saw  the  ruin  of 
his  empire  approaching,  begged  for 
peace.  "That  I  will  never  consent  to," 
replied  the  tyrant,  "till  you  renounce 
him  who  v.-as  crucified,  whom  you  call 
God,  and  with  me  adore  the  sun."  It 
lone  compare   Chosroes  and   Heraclius, 


Rumai-k- 
aljle  Ca- 
non made 
in  a  Coun- 
cil at 
Paris, 

A.  D.  6U. 

In  the 
same  year 
the  Per- 
sians take 
Jerusa- 
lem. 


Death  of 
John  about 

A.  n.  616. 


536 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


their  personal  characters  will  not  appear 
intrinsically  ditferent.  In  one  is  seen  a 
daring  blasphemer  of  Christ,  in  the  other 
a  mere  nominal  professor  of  Christianity, 
whose  life  brought  neither  honour  nor 
credit  to  the  Gospel.  Their  ostensible 
characters  in  the  world  were,  however, 
extremely  diflFerent.  The  Lord,  who  is 
a  jealous  God,  has  ever  been  used  to 
confound  his  open  enemies  in  the  view  of 
all  mankind.  Chosroes  was  a  second 
Sennacherib,  and  he  was  treated  as  such 
by  the  Sovereign  of  the  universe.  The 
spirit  of  Heraclius  was  roused,  and  God 
gave  him  wonderful  success  :  the  Per- 
sian king  was  repeatedly  vanquished, 
though  he  ceased  not  to  persecute  the 
Christians,  so  long  as  he  had  power ; 
and  after  he  had  lost  the  greatest  part  of 
his  dominions,  he  was  murdered  by  his 
own  son,  as  was  the  case  with  Senna- 
cherib, and  in  the  year  628  the  Persian 
power  ceased  to  be  formidable  to  the  Ro- 
man empire.* 

It  is  not  without  reason  that  St.  Paul 
exhorts  us  "  to  shun  profane  and  vahi 
babblings ;  because  their  word  will  eat 
like  a  canker."+  The  Nestorian  and 
Eutychian  heresies,  opposite  extremes, 
the  one  dividing  the  person,  the  other 
confounding  the  two  natures  of  Jesus 
Christ,  though  condemned  by  councils, 
still  flourished  in  great  vigour  in  the  east. 
And  the  resistance  of  the  orthodox  had 
little  effect,  for  want  of  the:J:  energy  of 
true  spiritual  life,  which  still  subsisted 
in  a  measure  in  the  west.  For  there  the 
sound  doctrine  of  grace,  the  guard  of 
true  humility,  was  an  ensign,  around 
which  truly  pious  men  were  wont  to  rally 
their  strength  from  time  to  time.  But,  in 
Asia   and    Egypt,  religion  was   for  the 

most  part  heartless  specula- 
The  Mo-  tion.  And  about  the  year  630 
iiothelite  the  Eutychian  heresy  produ- 
heresy,  ^^^  another,  the  Monothelite, 

A.  D.  630.     which  ascribed  only  one  will 

to  Jesus  Christ.  This  opi- 
nion was  the  natural  consequence  of  that, 
which  gave  him  only  one  nature.  Theo- 
dore, bishop  of  Pharan  in  Arabia,  first 
started  this  notion,  which  was  also  readi- 
ly received  by  Sergius,  bishop  of  Con- 
stantinople, whose  parents  had  been 
Eutychians.  Cyrus,  who  soon  after  was 
made   bishop   of  Alexandria,   supported 


*  Fleurv,  B.  xxxvii.  34. 
+  2Tinr.  ii.  16,  17. 
^Fleury,  B.  xlvii.  41. 


the  same  heresy.  The  ambiguous  sub- 
tilties  of  the  party  drew  the  emperor 
Heraclius  into  the  same  net,  and  the 
east  was  rapidly  overspread  with  the 
heresy. 

In  a  council  at   Alexandria,    Sophro- 
nius,  a  man  of  sincerity  and  simplicity, 
and   formerly   the  disciple  of  John   the 
Almoner,  with  tears  bewailed 
and  protested  against  the  in-     Sophro- 
novation,  but  in  vain.     Hav-     "'"s  op- 
ing  been    elected   bishop    of    poses  the 
Jerusalem   in  629,  he   after-     "'"■^'^'' 
wards  in  633  exerted  his  au-     A.  D.  633. 
thority  against   the  growing 
heresy,  but  with  meekness  of  wisdom. 
In  a  synodical  letter  he  explained  with 
equal  solidity  and  accuracy  the  divine  and 
human  operations  of  Jesus   Christ,  and 
gave  pertinent  instances  of  both.* 

"  When  he  thought  fit,  he  gave  his 
human  nature  an  opportunity  to  act  or  to 
sutfer  whatever  belonged  to  it.  His  in- 
carnation was  no  fancy,  and  he  always 
acted  voluntarily.  Jesus  Christ,  as  God, 
willingly  took  on  himself  human  nature, 
and  he  willingly  suffered  in  his  flesh  to 
save  us,  and,  by  his  merits,  to  free  us  from 
suffering.  His  body  was  subject  to  our  na- 
tural and  innocent  passions  :  he  permitted 
it  to  suffer,  according  to  its  nature,  till  his 
resurrection  ;  then  he  freed  himself  from 
all  that  is  corruptible  in  our  nature,  that  he 
might  deliver  us  from  the  same."  vSo- 
phronius  recommends  himself  to  the  pray- 
ers of  Sergius,  to  whom  he  writes,  and 
adds,  "  pray  for  our  emperors,"  he  means 
Heraclius  and  his  son,  "  that  God  may 
give  them  victory  over  all  the  barbarians  ; 
particularly,  that  he  would  humble  the 
pride  of  the  Saracens,  who  for  our  sins 
have  suddenly  risen  upon  us,  and  lay  all 
waste  with  fierce  barbarity  and  impious 
confidence." 

Thus,  in  the  lowest  times  of  evangeli- 
cal religion,  God  ever  raised  up  men  who 
understood  the  truth,  and  knew  how  to 
defend  it  by  sound  argument,  a  chari- 
table spirit,  and  a  holy  life.  This  seems 
to  have  been  the  case  of  Sophronius.  In 
the  mean  time  the  Monothelite  heresy 
spread  wider  and  wider.  Even  Hono- 
rius,  bishop  of  Rome,  was  led  into  the 
snare,  owned  but  one  will  in  .Tesus  Christ, 
and  imposed  silence  on  all  the  controver- 
sialists. Heraclius  himself,  who  lent  his 
imperial  authority  to  the  support  of  a  spe- 
culative phantom,  while  he  imposed  on 


*  Fleurv,  B.  sxxviii.  5. 


Cext.  VII.] 


GENERAL  HISTORY. 


537 


his  own  heart  by  a  specious  show  of  the- 
ological nicety,  lived  in  the  gross  and 
open  wickedness  of  incest,  by  marrying 
his  own  niece. 

The  danger  from  the  Saracens,  men- 
tioned by  Sophronius,  was  no  other  than 
the  victorious  arms  of  Mahomet,  the  Ara- 

,,  ,  ^  bian  impostor.  He  had  besfun 
Mahomet,  .  ,  "  „.,^,  i  i  i" 
A.  D  60S  ^"  ^"®  y^^^  ^^^  '■^  declare  him- 
self a  prophet,  and,  by  the 
assistance  of  a  Jew  and  a  renegado  Chris- 
tian, had  formed  a  farrao-o  of  doctrines 
and  rites,  in  which  there  was  a  mixture  of 
Paganism,  Judaism,  and  Christianity, 
whence  he  found  means  to  draw  over  to 
his  party  some  of  the  various  sorts  of  men 
who  inhabited  Arabia.  An  age  of  exces- 
sive ignorance  favoured  his  schemes  :  at 
this  day  so  senseless  and  absurd  a  book 
as  the  Koran  could  scarcely  move  the 
mind  of  any  person  in  Europe.  But  he 
laid  hold  of  the  corrupt  passions  of  man, 
and  by  indulging  his  followers  in  sensu- 
ality, ambition,  and  the  love  of  booty, 
and  by  promising  them  a  carnal  heaven 
hereafter,  he  contrived  a  religion  more 
directly  adapted  to  please  mankind  than 
any  other  of  which  we  have  heard.  At  the 
same  time  by  declaring  war  against  all  who 
did  not  receive  him,  he  gave  an  undoubt- 
ed right  to  all  nations  to  attack  a  system 
which  could  only  thrive  by  the  oppression 
of  others.  But  there  are  seasons  of  in- 
fatuation, when,  for  the  sins  of  men,  em- 
pires and  kingdoms  are  permitted  to  slum- 
ber, and  no  etfectual  measures  of  resist- 
ance are  embraced,  till  invaders,  at  first 
weak  and  contemptible,  grow  in  time  to 
an  enormous  height.  This  was  the  case 
with  IMahometanisra.  The  time  was  come 
when  the  Saracen  locusts  were  about  to 
torment  the  Christian  world,  and  the  pro- 
phecy of  Rev.  ix.  (I — 1'2)  was  going  to 
be  fulfilled.  The  Greeks  were  idly  em- 
plo3'ed  in  the  new  dispute :  vice  and 
wickedness  prevailed  over  the  East  in  all 
forms.  A  few  indeed  mourned  over  the 
times,  and  adorned  the  truth  by  humility 
and  holiness,  but  scarcely  any  Christian 
writers  appeared  to  make  a  serious  oppo- 
sition to  the  doctrines  of  ]\Iahomet,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  which 
Mahomit  happened  in  the  year  631,  he 
AD  631*  ha*^  conquered  almost  all 
Arabia.* 


Notwithstanding  the  impostor,  the  Ma- 
hometan arms  proceeded  still   with   the 
same  rapidity.     Damascus  fell  into  the 
hands  of  his  successors;  and  Sophronius 
exhorted  his  flock  to  take  warnino"  and 
repent.     Jerusalem   however 
was  taken  by  the  enemy  in     Jerusalem 
the  year  637,  and  Sophronius     ^t\^^,  ^'J 
died  soon  after.    Antioch  and     ^^^^^ 
Alexandria  successively  sunk     _\.  jj.  53'. 
under  them.  Persia  itself  was 
subdued.     Thus  did  God  equally  punish 
the  persecuting  idolaters,  and  t!ie  vicious 
professors  of  Christianity   in  the    east. 
They  were  doomed  to  a  long  night  of  ser- 
vitude under  JMahometanism,  which  con- 
tinues to  this  time.     Heraclius  himself 
died  in  the  year  641.     God     yx     .     r 

had  showed  him  great  mer-     „^^    ,f„„ 

,     .         ,  .    &  ^     Heraclius, 

cies,  and  given  him  very  great    ^_  jj_  (^i^ 

encouragement  to  seek  true  re- 
ligion, by  the  remarkable  success  of  his 
arms  against  the  Persians  in  the  middle 
of  his  reign.  But  he  lived  wickedly  and 
speculated  unscripturally.  And  a  new 
power  was  erected,  which  reaped  the 
fruits  of  all  his  Persian  triumphs,  and 
tore  from  him  the  fairest  provinces  of  the 
east. 

To  what  purpose  should  I  run  through 
the  mazes  of  the  Monothelite  controversy? 
yet  something  must  be  said  on  the  part 
which  Maximus  acted  in  it.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  learned  men  of  the  age,  and 
had  been  employed  by  Heraclius  as  his 
secretary  ;  but  I  wonder  not  that  a  man, 
who  loved  real  godliness,  as  he  did, 
should  have  a  strong  aversion  to  a  court 


*  It  has  pleased  God  to  permit  the  ex- 
istence of  this  odious  and  contenijjtiljle  re- 
ligion to  this  day.  And  it  should  he  care- 
fully  observed   that   Mahomet,    wicked    and 


deceitful  as  he  doubtless  was  altosjether,  did 
not  openly  oppose  God  or  his  Christ.  He 
did  not  deny  directly,  tiiough  he  did  con- 
sequentially, tlie  divine  revelation  either  of 
tlie  Old  or  new  Testament.  He  always 
spake  respectfully  of  tlie  inspired  prophe- 
tical character  of  Moses  and  of  Christ.  He 
received  so  much  of  Christianity  as  agrees 
with  Socinianism.  Jehovaii  was  not  therefore 
openly  despised  by  him  as  lie  was  iiy  Julian, 
Chosroes,  and  Sennacherib.  On  them  was 
fulfilled  that  Scripture,  "  he  repayeth  them 
that  hate  him,  to  destroy  them  ;  lie  w  ill  not  be 
'.lack  to  him  that  hatclh  him,  he  will  repay 
him  to  his  face."  Dent.  vii.  10.  A  speedy 
destruction  of  such  avow  ed  enemies  seems  to 
be  menaced,  that  the  divine  character  may  be 
vindicated.  His  covert  enemiesj  who  yet  treat 
him  with  respectful  decorum,  are  often  per- 
mitted long  to  exist,  for  the  punishment  of 
false  professors.  For  the  truth  and  majesty 
of  God  are  not  so  sensibly  ilishonoured  by  them 
in  the  view  of  the  whole  viorld,  as  to  call  for 
their  immediate  extirpation. 


538 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH  ; 


[Chip.  HI. 


like  that  of  Heraclius.  He  entered  into 
the  monastery  of  Chrysopolis  near  Chal- 
cedon,  and  was  at  length  elected  abbot. 
He  it  was,  who  succeeded  Sophronius  in 
the  defence  of  the  primitive  faith,  and 
■with  much  labour  confuted  the  heresi- 
archs.     Martin,  bishop  of  Rome,  was  ex- 

„  ...  cited  by  the  zeal  of  Maximiis 
Council  in      *„  i  i  -i     •       i 

the  Late-  assemble  a  council,  m  the 

pan^  Lateran,   of  a  hundred   and 

A,  b.  649.     five   bishops,  in  G49.     Con- 
stans  was  at  this  time  empe- 
ror, and,  by  a  decree,  had  forbidden  any 
side  at  all  to  be  taken  in  the  controversy. 
Sergius,   Pyrrhus,  and  Paul,  three  suc- 
cessive bishops   of  Constantinople,  had 
supported  the  heresy.     The  controversy 
had  now  lasted  eighteen  years.     In  this 
way  the  active  minds  of  men,  destitute  of 
the  truth,  but  eagerly  embracing  the  form 
of  godliness,  gratified  the  self-righteous 
bias  of  the  heart,  and  all  the  malevolent 
passions  in  long-protracted  controversies, 
while  practical  religion  was  lost.     Nor 
could  all  the  calamities  of  the  times,  and 
the  desolation  of  the  eastern  churches, 
move  them  to  the  love  of  peace  and  truth. 
_  In  these  circumstances,  Martin  in  coun- 
cil ventured  to  anathematize  ihe  support- 
ers of  the  Monothelite  heresy.     I  cannot 
blame   his  disobedience  to  the  emperor 
Constans  in  refusing  to  observe  silence 
on  a  point  of  doctrine  which  appeared  to 
him  important.     Constans  evidently  for- 
got  his   office   when    he   required   such 
things.     And  it  is  a  curious  instance  of 
the  power  of  prejudice  in  some  Protestant 
historians,*  that  they  will  so  much  sup- 
port the  conduct  of  a  worthless  tyrant  as 
Constans    doubtless    was,    because    his 
speculative   principles   induced    him    to 
treat  a  Roman  bishop  with  cruelty.  There 
was  a  haughtiness,  no  doubt,  and  an  as- 
perity in  the  language  and  behaviour  of 
Martin,   very  unbecoming    a   Christian. 
His  cause  however  seems  just ;  nor  does 
it  appear  that  he  either  meant  or  acted 
treasonably  :  he  defended  that  part  of  the 
truth,  which  was  opposed,  with  the  mag- 
nanimity, though  not  with  the  meekness, 
that  became  a  bishop.     Constans  ordered 
him   to   be  dragged   into  the   east,   and 
treated  him  witli  a  long-protracted  bar- 
Martin  barity  of  punishment.   Martin 
bishop  of      ■"'^s  fir«i  to  the  last.     "  As  to 
Rome,  this  wretched  body,"  says  he, 
cruelly  "  the  Lord  will  take  care  of 
treated  by      it.     He    is    at    hand;    why 

•  See  Bower  and  Mosheira. 


should  I  give  myself  any  trou-    Constans 
ble  ■?  for  I  hope  in  his  mercy,     the  lid; 
that  he  will  not  prolono-  my    — '''^^  '^ 
course/'  He  died  in  theVr    rD."655. 
055.     His  extreme  sufferings 
of  imprisonment,  hunger,  fetters,  brutal 
treatment  a  thousand  ways,  call  for  com- 
passion :  his  constancy  demands  respect; 
and  his  firm  adherence  to  the  doctrines  of 
truth,   though  mixed  with  a  very  blame- 
able  ambition  in  maintaining  the  dignity 
of  the  Roman  See,  deserves  the  admira- 
tion  of  Christians.     He   is,  in  Romish 
language,  called  St.  Martin ;  and  I  hope 
he  had  a  just  title  to  the  name  in  the  best 
sense  of  the  word. 

Maximus  was  also  brought  to  Constan- 
tinople, and,  by  the  order  of  Constans, 
underwent   a  number    of  examinations. 
He  was  asked  by  an  officer  to  sign  the 
type; — so   the  edict   of  Constance   was 
named.     Only  do  this,  said  the  officer, 
believe  what  you  please  in  your  heart. 
"  It  is  not  to  the  heart  alone,"  replied 
Maximus,  "  that  God  hath  confined  oiu 
duty  ;  we  are  also  obliged  with  the  mouth 
to  confess  Jesus   Christ  before  men."* 
It  is  astonishing!  to  observe  what  pains 
were  taken  to  engage  him  to  own  the 
Monothelite   party,  nor  can  this  be  ac- 
counted for  in  any  other  way  than  by  the 
opinion  which  all  men  had  of  his  piety 
and  sincerity,  and  the  expectation  of  tlie 
influence  which  his  example  would  have 
on   many.      But   the   labour  was   lost: 
Maximus,  though  seventy-five  years  old, 
preserved  all  the  vigour  of  understanding, 
and  confounded  his  examiners  by  the  soli- 
dity of  his  answers.     He  clearly  proved, 
"  that  to  allow  only  one  will  or  operation 
in  Jesus  Christ,  was  in  reality  to  allow 
only  one  nature :  that  therefore  the  opinion 
for  which  the  emperor  was  so  zealous, 
was  nothing    more   than   Eutychianism 
dressed   up  anew :    that  he  had  not  so 
properly  condemned  the  emperor,  as  the 
doctrine,  by  whomsoever  it  was  held : 
that  it  was  contrary  to  the  current  of  all 
ecclesiastical  antiquity  :  that  our  Saviour 
was  always  allowed  from  the  apostolical 
times  to  be  perfect  God  and  perfect  man, 
and    must    therefore    have   the    nature, 
will,   and   operations   dictinctly   belong- 
ing  both    to   God   and   man :     that  tlie 
new   notion   went  to  confound  the  idea 
both  of  the  Divinity  and  the  humanity, 
and  to  leave  him  no  proper  existence  at 


*  See  Builer,  Vol.  XII. 

t  Fleury,  B.  XXXIV.  12,  &c. 


Cekt.  VII.] 


GENERAL  HISTORY. 


539 


all :  that  the  emperor  was  not  a  pastor, 
and  that  it  had  never  been  practised  by 
Christian  emperors,  in  the  best  times,  to 
impose  silence  on  bishops :  that  it  was 
their  duty  not  to  disguise  the  truth  by 
ambiguous  expressions,  but  to  defend  it 
by  clear  and  distinct  terms  adapted  to 
the  sultjoct :  that  Arianism  had  always 
endeavoured  to  support  itself  by  such 
artifices  as  those  employed  by  the  em- 
peror, and  that  a  peace  obtained  by  such 
methods  in  the  Church  was  at  the  expense 
of  truth."  I  admire  the  good  sense  and 
sincerity,  which  appear  through  the  very 
long  account  of  his  defence,  of  which  I 
have  given  a  very  brief  summary.  Were 
it  not,  that  God  from  age  to  age  had 
raised  up  such  champions  in  his  Church, 
humanly  speaking,  not  an  atom  of  Chris- 
tian truth  by  this  time  would  have  been 
left  in  the  world.  For  heretics  have 
uniformly  acted  on  this  plan ;  viz.  under 
the  pretence  of  the  love  of  peace  and  union, 
they  have  imposed  silence  on  the  ortho- 
dox, whenever  they  had  the  power  ;  and 
in  the  mean  time  propagated  their  own 
tenets.  The  question  before  us  was  very 
metaphysical  and  obscure ;  yet,  if  the 
emperor's  side  had  prevailed,  instead  of 
an  insignificant  party,  called  the  Ma. 
ronites,  in  the  east,  who  still  subsist,  the 
Monothelites  might  have  filled  half  the 
globe  to  this  day. 

The  tyrant,  enraged  to  find  himself 
disappointed,  ordered  Maximus  to  be 
scourged,  his  tongue  to  be  cut  out,  his 
right  hand  to  be  cut  off;  and  then  direc- 
ted the  maimed  abbot  to  be  banished,  and 
doomed  to  imprisonment  for  the  rest  of 
his  life.  The  same  punishment  was 
inflicted  on  two  of  his  disciples,  both  of 
the  name  of  Anastasius.  These  three  up- 
right men  were  separated  from  each 
other,  and  confined  in  three  castles  in  ob- 
scure retrions  of  the  east.  Their  con- 
demnation took  place  in  656  : 
Barbarous  Maximus  died  in  66'2  :  one  of 
persecu-  ^  Anastasius's  in  66-1 :  they 
tions,  1,11  •       1     ,  -^ 

by  Con-  "^'^''  h'^^  sustained  the  most 
stans  II.  cruel  indignities,  and  had 
A  D  656  been  rendered  incapable  of 
any  consolations,  except  those 
which  undoubtedly  belong  to  men  who 
suffer  for  righteousness  sake.  The  other 
Anastasius  died  in  a  castle  at  the  foot  of 
Mount  Caucasus  in  666. 

While  such  barbarous  measures  were 
used  by  nominal  Christians  to  support 
unscriptural  tenets,  it  is  not  to  be  won 
dered  at  that  Providence  frowned  on  the 


affairs  of  the  empire.    The  Saracens  now 

ruled  over  Arabia,  Persia,  Mesopotamia, 

Chaldea,   Syria,  Palestine,    Egypt,  and 

part  of  Africa.      Even   Europe  suffered 

from  the   depredations  of  the  Arabians, 

and  part  of  Sicily  was  reduced  to  tlieir 

subjection. 

the     unworthy     emperor     Constans 

Constans  murdered  also  his     murders 

own  brother  Theodosius,  and     hisbrother 

continued    to    disgrace    the     Tl't-'odo- 

Christian    name  by  his  fol-    ,^'."^"  ^' 

lies,  his  vices,  and  his  cruel-     ""'^f^'f 
.•  TT  L-         li-  J  murdered, 

ties.     He   was  himself  des- 

patched    at    length    in    the     ^-  "■  ''^^• 

twenty-seventh  year  of  his  reign,  in  668. 

In  the  year  680  a  general  council  was 
called   at  Constantinople:    the  emperor 
Constantine  '  Pogonatus    presided  :    the 
Monothelite  heresy  was  ana-     p        .,    , 
thematized ;  and  its  several     Constin- 
abettors     were     condemned,     nople, 
among  whom  was  Honorius     ^  y   ggQ 
a  bishop  of  Rome.   A  certain 
proof  that  infallibility  was   neither  al- 
lowed nor  pretended  to  at  that  time  by 
the  Italian  prelate.     For  the  legates   of 
Agathon,  who  was  then  bishop  of  Rome, 
were  at  the  council,  nor  do  we  find  that 
any  opposition  was  made  by  them  or  their 
master  to  the  condemnation  of  Honorius.* 

If  we  compare  the  East  and  the  West, 
during  this  century,  we  shall  see  a  very 
strikingdifferenee.  In  England  true  godli- 
ness shone  for  a  considerable  part  of  it : 
in  France  there  was  a  good  measure  of 
piety ;  and  from  these  two  countries  di- 
vine truth  made  its  way  into  Germany 
and  the  north  with  glorious  success.  In 
Italy,  the  Lombards  were  more  and  more 
cleared  of  Arianism  ;  and  though  there 
arose  no  bishop  of  Rome  to  be  compared 
at  all  to  Gregory,  yet,  in  point  of  theolo- 
gical speculation,  the  purity  of  the  faith 
was  preserved  by  them  all,  exce])t  one. 
And  his  condemnation,  which  we  have 
just  seen,  demonstrates  that  Antichrist 
had  not  yet  arrived  at  maturity.  Infalli- 
bility was  not  then  thought  of,  as  attached 
to  the  person  of  the  Roman  prelate.  His 
power  indeed  was  much  too  great ;  so  was 
his  pomp  and  influence.  But  it  was  the 
same  with  the  bishops  of  other  great  Sees  : 
and  the  bishop  of  Constantinople  retains 
the  title  of  Universal  Bishop  to  this  day. 
Nor  had  the  bishop  of  Rome  any  temporal 

*  This  was  the  Vltli  general  council  held  in 
ihe  13th  year  of  Constantine  V.  surnatned 
Pogonatus,  and  the  3d  year  of  Agathon. 


540 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


dominion,  nor  did  he  pretend  to  any.  In 
fine,  the  most  decisive  marks  of  Anti- 
christ, idolatry  and  false  doctrine,  had  not 
yet  appeared  at  Rome.  Superstition  and 
vice  Vfere  lamentably  on  the  increase  in 
the  West,  though  a  considerable  degree 
of  true  piety  prevailed,  and  some  gracious 
effusions  of  the  Spirit  of  God  appeared. 

In  the  East,  the  influences  of  divine 
grace   seem   to  have  been  withheld  en- 
tirely.    Men   had    there  filled    up    the 
measure  of  their  iniquities.     Even  from 
Origen's  days  a  decline  of  true  doctrine, 
and  the  spirit  of  sceptical  philosophy, 
ever  hostile  to  that  of  grace,  kept  them 
low   in    religion    compared    with    their 
western  brethren.     How  precious  must 
the  grace  of  the  Gospel  be,  which,  being 
revived  in  Europe,  in  the  time  of  Au- 
gustine, ceased  not  to  produce  salutary 
effects,  and  to  extend  true  religion  even 
to  the  most  savage  nations  !     Attempts 
indeed    to    propagate,   what    they    call 
Christianity,  were  made  in  the  East  by 
the  Nestorians,  who  dwelt  in  Persia  and 
India,  and  by  the  Eutychians,  who  flour- 
ished in  Egypt.     The  former  were  parti 
cularly   successful    in    increasing    their 
numbers  ;  but  I  have  nothing  to  produce 
of  real  godliness  as  the  result  of  the  la- 
bours of  either  party.     Abyssinia,  v^hich 
from  the  days  of  Anthanasius,   always 
considered  herself  as  a  daughter  of  Alex- 
andria,  receives    thence   her  pontiff   to 
this  day  :  when  Eutychianism  prevailed 
in  Egypt,  it  did  so  of  course  in  Abys- 
sinia, and  has  been  the  prevalent  form  in 
both  countries,  ever  since   the   seventh 
century.     The    Mahometan    conquerers 
reduced  the  ancient  professors  of  ortho- 
doxy  into   a   state   of  extreme   insigni- 
ficancy ;  and  this  was  one  of  the  scourges 
of  God  by  the  Arabian  imposture,  namely, 
that  while  the  orthodox  were  crushed, 
heretics  were  encouraged  and  protected 
by   those   conquerors.     Orthodox   patri- 
archs existed  indeed  in  Egypt  for  some 
time  after   the    Saracen   conquest:    but 
ignorance,  superstition,  and  immorality, 
still  abounded,  and  have  now  continued 
to  abound  for  many  centuries.  The  East, 
whence  the  light  first  arose,  has  long  sat 
in  darkness,  with  the  exception  of  some 
individuals  from  age  to  age,  such  as  John 
the  Almoner,  and  a  few  others  who  have 
been   mentioned   in   this   chapter.     God 
will    have  a  church  upon  earth,  and  it 
shall  be  carried  to  the  most  despised  re- 
gions, rather  than  extinguished  entirely. 
In  these  works  of  his  providence  there  isl 


a  significant  voice  which  speaks  to  Europe 
in  an  awful  tone. 

Africa  fell  under  the  powers  of  the 
Mahometans  toward  the  close  of  this 
century.  It  had  long  shared  in  the  ge- 
neral corruption,  and  it  shared  in  the 
general  punishment.  The  region,  which 
has  so  often  refreshed  us  with  Evan- 
gelical light  and  energy,  where  Cyprian 
suffered,  and  where  Augustine  taught, 
was  consigned  to  Mahometan  darkness, 
and  must  henceforth  be  very  nearly  dis- 
missed from  these  memoirs. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

AUTHORS  OF  THIS  CENTURY.* 

Isidore,  of  Sevil,  flourished  in  the 
former  part  of  it:  he  governed  the  church 
of  Sevil  for  forty  years,  having  succeeded 
his  brother  Leander,  of  whom  we  have 
made  honourable  mention  already.  This 
writer  was  voluminous,  and,  with  all  due 
allowance  for  the  superstition  of  the  age, 
appears  to  have  been  :  sincerely  pious. 
But  perhaps  the  most  useful  part  of  his 
works  is  his  collection  of  sentences  out 
of  Gregory.  He  seems  to  have  been  pro- 
videntially given  to  Spain,  in  order  to 
preserve  some  of  the  ancient  learning, 
and  to  prevent  men  from  sinking  into  total 
ignorance  and  rusticity. 

Columban  must  be  mentioned  also  as 
an  author,  though  we  have  already  cele- 
brated him  in  the  character  in  which  he 
shone  far  more,  namely,  of  a  missionary. 
He  was,  no  doubt,  pious  and  fervent:  he 
wrote  monastic  rules,  and  while  every 
part  of  his  writings  is  infected  with  the 
servile  genius  of  the  times,  and  the  spirit 
of  bondage,  which  had  seized  the  Church, 
one  sentence  retrieves  his  character,  and 
with  it  I  shall  dismiss  him ;  "  We  must 
have  recourse  to  Christ  the  fountain  of 
life."  Sophronius  of  Jerusalem  wrote  a 
synodal  letter  to  confute  the  Monothelites. 
His  part  in  that  controversy  has  been 
stated  already.  He  asserted,  that  we 
shall  rise  with  the  same  body,  and  that 
the  punishments  of  hell  are  eternal.  The 
most  remarkable  thing  in  him  is  the 
soundness  of  his  doctrine,  which  he 
adorned  with  genuine  piety  and  purity  of 
life. 

Martin,  bishop  of  Rome,  whose  suffer- 


*  Du  Pin,  Cent.  VII. 


Cbjtt.  VII.] 


GENERAL  HISTORY. 


541 


ings  from  the  tyrant  Constans  have  been 
succinctly  described,  was  one  of  the  great- 
est men  of  the  age.  Some  of  his  letters 
are  extant,  and  they  indicate  both  strength 
of  mind,  and  zeal  in  religion.  Amandus, 
bishop  of  Utrecht,  in  writing  to  him,  de- 
clared that  he  was  so  grieved  to  find 
some  clergymen  to  have  lived  lascivious- 
ly after  their  ordination,  that  he  was 
tempted  to  quit  his  bishopric.  Martin 
dissuaded  him;  and  at  the  same  time  ex- 
horted him  to  exercise  salutary  discipline 
on  the  offenders,  declaring,  that  such 
clergymen  should  be  deposed  entirely 
from  the  sacerdotal  function,  that  they 
may  repent  in  a  private  condition,  and 
may  find  mercy  at  the  last  day.  He  ex- 
horts Amandus  to  undergo  patiently  all 
trials  for  the  salvation  of  the  sheep,  and 
the  service  of  God.    This  Roman  prelate 


doubtless  was  sincere,  and  he  appears  to 
have  defended  evangelical  truth  with 
much  firmness.  And  it  was  for  a  branch 
of  scriptural  doctrine  that  he  suffered  with 
consistency  and  integrity. 

I  mention  Maximus,  his  fellow-sufferer 
in  the  same  cause.  His  writings  are  too 
scholastical  to  merit  much  attention, 
though  he  was,  doubtless,  a  very  able 
reasoner,  and,  what  is  infinitely  better,  a 
pioQS  and  upright  man. 

I  might  swell  the  list,  with  the  names 
of  writers  little  known,  and  of  little  use. 
Learning  was  very  low :  the  taste  of  the 
age  was  barbarous :  we  have  seen,  how- 
ever, that  Christ  had  then  a  Church;  and 
the  reader,  if  he  pleases,  may  travel 
through  still  darker  scenes;  yet  I  trust 
some  glimmerings  of  the  presence  of 
Christ  will  appear. 


Vol.  I. 


2  Z 


542 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


CENTURY  VIII. 


CHAPTER  I. 

VENERABLE  BEDE,  THE  ENGLISH  PRES- 
BVTER. 

The  Church-history  of  our  Country, 
written  by  this  renowned  father,  was  con- 
tinued to  the  year  731.  I  have  extracted 
■D   1   J-   1      from  it  that  v/hich  suited  mv 

I)  70-  purpose.  He  is  said  to  have 
"  ■  ■  •^^-  died  in  735.  Of  his  age  the 
accounts  are  very  contradictory.  The 
history  of  the  Vlllth  century  will  pro- 
perly begin  with  a  brief  narrative  of  the 
life  and  works  of  this  Historian. 

He  was  born  near  Durham,  in  a  village 
now  called  Farrow,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Tyne.     Losing  both  his  parents  at  the 

Born  ^o®  °^  seven  years,  he  was, 

,  y.  '  by  the  care  of  relations,  placed 
""in  the  monastery  of  Were- 
mouth,  was  there  educated  with  much 
strictness,  and  appears  from  his  youth  to 
have  been  devoted  to  the  service  of  God. 
He  was  afterwards  removed  to  the  neigh- 
bouring monastery  of  Jerrow,  where  he 
ended  his  days.  He  was  looked  on  as 
the  most  learned  man  of  his  time.  Prayer, 
writing,  and  teaching,  were  his  familiar 
employments  during  his  whole  life.*  He 
was  ordained  deacon  in  ihe  nineteenth, 
and  presbyter  in  the  thirtieth,  year  of  his 
age.  He  gave  himself  wholly  to  the 
study  of  the  Scriptures,  the  instruction  of 
disciples,  the  oflices  of  public  worship, 
and  the  composition  of  religious  and  liter- 
ary works.  The  life  of  such  a  person 
can  admit  of  little  variety.  It  was  not, 
however,  for  want  of  opportunity  that  he 
lived  thus  obscure.  His  character  was 
celebrated  through  the  Western  world: 
the  bishop  of  Rome  invited  him  warmly 
to  the  metropolis  of  the  Church;  but  in 
the  eyes  of  Bede,  the  great  world  had  no 
charms.  It  does  not  appear  that  he  ever 
left  England  ;  and,  however  infected  with 
the  fashionable  devotion  to  the  Roman 
See,  he  was  evidently  sincere  and  disin- 
terested. 

Constantly  engaged  in  reading  or  writ- 
ing, he  made  all  his  studies  subservient 

*  Life  of  Bede,  prefixed  to  his  Works.  Co- 
logne edition. 


to  devotion.  As  he  was  sensible,  that  it 
is  by  the  grace  of  God,  rather  than  by 
natural  faculties,  that  the  most  profitable 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  is  acquired, 
he  mixed  prayer  with  his  studies.  He 
never  knew  what  it  was  to  do  nothing. 
He  wrote  on  all  the  branches  of  know- 
ledge then  cultivated  in  Europe.  In 
Greek  and  Hebrew  he  had  a  skill  very 
uncommon  in  that  barbarous  age;  and,  by 
his  instructions  and  example,  he  raised 
up  many  scholars.  Knowledge  indeed  in 
those  times  was  more  familiar  in  the 
British  isles  than  in  any  part  of  Europe. 

The  catalogue  of  Bede's  Avorks  exhibits 
the  proofs  of  his  amazing  industry.  His 
Church-history  is  to  us  the  most  valua- 
ble, because  it  is  the  only  British  monu- 
ment of  the  Church  which  we  have  for 
the  seventh  century.  His  expositions 
and  homilies,  however,  must  in  that 
dearth  of  knowledge  have  been  abundant- 
ly useful.  The  ignorance  of  the  times  is 
indeed  but  too  visible  in  him ;  and  he  fol- 
lowed Augustine  and  other  fathers  so 
closely,  and  collected  so  much  from  va- 
rious authors,  that  his  want  of  original 
genius  is  more  than  problematical.  Genu- 
ine godliness,  rather  than  taste  and  ge- 
nius, appear  on  the  face  of  his  writings. 
His  labours  in  the  sciences  show  a  love 
of  learning;  however  inconsiderable  his 
acquisitions  must  appear,  in  comparison 
with  the  attainments  of  the  present  age. 

In  his  last  sickness  he  was  afflicted  for 
two  weeks  with  a  difficulty  of  breathing. 
His  mind  was,  however,  serene  and 
cheerful,  his  affections  were  heavenly; 
and  amidst  these  infirmities  he  daily 
taught  his  disciples.  A  great  part  of  the 
night  was  employed  in  prayer  and  thanks- 
giving; and  the  first  employment  of  the 
morning  was  to  ruminate  on  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  to  address  his  God  in  prayer. 
"  God  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  re- 
ceiveth,"  was  frequently  in  his  mouth. 

Even  amidst  his  bodily  weakness  he 
was  employed  in  writing  two  little  trea- 
tises.    Perceiving  his  end  to  draw  near, 
he  said,  "  If  my  Maker  please, 
I   will   go   to   him  from  the     Accountof 
flesh,  who,  when  I  was  not,     ^^Tiitde. 
formed  me  out  of  nothing — 
my  soul  desires  to  see  Christ  my  king  in 


Cext.  VIII.] 


VENERABLE  BEDE. 


543 


his  beauty."  He  santj  glory  to  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  expired  with  a  sedateness,  composure, 
and  devotion,  which  surprised  all  who 
were  present  at  this  scene. 

This  is  the  account  of  his  death  by  one 
of  his  disciples ;  and  a  very  few  quota- 
tions from  his  expository  writings  will 
show  on  wliat  solid  Gfrounds  these  re- 
lisfious  affections  were  founded.  In  ex- 
pounding  Acts  ii.  28,  "  Thou  hast  made 
known  to  me  the  ways  of  life;  thou  shalt 
make  me  full  of  joj'  with  thy  counte- 
nance;" he  says,  "These  things  are  not 
only  to  be  understood  of  our  Lord,  who 
needed  no  other  guide  to  overcome  tlie 
kingdom  of  death,  but  having  received  at 
once  the  fulness  of  divine  strength  and 
wisdom,  was  able  to  conquer  death  by 
himself,  rise  ao-ain  to  life,  and  ascend  to 
his  Father,  but  also  of  his  elect,  who,  by 
his  gift,  find  the  well  of  life,  by  which 
they  rise  to  the  bliss  which  they  lost  in 
Adam,  and  shall  be  filled  with  heavenly 
joy.  This  shall  be  our  perfect  bliss, 
when  we  shall  see  him  face  to  face. 
Philip  knew  this  well,  when  he  said, 
'  Lord,  show  us  the  Father,  and  it  suf- 
ficeth  us.'  That  pleasure  of  seeing  the 
face  of  God  sufficeth :  there  shall  be  no- 
thing more;  nor  is  there  a  call  for  any- 
thing more,  when  he  is  seen  who  is 
above  all."* 

"  Other  innumerable  methods  of  sav- 
ing men  being  set  aside,  this  was  select- 
ed by  Infinite  Wisdom,  namely,  that 
w'thout  any  diminution  of  his  divinity, 
he  assumed  also  humanity ;  and  in  hu- 
manity procured  so  much  good  to  men. 
that  temporal  death,  thougrh  not  due  from 
him,  was  yet  paid,  to  deliver  them  from 
eternal  death,  which  was  due  from  them. 
Such  was  the  efficacy  of  that  blood,  that 
the  devil,  who  slew  Christ  by  a  tempo- 
rary death  which  was  not  due,  cannot 
detain  in  eternal  death  any  of  those  who 
are  clothed  with  Christ,  though  that  eter- 
nal death  be  due  for  their  sins."| 

Such  were  the  Evangelical  views, 
which,  in  a  night  of  superstition,  burst 
forth  from  the  northern  extremity  of  Eng- 
land. But  the  doctrines  revived  by  Au- 
gustine flourished   still  in  Europe  in  a 

*  Retractat  on  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  I  can- 
not prevail  on  myself  to  omit  this  passag:c, 
though  the  expression  of  Philip  he  not  so  per- 
tinent to  the  purpose  of  the  author,  as  some 
Other  portions  of  Scripture  might  have  been. 

I  On  Rom.  v. 


good  degree,  though  in  no  part  more  than 
in  the  British  isles.  Indeed  monastic 
superstition  grew  among  our  fathers  at 
the  same  time  excessively,  and,  in  the 
end,  entirely  corrupted  the  doctrines. 
l?ut  that  was  not  yet  the  case  :  supersti- 
tion itself,  though  deplorably  childish 
and  absurd,  was  not  incompatible  with 
sincerity  and  the  fear  of  CJod.  Tiie  real 
nature  of  the  Gospel,  and  its  practical 
exercise  in  faith,  humility,  and  true  mor- 
tification of  sin,  were  understood  and 
felt  by  the  Saxon  presbyter,  whose  com- 
ments on  St.  Paul's  epistles  are,  in  depth 
of  understanding  and  penetration  into  the 
sacred  sense,  even  with  all  the  defects  of 
the  times,  greatly  superior  to  several  ad- 
mired expositions  of  this,  which  calls 
itself  an  enlightened  age. 

The  seventh  chapter  to  the  Romans 
maj'  deser^'edly  be  called  a  touchstone  of 
spiritual  understanding.  Too  many  mo- 
dern divines,  by  supposing  that  the  Apos- 
tle is  only  describing  the  conflict  between 
reason  and  passion,  after  the  manner  of 
the  ancient  philosophers,  have  demon- 
strated their  own  total  ignorance  of  St. 
Paul's  argument.  He  only,  who  feels, 
abhors,  and  sincerely  struggles  with  in- 
dwelling sin,  who  is  conscious  of  its  un- 
utterable malignity,  and  is  humbled  under 
this  conviction,  can  understand  the  Apos- 
tle aright,  and  prize  the  real  grace  of 
God  in  Jesus  Christ.  Such  was  Bede  : 
the  very  best  expositors  in  the  most  evan- 
(jelical  times  do  not  much  exceed  him,  in 
clearness  and  solidity,  in  the  exposition 
of  this  chapter.  I  will  not  delay  the 
reader  by  quoting  largely  from  his  expli- 
cation. Suffice  it  to  give  a  hint  or  two. 
He  observes,  from  the  Apostle,  that  the 
desire  of  sinning  itself  is  increased  by 
the  prohibitions  of  the  law,  which  tliere- 
fore  increases  sin,  without  giving  any 
strength  ;  and  the  purport  of  this  part  of 
the  divine  economy  is,  that  men  groaning 
under  the  law  might  come  to  the  Media- 
tor. He  strongly  contends,  that  the 
wretched  carnal  person,  sold  under  sin, 
in  this  chapter,  was  no  personated  cha- 
racter, but  Paul  himself,  and  he  confirms 
this  by  observing,  from  the  epistle  to  the 
Philippians,  that  the  Apostle  confessed 
"  he  was  not  perfect,  and  had  not  attain- 
ed unto  the  resurrection  of  the  dead ;" 
and  from  another  epistle,  that  he  was 
even  buffeted  by  Satan,  and  had  a  thorn 
in  his  flesh,  lest  he  should  be  exalted 
above  measure.  This  inward  warfare, 
our  author  contends,  must  last  through 


544 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


life.  "  In  the  resurrection,  every  thing," 
says  he,  "  shall  be  perfected.  In  the 
mean  time  it  is  a  great  thing  to  keep  the 
field,  and  remain  unconquered,  though 
not  discharged  from  war." 

But  though  he  fully  reached  the  scope 
of  Augustine,   from  whose   labours   he 
profited  abundantly,  he  seems  never  to 
go  beyond  it.     Indeed  his  expositions  are 
extracts   and   compilations   from  the  fa- 
thers, chiefly  from  Augustine.     In  this 
sense  they  were  his  own,  that  he  under- 
stood  and   experienced    their  truth  and 
efficacy.      But  judgment  and   industry, 
not  genius  and  invention,  were  the  talents 
of  this   writer.     Though   the   thought  I 
am  going  to  mention  is  most  probably 
not  his  own,  yet  it  gives  so  instructive  a 
view  of  the  state  of  all  mankind,  ranked 
in  four  classes,  that  I  cannot  prevail  on 
myself  to  withhold  it  from   the   reader. 
Speaking  of  the  conflict  with  in-dwelling 
sin,  described  in  Rom.  vii.  he  observes, 
"  that  there  are  those  who  fight  not  at  all, 
and    are   drawn    away  by  their    lusts ; 
others  who  fight  indeed,  but  are  over- 
come, because  they  fight  without  faith, 
and  in  their  own  strength  ;  others  who 
fight,  and  are  still  in  the  field,  not  over- 
come, which  was  the  case  with  St.  Paul 
and  all  true  Christians  in  this  world ;  and 
lastly,  others  who  have  overcome,  and 
are  at  rest  above."     Bede,  like  Augus- 
tine, allegorizes  to  excess,  and  is  very 
often  desultory  and  vague  in  his  com- 
ments :  his  views  of  Solomon's  Song  are 
solid,  though  in  the  explication  too   mi- 
nute :    still  more  faulty  perhaps  are  his 
expositions  on  the  tabernacle  and  on  So- 
lomon's  temple.     His   homilies,  at   the 
time,  must  have  been  very  edifying,  not- 
withstanding  the   puerile    fancies   with 
Avhich   they   are    discoloured.      On   the 
whole  I  shall  venture  to  observe,  what, 
hoAvever,  no  reader  will  be  prepared  to 
receive,  unless  his  mind  has  been  sea- 
soned with  a  degree  of  experimental  re- 
ligion, that  the  comments  of  Bede  are 
far  more  solid  and  judicious  than  those  of 
many  modern,  improperly  called  rational, 
divines  ;  though  in  the  former  the  errors 
of  fanciful  allegory  may  abound,  and  in 
the  latter  there  may  every  where  appear 
an  air  of  strict  and  accurate  argumenta- 
tion.    The.  reason  is,  because  the  former, 
being  possessed  of  the  true  meaning  of 
the  Apostle  on  the  whole,  supports  and 
illustrates  it  throughout,  though  he  fails 
in  detached  passages,  because  of  the  de- 
sultory ebullitions   of  a  vicious    taste, 


which  predominated  in  his  time ;  the  lat- 
ter with  "  semblance  of  worth,  not  sub- 
stance," are  accurate  and  just  in  many 
particulars,  but  from  their  system  of  no- 
tions, which  is  extremely  opposite  to  that 
of  St.  Paul,  mislead  their  readers  alto- 
gether, in  regard  to  the  main  drift  of  the 


argument. 


A  year  before  our  presbyter's  death,  he 
wrote  a  letter  to  Egbert,  archbishop  of 
York,  which  deserves  to  be  immortalized, 
for  the  solid  sense  which  it  exhibits,  a 
quality  with  which  Bede  was  very  emi- 
nently endowed.* 

"  Above  all  things,"  says  he,  "  avoid 
useless  discourse,  and  apply  yourself  to 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  especially  the  epis- 
tles to  Timothy  and  Titus ;  to  Gregory's 
pastoral  care,  and  his  homilies  on  the 
Gospel. — It  is  indecent  for  him,  who  is 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  Church, 
to  give  way  to  actions  or  discourse  un- 
suitable to  his  character. — Have  always 
those  about  you  who  may  assist  you  in 
temptation  :  be  not  like  some  bishops, 
who  delight  to  have  those  about  them 
who  love  good  cheer,  and  divert  them 
with  trifling  and  facetious  conversation. 

"  Your  diocese  is  too  large  to  allow 
you  to  go  through  the  whole  in  one  year; 
therefore  appoint  presbyters,  in  each  vil- 
lage, to  instruct  and  administer  the  sa- 
craments ;  and  let  them  be  studious,  that 
every  one  of  them  may  learn,  by  heart, 
the  Creed  and  the  Lord's  prayer ;  and 
that  if  they  do  not  understand  Latin,  they 
may  repeat  them  in  their  own  tongue.  I 
have  translated  them  into  English,  for 
the  benefit  of  ignorant  presbyters.  I  am 
told,  that  there  are  many  villages  in  our 
nation,  in  the  mountainous  parts,  the  in- 
habitants of  which  have  never  seen  a 
bishop  or  a  pastor ;  and  yet  they  are 
obliged  to  pay  their  dues  to  the  bishop. 

"  The  best  means  to  reform  our  Church, 
is  to  increase  the  number  of  bishops. 
Who  sees  not,  how  much  more  reasona- 
ble it  is  for  numbers  to  share  this  burden"? 
Gregory  therefore  directed  Augustine  to 
appoint  twelve  bishops  to  be  under  the 
archbishop  of  York  as  their  metropolitan. 
I  wish  j^ou  would  fill  up  this  number  with 
the  assistance  of  the  king  of  Northum- 
berland."]" 


*  Bede's  Works, Paris  edit.  p.  46. 

•j-  His  name  was  Cedulph.  Two  years  after 
Bede's  death,  he  gave  up  his  crown,  and  lived 
twenty-two  years  in  a  monastery.  His  mind 
was  most  probably  truly  devout,  though  the 


Cest.  VIII.] 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


545 


"  I  know  it  is  not  easy  to  find  an  empty 
place  for  the  erection  of  a  bishopric. 
You  may  choose  some  monastery  for  the 
purpose.  In  truth,  there  are  many  places 
which  liave  the  name  of  monasteries 
without  deserving  it." — He  goes  on  to 
show  how,  for  thirty  years  past,  the 
scandalous  abuse  of  monasteries  had  pre- 
vailed, and  how  useless  many  of  them 
were  to  church  and  state,  as  they  pre- 
served neither  piety  nor  decency.  He 
directs  Egbert  to  see  that  his  flock  be 
instructed  in  Christian  faith  and  practice, 
and  that  they  frequently  attend  the  com- 
munion. He  finds  fault  with  the  exces- 
sive multiplication  of  monks,  and  ex- 
presses his  fears,  lest,  in  process  of  time, 
the  state  should  be  destitute  of  soldiers 
to  repel  an  invasion.  This  last  observa- 
tion is  of  a  piece  with  another  at  the  close 
of  his  history,  that  many  Northumbrians 
in  his  days,  both  nobles  and  private  men, 
employed  themselves  and  their  children 
more  in  monastic  vows  than  in  the  exer- 
cise of  arms.  "What  effect  this  will 
have,"  says  he,  "  the  next  generation 
will  bear  witness."  It  is  no  common 
instance  of  judgment  in  one  who  had  al- 
ways been  a  monk,  to  notice  these  evils.* 
How  they  happened  to  be  so  very  fash- 
ionable in  our  island,  it  is  not  hard  to  ex- 
plain. Our  ancestors  were,  doubtless, 
much  indebted  under  God  to  the  Roman 
See.  Christianity,  before  the  missions 
of  Gregory,  was  very  low  in  England. 
A  real  spirit  of  godliness,  the  sincere 
practice  and  true  understanding  of  the 
Gospel,  had  been,  through  the  bishops 
of  Rome,  introduced  among  barbarians. 
Even  the  benefits  thence  resulting  to  so- 
ciety must  have  been  great.  Gratitude 
and  affection  would  naturally  lead  our 
ancestors,  in  those  superstitious  ages,  to 
monastic  excesses.  And  if  the  evils  of 
which  Bede  complains,  be  strong  proofs 
of  the  superstitious  taste,  they  are  proofs 
also  of  the  spirit  of  piety  which  subsist- 
ed among  them.  While  Bede  lived,  in 
no  part  of  the  world  Avas  godliness  better 
understood  and  practised  tlian  among  our 
ancestors.  In  a  synod  held  by  Cuthbert, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  about  the 
middle  of  this  century,  at  Cloveshoo,| 


spirit  of  the  times  led  him  into  a  degenerate 
method  of  showing  it. 

*  Even  kings  gave  themselves  up  to  retire- 
ments of  this  kind  ;  and  there  want  not  in- 
stances, among  the  Saxon  princes,  of  pilgrim- 
ages to  Rome  of  a  religious  nature. 

f  Now  Cliff,  near  Rochester.    Warner. 
3z2 


there  were  twelve  prelates,  with  Ethel- 
bald,  king  of  the  Mercians.  The  canons 
of  this  synod  would  have  done  honour  to 
the  purest  times,  and  they  seem  to  have 
been  inspired  by  tho  genius  of  Bede. 
The  clergy  are  directed  to  have  fellow- 
ship with  one  another,  to  serve  God  in 
one  spirit  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity,  to 
pray  for  one  another,  to  attend  to  tiie  du- 
ties of  the  Sabbath,  and,  in  fine,  the 
same  things  are  repeated,  which  are  to 
be  found  in  Bede's  letter  to  Egbert. 

Let  us  not  pride  ourselves  in  a  fancied 
superiority  to  our  forefathers  :  a  vanity  of 
this  sort  seems  to  be  the  disease  of  the 
present  age  ; — but  men  were  not  all  with- 
out understanding  in  those  dark  seasons. 
— The  indiscriminatiuff  censures  of  Mos- 
heim  on  whole  centuries,  seem  to  show 
more  contempt  and  ill-humour  than  dis- 
cernment. Bede  alone  knew  more  of 
true  religion,  both  doctrinal  and  practical, 
than  numbers  of  ecclesiastics  put  together 
at  this  day;  which  will  clearly  appear, 
if  we  do  but  free  him  from  superstitious 
rubi)ish,  and  examine  what  he  is  inter- 
nally. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MISCELLANEOUS    PARTICULARS. 

A  LITTLE  after  the  beginning  of  this 

centur}',  Lambert,  bishop  of  Maestricht, 
was  murdered. — He  had  succeeded  The- 
odard,  under  whom  he  had  been  educated, 
and  for  forty  years  had  adorned  the  Gos- 
pel by  a  life  of  piety  and  charity.  He 
had  been  seven  years  deprived  of  his  See, 
amidst  the  civil  confusions  of  France, 
but  had  been  re-established  Lambert 
about  the  year  G81.  This  ,-Jstored 
prelate  had  exerted  himself  ^  jj  ^gj 
with  much  zeal  in  his  diocese, 
and  laboured  with  success  in  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Pao-ans,  who  were  in  his 
neighbourhood.  His  patience  as  well  as 
his  doctrine,  had  a  salutary  effect.  It  is 
not,  however,  in  the  power  of  the  wisest 
and  best  of  men  to  restrain  the  tempers 
of  their  friends  and  relations.  Two 
brothers,  Gallus  and  Riold,  were  intole- 
rably violent  in  plundering  the  Church 
of  Maestricht,  and  infesting  the  neigh- 
bourhood. Lambert's  relations,  particu- 
larly two  nephews,  returned  evil  for  evil, 
and  slew  them,  much  against  the  will  of 
the  bisliop.    Doubtless,  the  brothers  ought 


546 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


to  have  applied  to  the  civil  magistrate, 
though  justice  was  at  that  time  very  ill 
administered  in  France.  Dodo,  a  power- 
ful baron  of  the  neighbourhood,  a  relation 
of  the  robbers,  v*^as  determined  to  revenge 
their  deaths  upon  the  bishop  himself; 
and  he  attacked  him  with  armed  men  at 
Leodium*  upon  the  Meuse.  Lambert, 
in  his  first  agitation  upon  the  news  of 
their  approach,  seized  a  sword,  but  re- 
collecting himself,  and  lifting  up  his  heart 
to  God  in  prayer,  he  laid  aside  the  sword, 
and  composed  himself  to  suffer.  Tv/o 
of  his  nephews  began  to  make  resistance. 
"  If  you  love  me  truly,"  said  Lambert, 
"love  Jesus  Christ  also,  and  confess 
your  sins  to  him.  As  for  me,  it  is  time 
for  me  to  go  to  live  with  him."  "  Do 
you  not  hear,"  said  another  nephew, 
"  how  they  call  out  to  set  fire  to  the  house, 
to  burn  us  all  alive?"  Remember,  re- 
plied the  bishop  calmly,  the  guilt  of  the 
murder  is  yours :  submit  and  receive  the 
due  recompense  of  your  deeds.  He  con- 
tinued in  fervent  prayer,  and  the  armed 
men  put  to  the  sword  all  whom  they 
found,  and  among  the  rest,  Lambert  him- 
self. A  man  of  a  Christian  spirit  surely, 
and  worthy  of  a  more  enlightened  age,  in 
which  his  humility,  piety,  and  charity 
might  have  shone  with  a  brighter  lustre  I 

Ceolfred,  in  the  early  part  of  this  cen- 
tury, governed  the  two  monasteries  of 
"Weremouth  and  Jerrow,  which  had  edu- 
cated Bede.  Througli  his  influence,  the 
Picts,  who  inhabited  North  Britain,  were 
brought  over  to  the  Roman  mode  of  cele- 
brating Easter,  and  of  course  to  the  Ro- 
man communion.*  But  I  can  find  no  ac- 
count of  any  progress  in  piety  in  the  Bri- 
tish isles.  As  the  Roman  church  itself 
grew  more  corrupt  in  this  century,  our 
ancestors  were  infected  with  a  larger  por- 
tion of  its  superstitions. 

In  the  year  713,  the  Mahometans  pass- 
ed over  from  Africa  into  Spain,  and  put 
an  end  to  the  Kingdom  of  the 
Goths,  which  had  lasted  three 
hundred  years.  The  Christians  were 
there  reduced  to  slavery ;  and  thus  were 
scourged  those  wicked  professors  of  reli- 
gion, who  had  long  held  the  truth  in  un- 
righteousness, called  on  the  name  of 
Christ,  while  in  works  they  denied  him, 
and  buried  his  faith  under  an  enormous 
heap  of  superstitions.     A  remnant,  how- 


ever, preserved  their  independency  in 
the  Austrian  mountains,  who  chose  Pe- 
lagius,  a  person  descended  from  the  royal 
family,  for  their  king.  He  expressed  his 
hope,  that  after  God  had  chastised  them 
for  their  sins,  he  would  not  give  them  up 
wholly  to  the  Mahometans.  His  confi- 
dence in  God  was  not  disappointed.  Un- 
der circumstances  extremely  disadvanta- 
geous, he  defeated  the  enemy,  repeopled 
The  cities,  rebuilt  the  churches,  and,  by 
the  pious  assistance  of  several  pastors, 
supported  the  Gospel  in  one  district  of 
vSpain,  while  the  greatest  part  of  the 
country  was  overrun  by  the  Arabians. 
But  the  successors  of  Pelagius,  by  de- 
grees, recovered  more  cities  from  the 
enemy. 

Christendom  at  this  time  presented  a 
very  grievous  and  mournful  spectacle. 
Idolatry  itself  was  now  spreading  wide- 
ly, both  in  Europe  and  in  Asia,  among 
the  professors  of  the  Gospel:*  men  had 
very  commonly  every  where  forsaken  the 
faith  and  the  precepts  of  Jesus,  in  all 
those  countries  which  had  been  long 
evangelized.  The  people,  who  served 
the  Lord  in  the  greatest  purity  and  since- 
rity, seem  to  have  been  our  ancestors,! 
and  the  inhabitants  of  some  other  regions, 
which  had  but  lately  received  the  Gospel. 
So  true  is  the  observation,  which  our 
history  constantly  gives  us  occasion  to 
make,  namely,  that  there  is  a  perpetual 
tendency  in  human  nature  to  degeneracy 
and  corruption.  Such,  however,  was  the 
goodness  of  God,  that  he  still  exercised 
much  long  suffering  amidst  the  most  pro- 
voking enormities;  and  after  he  had 
removed  the  candlestick  from  some 
churches,  he  carried  it  to  other  places,:^: 
so  that  the  light  of  his  Gospel  was  never 
removed  from  the  earth.  The  most  mar- 
vellous event  in  such  cases  is,  that  men 
seem  not  at  all  conscious  of  their  crimes, 
nor  perceive  the  avenging  hand  of  God 


A.D.  713. 


*  Now  Liege.     Fleurv,  XLI.  16. 
t  Egbert,  an  Englishman,  not  long  after, 
tffeoted  the  same  chansre  amons:  many  of  the 

1    •    w  '  Q  J 


*  This  important  event  will  be  exiilained  in 
the  next  cliapler. 

f  Ireland,  which  Prideaux  calls  the  prime 
seat  of  learning  in  all  Christendom,  duiing  the 
reign  of  Cliarlemagne,  was  pecnliarly  distin- 
guished in  this  century.  Usher  has  proved 
tlie  name  of  Scotia  to  have  been  appropi-iated 
to  Ireland  at  this  time.  Eginliard,  the  Secre- 
tary of  Charlemagne,  calls  Ireland  Hibernia 
Scotornm  insula.  Several  of  these  Scots 
(Irish)  laboured  in  the  vineyard  in  Charle- 
magne's time,  and  were  made  bishops  in  Ger- 
many. Holh  sacred  and  pi'ofane  learning 
were  taaght  by  them  with  success. 

^  This  wiil'be  illustrated  in  Cliap.  lY. 


Ceitt.  VIIL] 


CONTROVERSY  ON  IMAGES, 


547 


Saracens 
deft-att'd 
by  C.Mar- 
tel, 

A.  D.  732. 


upon  them.     For  the  nominal  Christians 
of  the  day  were  insensible  of  their  condi- 
tion;  and,  though  the  Arabians  were  evi- 
dently making  large  strides  toward  uni- 
versal dominion,  it  was  not  till  they  had 
advanced  into  the  heart  of  France,  and 
ravaged  that  country  in  a  dreadful  man- 
ner, Ihat  any  strong  eflbrts  were  made  to 
withstand  them.     In  the  year 
73-2,  however,  they  were  to- 
tally defeated  near  Poictiers, 
by  the  heroic  Charles  Martel. 
An  event  memorable  in  histo- 
ry, because  by  it  the  provi- 
dence of  God  stopped  the  progress  of  the 
Arabian  locusts.     It  is  astonishing,  that 
all  the  civilized  nations  had  not  long  ago 
united  in  a  league,  which  would  have 
been  equally  just  and  prudent,  to  stem 
the  torrent  which  threatened  the  desola- 
tion of  mankind.     Those  who   had,   for 
ages,  trusted  more  in  relics,  altars,  aus- 
terities, pilgrimages,  than  in  Christ  cru- 
cified, and   had  lived  in  deceit,  avarice, 
and  uncleanness,  were  suffered  to  yield 
themselves  a  prey  to  devouring  invaders. 
— Adored  be  that  Providence,  which,  iu 
the  crisis,  preserved  Europe  from  com- 
plete desolation,  and,  by  saving  France 
from  those  barbarians,  has  still  left  a  peo- 
ple to  serve  God  in  these  western  re- 
gions.* 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE 


THE    CONTROVERSY     OX    IMAGES. 
MATURITY  OF  ANTICHRIST. 

About  the  year  727,  the  Greek  em- 
peror began  open  hostility  with  the  bishop 
of  Rome,  and  to  use  the  words  of  tSigo- 
nius,t  Rome  and  the  Roman 
dukedom  passed  from  the 
Greek  to  the  Roman  bishop. 
It  would  have  been  more  ac- 
curate to  say,  that  a  foundation  was  then 
laid  for  the  temporal  power  of  that  pre- 
late, than  that  it  was  actually  established. 


Beginning 
of  tlie 
Popedom. 


*  The  plague  of  the  locusts,  Rev.  ix.  con- 
tinued five   months,  that  is,  150  years,  a  day 
being  reckoned  for  a  year  in  in-nphetical  lan- 
guage.    It  may  he  difficult  to  reckon  exactly 
the  time  of  the  extension  of  the  Arabian  con- 
quests, because  of  the  inaccuracy  and  confu- 
sion of  the  historians.     i?ul  divine  truth  was 
exact,   no   douhl;   and   under  every  possihl 
way  of  compulation,  tlie  jjcriod  of  about 
years  will  properly  limit  the  duration  of 
Saracen  conquests. 

f  Sigon.  Hist,  de  Regn.  Italic,  B.  III. 


150 
the 


However,  as  it  was  established  a  few 
years  after,  and  a  rupture  commenced  at 
the  period  just  mentioned,  I  shall  assume 
this  as  the  most  proper  date  that  I  know 
of,  for  the  beginning  of  popedom,  wiiich 
from  this  time  is  to  be  regarded  as  Anti- 
christ indeed  ;  for  it  set  itself  by  temporal 
power  to  support  false  doctrine,  and  par- 
ticularly that,  which  deserves  the  name 
of  idolatry. 

The  marvellous  propensity  of  all  ages 
to  the  sin  of  idolatry,  which  implies  a  de- 
parture of  the  heart  from  the  one  living 
and   true   God,  must   originate   in  some 
steady  principles  existing  in  the  nature  of 
fallen  man.     The  true  account  of  this  ex- 
traordinary and  lamentable  fact  seems  to 
be  as  follows  : — God  is  an  immaterial, 
self-existent  Being,  of  infinite  power  and 
goodness,  and,  as  our  ]Maker  and   Pre- 
server, He  has  an  unquestionable  claim 
to  our  supreme  veneration  and  affectioo. 
IMan,  considered  as  a  rational  creature,  is 
endowed  with  faculties  abundantly  suffi- 
cient for  the  discovery  of  this  great  and 
perfect  Being,  so  far  as  his  own  duties 
and  interests  are  concerned.     This   has 
frequently  been  proved,  by  able  moralists, 
in  the  way  of  argument,  and  is  expressly 
affirmed  to  be  the  case  by  St.  Paul,  in  the 
first  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans, 
where  it  is  said,  that  "  that  which  may 
be  known  of  God  is  manifest  in  them ;  for 
God  hath  shown  it  unto  them.     For  the 
invijiible  things  of  Him  from  the  creation 
of  the  world,  are  clearly  seen,  being  un- 
derstood  by  the  things  that   are   made, 
even  his  eternal  power  and  Godhead  ; — 
so  that  they  are  without  excuse." 

In  fact,  however,  fallen  man  has  never, 
by  the  mere  use  of  his  reason,  found  out 
God  to  any  good  purpose,  and  worshipped 
him  accordingly;  and  even  when  God  by 
special  revelation  has  condescended  to 
explain  and  manifest  his  true  character  to 
a  particular  people,  few  of  that  people 
have  served  him  as  they  ought  to  have 
done  for  any  great  length  of  time ;  but 
they  soon  corrupted  tlie  divine  religion, 
and  were  plunged  iu  idolatry. 

Tlie  Jehovah  of  the  sacred  writings, 
and  the  Almighty  and  all-perfect  God, 
who  may  bo  discovered  by  sound  reason, 
is  an  invisible  ik'ing,  and  is  to  be  honour- 
ed, as  a  Spirit,  with  the  heart,  and  the 
understandinor,  and  without  the  interven- 
tion of  sensible  objects,  as  stocks  or 
stones.  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
soul."     But  the  history  of  our  corrupted 


548 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH ; 


[Chap.  HI. 


nature  shows,  that  images  and  other  sen- 
sible objects  have,  in  all  ages,  offered 
themselves  to  men's  minds  as  guides  and 
helps  to  a  conception  of  the  Deity;  and 
if,  in  some  instances,  these  absurd  inven- 
tions of  gross  idolatry  have  been  rejected 
by  men  of  learning  and  refinement,  it  has 
then  generally  happened,  that  intellectual 
figments  of  philosophical  vanity  have 
been  substituted  in  their  place,  figments 
still  more  atheistical  in  their  nature,  and 
farther  removed  from  the  notion  of  a  wise 
and  authoritative  Governor  of  the  Uni- 
verse, who  enjoins  the  submission  and 
dependence  of  his  creatures,  requires 
their  obedience,  and  dispenses  justice 
impartially. 

The  principles,  which  appear  to  ac- 
count for  this  apostasy  and  opposition  to 
the  divine  Will,  may  be  comprehended 
under  the  terms  pride,  self-love,  self- 
righteousness,  and  desire  of  independ- 
ence; or,  indeed,  under  the  single  term 
pride  alone,  if  we  use  that  expression  ac- 
cording to  its  most  extensive  application. 
Fallen  man  is  too  proud,  practically  to 
feel  and  confess  his  relative  ignorance 
and  inanity,  when  compared  with  the  Su- 
preme Author  of  all  things ;  and  the  same 
principle  prevents  him  from  placing  his 
supreme  regard  and  esteem  on  God, 
though  reason  dictates,  and  revelation 
commands  this  duty.  He  loves  himself 
and  his  own  gratifications  too  well.  Then 
it  is  easy  to  understand,  that  pride  and 
self-righteousness  are  nearly  synonymous 
expressions :  a  proud  being  will  never 
esteem  his  own  "righteousness  as  filthy 
rags,"  (Isaiah  Ixiv.  6.) :  will  never  cor- 
dially beg  for  pardon  of  his  sins  :  he  has 
too  good  an  opinion  of  his  own  labours, 
inventions,  and  performances ;  in  a  word, 
he  is  self-righteous;  and,  in  a  similar 
way,  it  is  plain,  that  the  same  being  will 
aim  at  independence,  and  be  impatient  of 
control.  In  such  a  dangxrousand  corrupt 
state  of  human  affections,  the  broad  and 
crowded  road  to  idolatry,  which  is  the 
object  we  are  seeking,  is  not  difficult  to 
be  traced.  For,  whether  we  consider 
pride  as  a  comprehensive  principle,  evolv- 
ing itself,  according  to  the  explanation 
just  given,  in  various  mischievous  opera 
tions ;  or,  whether  we  choose  to  confine 
the  meaning  of  the  term,  no  one  will 
doubt,  but  that  in  fact,  mankind  in  all 
ages  have  been  grievously  wanting  in  hu 
mility,  have  proudly  set  themselves  up 
against  God,  have  been  actuated  by  inor- 
dinate  self-love,  and   not   submitting  to 


the  righteousness  of  God,  and  impatient 
of  control,  have  endeavoured  to  establish 
their  own  righteousness.  The  existence 
of  these  principles  and  inclinations  im- 
plies an  absolute  departure  of  the  heart 
from  the  living  God  ;  and  when  that  has 
once  taken  place  through  the  action  of 
some  steady  cause,  the  progress  to  idola- 
try, or  to  some  species  of  atheism,  nearly 
allied  to  idolatry,  is  the  next  step.  Man 
has  departed  from  the  true  God,  and 
there  must  be  some  device  to  quiet  con- 
science. Thus,  in  rude  and  barbarous 
times,  the  proud,  self-righteous  devotee, 
will  naturally  have  recourse  to  the  sottish 
invention  of  the  worship  of  wood,  or 
stone,  or  metals,  and  become  a  gross 
idolater.  He  will  burn  part  of  the  wood 
with  fire,  and  of  the  rest  he  will  make  a 
god,  and  kneel  before  it.  The  discovery 
mightily  pleases  him :  he  has  found  out  a 
god,  exactly  suited  to  his  taste;  a  god, 
who  will  easily  pardon  his  vices,  set  a 
high  value  on  his  imagined  virtues,  and 
be  constantly  propitious  to  him;  a  god, 
who  is  not  a  universal  Governor  or  Bene- 
factor, but  who  is  particularly  kind  to 
himself  and  his  countrymen ;  a  god,  whom 
he  can  see  and  handle,  and  in  whom  he 
may  pride  himself,  as  having  contrived 
and  finished  it  with  the  tongs  and  ham- 
mer, or  with  the  plane  and  compass ;  a 
god,  who  is  local  and  tutelar,  and  over 
which  he  himself  has  considerable  power: 
he  can  place  it  in  his  temple,  in  his  cham- 
ber, or  in  the  camp. 

The  ancient  idolaters,  by  their  images, 
often  represented  deceased  chiefs,  or  he- 
roes, or  kings,  who  were  still  supposed 
to  possess  a  superintending  influence  over 
the  affairs  of  men  ;  and,  not  unfrequently, 
these  departed  beings  appear  to  have 
ranked  among  the  most  wicked  of  man- 
kind. In  more  modern  times,  even  Chris- 
tianity itself  has  been  disgraced  with  the 
adoration  of  images,  representations,  and 
relics  of  saints ;  nor  has  the  abominable 
superstition  always  sufficiently  taken 
care,  that  the  supposed  saints  themselves 
should  be  reputable  characters. 

In  ages  of  great  learning  and  refine- 
ment, the  same  principle  of  pride,  which 
in  religious  concerns,  blinding  the  under- 
standing and  corrupting  the  affections, 
effectually  draws  the  heart  from  the  liv- 
ing and  true  God,  induces  men  to  profess 
a  reverence  for  abstruse  and  intellectual 
figments,  as  nature,  a  principle  of  order, 
or  the  soul  of  the  universe.  These  notions 
of  God,  which  prevail  in  polished  seasons 


Ceitt.  VIII.] 


CONTROVERSY  ON  IMAGES. 


549 


of  the  world,  in  one  sense  merit  the  im- 
putation of  idolatry,  in  another  of  atheism ; 
and,  in  any  possible  interpretation,  they 
must  be  deemed  equivocal,  unintelliaible, 
and  pernicious.     The  species  of  idolatry 
are  exceedingly  various;  but  they  ditfer 
not  much  either  in  their  source  or  their 
tendenc3^     In  all  circumstances,  man  is 
miserable  and  blind,  if  he  be  not  seeking 
and  worshipping  the  true  God  in  spirit 
and  truth.     If,  in  breach  of  the  second 
commandment,  he  represent  the  glory  of 
Jehovah  by  images,  or  if,  in  breach  of  the 
first,  he  set  up  a  divinity  opposite  to  Je- 
hovah, in  both  cases  he  forms  a  deceitful 
basis  for  salvation  and  happiness,  and  di- 
rectly  affronts   the   perfections   of  God. 
Such   practices  are,  therefore,  forbidden 
throughout  the   Scripture,   in   the   most 
positive  manner. 

The  guilt  of  idolatry,  though  no  sin  is 
so  much  spoken  against  throughout  the 
Old  Testament,  is  not  so  offensive  to  na- 
tural conscience  as  that  of  crimes  com- 
mitted against  our  fellow-creatures. — 
IMany  persons  are  apt  to  wonder  why  the 
Israelites  were  so  prone  to  it;  not  con- 
sidering nor  knowing  their  own  idolatry. 
which  works  in  a  way  more  suited  to 
present  times  and  circumstances.  But 
whoever  understands,  that  idolatry  im- 
plies the  departure  of  the  heart  from  the 
living  God,  and  the  fixing  of  it  on  some- 
thing else;  that  to  distrust  his  word,  and 
to  put  confidence  in  some  sensible  object, 
by  which  we  would  represent  him  to  our 
minds, — still  further,  that  to  glory  in  our 
own  strength  and  righteousness,  instead 
of  seeking  salvation  by  grace  through 
faith  only,  proceeds  from  pride,  and  pours 
all  possible  contempt  on  the  Divine  Ma- 
jesty, will  not  wonder  at  God's  indigna- 
tion against  this  sin,  will  see  how  natural- 
ly it  operates  on  the  human  mind,  and 
how  it  affords  a  complete  demonstration 
of  the  apostasy  of  man. 

The  ancient  Church  of  God  were  dis- 
tinguished from  the  nations  all  around, 
by  the  most  express  prohibition  of  this 
sin.  They  were  directed  not  to  worship 
any  but  the  living  God,  nor  even  Jehovah 
himself  by  any  images  whatever  ;  much 
less  were  they  allowed  to  worshij)  any 
creature  by  representations,  which  would 
be  to  break  the  two  first  commandments 
by  the  same  act.  He,  who  knows  the 
propensity  of  his  own  heart  to  distrust 
the  providence  and  grace  of  God,  and 
how  eagerly  we  catch  at  any  human  re- 
lief, instead   of  patiently  waiting  upon 


God  in  trouble,  will  not  wonder  that  the 
Israelites  worshipped  the  calf  in  the  ab- 
sence of  Moses,  nor  think  the  sin  small, 
because  they  intended  to  honour  Jehovah 
by  the  symbol. 

Under  the  Gospel  dispensation  the 
prohibition  of  images  continued,  and,  in 
the  purest  times,  there  was  little  occasion 
to  dwell  on  the  subject.  God  in  Christ 
was  worshipped,  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  by 
the  primitive  Christians:  and  while  they 
called  on  the  Gentiles  to  turn  from  their 
idols  to  the  living  God,  idolatry  itself, 
in  any  of  its  forms,  could  scarcely  find  a 
shadow  of  admission  into  the  Christian 
Church. 

For,  while   men's   hearts  were   filled 
with  peace  and  joy  in  believing,  while 
the  doctrines  of  justification  and  regene- 
ration were  precious  and  all-important  in 
their  eyes,  and  they  lived  by  the  faith  of 
Jesus,  saw  his  glory,  and  felt  in  their 
souls  the  transformino-  power  of  his  orrace, 
the   deceiUul   aids   of    idolatry   had    no 
ciiarms.     It  was  not  till  the  knowledge 
of  the  Gospel  itself  was  darkened  and 
adulterated,  that  the  miserable  spirits  of 
men  had  recourse  to  such  vain  refuges, 
and  that  the  mind,  no  longer  under  the 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  betook  itself 
to  the  arts  of  sculpture  and  painting,  in 
order  to   inflame   its  affections,   and   to 
kindle  a  false  fire  of  devotion.  Christians 
then  worshipped  the  true  God  with  the 
understanding,   and   whoever  was    con- 
verted to  the  faith,  ceased  from  idolatry. 
And,  as  we  have  seen.  Christian  empe- 
rors, particularly  Theodosius,  destroyed 
image-worship  in  their  dominions.     Gri- 
gen,  in  his  treatise  against  Celsus,  ob- 
serves, that  it  is  not  possible  that  any,  by 
worshipping  images,  should   attain  the 
knowledge   of    God.      Athanasius    and 
Lactantius*  strongly  inculcate  the  same 
truth.     Toward  the  end  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, some  approach  toward  this  evil  ap- 
peared in  the  Church.  Epiphanius,  bishop 
of  Cyprus,   observes,!  that  he  found  a 
linen-cloth   hanfring   on  the  church-door 


*  III  tlie  three  Homilies  of  the  Cliurch  of 
England,  against  Peril  of  Idolatry,  the  con- 
troversy is  handled  with  much  solidity  and 
historical  inlbrniation.  I  have  made  some  use 
of  tliem  for  my  purpose.  It  seems  proper 
that  every  Protestant, Divine  should  acquaint 
himself  with  the  fundamentals  of  the  contro- 
versy, and  be  able  satisfactorily  to  convince 
himself,  that  popery  is  not,  what  it  pretends 
to  be,  founded  on  the  precedents  of  Christian 
antiquit)-. 

t  See  Vol.  U.  p.  93. 


550 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


images 
pervert 

Augus- 
tine's 
judgment 
respecting; 
the  use  of 


painted,  and  having  in  it  the  image  of 
Christ,  or  some  saint.  "  Observing  this," 
says  lie,  "  so  contrary  to  the  authority  of 
the  Scriptures,  I  tore  the  cloth."  The 
famous  Jerom  published,  in  Latin,  an 
epistle  of  Epiphanius  concerning  this 
subject,  and  added  his  own  testimony  on 
the  point.  So  evident  is  it,  that  at  that 
time  images  were  absolutely  prohibited 
in  the  Church  of  Christ. 
Augustine  also  gave  his  opinion  against 
"  They  are  of  more  force  to 
the  soul  than  to  instruct  it." 
And  "when  images  are  once 
placed  in  temples,  and  had  in 
honour,  error  creepeth  in." 
Men,  however,  who  had  been 
lately  turned  from  idols,  be- 
images.  gan    at   length   to    paint    or 

carve  images  of  Christ,  the 
Virgin  Mary,  and  the  Apostles.     Jerom 
observes,  that  the  errors  of  images  passed 
to  the  Christians  from  the  Gentiles  ;  and 
Eusebius  the  historian,  says,  that  images 
of  Peter  and  Paul,  and  of  our  Saviour 
himself,  were  made  in  his  time,  which 
he  took  "  to  be  a  heathenish  custom." 
They   were  not,  however,   worshipped, 
nor  publicly  set  up  in  churches.     Pauli- 
nus,  who  died  bishop  of  Nola 
in  the  year  431,  caused   the 
walls    of    a    temple    to    be 
painted   with    stories    taken 
from  the  Old  Testament,  that 
the  people  might  thence  re- 
ceive instruction :  the  written  word  was 
neglected,    and  these    poor  substitutes 
were  placed  in  its  room.     A  strong  sign 
of  the  growing  ignorance  !     As  the  igno- 
rance increased,  these  historical  paintings 
and   images   increased    also.      Serenus, 
bishop    of    Marseilles,   because    of  the 
danger  of  idolatry,  brake  to  pieces  the 
images  then  set  up  in  the  churches.     I 
have  already  noticed  the  imprudent  con- 
cession   made    by  Gregory,   bishop    of 
Rome,  on  this  occasion,  to  the  growing 
superstition.      Thus,  six  hundred  years 
after  Christ,  images  had  begun  to  appear 
in  churches,  but  still  without  idolatry. 
The  authority  of  Gregory,  however,  had 
evil  consequences  :  the  spirit  of  idolatry 
grew  stronger,  as  real   spiritual   know- 
ledge decayed  ;  and  men  having  now,  in 
a  great  measure,  lost  the  divine  way  of 
applying  to  God  through  Christ,  by  faith, 
for  the  relief  of  their  consciences,  became 
still  more  prone  to   rely  on  idols.     So 
closely  connected  is  the  doctrine  of  justi- 
fication with  the  purity  of  worship.    In 


this  respect  the  Roman*  church  advanced 
in  corruption  more  rapidly  that  the 
Eastern.  And  Grecian  emperors  em- 
ployed themselves  in  destroying  images, 
and  pictures,  while  in  Italy  they  were 
held  in  idolatrous  admiration.  The  evil, 
in  truth,  became  incurable,  because  there 
was  no  clear  and  effectual  knowledge  of 
the  Gospel,  that  might  dissipate  the 
clouds  of  error.  Yet  were  men's  opinions 
divided  both  in  the  east  and  the  west ; 
and,  at  length,  the  crisis  arose,  when  the 
Christian  world  was  formally  broken  into 
two  parties  on  this  question. 

We  are  now  advanced  to  the  year  727, 
when  Leo,  the  Isaurian,  the  Greek  empe- 
ror,! began  openly  to  oppose  the  worship 
of  images,  and  produced  the 
rupture  with  the  Roman  See, 
before  mentioned. — A  Syrian, 
born  of  Christian  parents, 
named  Beser,  who  had  been 
taken  by  the  Mahometans, 
and  afterwards  returned  to 
the  Romans,  had  imbibed  an  opinion  of 
the  unlawfulness  of  the  practice,  having, 
very  probably,  observed  the  advantage 
which  it  had  given  to  the  infidels.  He  was 
great  favour  with  the  emperor,  and 


Death  of 
Panlinns, 
bishop  of 
Nola, 

A.  D.  431. 


The  Em- 
peror op- 
poses the 
worsliip  of 
Images, 

A.  U.  727. 


ui 

convinced  him  by  his  arguments,  that 
image  worship  was  idolatrous.  But  the 
most  eminent  defender  of  the  purity  of 
divine  worship  in  this  point,  and  whom 
Fleury  therefore,  in  his  popish  zeal,  calls 
the  author  of  the  heresy,:!:  was  Constan- 
tine,  bishop  of  Nacolia  in  Phrygia. 
Convinced  in  his  judgment,  and  zealous 
to  propagate  what  appeared  to  him  to  be 
right,  Leo  assembled  the  people,  and  with 
llie  frankness  and  sincerity,  which  mark 
his  character,  publicly  avowed  his  con- 
viction of  the  idolatry  of  the  growing 
practice,  and  declared  that  images  ought 
not  to  be  erected  for  adoration.  Such  a 
declaration  in  the  sixth  century  would 
have  raised  no  ferment  in  Christendom; 
but  idolatry  had  been  gradually  advancing 
as  the  simplicity  and  purity  of  Christian 
taith  had  decayed.  Men  of  no  religious 
solicitude  naturally  conformed  them- 
selves to  the  habits  of  the  times  :  persons 
who  had  some  concern  for  the  soul  had 
been  so  long  trammelled  in  a  variety  of 
superstitions  for  the  relief  of  conscience, 


*  I  say  the  Roman ;  for  in  other  parts  of 
the  West,  we  shall  see,  that  some  opposition 
was  made  to  idolatry. 

t  He  is  surnamed  Iconoraachus.  He  died  of 
a  severe  cholic,  in  741. 

I  Fleury,  B.  XLII.  1.  Vol.  V. 


Cent.  VIIT.] 


CONTROVERSY  ON  IMAGES. 


551 


and  the  true  relief  of  Chiist's  atonement!  ing;*  and  since  the  decease 
was  so  little  understood  and  relished,  that  of  Gregorj'  I.  I  have  for  the 


Pope  of 
Rome. 


the  emperor  was  evidently  in  the  minority 
through  the  Christian  world.     As  yet  no 
synods  had  given  a  sanction  to  image- 
worship.     Precedents  of  antiquity  were 
entirely  against  it.     The  word  of  God, 
which  oufflit  to  have  influenced  the  minds 
of  men  infinitely  more  than  either,  was  in 
full  opposition  to  the  practice  :   but   so 
deeply    had    error    prevailed ;    so    con- 
venient did  wicked  men  find  it  to  com- 
mute for  the  indulgence  of  their  crimes, 
by  a  zealous  attachment  to  the  idolatrous 
externals  ;  and  so  little  was  the  Scripture 
then  read  or  studied,  that  the  subjects  of 
Leo  murmured  against  hira,  as  a  tyrant 
and  a  persecutor.     Even  Germanus,  the 
bishop  of  Constantinople,  with  equal  zeal 
and  ignorance,  asserted  that  images  had 
always  been  used  in  the  Church,  and  de 


most  part  been  silent  concerning  the  Ro- 
man bishops,  because  very  little  of  god- 
liness appeared  amontj  them.     The  most 
honourable  part  of  their  conduct  related 
to  the  encouragement  of  missions  and  the 
propagation  of  the   Gospel   among   the 
Gentiles;  in  which,  many  who  were  ac- 
tuated by  the  same  spirit  as  those  who 
had  been  sent  by  Gregory  I.  were  suc- 
cessful in  their  provinces ;  and  pure  re- 
ligion, in  the  fundamentals,  at  least,  was 
extended  into  distant  regions,  while  Rome 
and  Italy  grew  more  and  more  corrupt. 
The  open  avowal,  however,  of  idolatry, 
was  reserved  for  Gregory  II.  and  from 
this  time  I  look  on  the  bishops  of  Rome 
as  Antichrist. 

Rebellion  trod  on  the  heels  of  idolatry. 
Greece     and    its    neighbouring    islands 


clared   his   determination  to  oppose  the  opposed    the    emperor,    and   set    up   an 
emperor  at  all  events.    It  is  not  necessary 
to  give  a  detail  of  the  paltry  evasions 


and  frivolous  arguments,  with  which  he 
endeavoured  to  support  the  idolatry.    De- 
sirous, however,  of  strengthening  himself 
against  the  emperor,  he  wrote  to  the  bi- 
shop of  Rome,  who  warmly  supported 
the  same  cause,  and  by  reasonings  of  the 
same  nature.     Never  was  a  more  instruc- 
tive lesson  given  to  pastors,  to  teach  the 
word   of  God   in   simplicity   and   faith- 
fulness.    Conscience  will  be  disquieted 
at  times  in  men  not  altogether  given  up 
to  a  reprobate  mind ;    and,  if  peace  by 
Jesus  Christ,  througrh  faith  alone,  be  not 
steadfastly  preached,  men  distressed  for 
their  sins  will  flee  to  idolatry  with  all 
their  might,  which  will  give  them  a  false 
peace,  and  confirm  them  in  sinful  prac- 
tices.    By  the  knowledge  of  Christ  cru- 
cified alone  can  we  be  brought  to  a  sound 
peace  of  conscience,  and  be  constrained 
effectually  to  serve  God  and  our  neigh 
hour  in  love.     We  have  often,  in  the 
course  of  this  history,  seen  this  connection 
of  sound  doctrine  and  holy  practice,  and 
we  are  now  stating  the  reverse  of  the 
picture.  Nor  can  the  spirit  and  principles 
of  those  Christians,  w-ho  supported  divine 
truth  in  the  world,  be  so  clearly  under- 
stood  without   some   knowledge  of  the 
real  grounds  of  popery. 

He  who  filled  the  Roman  See  at  this 
time  was  Gregory  the  second,  whom  for 
his  open  defence  and  support  af  idolatry, 
I  shall  venture  to  call  the  first  Pope  of 
Rome.  Many  superstitions 
The  first       and  abuses  had  been  grow- 


*    One  will  deserve  to  be  specified,  as   it 
marks  the  decline  from  Evangelical  purity  c' 
doctrine.     It  was   not   until  the  days  of  this 
Gregory,  that  church-yards  had  a  beginning. 
The  dead  had  been  usually  iiiterred  near  the 
highways,  according  to  the  Roman  laws,  and 
Christian  congiegatioiis  had  followed  the  prac^ 
tice  ;  at  least,  they  had  burial  places  remote 
from  the  city.     But,  in    Gregory's  time,  thfr 
priests  and  monks  began  to  offer  prayers  foi 
the  deceased,  and  received  gifts  from  the  rela 
lions  for  the  performance  of  these  services ; 
on  which  account  these  ecclesiastics  requested 
leave  of  Gregory,  that  the  dead  might  be  in- 
terred near  the'places  of  tlie  monks'  aljode, 
or  in   tlie  churches  or  monasteries,  that  the 
relations  might  have  a  better  opportunity  of 
joining    in    the  funei-al   devotions.     Cuthbert, 
arciibishop  of  Canterliury,  introduced  the  cus- 
tom  into  England  in  750;  hence  the  origin  of 
CHUuiu-TAitns   in   this  island  used  as  burial 
'■•louiuls.     Tiie  practice  itself  is  certainly  in- 
nocent ;   though  its  first  origin  was  extremely 
superstitious.    The  attentive  reader;  will  judge 
hence  of  tiie  progress  of  the  doctrine  of  pur- 
;>-atory,   and   the  "avarice  of  the  ecclesiastics 
connected  with  it  ;  above  all,  of  men's  depar- 
ture from  the  article  of  justification  ;   w  hich, 
if  it  had  remained  in  any  degree  of  purity  in 
the  Church,  would  have  effectually  excluded 
these  abominations.     See  Newcorabe's  Hist, 
of  the  Abbey  of  St.  Albans,  p.  109.    While 
men   rested  in   Christ,  and  dared  to  behold 
lliemselves  complete  in  him,  they  had  no  temp- 
tation to  apply  to  the  false  refuge  of  prayers 
for  the  <le])arted.     In  the  article  of  death  they 
committeil  their  souls  and  bodies  to  their  Sa- 
viour.    That  hope  of  glory  being  lost,  they 
stiu^jgled,   in  vain,  through  life,  with  doubts 
and I'ears.and  departing  in  uncertainty,  left  to 
the  charity  of  friends  to  help  out  their  sup- 
posed defect  of  merit,  and  "  found  no  end  in 
wandering  mazes  lost." 


552 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


usurper;  so  infatuated  were  men  with 
image-worship.  But  the  rebels  were 
routed ;  and  the  usurper  was  taken  and 
beheaded. 

Leo,  called  also  Leo  IIL  has  been  so 
blackened  by  contemporary  writers,  that 
it  is  not  easy  to  form  a  just  idea  of  his 
character.  The  same  observation  may, 
for  similar  reasons,  be  extended  to  his  son 
and  successor.  All  that  can  be  advanced 
with  certainty  is,  that  his  cause  was  just, 
and  his  zeal  sincere,  though  his  temper 
was  too  warm.  He  might  be  a  pious 
Christian;  there  is  doubtless  no  proof  to 
the  contrary.  He  not  only  condemned 
the  worshipping  of  images,  but  also  re- 
jected relics  and  the  intercession  of  saints. 
But  there  lived  none  at  that  time  capable 
of  doing  justice  to  the  holiness  of  his  mo- 
tives, if  indeed,  as  there  is  reason  to  hope, 
they  were  holy. 

In  the  year  730  he  published  an  edict 

against  images,  and  after  having  in  vain 

endeavoured  to  bring  over  Germanus  to 

his  views,  he  deposed  him, 

Leosedict    ^^^  gg^  up  Anastasius  in  his 

Infa"es  room,  who  supported  the  em- 

A.  D.  730.  peror.  There  was  a  porch  in 
the  palace  of  Constantinople, 
in  which  was  an  image  of  Christ  on  the 
cross.  Leo,  who  saw  that  it  had  been 
made  an  engine  of  idolatry,  sent  an  officer 
to  pull  it  down.  Some  women,  who 
were  there,  intreatcd  that  it  might  be 
spared,  but  in  vain.  The  officer  mounted 
a  ladder  and  struck  three  blows  with  a 
hatchet  on  the  face  of  the  figure,  when 
the  women  threw  him  down  by  pulling 
away  the  ladder,  and  murdered  him  on 
the  spot:*  however,  the  image  was  pull- 
ed down  and  burnt,  and  a  plain  cross  was 
set  up  in  its  room ;  for  Leo  only  objected 
to  the  erection  of  a  human  figure.  The 
women  afterwards  insulted  Anastasius,  as 
having  profaned  holy  things.  Leo  put 
several  persons  to  death,  who  had  been 
concerned  in  the  murder,  and,  such  was 


*  This  first  instance  of  idolatrous  zeal  which 
occnrs  in  Ciiristendom,  shows  tiiat  the  woi-- 
shippers  of  images  naturally  connect  the  idea 
of  sanctity  with  the  wood  or  stone,  and  there- 
fore the  charge  of  literally  worshipping  in- 
animate matter,  which  the  vScri[)tures  make 
against  pagan  idolaters,  is  just  when  applied 
to  popish  idolaters.  By  an  induction  from 
particulars,  it  were  easy  to  prove,  tliat  the 
cases  are  similar,  and,  that  futile  distinctions 
and  evasions  may  equally  be  applied  to  both, 
to  cover  and  soften  what  cannot  be  vindicated 
in  either. 


the  triumph  of  idolatry,  that  the  murder- 
ers are  honoured  as  martyrs,  by  the 
Greek  Church,  to  this  day  !  More  blood 
was  spilt  on  the  occasion,  partly  through 
the  vehemence  of  the  emperor,  and  partly 
through  the  obstinacy  of  the  idolaters. 

The  news  flew  to  Rome,  where  the 
same  rage  for  idolatry  prevailed,  and  the 
emperor's  statues  were  pulled  down  and 
trodden  under  foot.  Italy  was  thrown 
into  confusion.  Serious  attempts  were 
made  to  elect  another  emperor :  and  the 
pope  encouraged  these  attempts.  He  also 
prohibited  the  Italians  from  paying  tribute 
to  Leo  any  longer,  say  the  Greek  writers, 
and  some  of  the  partizans  of  the  Roman 
See,  while  the  French  writers  represent 
him  as  endeavouring  to  quell  the  rebel- 
lion. It  is  difficult  to  give  a  fair  state- 
ment of  Gregory's  conduct  oir  this  occa- 
sion; certain  it  is,  that  his  obstinate  de- 
fence of  idolatry  actually  fomented  the 
rebellion,  and  in  the  end,  established  the 
temporal  power  of  his  successors  on  the 
ruins  of  the  imperial  authority.*  His 
conduct  was  indirectly  rebellious,  if  it 
was  not  directly  so;  for  he  wrote  to 
Anastasius,  that  if  he  did  not  return  to 
the  catholic  faith,  he  should  be  deprived 
of  his  dignity.|  Gregory  must  have 
known,  that  this  was,  in  effect,  to  oppose 
the  emperor  himself.  This  was  one  of  the 
last  acts  of  the  Roman  prelate.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Gregory  III.  who  wrote  to 
the  emperor  in  these  arrogant  terms : 
"  Because  you  are  unlearned  and  igno- 
rant, we  are  obliged  to  write  to  you  rude 
discourses,  but  full  of  sense  and  the  word 
of  God.  We  conjure  you  to  quit  your 
pride,  and  hear  us  with  humility. — You 
say  that  we  adore  stones,  walls,  and 
boards.  It  is  not  so,  my  lord ;  but  those 
syiubols  make  us  recollect  the  persons 
whose  names  they  bear,  and  exalt  our 
grovelling  minds.  We  do  not  look  upon 
them  as  gods ; — but  if  it  be  the  iiuage  of 
Jesus,  we  say,  "Lord,  help  us."  If  it 
be  the  image  of  his  mother,  we  say, 
"  Pray  to  your  Son  to  save  us."  If  it  be 
of  a  martyr,  we  say,  "  St.  Stephen,  pray 
for    us.":j: — We    might,  as  having  the 


*  See  Mosheim,  Cent.  VIII.  C.  III. 

t  Fleury,  C.  XLII.  7. 

I  From  these  specimens  the  reader  may 
judge  whether  the  pope  or  the  emperor  was 
better  acquainted  with  the  Scripture.  A  pa- 
gan philosopher  would  have  defended  gentile 
idolatry  much  in  the  same  manner  ;  and  the 
dependence,  which  both  the  pagan  and  the 


cest.  vm.] 


CONTROVERSY  ON  IMAGES. 


653 


Leo  ex- 
communi- 
cated by 
the  Pope, 
A.  D.  732. 


power  of  St.  Peter,  pronounce  punish- 
ments against  you  ;  but  as  you  have  pro- 
nounced the  curse  upon  yourself,  let  it 
stick  to  you. — You  write  to  us  to  as- 
semble a  general  council ;  of  which 
there  is  no  need.  Do  you  cease  to  per- 
secute images,  and  all  will  be  quid. — 
We  fear  not  your  threats;  for  if  we  go 
a  league  from  Rome,  toward  Campania, 
we  are  secure." — Certainly  this  is  the 
language  of  Antichrist  supporting  idola- 
try by  pretences  to  infallibility,  and  de- 
spising both  civil  magistrates  and  eccle- 
siastical councils. 

I  cannot  do  justice  to  Leo  because  we 
have  not  his  answers  to  the  pope.  But 
perhaps  the  language  of  Gre- 
gory will  enable  the  reader 
for  himself  to  vindicate  the 
emperor.  It  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  that  Leo  refused  to 
have  any  further  intercourse 
with  the  Roman  prelate.  In  732,  Gre- 
gory, in  a  council,  excommunicated  all, 
who  should  remove  or  speak  contemptu- 
ously of  images.  And  Italy  being  now 
in  a  state  of  rebellion,  Leo  fitted  out  a 
fleet,  which  he  sent  thither;  but  it  was 
wrecked  in  the  Adriatic.  He  continued, 
however,  to  enforce  his  edict  against 
images  in  the  east,  while  the  patrons  of 
the  fashionable  idolatry  supported  it  by 
various  sophisms.  In  all  his  conduct 
Gregory  now  acted  like  a  temporal  prince: 
he  supported  a  rebellious  duke  against 
Luitprand,  king  of  the  Lombards,  his 
master,  and  fearing  the  vengeance  of  the 
latter,  he  applied  to  Charles  Martel, 
mayor  of  the  palace  in  France,*  offering 
to  withdraAv  his  obedience  from  the  em- 
peror, and  give  the  consulship  of  Rome 


Cli.  Mar- 
tel, Gre- 
gory III. 
and  Leo, 
die  in  the 
same  year, 

A.  D.  -4L 


papist  place  on  the  image,  demonstrates,  that 
they  imagine  the  power  of  the  saint  or  demon 
to  be  intimately  connected  with  the  image, 
■which  represents,  as  it  were,  the  body,  of 
•which  the  object  of  tlieir  worship  is  the  soul, 
so  justly  do  the  Scriptures  describe  iilolaters 
as  literally  worshipping  the  works  of  their 
own  hands,  and  the  man  of  sin  as  worshipping 
demons.  (1  Tim.  iv.)  Sophistry  may  evade, 
but  it  cannot  confute.  ^V'hen  men  cease  to 
hold  the  Head  and  to  be  satisfied  willi  Christ 
as  their  all,  they  fall  into  these  or  similar 
errors.  The  heart,  which  feels  not  the  want 
of  the  living  God,  as  its  proper  nutriment, 
will  feed  on  the  ashes  of  idolati'v. 

*  This  is  lie  who  had  sto|)i)ed  tlie  progress 
of  the  Saracen  arms.  Mayor  of  the  palace, 
was  the  tille  of  the  prime  minister  in  France, 
who  during  the  reigns  of  a  succession  of  weak 
princes,  governed  with  sovereign  power. 

Vol.  I.  3  A 


to  Charles,  if  he  would  take  him  under 
his  protection.*  Charles,  however,  by 
his  wars  with  the  Saracens,  was  prevent- 
ed from  complying  with  the  pope's  re- 
quest. But  he  left  his  power  and  ambi- 
tious views  to  his  son  and 
successor  Pepin.  Charles, 
Gregory,  and  Leo,  all  died 
in  the  same  year  741,  and 
left  to  their  successors  the 
management  of  their  res- 
pective views  and  conten- 
tions. 

Constantine  VI.  surnamed  Coprony- 
mus,  mherited  his  father  Leo's  zeal 
against  images:  and,  as  both  the  east 
and  the  west  were  precipitating  them- 
selves into  idolatry,  hence  neither  of  these 
princes  have  met  with  a  fair  and  impar- 
tial historian.-)-  Meanwhile  the  Arabians 
persecuted  the  Christians  with  unrelent- 
ing barbarity  in  the  East,  while  the  real 
Church  of  God  was  desolated  on  all  sides, 
and  suffered  equally  from  enemies  with- 
out and  within  her  pale.  Zachary  was  the 
next  pope  after  Gregory  III.  an  aspiring 
politician,  who  fomented  discord  among 
the  Lombards,  and,  by  his  intrigues,  ob- 
tained from  their  king  Luitprand  an  ad- 
dition to  the  patrimony  of  the  Church. 
The  Roman  prelates  had  ceased  to  wor- 
ship God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  and  were 
now  become  mere  secular  princes. 

Zachary  showed  how  well  he  merited 
the  title  of  a  temporal  governor.  He  had 
the  address  to  preserve  still  a  nominal 
subjection  to  the  Greek  emperor,  while 
he  seized  all  the  power  of  the  Roman 
dukedom  for  himself,  and  looked  out  for  a 
protector  both  against  his  lawful  sove- 
reign and  against  the  Lombards.  This 
was  Pepin,  the  son  and  successor  of 
Charles  Martel  in  France,  who  sent  a 
case  of  conscience  to  be  resolved  by  the 
pope,  namely,  whether  it  would  be  just 
in  himself  to  depose  his  sovereign  Chil- 
deric  III.  and  to  reign  in  his 
room  1:1^  Zachary  was  not 
ashamed  to  answer  in  the  af- 
firmative: Pepin  then  threw 
his  master  into  a  monastery. 


Pope 

Zachary 

dies, 

A.  U.  752. 


*  This  shows  that  the  charg.-  of  rebellion 
against  the  emperor  is  not  unjustly  made 
against  this  pope. 

+  Tiieophanes  relates  some  ridiculous  things 
of  Copronymus,  whici\  only  jtrove  the  strength 
of  his  own  prejudices,  p.  346.  And  Fleury 
follows  him  as  his  guide. 

I  Fleury,  XLIII.  I.  calls  him  a  weak  and 
contemptible   prince.     So   the   French   kings 


554 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH : 


[Chap.  HI. 


holds  a 
council  of 
338  bish- 


and  assumed  the  title  of  king.     Zachary 
died  soon  after,  viz.  in  the  year  752. 

The  Greek  emperor  was  unable  to  cope 
with  the  subtilty  of  the  pope  and  the  vio- 
lence of  the  Lombards.  Ravenna,  the 
capital  of  his  dominions  in  Italy,  was 
taken  by  king  Astulphus,  vcho  had  suc- 
ceeded Rachis,  the  successor  of  Luitprand. 
This  government,  called  the  Exarchate, 
had  continued  in  Italy  about  a  hundred 
and  fourscore  years.  Stephen,  the  suc- 
cessor of  Zachary,  finding  the  superior 
strength  of  the  Lombards,  now  solicited 
the  aid  of  Constantine,  who  was  too  much 
employed  in  the  East,  to  send 
Constan-  any  forces  into  Italy.  In  the 
tine  VII.  year  754,  the  emperor  held  a 
council  of  338  bishops,  to  de- 
cide the  controversy  concern- 
ops,  ing  images.  They  express 
A.  b.754.  themselves  not  improperly  on 
the  nature  of  the  heresy.* 
,  "  Jesus  Christ,"  say  they, "  haih  delivered 
us  from  idolatry,  and  hath  taught  us  to 
adore  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  But  the 
devil  not  being  able  to  endure  the  beauty 
of  the  Church,  hath  insensibly  brought 
back  idolatry  under  the  appearance  of 
Christianity,  persuading  men  to  worship 
the  creature,  and  to  take  for  God  a  work, 
to  which  they  give  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ." 

Reinforced  by  the  decrees  of  this  coun- 
cil against  image-worship,  Constantine 
burnt  the  images,  and  demolished  the 
walls,  which  were  painted  with  repre- 
sentations of  Christ  or  the  saints;  and 
seemed  determined  to  exterminate  all  the 
vestiges  of  idolatry.  In  the  mean  time, 
in  Italy,  Stephen,  pressed  by  the  victo- 
rious arms  of  Astulphus,  applied  himself 
to  Pepin,  and  wrote  to  all  the  French 
dukes,  exhorting  them  to  succour  St. 
Peter,  and  promising  them  the  remission 
of  their  sins,  a  hundred  fold  in  this  world, 
and  in  the  world  to  come  life  everlasting. 
So  rapidly  advanced  the  popedom  !  A 
letter  now  was  brought  to  the  pope  from 
the  emjieror,  ordering  him  to  go  to  Astul- 
phus, and  demand  the  restitution  of  Ra- 
venna. Superstition  was  every  where  so 
strong,  that  there  was  no  danger  incurred 


by  such  a  step  ;  and  the  weakness  of  the 
emperor,  and  the  distraction  of  his  affairs, 
allowed  him  not  to  give  any  other  sort  of 
succour  to  Italy.  Stephen  sent  to  the 
king  of  the  Lombards,  to  demand  a  pass. 
This  was  granted,  and  he  set  out  from 
Rome,  to  go  to  Astulphus.  A  short  time 
before  he  undertook  this  journey,  messen- 
gers had  arrived  to  him  from  Pepin,  en- 
couraging him  to  go  along  with  them 
into  France.  Stephen  arrived  at  Pavia, 
the  capital  of  Lombardy,  and  after  an 
ineffectual  interview  with  the  king,  went 
into  France,  where  Pepin  treated  him 
with  all  possible  respect,  and  promised 
to  undertake  an  expedition  into  Italy  to 
relieve  the  Roman  See.  Stephen  anoint- 
ed with  oil  the  king  of  the  Franks ;  and, 
by  the  authority  of  St.  Peter,  forbad  the 
French  lords,  on  pain  of  excommunica- 
tion, to  choose  a  king  of  another  race. 

Thus  did  these  two  ambitious  men 
support  one  another  in  their  schemes  of 
rapacity  and  injustice.  In  the  pope  the 
evil  was  aggravated  by  the  pretence  of 
religion.*  "It  is  you,"  says  Stephen, 
"whom  God  hath  chosen  for  this  pur- 
pose by  his  prescience  from  all  eternity. 
For  whom  he  hath  predestinated,  them 
he  also  called ;  and,  whom  he  called, 
them  he  also  justified."  It  must  be  own- 
ed, that  Stephen  was  fitter  to  conduct  a 
negotiation,  than  to  expound  a  text. 

Pepin  attacked  Astulphus  so  vigor- 
ously, that,  in  the  end,  he  obliged  him  to 
deliver  the  Exarchate,  that  is  Ravenna, 
and  twenty-one  cities  besides,  to  the  pope. 
Constantine,  alarmed  at  the  danger  of  his 
dominions,  in  Italy,  sent  an  embassy  to 
king  Pepin,  to  press  him  to  deliver  the 
Exarchate  to  its  rightful  sovereign  :  but 
in  vain.  In  the  issue,  ihe  pope  became 
the  proprietor  of  Ravenna  and  its  depen- 
dencies, and  added  rapacity  to  his  re- 
bellion. 

From  this  time  he  not  only  assumed 
the  tone  of  infallibility  and  spiritual  do- 
minion, but  became  literally  a  temporal 


had  been  for  some  time.  But  Gregory  I. 
■would  have  told  Pepin,  that  the  weakness  of 
the  sovereign's  faculties  gave  the  servant  no 
right  to  usurp  the  master's  authority.  Gre- 
gory feared  God  :  whereas  idolatry  iiad  h;u'il- 
ened  the  hearts  of  these  popes,  and  left  tiiem 
no  law  but  tlieir  own  insatiable  ambition. 
*  rieury,  XUII.  7. 


*  Fleury,  a  much  better  divine  than  Ste- 
phen, is  struck  with  the  absurdity  of  the  allu- 
sion, XLlll.  15.  If  I  am  somewhat  more 
secular  in  this  narration  tiian  in  general,  the 
importance  of  the  subject,  which  is  nothing 
less  than  the  establishment  of  the  papal  power, 
and  the  vindication  of  faithful  witnesses,  who 
from  ago  to  age  protested  against  it,  may 
afford  a  sufficient  apology.  Popery  once  es- 
tablished, I  siiall  not  so  minutely  attend  her 
steps,  but  seek  the  children  of  God,  wherever 
they  are  to  be  found. 


Cent.  YIII.] 


CONTROVERSY  ON  IMAGES. 


555 


prince.  On  the  death  of  Astulphus,  Dc- 
siderius,  duke  of  Tuscany,  in  order  to 
obtain  the  succession,  promised  vStephen, 
to  deliver  to  him  some  other  cities,  which 
the  Lombards  had  taken  from  the  empe- 
ror. Stephen  embraced  the  ofler  with- 
out hesitation,  assisted  Desiderius  in  liis 
views,  and  obtained  for  the  popedom  the 
duchy  of  Ferrara,  and  two  other  fortress- 
es. The  injured  emperor,  in  the  mean 
time,  continued  to  exterminate  idolatry 
in  the  East;  but,  whether  his  motives 
were  pious  or  not,  our  ignorance  of  his 
private  character  will  not  suffer  us  to  as- 
certain. The  ambitious  and 
successful  Stephen  held  the 
popedom  five  years,  and  died 
in  757.  His  successor  Paul, 
even  before  his  appointment 
to  that  dignity,  had  taken  care  to  cultivate 
the  friendship  and  secure  the  protection 
of  Pepin.  The  maritime  parts  of  Italy 
still  obeyed  the  emperor,  and  these,  to- 
gether with  the  Lombards,  threatened  the 


Death  of 
Pope  Ste- 
phen III. 
A.D.757. 


pope, 


from  time  to  time ;  whence  he  was 


induced  to  write  frequently  to  the  king  of 
France  for  assistance.* 

Constantine  forbad  every  where  the 
addressing  of  prayers  to  the  Virgin  Mary, 
or  to  other  saints,  and  discountenanced 
the  monks  through  his  dominions.  He  is 
said  to  have  treated  the  worshippers  of 
images  with  great  barbarity,  and  to  have 
been  profane  and  vicious  in  his  own  prac- 
tice. But  such  censures  were  the  natural 
and  obvious  effect  of  his  conduct. 

In  the  year  768  died  Pepin,  the  great  sup- 
porter of  the  popedom.  Its  grandeur  was, 
however,  not  yet  arrived  at 
maturity.  Adrian,  who  was 
elected  pope  in  772,  was  not 
inferior  to  his  predecessors  in 
the  arts  of  ambitious  intrigue. 
He  received  the  homage  of 
Rieti  and  Spoleto,  towns  of 
Lombardy,  and  allowed  them 
to  choose  a  duke  among  themselves. 
Partly  by  these  means,  and  still  more  by 
the  powerful  alliance  of  Charles,  the  son 
and  successor  of  Pepin,  commonly  called 
Charlemagne,  for  his  great  exploits,  he 
strengthened  himself  against  tha  hostili- 
ties of  king  Desiderius.  He  received 
from  the  French  king  a  confirmation  of 
Pepin's  donative  of  the  Exarchate,  with 
some  considerable  additions  of  territory. 


Death  of 
Pepin, 

A.D.  768. 

Adrian    I. 

elected 

pope, 

A.  D.  772. 


*  It  is  remarkable,  that  Fleury  blames  this 
pope  for  representing  his  secular  affairs  as  if 
they  were  spiritual.  31. 


The  friendship  of  ambitious  men  is  ce- 
mented bj'  views  of  interest.     This  was 
exactly  the  case  of  Charles  and  Adrian. 
In  a  superstitious  age,  the  king  derived 
from  the  sacred  character  of  the  ])0]w  the 
most  substantial  addition  to  his  reputa- 
tion, and  was  enabled  to  expel  Deside- 
rius entirely  from  his  dominions.     In  the 
year    774,   he   assumed    the 
title  of  king  of  France  and     ^]!^J^^l' 
Lombardy.     The  last  king  of    assumes 
the  Lombards  was  sent  into  a     tlu-  liile  of 
monastery  in  France,  where     king;  of 
he  ended"  his   days.     In   the     France 
next  year,  the  emperor  Con-    ^",, .    "*' 
stantine  died,  after  having  vi-    ^("ij '774 
gorously  opposed  image-wor- 
siiip  all  his  reign.    At  the  same  time  also 
died  the   Mahometan  Caliph  Almansor, 
the  founder  of  Bagdad,  which  from  that 
time  l)ecame  the  residence  of  the  Saracen 
monarchs ;  whose  empire  then  bega.ii  {n 
carry  more  tho  appearance  of  a  regular 
government,  and  ceased  to  be  so  trouble- 
some to  the  remains  of  the  old  Roman 
empire,  as  it  had  formerly  been. 

Leo,  the  son  and  successor  of  Constan- 
tine, trode  in  the  steps  of  his  father  and 
grandfather,  and  exercised  severities  on 
the  supporters  of  image-wor- 
ship. 13ut,  as  he  died  in  the  Jr:^"  ^^* 
year  780,*  his  wife  Irene  as-  j^  y  --gQ 
sumed  the  government  in  the 
name  of  her  son  Constantine,  who  was 
only  ten  years  old.  She  openly  and  zea- 
lously supported  idolatry.  The  East  was 
so  eagerly  addicted  to  it,  that  there  want- 
ed only  the  authority  of  a  sovereign  to 
render  it  triumphant.  Images  gained  the 
ascendancy  ;  and  the  monastic  life,  which 
either  the  piety  or  the  prudence  of  three 
emperors, — for  I  cannot  ascertain  their 
real  character, — had  much  discouraged, 
became  again  victorious  in  Greece  and 
Asia.| 

In  784  Irene  wrote  to  Adrian,  desiring 
his  presence  at  a  council  to  I)c  held  for 
the  support  of  image-worship ;  at  least 
that  he  would  send  legates  to  it.  Tara- 
sius,  bishop  of  Constantinople,  just  ap- 
pointed, and  perfectly  harmonizing  with 


*  Fleurr,  XLIV.  10. 

+  If  the  plan,  on  which  I  have  chosen  to 
write  a  Cliurcli-history,  need  liie  authority  of 
any  writer  to  support  it,  the  words  of  Fleury 
are  very  decisive,  R.  XLIV.  17.  "The  tem- 
poral affairs  of  the  Church,  nay,  of  the  Roman 
Church,  do  not  belong  to  an  ecclesiastical 
history." 


550 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  HI. 


the  views  of  the  empress,  wrote  to  the 
same  purport.     Adrian's  answer  is  wor- 
thy of  a  pope.     He  expresses   his  joy 
at  the  prospect  of  the  establishment  of 
irnag-e-worship ;  and,  at  the  same  time, 
testifies  his  displeasure  at  the  presump- 
tion of  Tarasius,  in  calling  himself  uni- 
versal patriarch  :   he  demands  the  resto- 
ration of  St.  Peter's  patrimony,  which, 
during-  the  schism,  the  emperors  of  Con- 
stantinople had  withheld;  and  sets  be- 
fore the  empress  the  munificent  pattern 
of  Charlemagne,  who  had  given  to  tlic 
Roman  Church,  to  be  enjoyed  for  ever, 
provinces,  cities,  and  castles,  once  in  the 
possession  of  the  Lombards,  but  which  of 
right  belonged  to  St.  Peter.     Ambition 
and  avarice  were  thus  covered  with  the 
thin  veil  of  superstition.     But  this  was 
the  age  of  clerical  usurpations.     Large 
domains  were  now  commonly  annexed, 
by  superstitious  princes,  to  the  Church, 
for  the  pardon  of  theif  sins  ;  but  the  pope 
was   the  greatest  gainer  by  this  traffic. 
That,  which  is  most  to  our  purpose  to 
observe,  is  the  awful  departure,  which 
had   commonly   been   made,   throughout 
Christendom,  from  the  all-important  arti- 
cle of  justification.     While  this  is  firmly 
believed  and  reverenced,  it  is  impossible 
for  men  to  think  of  commuting  for  tlicir 
offences  with  Heaven;  and  it  is  itself  the 
surest  defence  against  clerical  encroach- 
ments, superstition,   idolatry  and  hypo- 
crisy.    But   the   pulpits  were  silent  on 
this  doctrine  :   during  this  whole  century 
false  religion  grew  without  any  check  or 
molestation ;    and  vices,  both   in   public 
and  private  life,  increased  in  proportion. 

In  the  year  787  the  second  council  of 

Nice  was  held  under  the  empress :   and 

of  such  a  council  it  is  sufficient  to  say, 

that   it   confirmed    idolatrous 

Irene  calls     worship.*   Pope  Adrian,  hav- 
a  Council        •  '   .       ,    ',  '      , 

at  Nice  ^"S'  received  the  acts  of  the 
A.  D.  787.  council,  sent  them  to  Charle- 
magne, that  he  might  procure 
the  approbation  of  the  bishops  of  the 
West.  But  here  his  expectations  were 
disappointed.  United  in  politics  by  the 
coincidence  of  interested  views,  they  were 
however  found  to  disagree  in  religious 
sentiments.  Charlemagne,  though  illite- 
rate himself,  was  one  of  the  greatest  pa- 
trons of  learning :  and,  if  he  may  be  sup- 
posed  to  have  been  in  earnest   in   any 

*  This  was  the  seventh  General  Council  ; 
and  the  second  of  Nice.  It  besjan  in  Septem- 
ber 787.  ' 


opinions,  he  would  naturally  be  much 
influenced  by  the  famous  Alcuin,  an  Eng- 
lishman, whom  he  cherished  and  esteem- 
ed. The  customs  and  habits  of  the  West 
were  far  from  universally  favouring  the 
reigning  idolatry.  I  am  anxiously  look- 
ing for  the  features  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  in  this  very  gloomy  period,  and  I 
conjecture  that  her  existence  was  most 
probably  to  be  found  in  the  Churches 
lately  planted,  or,  in  those,  which  were 
then  in  an  infant  state.  Our  own  island 
was  decidedly,  at  that  time,  hostile  to 
idolatry.  The  British  Churches  execrat- 
ed the  second  council  of  Nice;*  and 
some  even  of  the  Italian  bishops  protested 
against  the  growing  evil.  Nor  is  it  pro- 
bable, that  the  churches  of  Germany, 
now  forming,  were  ar  all  disposed  to  re- 
ceive it.  Men,  who  first  receive  Chris- 
tianity from  zealous  teachers,  are  simple 
and  sincere ;  nor  is  it  easy  to  convince  an 
ingenuous  person,  that  idolatry,  however 
qualified  or  explained,  is  allowable  on 
the  plan  of  the  Scriptures,  either  of  the 
Old  or  New  Testament.  France  itself 
had,  as  yet,  shown  no  disposition  posi- 
tively in  favour  of  idolatry.  The  Roman 
See,  alone,  in  Europe,  had  in  form  sup- 
ported and  defended  it.  And  experience 
proves,  that  the  greatest  stages  of  dege- 
neracy are  to  be  found  in  the  Churches 
which  have  subsisted  the  longest. 

Charlemagne  could  not  but  be  struck 
at  the  discordancy  of  the  Nicene  council 
with  the  habits  of  the  West;  and  was 
therefore  so  far  from  receiving,  with  im- 
plicit faith,  the  recommendation  of  it  by 
pope  .Adrian,  that  he  ordered  the  bishops, 
of  the  West  to  examine  the  merits  of  the 
question.  The  issue  was,  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Carolin  books,  in  which  the 
famous  Alcuin  had  at  least  a  distinguish- 
ed share.  In  these  the  authors  find  fault 
with  a  former  synod  held  in  Greece,  un- 
der ConstanUne,  which  forbad  the  use  of 
images.  For  they  held  the  dangerous  opi- 
nion of  Gregory  1st,  namely,  that  these 
might  be  set  up  in  churches,  and  serve 
as  books  for  the  instruction  of  the  people. 
But  they  condemn,  in  very  free  terms, 
the  late  Grecian  synod,  which  enjoined 
the  worship  of  images.  They  find  fault 
with  the  flattering  addresses  made  by  the 
Greek   bishops   to  pope   Adrian.     They 


*  Hoveden  Annal.  pars  prior,  p.  232.  Usher, 
Annals,  pp.  19,  20.  'i'he  former  of  these  wri- 
ters tells  us,  that  Alcuin  composed  the  Caro- 
lin books. 


Cext.  VIII.] 


CONTROVERSY  ON  IMAGES. 


557 


allow  the  primacy  of  St.  Peter's  See,  but 
are  far  from  founding  their  faith  on  the 
pope's  decrees.  They  condemn  the  wor- 
ship of  images  by  scriptural  arguments, 
by  no  means  impertinent  or  contemptible. 
These,  however,  need  not  be  repeated  on 
the  present  occasion.* 

Engilbert,  the  ambassador  of  Charles, 
presented  these  books  to  Adrian.  This 
ambitious  politician,  who  subsisted  by 
the  protection  of  Charlemagne,  and  who 
was  concerned  to  maintain  the  honour  of 
his  See,  replied  with  great  prudence.  It 
is  evident,  from  his  whole  conduct,  that 
his  object  was  the  temporal  interests  of  the 
popedom.  Hence  his  answer  to  Charles 
was  tame  and  insipid,  and  his  defence  of 
image-worship  weak  and  inconclusive.f 
Charles  and  the  French  Churches  perse- 
vered in  their  own  middle  practice  :  they 
used  images,  but  they  abhorred  the  ado- 
ration of  them.  In  the  year 
A  synod  -94^  ^^  Frankfort  upon  the 
V  '  \r  f  Maine,  a  synod  was  held,  con- 
A.  D.  794.  sisting  of  300  bishops,  who 
condemned  the  second  council 
of  Nice,  and  the  worship  of  images.  In 
this  synod,  Paulinus,  bishop  of  Aquileia, 
in  Italy,  bore  some  share.  All  his  life, 
however,  Adrian  continued  on  good  terms 
rj.,  with  Charlemagne.    He  died 

795  t'ermi-  ^^  ^^^  course  of  the  next  year, 
nated  the  ^^i  was  succeeded  by  Leo  III. 
life  and  the  Political  intrigue,  and  secular 
popedom  artifice,  not  theological  study, 
of  Adrian  -^yj^g  i\iqxi  the  practice  of  Ro- 
man bishops.  The  Irish,  at 
this  time,  particularly  excelled  in  divi- 
nity, travelled  through  various  countries, 
and  became  renowned  for  their  learning ; 
and  the  superior  light,  exhibited  by  Eng- 
land and  France,  in  the  controversy  of 
images,  seems  to  prove  that  these  coun- 
tries, in  their  knowledge  of  Scripture,  and 
also  in  their  regard  for  its  doctrines,  far 
exceeded  Rome.  Yet  so  strongly  were 
men  prejudiced  in  favour  of  the  dignity 
of  the  Roman  See,  that  it  still  remained 
in  the  height  of  its  power,  and  was  en- 
abled in  process  of  time  to  communicate 
its  idolatrous  abominations  through  Eu- 
rope. In  the  East  the  worship  of  images 
was  triumphant,  but  as  yet  not  universal.^: 


•  See  Du  Pin,  Councils  of  8th  century. 

t  This  is  allowed  by  Du  Pin.  Councils  of 
8th  century. 

^  Irene,  toward  the  close  of  this  century, 
viz.  about  the  year  797,  dethroned  her  son 
Constantine,  and  put  out  his  eyes  with  such 
3  a2 


This  chapter  contains  the  narrative  of 
the  most  fatal  events  which  the  Church 
had  ever  seen.  The  Arian  heresy  had 
disfigured  and  deeply  wounded  her  con- 
stitution, but  she  had  recovered,  and  con- 
founded this  adversarj'.  The  Pelagian 
poison  had  operated  for  a  time ;  but  its 
detection  and  expulsion  had  even  contri- 
buted to  recover  her  health,  and  to  restore 
her  to  a  great  degree  of  apostolical  pu- 
rity. Other  heresies,  which  affected  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  had  been  success- 
fully opposed  :  superstition,  for  a  number 
of  centuries,  had  sullied  her  beauty,  but 
had  left' her  vitals  untouched.  Idolatry, 
at  length,  aided  by  the  same  superstitious 
propensity,  prevailed  to  disunite  her  from 
Christ,  her  living  head.  The  reigning 
powers,  both  in  the  east  and  the  west, 
were  overgrown  with  false  worship  :  even 
those  parts  of  the  west,  which  as  yet 
were  not  disposed  to  receive  idolatry, 
were  deeply  prepared  for  the  ro,,,.un. 
gradual  admission  of  it,  partly  (ions  of 
by  the  growing  superstition,  Christ's 
and  partly  by  the  submission  religion 
of  all  the  E  uropean  Churches  had  begua 
to  the  domination  of  the  Ro-  *°  ^^Tor' 
man  See.  There  the  seat  of  •  ■  -  • 
Antichrist  was  firmly  fixed.  Rebellion 
against  the  lawful  power  of  the  magis- 
trate, the  most  arrogant  claims  to  infalli- 
bility, and  the  support  of  image-worship, 
conspired  with  the  temporal  dominion 
lately  obtaine.i  by  the  bishop  of  Rome, 
to  render  him  the  tyrant  of  the  Church. 
His  dominions,  indeed,  were  not  large ; 
but,  in  conjunction  with  the  proud  pre- 
tensions of  his  ecclesiastical  character 
they  gave  him  a  superlative  dignity  in  the 
eyes  of  all  Europe.  It  \\as  evident  that 
the  face  of  the  whole  Church  was  alter- 
ed :  from  the  year  727,  to  about  the  year 
2000,  we  have  the  dominion  of  the 
Beast  ;f  and  the  prophesying  of  the  wit- 
nesses in  sackcloth,  which  was  to  conti- 
nue 1260  days,  or  forty  and  two  months, 
that  is,  for  1260  years.  We  must  now 
look  for  the  real  Church,  either  in  dis- 
tinct individual  saints,  who,  in  the  midst  of 
popery,  were  preserved  by  effectual  grace 
in  vital  union  with  the  Son  of  God,  or,  in 


violence,  that  he  lost  his  life.  This  monster, 
a  worthy  patroness  of  idolatry,  then  reigned 
alone,  and  co-operated  with  the  pope  of  Rome, 
in  the  support  of  Satan's  kingdom.  She  was 
deposed  and  banished  by  Nicephorus,  A.  D, 
802. 
t  Rev.  xi.  and  xiii. 


558 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


associations  of  true  Christians,  formed 
in  different  regions,  which  were  in  a 
state  of  persecution  and  much  aiiiiction. 
Where  then  was  the  Cliurch  in  the  eighth 
century  1  She  still  subsisted ;  and  the 
opposition  made  to  idolatry  by  Charles 
and  the  council  of  Frankfort,  demon- 
strates her  existence.  Nothing  but  the 
influence  of  principles  very  opposite  to 
those  which  were  fashionable  at  Rome, 
can  account  for  such  events,  at  a  time 
when  the  dignity  of  the  Roman  See  was 
held  in  universal  veneration.  After  all, 
it  is  in  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel 
among  the  Pagans,  that  the  real  Church 
is  chiefly  to  be  seen  in  this  century. 
Some  real  work  of  this  kind  was  carry- 
ing on,  while  the  popedom  was  forming ; 
and,  by  the  adorable  Providence  of  God, 
pious  missionaries,  who  entered  not  into 
the  recent  controversies,  but  were  engaged 
in  actions  purely  spiritual,  were  patron- 
ized and  supported  in  preaching  Christ 
among  foreign  nations  by  the  same  popes 
of  Rome,  who  were  opposing  his  grace 
in  their  own.*  Their  ambition  led  them 
to  cherish  the  zeal  of  the  missionaries, 
but  with  how  diiferent  a  spirit !  To  this 
scene  let  us  now  direct  our  attention. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL  IN 
THIS  CENTURY,  INCLUDING  THE  LIFE 
OF  BONIFACE,  ARCHBISHOP  OF  MENTZ. 

WiLLiBROD,f  with  other  English  mis- 
sionaries, continued  to  labour  with  suc- 
cess in  the  conversion  of  the  Frisons. 
His  episcopal  seat  was,  as  we  have 
seen,:J:  at  Utrecht;  for  fifty  years  he 
preached,  founded  churches  and  monas- 
teries, and  appointed  new  bishops.     The 

*  Should  any  persons  startle  that  I  call 
itnage-worship  b3'  no  better  name  tlian  idola- 
try, and  rank  pagan  and  papal  practices  in  the 
same  class,  I  would  refer  such  to  the  censure 
of  St.  Paul  on  the  Galatians  iv.  8,  9.  Idolatry 
being  with  them  merely  mental,  originated  in 
a  self-righteous  principle,  and  the  Apostle 
looks  on  theiTi  as  worshippers  of  false  gods, 
and  informs  them  that  they  were  returning 
jigain  to  bondage.  How  much  more  justly 
ipiay  image-worship  be  called  "  tlje  doing  ser- 
vice to  them  which  by  nature  are  no  gods," 
vhere  the  idolatry  is  both  mental  and  ex- 
ternal I 

t  Fleiiry,  fifth  Vol.  XLI.  1. 

^  See  page  533  of  this  volutme.. 


consequence   of   his    labours   was,   that    ^ 
orreat  numbers  of  Pagans  were  received 
within  the  pale  of  the  Church. 

The*  great  light  of  Germany  in  this 
century  was  an  Englishman  named  Win- 
frid,  born  at  Kirton  in  Devonshire,  about 
the  year  680.  He  was  brought  up  in  the 
monastic  life  from  infancy.  His  resi- 
dence was  in  the  monastery  of  Nutcell, 
in  the  diocese  of  Winchester,  which  was 
afterwards  destroyed  by  the  Danes,  and 
was  never  rebuilt.  Here  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  sacred  and  secular 
learning  of  the  times.  At  the  age  of  30, 
he  was  ordained  priest,  on  the  recom- 
mendation of  his  abbot,  and  laboured 
with  much  zeal  in  preaching  the  word  of 
God.  His  spirit  was  ardent,  and  he 
longed  to  be  employed  as  a  mission- 
ary, in  the  conversion  of  Pagans.  The 
example  of  a  nimiber  of  pious  persons  of 
his  own  country  might,  no  doubt,  have 
great  influence  with  him  ;  for  we  have 
seen  already,  that  the  zeal  of  spreading 
the  Gospel  was  peculiarly  strong  in  the 
British  isles.  He  went  over  -iv-.-.f..;,! 
with  two  monks  into  r  rieze-  ^p  English 
land  about  the  year  716.  He  Mission- 
proceeded  to  Utrecht,  "  to  ary, 
WATER,  where  Willibrod  had  a.  D.  716. 
planted;"  but  finding  that 
circumstances  rendered  it  impracticable 
at  present  to  preach  the  Gospel  there,  he 
returned  into  England  with  his  compan- 
ions, to  his  monastery. 

On  the  death  of  the  abbot  of  Nutcell, 
the  society  would  have  elected  Winfrid 
in  his  room  ;  but  the  monk,  steady  to  his 
purpose,  refused  to  accept  the  Presidency ; 
and,  with  recommendatory  letters  from 
the  bishop  of  Winchester,  went  to  Rome, 
and  presented  himself  to  the  pope,  ex- 
pressing a  desire  of  being  employed  in 
the  conversion  of  infidels.  Gregory  H. 
encouraged  his  zeal,  and  gave  him  a 
commission  of  the  most  ample  and  unli- 
mited nature  in  the  year  719. 

With  this  commission  Winfrid  went 
into  Bavaria  and  Thuringia.  In  the  first 
country  he  reformed  the  Churches,  in  the 
second  he  was  successful  in  the  con- 
version of  infidels.  Here  also  he  ob- 
served, how  true  religion,  where  it  had 
been  planted,  was  almost  destroyed  by 
false  teachers :  some  pastors,  indeed, 
were  zealous  for  the  service  of  God,  but 
others  were  given  up  to  scandalous  vices : 


*   Fleury,  XLI.   35,  &c.     Albaa    Sutler, 
Vol.  6. 


Cent.  VIIL] 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 


559 


the  English  missionary  belield  their  state, 
and  the  ill  effects  of  it  on  the  people  with 
sorrow  ;  and  he  laboured  with  all  his 
might,  to  recover  them  to  true  repentance. 
It  was  with  sincere  delight  that  he 
afterwards  learned  that  the  door,  which 
had  been  shut  against  his  first  attempts 
in  Friezeland,  was  now  opened  for 
preaching  the  Gospel  in  that  countrj'. 
Rat-bod,  king  of  the  Prisons,  who  had 
planted  idolatry  afresh  among  his  sub- 
jects, w'as  dead,  and  the  obstacles  were 
removed.  Winfrid  returned  into  Frieze- 
land,  and  for  three  years  co-operated  with 
Willibrod.  The  pale  of  the  Church  was 
hence  enlarged  ;  churches  were  erected  ; 
many  received  the  word  of  God ;  and 
idolatry  was  more  and  more  subdued. 

Willibrod,  declining  in  strength  through 
old  age,  chose  Winfrid  for  his  successor. 
I  have  before  observed,  that  the  duration 
of  his  pastoral  labours,  in  his  mission, 
was  no  less  than  fifty  years.  The  ex- 
ample of  this  great  and  holy  j)erson  had 
long  before  this  stirred  up  others  to  la- 
bour in  the  best  of  causes.  Soon  after 
that  he,  with  eleven  companions  in  090, 
had  began  to  preach  the  Gospel  in 
Friezeland,  two  brothers  of 
the  English  nation  went  over 
into  the  country  of  the  an- 
cient Saxons,  in  order  to 
preach  to  the  idolaters.  They 
were  both  called  Ewald. 
They  arrived  in  this  country  about  the 
year  C94,  and  meeting  with  a  certain 
steward,  desired  him  to  conduct  them  to 
his  lord.  They  were  employed  all  the 
way  in  prayer,  in  singing  psalms  and 
hymns.  The  barbarians  fearing  lest 
these  men  might  draw  their  lord  over  to 
Christianity,  murdered  both  the  brothers  ; 
and  thus,  toward  the  close  of  the  fore- 
going century,  it  pleased  God  to  take  to 
himself  two  persons  who  had  devoted 
themselves  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  his 
Son  among  the  heathen.  The  time  of 
the  more  peculiar  visitation  of  Germany 
was  reserved  for  the  age  which  we  are 
now  reviewing. 

It  must  have  been  extremely  delightful 
to  Willibrod,  to  have  met  with  a  coad- 
jutor so  zealous  and  sincere  as  Winfrid. 
However,  the  latter  declined  the  offer, 
because  the  pope  had  enjoined  him  to 
preach  in  the  eastern  parts  of  Germany ; 
and  he  felt  himself  bound  to  perform  his 
promise.  It  is  not  possible,  indeed,  to 
conceive  such  a  man  as  Gregory  to  have 
had  any  other  views,  than  those  of  secu- 


Two  otiier 

Mission- 
aries, 

A.  D.  694. 


lar  ambition  in  exacting  this  promise 
from  Winfrid.  But  it  seems  also  equally 
apparent,  that  the  motives  of  the  latter 
were  holy  and  spiritual.  Willibrod  ac- 
([ulesced  in  Winfrid's  desires,  and  dis- 
missed him  with  his  blessing.  The 
younger  missionary  departed  immedi- 
ately,  and  came  into  Hesse,  to  a  place 
called  Omcnbourg,  belonging  to  two 
brothers,  who  w^ere  nominal  Christians, 
but  practical  idolaters.  Winfrid's  labours 
were  successful,  both  on  them  and  their 
subjects  :  and,  throughout  Hesse,  or  at 
least  a  very  great  part  of  it,  even  to  the 
confines  of  Saxony,  he  erected  the  stan- 
dard of  truth,  and  upheld  it  with  much 
zeal,  to  the  confusion  of  the  kingdom  of 
Satan.  It  ouglit  not,  however,  to  be  con- 
cealed, that  Winfrid  suffered  great  hard- 
ships in  a  country  so  poor  and  unculti- 
vated as  the  greater  part  of  Germany 
then  was ;  that  he  supported  himself  at 
times  by  the  labour  of  iiis  hands,  and  was 
exposed  to  imminent  peril  from  the 
rage  of  the  obstinate  Pagans. 

After  some  time  he  returned  to  Rome, 
was  kindly  received  by  Gregory  II.  and 
was  consecrated  bishop  of  the  new  Ger- 
man Churches,  by  the  name  of  Boniface. 
There  seems,  even  in  that  little  circum- 
stance, something  of  the  policy  of  the 
Roman  See.  A  Roman  name  was  more 
likely  to  procure  from  the  German  con- 
verts respect  to  the  pope,  than  an  English 
one.  Gregory,  moreover,  solicitous  to 
preserve  his  dignity,  exacted  from  the 
new  bishop  an  oath  of  subjection  to  the 
papal  authority,  conceived  in  the  strongest 
terms ;  a  circumstance,  remarkably  pro- 
ving both  the  ambition  of  Gregorj'  and  the 
superstition  of  the  times.  Boniface  armed 
with  letters  from  the  pope,  and  what  was 
far  better,  encouraged  by  the  addition  of 
fresh  labourers  from  England,  returned 
to  the  scenes  of  his  mission.  Coming 
into  Hesse,  he  confirmed,  by  imposition 
of  hands,  several*  who  had  already  been 
baptized,  and  exerted  himself  with  much 
zeal  against  the  idolatrous  superstitions 
of  the  Germans.  An  oak  of  prodigious 
size  had  been  an_in?.;trument  of  much 
Pagan  delusion  :  his  sincerest  converts 
advised  liini  to  cut  it  town;  and  he  fol- 
lowed their  counsel.  It  ought  to  be  ob- 
served, that  the  famous  Charles  IVIartel 
protected  him  with  his  civil  authority; 
for  ihe  tlominion  of  the  French  extended 
a   considerable  way  into  Germany.     It 

•  Fleury,  B.  XLI.  44,  &c. 


560 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  IV. 


The  ad- 
vice of 
Boniface, 

A.  D.  723. 


does  not  appear,  however,  that  Boniface 
made  any  other  use  of  this  circumstance, 
than  what  the  most  conscientious  eccle- 
siastic may  do,  wherever  the  Christian 
religion  is  established  by  the  laws. 

Daniel,  bishop  of  Winchester,  about 
the  year  723,  wrote  to  Boniface  con- 
cerning the  best  method  of  dealing  with 
idolaters.  "  Do  not  contra- 
dict," says  he,  "  in  a  direct 
manner  their  accounts  of  the 
genealogy  of  their  gods  ;  al- 
low that  they  were  born  from 
one  another  in  the  same  way  as  mankind 
are ;  this  concession  will  give  you  the 
advantage  of  proving  that  there  was  a 
time  when  they  had  no  existence. — Ask 
them  who  governed  the  world  before  the 
birth  of  their  gods — ask  them,  if  these 
gods  have  ceased  to  propagate.  If  they 
have  not,  show  them  the  consequence ; 
namely,  that  the  gods  must  be  infinite  in 
number,  and  that  no  man  can  rationally 
be  at  ease  in  worshipping  any  of  them, 
lest  he  should,  by  that  means,  offend  one, 
who  is  more  powerful. — Argue  thus  with 
them,  not  in  the  way  of  insult,  but  with 
temper  and  moderation  ;  and  take  oppor- 
tunities to  contrast  these  absurdities  with 
the  Christian  doctrine ;  let  the  Pagans  be 
rather  ashamed  than  incensed  by  your 
oblique  mode  of  stating  these  subjects. — 
Show  them  the  insufhciency  of  their  plea 
of  antiquity ;  inform  them  that  idolatry 
did  anciently  prevail  over  the  world,  but 
that  Jesus  Christ  was  manifested,  in  order 
to  reconcile  men  to  God  by  his  grace." 
Piety  and  good  sense  appear  to  have  pre- 
dominated in  these  instructions,  and  we 
have  here  proofs,  in  addition  to  those 
already  given,  of  the  grace  of  God  confer- 
red on  our  ancestors  during  the  heptarchy. 
Boniface  preserved  a  correspondence 
with  other  friends  in  England,  as  well  as 
with  Daniel.  From  his  native  country  he 
was  supplied  also,  as  we  have  seen,  with 
fellow-labourers.  In  Thuringia  he  con- 
firmed the  churches,  delivered  them  from 
heresies,  and  false  brethren,  and  the  work 
still  prospered  in  his  hand. 

In  the  mean  time,  like  all  upright  and 
conscientious  men,  he  found  himself  often 
involved  in  difficulties,  and  doubted  in 
what  manner  he  should  regulate  his  con- 
duct in  regard  to  scandalous  priests,  who 
greatly  obstructed  his  mission.  He  laid 
his  doubts  before  his  old  friend  the  bishop 
of  Winchester.*     Should  he  avoid   all 


*  Bonit.   Ep.  3.     Fleury,  B.  XLI.  toward 
the  end. 


communication  with  them,  he  might  of- 
fend the  court  of  France,  without  whose 
civil  protection  he  could  not  proceed  in 
his  mission.  Should  he  preserve  con- 
nexion with  them,  he  was  afraid  of 
bringing  guilt  upon  his  conscience.  Da- 
niel advises  him  to  endure,  with  patience, 
what  he  could  not  amend :  he  counsels 
him  not  to  make  a  schism  in  the  Church, 
under  pretence  of  purging  it;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  exhorts  him  to  exercise 
church-discipline  on  notorious  offenders. 

Boniface  desired  Daniel  also  to  send 
him  the  book  of  the  prophets,  "which," 
says  he,  "  the  abbot  Winbert,  formerly 
my  master,  left  at  his  death,  written  in 
very  distinct  characters.  A  greater  con- 
solation in  my  old  age  I  cannot  receive  ; 
for  I  can  find  no  book  like  it  in  this  coun- 
try; and,  as  my  sight  grows  weak,  I 
cannot  easily  distinguish  the  small  letters, 
which  are  joined  close  together  in  the  sa- 
cred volumes  which  are  at  present  in  my 
possession."  Do  these  things  seem  to 
belong  to  the  character  of  an  ambitious 
and  insidious  ecclesiastic,  or  to  that  of 
a  simple  and  upright  servant  of  Jesus 
Christ? 

The  reputation  of  this  Saint, — such  I 
shall  venture  to  call  him,  from  the  evi- 
dence of  facts, — was  spread  through  the 
greatest  part  of  Europe  ;  and  many  from 
England  poured  into  Germany  to  connect 
themselves  with  him.  These  dispersed 
themselves  in  the  country,  and  preach- 
ed in  the  villages  of  Hesse  and  Thu- 
ringia. 

In  732,  Boniface  received  the  title  of 
Archbishop,*  from  Gregory  III.  who 
supported  his  mission  with  the  same  spi- 
rit, with  which  Gregory  II. 
had  done.  Encouraged  by  a  Boniface 
letter  sent  to  him  from  Rome, 
he  proceeded  to  erect  new 
churches,  and  to  extend  the 
profession  of  the  Gospel.  At  A.  D.  732. 
this  time,  he  found  the  Bava- 
rian churches  disturbed  by  an  heretic 
called  Eremvolf,  who  would  have  se- 
duced the  people  into  idolatry.  Boniface 
condemned-him  according  to  the  canons, 
freed  the  country  from  his  devices,  and 
restored  the  discipline  of  the  Church. 

About  the  year  732,  Burchard  and 
Lullus  were  invited  from  England  by 
Boniface,  who  made  the  former  bishop  of 
Wurtzburg,  where  Kilian  had  preached, 


made  an 
archbish- 
op, 


*  Boniface  was    the    first    archbishop  of 
Mentz. 


Cext.  VIII.] 


BONIFACE. 


561 


Curious 
letter  of 
Boniface 
to  the 
archbish- 
op of 
Canter- 
bury. 

Visits 
Rome, 

A.  D.  738 


and  suffered  martyrdom,  about  fifty  years 
before.  He  was  abundantly  successful 
during-  the  labours  of  ten  years,  by  which 
his  strentrth  was  exhausted  :  he  gave  up 
his  bishopric  in  752,  and  died  soon  after. 
Butler,  Vol.  X. 

Some  time  after,  Boniface  w'rote  to 
Northelme,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in 
a  strain,  which  equally  shows  the  chari- 
ty and  sincerity  of  his  spirit, 
and  the  superstition  of  the 
times.*  In  738,  he  again  vi- 
sited Rome,  being  far  ad- 
vanced in  life ;  and,  after 
some  stay,  he  induced  seve- 
ral Englishmen,  who  resided 
there,  to  join  with  him  in  his 
German  mission. — Returning 
into  Bavaria,  by  the  desire  of 
duke  Odilo,  he  restored  the 
purity  of  the  faith,  and  pre- 
vailed against  the  artifices  of 
some  seducers,  who  had  done  much  mis- 
chief both  by  false  doctrine  and  flagitious 
example.  He  established  three  new 
bishoprics  in  the  country,  at  Saltzburg, 
Frisinghen,  and  Ratisbon.  That  of  Pas- 
saw  had  been  fixed  before.  It  must, 
however,  be  observed,  that  the  suc- 
cesses and  conquests  of  the  Carlovingian 
princes  much  facilitated  his  labours  in 
Germany. 

In  writing  to  Cuthbert,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury, t — after  testifying  his  zealous 
adherence  to  the  See  of  Rome,  and  his 
submission  to  its  authority,  he  exhorts 
him  to  discharge  his  duty  faithfully,  not- 
withstanding the  difficulties  to  which 
good  pastors  were  exposed.  "  Let  us 
fight,"  says  he,  "  for  the  Lord :  for  we 
live  in  days  of  aflliction  and  anguish. 
Let  us  die,  if  God  so  please,  for  the  laws 
of  our  fathers,  that  with  them  we  may 
obtain  the  heavenly  inheritance.  Let  us 
not  be  as  dumb  dogs,  sleepy  watchmen, 
or  selfish  hirelings,  but  as  careful  and 
vigilant  pastors,  preaching  to  all  ranks, 
as°far  as  God  shall  enable  us,  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  as  Gregory  writes  in 
his  pastoral." 

Adalbert,:):  a  Frenchman,  a  proud  en- 
thusiast, and  Clement,  a  Scotchman, 
pretended  that  Christ,  by  his  descent 
into  hell,  delivered  the  souls  of  the  damn- 
ed.    The   former  was   deceived   by  the 


52. 


•  Ep.  B.  V.    See  Fleurv,  XLII.  22. 

+  Bonif.  Ep.  103.     Fleury,  XLI[.  37. 

i  Butler's  Lives,  Boniface.    Fleury,  XLII. 


most  absurd  and  extravagant  delusions, 
and  the  latter  was  infamous  in  life  and 
conversation.     Gevilieb  also,  a  German 
bishop,  who  associated  with  them,  had 
actually  committed   murder;   but  so  ig- 
norant and  depraved  were  the  rulers  of 
the  German  Christians,  that  he  was  still 
allowed  to  continue  a  bishop  without  in- 
famy.     Boniface,  who  saw  the  evil  of 
these  things  more  deeply  than  others,  de- 
sired that  Adalbert  and  Clement  might 
be  imprisoned  by  the  authority  of  duke 
Carloman,  and  be  secluded  from  society, 
that  they  might  not  corrupt   others   by 
their    poisonous    sentiments,    and    that 
Gevilieb  might  be  deposed  from  his  bish- 
opric.    He  gained  his  point  in  the  con- 
demnation and  imprisonment  of  the  two 
former,  and  in  the  deposition  of  the  lat- 
ter.    He,  who  has  no  charity  for  souls, 
and  no  prospects   beyond  those  of  this 
life,  may  harshly  condemn  the  mission- 
ary ;  but  every  serious  and  candid  mind 
will  applaud  the  sincerity  and  uprightness 
of  his  intentions,  and  will  wish  for  the 
exercise  of  discipline,  though  in  a  man- 
ner  somewhat  irregular,    provided  sub- 
stantial justice  be  done,  rather  than  that 
men  should  be  allowed  to  corrupt  their 
fellow-creatures,  without  mercy  and  with- 
out control.     Of  the  guilt  of  these  three 
inen,  there  is  abundance  of  evidence. 

Boniface,  at  length,  was  fixed  at  Mentz, 
and  he  is  commonly  called  archbishop  of 
that  city.  The  increase  of  his  dignity- 
does  not,  however,  seem  to  have  dimi- 
nished his  zeal  and  laboriousness.  His 
connexion  with  England  was  constantly 
preserved  ;  and,  it  is  in  the  epistolary 
correspondence  with  his  own  country, 
that  the  most  striking  evidence  of  his 
pious  views  appears.  In  one  of  his  epis- 
tles,* he  mentions  his  sufferings  from 
pagans,  false  Christians,  and  immoral 
pastors  :  he  feels,  as  a  man,  these  hard- 
ships, but  intimates  his  desire  of  the 
honour  of  dying  for  the  love  of  Him,  who 
died  for  us.  He  often  begged  for  books 
from  England,  especially  those  of  Bede, 
whom  he  styles  the  lamp  of  the  Church. 
He  wrote  also  a  circular  letter  to  the 
bishops  and  people  of  England,  entreat- 
ing their  prayers  for  the  success  of  his 
missions. 

Many  persons,  while  in  obscure  life, 
have  professed  much  zeal  for  the  service 
of  God,  but  have  declined  in  earnestness, 
as  they  advanced  in  years,  particularly  if 


•  16  Ep.  Alban  Butler. 


562 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


they  acquired  honour  and  dignity  in  the 
world.  This  was  not  the  case  with  Bo- 
niface. Though  oppressed  witli  age  and 
infirmities,  and  greatly  revered  in  the 
whole  Christian  world,  he  determined  to 
return  into  Friezeland.  Before  his  de- 
parture, he  acted  in  all  things  as  if  he 
had  a  strong  presentiment  of  what  was 
to  happen.  He  appointed  Lullus,  an 
Englishman,  his  successor,  as  archbishop 
of  Mentz,  and  wrote  to  the  abbot  of  St. 
Denys,  desiring  him  to  acquaint  the  king, 
Pepin,  that  he  and  his  friends  believed 
he  had  not  long  to  live.  He  begged,  that 
the  king  would  show  kindness  to  the 
missionaries  whom  he  should  leave  be- 
hind him.  "  Some  of  them,"  said  he,* 
"  are  priests  dispersed  into  divers  parts, 
for  the  good  of  the  Church :  others  are 
monks,  settled  in  small  monasteries, 
where  they  instruct  the  children.  There 
are  aged  men  with  me,  who  have  long 
assisted  me  in  my  labours.  I  fear,  lest 
after  my  death,  they  should  be  dispersed, 
P.nd  the  disciples,  who  are  near  the  pagan 
frontiers,  should  lose  the  faith  of  Jesus 
Christ.  I  beg  that  my  son  Lullus  may 
be  confirmed  in  the  episcopal  office,  and 
that  he  may  teach  the  priests,  the  monks, 
and  the  people.  I  hope  that  he  will  per- 
form these  duties.  That,  which  most 
afflicts  me,  is,  that  the  priests,  who  are 
on  the  pagan  frontiers,  are  very  indigent. 
They  can  obtain  bread,  but  no  clothes, 
unless  they  be  assisted,  as  they  have 
been  by  me.  Let  me  know  your  answer, 
that  I  may  live  or  die  with  more  cheer- 
fulness." 

It  is  most  probable  that  he  received  an 
answer  agreeable  to  his  benevolent  spirit, 
as,  before  his  departure,  he  ordained 
Lullus  his  successor,  with  the  consent  of 
king  Pepin. f  He  went  by  the  Rhine  into 
Friezeland,  where,  assisted  by  Eoban, 
whom  he  had  ordained  bishop  of  Utrecht, 
after  the  deatb  of  Willibrod,  he  brought 
great  numbers  of  pagans  within  the  pale 
of  the  Church.  He  had  appointed  a  day 
to  confirm  those  whom  he  had  baptized. 
In  waiting  for  them  he  encamped  with 
his  followers  on  the  banks  of  the  Bordne, 
a  river  which  then  divided  East  and 
West  Friezeland.  His  intention  was  to 
confirm,  by  imposition  of  hands,  the 
converts  in  the  plains  of  Dockum.  On 
the  appointed  day,  he  beheld,  in  the 
morning,  not  the  new  converts,  whom  he 
expected,  but  a  troop  of  angry  pagans. 


armed  with  shields  and  lances.    The  ser- 
vants went  out  to  resist,  but  Boniface, 
with  calm  intrepidity,  said  to  his  follow- 
ers,   "Children,    forbear   to   fight;    the 
Scripture  forbids  us  to  render  evil    for 
evil.     The  day,  which  I  have  long  wait- 
ed for,  is  come ;    hope  in  God,  and  he 
will  save  your  souls."     Thus  did  he  pre- 
pare the  priests  and  the  rest  of  his  com- 
panions  for    martyrdom.      The    pagans 
attacked  them  furiously,  and 
slew  the  whole  company,  fifty-     Boniface 
two  in  number,  besides  Boni-     killed, 
face  himself.     This  happened     A.  D.  755. 
in  the  year  755,  in  the  fortieth 
year  after  his  arrival  in  Germany,  and  in 
the   75th  of  his   age.      The  manner  in 
which   his   death  was   resented   by  the 
Christian  Germans,  shows  the  high  ve- 
neration in  which  he  was  held  through 
the  country,  and  sufficiently  confutes  the 
notion,  which  some  have  held,  of  his  im- 
perious and  fraudulent  conduct.     They 
collected  a  great  army,  attacked  the  pa- 
gans, slew  many  of  them,  pillaged  their 
country,  and  carried  oiT  their  wives  and 
children.     Those,  who  remained  pagans 
in  Friezeland,  were  glad  to  obtain  peace 
by  submitting  to  Christian  rites.     Such  a 
method  of  showing  regard  for  Boniface, 
might  be  expected  from  a  rude  and  ill- 
informed  multitude.     But,  rude  as  they 
were,  they  had  the  gift  of  common  sense, 
and  could  judge  whether  the  Apostle  of 
the   Germans   was   their   sincere   friend 
or  not;  and  their  judgment  is  with  me 
decisive. 

A  collection  of  Boniface's  letters  has 
been  preserved,  some  of  which  have  al- 
ready been  mentioned.  That  the  reform- 
ation of  the  clergy,  and  the  conversion  of 
infidels,  were  the  objects  of  his  zeal,  ap- 
pears from  his  literary  correspondence, 
no  less  than  from  the  whole  tenour  of  his 
life.*  In  the  first  letter  to  Nithardus,  in 
which  he  takes  the  name  Of  Winfrid,  he 
exhorts  him  to  contemn  the  things  of 
time  and  sense,  and  to  devote  himself  to 
the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  which  he 
recommends  as  the  highest  wisdom. 
'Nothing,"  says  he,  "can  you  search 
after  more  honourably  in  youth,  or  enjoy 
more  comfortably  in  old  age,  than  the 
knowledge  of  Holy  Scripture." 

In  another  letter,  he  exhorts  the  priest 
Herefrede,  in  his  own  name,  and  in  that 
of  eight  bishops,  who  were  with  him,  to 
show  the  memoir,  which  they  sent  him, 


Ep.  92. 


t  Fleury,  XLU.  20. 


*  Du  Pin,  8th  Cent.  Bonif. 


Cest.  VIII.] 


BONIFACE. 


563 


to  the  king  of  the  Mercians.  The  pur- 
port of-  it  was  to  implore  that  prince  to 
check  the  debaucheries  and  disorders  of 
his  kinsfdom. 

Excessively  attached  as  he  was,  both 
to  the  Roman  See  and  to  monastic  insti- 
tutions, he  knew  how  to  subdue  these 
attachments,  and  make  them  obedient  to 
a  stronger  passion,  viz.  for  genuine  piety 
and  virtue.  He  wrote  to  Cuthbert,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  desiring  him  to 
restrain  the  women  of  England  from  go- 
ing in  such  numbers  to  Rome  :  "  the  great- 
est part  of  them,"  says  he,  "  live  in  lewd- 
ness, and  scandalize  the  Church;  as  there 
is  scarcely  a  city  in  Lombardy  and  France, 
where  there  are  not  some  English  wo- 
men of  flagitious  life  and  manners." 

That  association  of  ideas,  which  Mr. 
Locke  describes,  and  which  has  been  in 
all  ages  a  powerful  source  of  error  and 
absurdity,  both  in  principles  and  practice, 
accounts  for  the  accrimoniiis  expressions 
with  which  Protestant  writers  have  too 
often  indulged  themselves  in  the  relation 
of  matters  connected  with  the  See  of 
Rome. — The  INIacrdeburijensian  Centu- 
riators  seem,  by  their  treatment  of  the 
character  of  Boniface,  to  have  largely  im- 
bibed this  prejudice.  I  was  surprised  to 
find  them  giving  sanction  to  the  account 
of  an  old  Chronicle,*  which  describes 
Boniface  as  raising  soldiers  to  invade 
the  Thuringians,  absolving  them  from 
the  payment  of  taxes  to  their  civil  gover- 
nors, and  justifying  this  extraordinary 
conduct  by  the  recital  of  a  divine  vision. 


looks  like  an  instance  of  great  partiality 
to  call  such  men  "good  persons,"  who 
were  convicted  of  scandalous  wickedness. 
But  it  would  be  tedious  to  particularize 
the  charges  which  these  writers  have 
formed  against  Boniface,  supported  chief- 
ly by  mere  suspicions  and  conjectures. 

That  Mosheim  should  invei<Th  afainst 
this  missionary,  is  what  might  be  expect- 
ed from  his  prejudices.  But  he  should 
have  written  with  consistency.  He  speaks 
of  the  pious  labours  of  Boniface,  of  his 
finishing  with  glory  the  task  he  had  un- 
dertaken, and  of  the  assistance  which  he 
received  from  a  number  of  pious  men, 
who  repaired  to  him  from  England  and 
France.*  "  His  piety,"  he  adds,  "  was 
ill  rewarded  by  that  barbarous  people  by 
whom  he  was  murdered.  If  we  consi- 
der the  eminent  services  he  rendered  to 
Christianity,  the  honourable  title  of  the 
Apostle  of  the  Germans  will  appear  to 
have  been  not  undeservedly  bestowed." 
Who  could  imagine  that  this  pious 
pastor  should,  by  the  same  writer,  be 
accused,  without  warrant,  of  often  "  era- 
ploying  violence  and  terror,  and  some- 
times artifice  and  fraud,  in  order  to  mul- 
tiply the  number  of  Christians."  He 
ascribes  to  him  also  "an  imperious  and 
arrogant  temper,  and  a  cunning  and  in- 
sidious turn  of  mind." 

Which  of  these  two  accounts  shall  we 
believe?  for,  it  is  as  equally  impossible 
that  both  should  be  true,  as  that  piety 
should  be  consistent  with  a 
spirit  of  violence,  arrogance, 
and  fraud.     But,  it  is  thus, 


Character 
of  Boiii-j 
face. 


The  manners  of  the  eighth  century  cer 

tainly  did  not  allow  such  an  union  of  the  I  that  men  zealous  to  propagate 
military  and  sacerdotal  character:  more-i  divine  truth  in  the  earth,  are  often  de- 
over,  the  circumstances  of  Boniface's  pro-  scribed  by  those,  who  arrogate  to  them- 
ceedings,  as  attested  by  history,  and, [selves  the  whole  praise  of  judgment  and 
above  all,  the  unquestionable  memorials', candour.  There  has  seldom  existed  an 
of  his  evangelical  labours,  forbid  me  to! eminent  and  useful  missionary,  who  has 
entertain  such  sentiments  of  the  Apostle  not,  in  this  way,  been  aspersed.     In  the 


of  Germany.  If  he  had  had  soldiers  at 
his  devotion,  he  surely  might  have  avoid- 
ed  those   hardships  which  he   endured. 


mean  time,  I  am  sensible,  that  the  found- 
ation of  the  strong  prejudices  against 
Boniface,  is  his  attachment  to  the  Roman 


and  have  prevented  the  murder  of  himself,  j  See.     I  cannot  observe,  however,  that  he 


and  of  his  companians  in  the  plains  of 
Dockum.  The  account  seems  to  have 
been  forged,  in  order  to  justify  the  con- 
duct of  military  prelates,  and  of  papal 
tyranny  in  after-ages.    The  censures  also, 


either  practised  idolatry,  or  taught  false 
doctrine.  Removed  from  the  scene  of 
controversy,  he  seems  to  have  taken  no 
part  in  tlie  debate  concerning  images  :  he 
was  ever  invariable  in  opposing  idolatry 


which  Boniface  passed  upon  Adalbert  and  and  immorality:  he  lived  amidst  many 
Clement,  seem  to  have  been  arraigned  by  I  dangers  and  sufl'erings  ;  and  he  appears  to 
the  Centuriators,  without  foundation.  It  have  supported,  for  many  years,  an  uni- 
form tenour  of  zeal,  to  which  he  sacri- 


•  Cent.  8ih. 
Bonifacio. 


De  propagatione  Ecelesise,  De 


Mosheim,  Cent.  VIII. 


564 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


ficed  all  worldly  conveniences,  and,  in 
fine,  to  have  finished  his  course  in  mar- 
tyrdom, and  in  the  patience  and  meek- 
ness of  a  disciple  of  Christ.  I  shall  leave 
it  to  the  reader's  judgment,  what  esti- 
mate ought  to  be  formed  of  him,  after 
having  observed,  that  God  made  large 
use  of  his  labours  by  extending,  in  the 
north  of  Europe,  the  bounds  of  the  Church, 
at  the  same  time  that  they  were  so  much 
contracted  in  Asia  and  Africa. 

Winebald,  the  son  of  a  royal  English 
Saxon,  shared  with  Boniface  in  his  la- 
inT-  I  1^  hours  in  Germany;  his  life 
^igg  was  preserved,  though  m  im- 

A  T»  Tfin  minent  danger  from  idolaters, 
A.  u. /Du.     ^^^    ^^^   blessed   his   work 

among  the  heathen  :  he  died  in  760. 

In  Friezeland,  the  Church  of  Utrecht 
was  governed  by  Gregory,  who  from  the 
fifteenth  year  of  his  age,  had  been  a  fol- 
lower of  Boniface.  Two  of  his  brothers 
having  been  murdered  in  a  wood,  the 
barons,  whose  vassals  they  were,  deliver- 
ed the  murderers  bound  into  his  hands. 
Gregory,  after  he  had  treated  them  kind- 
ly, bad  them  depart  in  peace,  saying, 
Sin  no  more,  lest  a  worse  thing  befal 
you.  He  was  assisted  in  his  ministerial 
labours  by  several  disciples  of  various 
nations ;  some  were  of  his  own  nation, 
the  French,  others  were  English,  Frisons, 
newly-nonverted  Saxons,  and  Bavarians. 
Scarcely  a  day  passed,  but  early  in  the 
morning  he  gave  them  spiritual  instruc- 
tion. This  man  aflected  no  singularity 
either  in  habit  or  diet.  That  he  was  not 
carried  away  by  the  torrent  of  popular 
superstition,  is  a  strong  proof  either  of 
p  great  understanding,  or  of  em- 

Slwu  i"en^  pie^y'  •^\°f '^°*V  .^"^ 

an  excel-  l^e  recommended  sobriety 
lent  char-  among  his  disciples  :  was  not 
acter  dies,  to  be  moved  from  the  path  of 
A.  D.  776.  duty  by  slander,  and  was 
boundlesss  in  his  liberality 
to  the  poor.  He  died  about  the  year  776. 
Liefuvyn,  an  Englishman,  one  of  his 
disciples,  was  distinguished  by  his  la- 
bours among  the  missionaries  of  Germany. 
He  ventured  even  to  appear  before  the 
assembly  of  tlie  Saxons  held  upon  the 
Weser ;  and,  while  they  were  sacrificing 
to  their  idols,  he  exhorted  them  with  a 
loud  voice  to  turn  from  those  vanities  to 
the  living  God.  As  an  ambassador  from 
Jehovah,  he  offered  them  promises  of  sal- 
vation. And  here  his  zeal  seemed  likely 
to  have  cost  him  his  life  :  but  he  was  at 
leno-th  suffered  to  depart,  on  the  remon- 


strances* of  Buto,  one  of  their  chiefs, 
who  expostulated  with  them  on  the  un- 
reasonableness of  treating  an  ambassador 
of  the  great  God  with  less  respect  than 
they  did  one  from  any  of  the  neighbour- 
ing nations. f  In  the  mean  time,  the 
arms  of  Charlemagne  prevailed  over  the 
Saxons,  and  eventually,  at  least,  facilitat- 
ed the  labours  of  Liefuvyn,  who  continu- 
ed to  preach  among  this  people  till  his 
death. 

Villehad,  an  English  priest,  born  in 
Northumberland,  was  abundantly  suc- 
cessful in  the  conversion  of  the  Saxons. 
It  is  true,  that  he  taught  under  the  pro- 
tection and  auspices  of  Charlemagne. 
But  whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  mo- 
tives of  the  latter,  the  views  of  the  mis- 
sionary might  be,  and  probably  were, 
upright  and  spiritual.  Certainly  he  un- 
derwent great  hazards, ij:  overcame  the 
ferocious  spirits  of  the  infidels  by  his 
meekness,  and  spread  among  them  the 
knowledge  of  the  Gospel.  A  persecution 
drove  him  once  out  of  the  country ;  but, 
by  the  power  of  the  emperor,  he  again 
returned  and  prosecuted  his  labours.  Af- 
ter various  contests,  the  Saxons  were 
obliged  to  submit  to  Charlemagne,  and  to 
become  nominal  Christians  in  general. 
But  that  this  was  universally  the  case,  or 
even  nearly  so,  the  pious  labours  of  a 
number  of  missionaries  render  very  im- 
probable. 

Villehad  was  bishop  of  Bremen,  and 
was  called  the  Apostle  of  Saxony.     He 


*  Fleury  XLIV,  U. 

t  Bulo  seems,  ni  part  at  least,  to  have  felt  the 
power  ol'lhe  divine  word  commending  itself  to 
his  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  and  to  have 
reported  that  Cod  was  of  a  truth  wilh  real  Chris- 
tian pastors,  1  Cor.  xiv.  25.  Effects  of  the  kind, 
mentioned  by  the  Apostle,  have,  in  all  ages,  been 
very  common,  wherever  the  realCospel  is  plain- 
ly and  fiiilhfully  delivered.  The  message  from 
God  convinces  and  overawes  the  serious  hearer, 
and,  by  its  internal  excellence,  makes  itself  a 
way  into  the  conscience.  If  Liefuvyn  had 
preached  mere  morals,  I  should  no  more  have 
expected  such  consequences  from  his  harangues, 
Ihan  from  the  lectures  of  the  Greek  philoso- 
phers. 

^  Once  when  he  was  in  danger  of  being  put 
to  death  by  the  pagan  Frisons,  some  of  them, 
struck  witii  his  innocence  and  probity,  and 
doubling  whether  the  religion  whicii  he  preached 
might  not  be  divine,  said  '"  Let  us  cast  lots 
whether  we  shall  put  him  to  dealh,  or  dismiss 
him."  It  was  done  so,  and  the  lot  decided  in  his 
favour.  Fleury,  XLV.  15.  The  custom  of  decid- 
ing cases  of  this  nature  by  lot,  was  remarkably 
German.  The  classical  reader  may  recollect  a 
similar  instance  in  Caesar's  Coinm.  toward  the 
ondofLib.l.De  Bell.  Gall. 


Cest.VIIL] 


AUTHORS  OF  THIS  CENTURY. 


565 


had  begun  his  mission  in  Dockum,  where 

n  L  c  Boniface  was  murdered.  He 
Death  ot  ^^      n    j.      ■     ■  i 

Villehad  "^^^  *^®  ^'"®*  missionary  who 
in  Frieze-  passed  the  Elbe.  His  atten- 
land.  tion  to  the  Scriptures  appears 

from  his  copying  the  epistles 
of  St.  Paul.  He  died  in  Friezeland,  after 
he  had  laboured  35  years,  and  had  been 
bishop  of  Bremen  upwards  of  two  years.* 
To  his  weeping  friends,  he  said  in  his 
dying  moments,  "  Withhold  me  not  from 
going  to  God  :  these  sheep  I  recommend 
to  Him,  who  intrusted  them  to  me,  and 
whose  mercy  is  able  to  protect  them." 
See  Alban  Butler,  Vol.  XI. 

This  was  an  age  of  missionaries  :  their 
character  and  their  success  form,  indeed, 
almost  the  only  shining  picture  in  this 
century.  Firmin,  a  Frenchman,  preached 
the  Gospel  under  various  difficulties,*  in 
Alsace,  Bavaria,  and  Switzerland,  and 
inspected  a  number  of  monasteries.  Af- 
ter all,  the  arms  of  Charlemagne  contri- 
buted more  than  any  thing  else  to  the 
external  reception  of  Christianity  ;  and 
Alcum,  his  favourite,  laments,  that  more 
pains  were  taken  to  exact  from  the 
Saxons  the  payment  of  tithes,  than  to  in- 
form them  of  the  nature  of  true  religion. 
Teachers,  who  Avere  merely  secular, 
drenched  in  the  vices  of  human  nature  and 
of  the  times,  would  doubtless  act  in  this 
manner.  But  I  have  attempted,  from  very 
confused  and  imperfect  memoirs,  to  pre- 
sent to  the  reader,  those,  who,  in  the 
north  of  Europe  were  indeed  sent  of  God, 
and  laboured  in  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit. 

Rumold,  a  native  either  of  England  or 
of  Ireland,  should  be  added  to  the  list. 
He  travelled  into  Lower  Germany,  went 

into  Brabant,  diffused  much 
Rumold,  a     jj^-ht  jjj  jj^g  neighbourhood  of 

mission-  ivfechlin,  and  was  made  an 
ary  in  .  .  .  i        •     • 

Lower  Itinerant    episcopal   mission- 

Germany,  ary.  In  775,  he  was  mur- 
niurdered,  dered  by  two  persons,  one  of 
A  D  775  whom  he  had  reproved  for 
adultery,  t 
Silvin,  of  Auchy,  born  in  Toulouse,:}: 
was  first  a  courtier,  then  a  religious  per- 
son, and  afterwards  appointed  bishop 
among  the  infidels.  His  labours  were, 
chiefly,  in  Terouanne,  the  north  of  France, 
which  was,  in  this  century,  full  of  pagans 
and  merely  nominal  Christians 


thered  in  a  large  harvest,  having  preached 
for  many  years.  He  died  at  Auchy,  in 
the  country  of  Artois. 

Virgilius,  an  Irishman,  was  appointed 
bishop  of  Saltzburg,  by  king  Pepin.  Du- 
ring two  years,  his  modesty  ])revented 
him  from  entering  upon  the  office  ;  but 
he  was  at  length  prevailed  upon  to  re- 
ceive consecration.  He  followed  the 
steps  of  Boniface  in  rooting 
out  the  remains  of  idolatry  in 
his  diocese,  and  died  in  the 
year  780.* 


He  ga- 


*  Mosh.  cent.  VIIF. 

+  A.  Butler,  Vol.  VII. 

i  See  Alban  Butler's  Lives  of  Saints. 

Vol.  I.  3  B 


Virgilius 
dies, 

A.  U.  780. 


CHAPTER   V. 

AUTHORS  OF  THIS  CENTURY. 

The  most  learned  writer  of  this  cen- 
tury, if  we  may  except  our  countryman 
Bede,  seems  to  have  been  .John  of  Da- 
mascus. He  was  one  of  the  first,  who 
mingled  the  Aristotelian  or  Peripatetic 
philosophy  with  the  Christian  religion. f 
This  philosophy  was  gradually  sup- 
planting the  authority  of  the  Platonic. 
It  makes  no  part  of  my  subject,  to  explain 
the  difference  of  the  systems  of  Plato 
and  Aristotle.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  they 
were  both  very  foreign  tu  Christianity, 

*  A  misunderstanding  had  once  taken  place 
between  this  niis.sionary  and  Boniface.  The  lat- 
ter accused  him  to  the  See  of  Rome.of  teacliing 
"that  there  was  another  world,  and  other  men 
under  the  earth,  or  another  sun  and  i;ioon.' 
Bonif.  Ep.  10.  To  the  pious  spirit  of  Boniface  a 
difliculty  of  solving  the  question  arose,  on  this 
view-of  the  tenets  of  Virgilius,  liow  sucli  ideas 
were  compatible  with  the  Mosaic  account  of  tlie 
origin  of  all  mankind  from  Adam,  and  of  the  re- 
demption of  the  whole  species  by  Jesus  Christ. 
After  all,  it  appears  that  Boniface  was  mistaken, 
and  that  Virgilius  being  beUer  acquainted  with 
the  true  figure  of  the  earth,  than  most  of  his  con- 
temporaries in  that  ignorant  age,  only  held  the 
opinion  of  the  Antipodes,  a  notion  as  sound  in 
philosophy,  as  it  is  innocent  in  regard  to  Chris- 
tianity- As  Virgilius  was  afterwards  made  bishop 
of  Saltzburg,  he  continued  to  labour  in  the  same 
cause  wirii  Boniface,  and  to  tread  in  his  steps. 
It  is  more  than  probable,  that  both  Boniface  and 
the  pope  were  satisfied  ol"  his  soundness  in  llie 
faith,  and  dismissed  the  accusation.  It  seemed 
worth  while  to  slate  this  matter  in  a  true  light, 
from  the  evidence  of  Boniface's  letter.  It  ap- 
pears, ilial  Virgilius  was  not  condemned  for  hold- 
ing ihc  doctrine  of  the  Antiiiodes,  and  that  the 
clrirgi!  of  Bower  asjainst  Boniface,  is  as  malici- 
ous as  it  is  ill  founded.  See  Hist,  of  the  Popes 
(Zachary)— where  the  historian,  without  war- 
rant, accuses  Boniface  of  bearing  a  secret  grudge 
to  Virgilius,  and  of  being  actuated  by  a  spirit  oi 
revenge. 

t  Fleur.  XLII.  44. 


666 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


and  each,  in  their  turn,  corrupted  it  ex- 
tremely. John  was  a  voluminous  writer, 
and  became,  among  the  Greeks,  what 
Thomas  Aquinas  afterwards  was  among 
the  Latins.  He  seems  to  have  defended 
the  system,  commonly  called  the  Armi- 
nian  notion  of  free-will,  in  opposition  to 
the  doctrine  of  effectual  grace.  This* 
was  a  natural  consequence  of  his  philoso- 
phizing spirit.  For,  all  the  philosophers 
of  antiquity,  amidst  their  endless  dis- 
cordances, agreed  in  teaching  man  to  rely 
altogether  on  himself.  This  is  the 
dangerous  philosophy,  which  St.  Paul 
warns  us  to  beware  of.  It  hitherto  wore, 
chiefly,  the  garb  of  Plato :  it  was  now 
assuming  that  of  Aristotle.  In  both  these 
dresses,  it  was  still  "  the  wisdom  of  this 
world,  which  is  foolishness  with  God." 
And  even  at  this  day,  among  all  who  lean 
to  their  own  understanding,  to  the  dis- 
paragement of  revelation,  its  nature  is 
the  same,  however  varnished  with  the 
polish  of  Christian  phraseology. 

In  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  John  ap- 
pears to  have  been  orthodox  :  in  other  re- 
spects, he  was  one  of  the  most  powerful 
supporters  of  error.  He  was  an  advocate 
for  the  practice  of  praying  for  the  dead, 
which  he  regarded  as  effectual  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins.  This  was  a  deplorable 
article  of  superstition,  which  bad  been 
growing  in  the  Church,  and  wanted  the 
sanction  of  a  genius  like  that  of  John  to 
give  it  lasting  celebrity.  I  can  find  no 
evidences  of  his  real  knowledge  or  prac- 
tice of  godliness.  And  the  reader  will 
think  he  has  been  detained  sufficiently  by 
this  Grecian  author,  after  he  has  learned, 
that  his  eloquent  and  learned  pen  de- 
fended the  detestable  doctrine  of  image- 
worship,  and  contributed  more  than  that  of 
any  other  author,  to  establish  the  practice 
of  it  in  the  east.  In  the  mean  time  there 
arose  no  evangelical  luminary,  who  might 
combat  his  arguments  with  sufficient 
ability.  The  Scripture  itself,  indeed,  was 
more  than  half  buried  under  the  load  of 
superstitions.  The  learning  of  this  east- 
ern father,  was  probably  more  accurate 
and  refined  than  that  of  Bede.  In  the 
latter,  however,  we  have  seen  the  fullest 
evidence  of  Christian  light  and  humility  : 
in  the  former,  as  far  as  respects  true 
wisdom,  all  is  dark  and  dreary ;  and  the 
baleful  influence  of  his  unscriptural  opin- 
ions, however  respectable  he  might  be 
in  a  literary  view,  has  seldom  been  ex- 


ceeded by  that  of  any  other  writer  in 
the  history  of  the  church. 

I  have  already  taken  notice  of  the  op- 
position made  in  the  west,  to  the  progress 
of  image-worship,  by  the  authority  of 
Charlemagne.  The  Carolin  books,  pub- 
lished in  his  name,  were  powerful  checks 
against  the  growing  evil ;  and  it  is  more 
probable,  that  such  a  prince  as  Charle- 
magne was  carried  along  by  the  current 
of  the  times,  than  that  he  directed  the 
sentiments  of  the  western  Churches  by 
his  own  theological  studies.  Political 
and  secular  reasons  unhappily  retained 
these  Churches  in  the  Roman  commu- 
nion, and,  in  process  of  time,  the  abomi- 
nations of  idolatry  overspread  them  all. 
It  is,  however,  a  pleasing  circumstance, 
that  the  labours  of  missionaries  in  the 
north  of  Europe,  which  form  the  most 
shining  part  of  Christian  history  in  this 
century,  were  all  conducted  by  Christians 
of  the  west,  and  particularly  by  those 
who  were  the  most  remote  from  idolatry, 
those  of  our  own  country  especially. 
There  is,  therefore,  good  reason  to  be- 
lieve, that  the  new  Churches  in  the  north 
were  taught  to  worship  the  living  God, 
through  the  one  Mediator  Christ.  For 
the  British  Churches  expressed  the  most 
marked  detestation  of  the  second  council 
of  Nice.*  And  Alcuin,  the  preceptor  of 
Charlemagne,  disproved  its  decrees  in  a 
letter,  by  express  authorities  of  Scripture. 
It  is  too  true,  that  our  ancestors,  like  the 
rest  of  Europe,  learned  at  length  to  wor- 
ship idols.  For  religious  movements 
among  churches  are  generally  retrograde. 
Entirely  distinct  from  human  institutions 
of  science,  Christian  views  aie  most  per- 
fect at  first,  as  beino-  derived  from  the 
divme  word,  and  impressed  on  the  hearts 
of  men  by  divine  grace :  the  wisdom  of 
this  world,  aided  by  the  natural  propensi- 
ties of  mankind,  corrupts  them  afterwards 
by  degrees,  and  too  often  leaves  them  at 
length,  neither  root  nor  branch  of  evange- 
lical light  and  purity. 

Alcuin,  who  has  been  just  mentioned, 
was  born  in  England  ;f  and  was  a  deacon 
ofthe  Church  of  York.  He  was     ^icuin  an 
sent  ambassador  to  France  by     Enelish- 
Offa,    king  of  the   Mercians,     man,  goes 
in  the  year  790.     On  this  oc-     as  ambas- 
casion  he  gained  the  esteem     sadoi-  to 
of  Charlemagne,  and  persuad-     ^*^Jl'^%f, 
ed  that  monarch  to  found  the        "     '  ' 
universities  of  Paris  and  Pavia.     He  was 


*  Du  Pin,  8lh  cent.     Joha  of  Damascus. 


*  Collier's  Ecc.  Hist.  B.  2.         t  Du  Pin. 


Cext.  VIII.] 


AUTHORS  OF  THIS  CENTURY. 


567 


Dies, 
A.  D.  804 


looked  upon  as  one  of  the  wisest  and  most 
learned  men  of  his  time.     He  read  public 
lectures  in  the  emperor's  palace,  and  in 
other  places.     He  wrote,  in  an  orthodox 
manner,  on  the  Trinity,  and,  in  particu- 
lar, confuted    the  notions  of   Felix,  bi- 
shop of  Urgel,  of  whom  it  is  sufficient  to 
say,  that  he  revived  something  like  the 
Nestorian  heresy,  by  separating  the  hu- 
manity from  the  divinity  of  the  Son  of 
God.     Alcuin  showed  himself  a  master 
of  his  subject,  and  wrote  in  a 
candid   and   moderate   spirit. 
He  died  in  804. 
Even   Italy   itself  was   not    disposed 
altogether  to  obey  the  pope,  in  regard  to 
image-worship.      Some   Italian   bishops 
assisted  at  the  council  of  Frankfort,  be- 
fore mentioned ;  and  Paulinus,  of  Aqui- 
leia,  bore  a  distinguished  part  in  it.  This 
prelate  wrote,  also,  against  the  error  of 
Felix,  and  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the 
best  bishops   of  his  time.     Let  us  try, 
from  the  scanty  materials  before  us,  if 
we  can  collect  his  views  and  spirit  on 
subjects  peculiarly  Christian. 

This  bishop  successfully  opposed  the 
error  of  Felix,  concerning  the  person  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  wrote  a  book  of  whole- 
some instructions,  which  for  a  long  time 
was  supposed  to  be  the  work 
of  Augustine.*     It  is  remark- 
able, that  he  and  some  other 
Italian   bishops,  in  the  year 
787,"!"  agreed  to  condemn  the 
decrees  of  the  second  council 
of  Nice,  as  idolatrous,  though 
pope  Adrian  had  assisted  at  that  council 
by  his  legates,  and  used  his  utmost  en- 
deavours to  maintain  its  authority.     In 
the  council  of  Frankfort  also,  the  presence 
of  two  papal   legates  hindered   not  the 
firm   agreement   of  Paulinus   and   other 
Italian  bishops,  with  the  decrees  of  the 
said  council.      These  are   clear  proofs, 
that  the  despotism  of  Antichrist  was,  as 
yet,  so  far  from  being  universal,  that  it 
was  not  owned  throughout  Italy  itself; 
and,  that  in  some  parts  of  that  country, 
as  well  as  in  England  and  France,  the 
purity   of    Christian   worship   was   still 
maintained.    The  city  of  Rome,  indeed, 
and  its  environs,  seem  to  have  been,  at 
this  period,  the  most  corrupt  part  of  Chris- 
tendom in  Europe,  nor  do  I  remember  a 
single  missionary  in  these  times  to  have 
been  an  Italian. 


Firmness 
of  Pauli- 
nus at  the 
Second 
Council  of 
Nice. 


Paulinus,  in  his  book  against  Felix, 
affirms   that   the   Eucharist  is  a  morsel 
and  bit  of  bread.*     He  maintains,  that  it 
is  spiritual  life  or  death  in  the  eater,  as 
he  either  hath  faith  or  hath  not ;  which 
seems  to  be  a  just  and  evangelical  view    ' 
of  that   divine   ordinance,  not  only  free 
from  the  absurdity  of  transubstantiation, 
but  also  expressive  of  the  Christian  arti- 
cle of  justification,  of  which  the  reader 
hears  very  little  in  these  cloudy  times. 
Still  more  express  testimonies  to  the  es- 
sentials of  salvation  are  not  wanting  in 
this  author.     He  protests  that  the  blood 
of  those,  who  have  themselves  been  re- 
deemed, cannot  blot  out  the  least  sin; 
that  the  expiation  of  iniquity  is  the  ex- 
elusive  privilege  of  the  blood  of  Christ 
alone.     He|  defines  the  properties  of  the 
divine  and    human  nature,  as  anited  in 
the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  with  great 
precision ;  and  so  careful  is  he  to  describe 
the  latter  as  circumscribed  and  limited  by 
the  bounds  of  body,  as  to  form,  at  least, 
a  strong  consequential  argument  against 
the  notion  of  transubstantiation.      Hear 
how  he  comments  on  our  Lord's  well- 
known  description  of  eating  his  flesh  and 
drinking  his  blood  in  the  6th  chap,  of  St. 
John's  Gospel.     "The  flesh  and  blood  is 
to  be  referred  to  his  human,  not  to  his  di- 
vine  nature. — Yet,  if  he  were  not   the 
true  God,  his  flesh  and  blood  could  by  no 
means  give  eternal  life  to  those  who  feed 
upon  him.     Whence  also  John  says,  the 
blood  of  his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all 
sin."     Hear  also  how  he  speaks  of  the 
intercession  of  Christ.     "Paul  is  not  a 
mediator;  he  is  an  ambassador  for  Christ. 
The  advocate  is  He,  who  being  also  the 
Redeemer,   exhibits   to  God  the  Father 
the  human  nature  in  the  unity  of  the  per- 
son of  God   and  man.     John  intercedes 
not,  but  declares  that  this  mediator  is  the 
propitiation  for  our  sins."     Once  more : 
"The   Son  of  God   Almighty,   our   Al- 
mighty Lord,  because  He  redeemed  us 
wiUi  the  price  of  his  blood,  is  justly  call- 
ed the  true  Redeemer,  by  the  confession 
of  all  who  are  redeemed.     He  himself 
was  not  redeemed;  He  had  never  been 
captive  :  we  have  been  redeemed,  because 
we  were  captives,  sold  under  sin,:)^  bound 
by  the  hand-writing  which  was  against 
us,  which  he  took  away,  nailing  it  to  his 
cross,  blotting  it  out  by  his  blood,  tri- 


•  Du  Pin. 

+  See  Dr.  AUix,  on  the  ancient  Churches  of 
Piedmont. 


*  Buccella  et  particula  panis,  in  his  dedica- 
tion to  Charlemagne. 
I  Allix.  1  Rom.  vii. 


568 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V- 


umphing  openly  over  it  in  himself,  hav-j 
ing  finished  a  work,  which  the  blood  of; 
no  other  Redeemer  could  do."*     Such  is : 
the  language  of  this  evangelical  bishop,  | 
while  he  is  opposing  the  Nestorian  here- 
sy revived  by  Felix.     And  here,  at  least, 
we  see  a  due  respect  paid  to  Holy  Scrip-! 
lure.        Paulinus     quotes,    understands,  | 
and    builds   his   faith   upon  it ;     and  is : 
equally  remote  from  dependence  on  mere  j 
human   reasonings,  on  the   authority  of 
the  Church  of  Rome,  or  on  any  tradi- 
tions. 

This  bishop  was  born  about  the  year 
726,  near  Friuli,  was  promoted  to  Aqui- 

.  leia   in  776,  was    highly  fa- 

co'iint  of'       "toured  by  Charlemagne,  and 

Paulinus        preached  the   Gospel  to   the 

pagans  of  Carinthia  and  Sty- 

ria,  and  to  the  Avaras,  a  nation  of  Huns. 


*  Coloss.  ii. 


One  of  his  maxims  was,  "Pride  is  that, 
without  which  no  sin  is  or  will  be  com- 
mitted: it  is  the  beginning,  the  end,  and 
the  cause  of  all  sin."  I  wonder  not,  that 
he,  who  in  an  age  of  dulness  could  see 
the  nature  of  sin  with  so  penetrating  an 
eye  was  confounded  with  the  bishop  of 
Hippo.  He  died  in  804.*  jj^  ^jg^ 
In  a  letter  to  Charlemagne,  .  -j,  ' . 
he  complained  of  the  want  of  "  " 
residence  in  bishops,  and  of  their  attend- 
ing the  court.  He  cites  a  canon  of  the 
council  of  Sardica,  in  the  fourth  century, 
which  forbade  the  absence  of  bishops 
from  their  dioceses,  for  a  longer  space  than 
three  weeks. 


*  I  have  been  obliged  to  Alban  Bntler  for 
some  of  the  fore.^oiug  particulars.  But  it  is 
remarkable  that  he  omits  his  testimony  against 
image-worship.  The  reader  should  remem- 
ber that  Butler  is  a  zealous  Roman  Catholic. 


Ceitt.  IX.] 


STATE  OF  RELIGION. 


569 


CENTURY  IX. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A    GENERAL  VIEW    OF    THE    STATE    OF 
RELIGION'    IN    THIS    CENTURY. 

We  are  penetrating  into  the  regions  of 
darkness,  and  a  "  land  of  deserts  and  pits, 
a  land  of  drought,  and  of  the  shadow  of 
death;"*  and  are  carried,  by  every  step, 
into  scenes  still  more  gloomy  than  the 
former.  Here  and  there,  indeed,  a  glim- 
mering ray  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 
appears  ;  but  it  is  in  vain  to  look  for  any 
steady  lustre  of  evangelical  truth  and 
holiness.  In  such  a  situation,  to  pursue 
the  chronological  course  of  events,  would 
be  as  tedious  as  it  is  unprofitable.  The 
plan  of  history  for  each  century  should 
be  modified  by  the  existing  circum- 
stances. And  there  seem  to  be  four  dis- 
tinct phenomena  of  Christian  light  in 
this  period,  which  deserve  to  be  illus- 
trated in  so  many  chapters  ;  namely,  in 
the  2d,  3d,  4th,  and  5th. — It  shall  be  the 
business  of  this  first  chapter,  to  premise 
some  general  observations,  which  may 
enable  the  reader  more  clearly  to  under- 
stand those  phenomena. 

Several  circumstances  attended  the 
thick  darkness  which  pervaded  this  cen- 
tury ;  and  they  appear  to  be  reducible  to 
the  following  heads  : — the  preference 
given  to  human  writings  above  the  Scrip- 
tures,— the  domination  of  the  popedom, 
— the  accumulation  of  ceremonies, — and 
the  oppression  of  the  godly.f 

It  was  now  fashionable  to  explain 
Scripture  entirely  by  the  writings  of  the 
fathers.  No  man  was  permitted,  with 
impunity,  to  vary  in  the  least  from  their 
decisions.  The  great  apostolical  rule  of 
interpretation,  namely,  to  compare  spiri- 
tual things  with  spiritual,:}:  was  in  a 
manner  lost.  It  was  deemed  suflacient 
that  such  a  renowned  doctor  had  given 
such  an  interpretation.  Hence,  men  of 
learning  and  industry  paid  more  attention 


•  Jereni.  ii.  6. 

t  Ceniuriat.  See  their  preface  to  the  9th 
century.  I  liave  availed  myself  of  some  of 
the  ihoughts  ;  the  whole  is  ingenious  and  spi- 
rited. 

1  1  Cor.  ii. 

3b2 


to  the  fathers,  than  to  the  sacred  volume, 
which,  through  long  disuse  and  neglect, 
was  looked  on  as  obscure  and  perplexed, 
and  quite  unfit  for  popular  reading.  Even 
divine  truths  seemed  to  derive  their  au- 
thority more  from  the  word  of  man  than 
of  God;  and  the  writings  and  decrees  of 
men  were  no  longer  treated  as  witnesses, 
but  usurped  the  office  of  judges  of  divine 
truth. 

The  popedom  also  grew  stronger  and 
stronger.  Ignorance  and  superstition 
were  so  predominant,  that  whoever  dared 
to  oppose  the  bishop  of  Rome,  drew  upon 
himself  a  host  of  enemies.  All,  who 
looked  for  advancement  in  the  Church, 
attached  themselves  to  Antichrist.  It  is 
in  this  way  only,  that  I  can  account  for 
the  very  little  resistance  made  to  image- 
worship.  We  have  seen,  how  a  large 
part  of  the  West  rejected  it.  But  most 
persons  contented  themselves  with  a  sim- 
ple exposition  of  their  creed.  Idolatry, 
in  the  mean  time,  was  practically  sup- 
ported by  the  whole  power  and  influence 
of  the  popedom. 

The  great  accumulation  of  ceremonies, 
the  observance  of  which  was  looked  upon 
as  absolutely  necessary  to  salvation,  drew 
off  the  attention  of  men  from  Christian 
piety.  The  all-important  article  of  jus- 
tification was  nearly  smothered  in  the 
rubbish  :  and  pastors  were  so  much  taken 
up  with  externals,  that  they  were  almost 
entirely  diverted  from  intellectual  im- 
provement. 

Men  of  eminence,  both  in  church  and 
state,  partly  through  superstition,  and 
partly  through  secular  views,  suppressed 
in  the  bud  every  attempt  to  inform  man- 
kind. There  were,  however,  a  few,  who 
groaned  under  these  evils,  and  worship- 
ped God  in  spirit  and  truth. 

In  Asia,  Mahometaiiisni  still  reigned  ; 
and,  the  case  of  the  Paulicians  except- 
ed,* scarcely  a  vestige  of  real  godliness 
appeared  in  the  Eastern  Church,  though 
we  ought  not  to  doubt  but  the  Lord  had 
HIS  SECRET  oxES.  Imagc-worship  was 
still  a  subject  of  debate ;  but,  at  length, 
under  the  superstitious  empress  Theodora, 


•  See  Chap.  II. 


670 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH 


[Chap.  I. 


it  effectually  triumphed  in  the  East 
There  was  not  an  emperor  or  bishop  of 
Constantinople,  in  all  this  period,  who 
seems  to  have  deserved  particular  notice 
on  account  of  vital  Christian  knowledge, 
or  practical  piety.*  The  same  judgment 
may  be  formed  of  the  Roman  popes.  In 
this  dark  season,  Pascasius 
Tenets  of  Radbert  introduced  the  absurd 
■  transub-  tenet  of  transubstantiation, 
stantia.-  which  was  opposed  by  John 
tion.  Scotus   Erigina,    and   Raba- 

nus,  archbishop  of  Mentz, 
two  of  the  most  learned  men  of  that  age. 
But  their  learning  seems  to  have  had  lit- 
tle connexion  with  godliness,  however 
they  might  successfully  plead  the  cause 
of  common  sense  in  the  controversy  just 
mentioned.  For,  they  joined  in  opposing 
the  doctrine  of  grace,  concerning  which 
a  controversy  of  some  importance  was 
raised  in  this  century,  | 

In  France,  the  views  of  divine  grace, 
revived  by  Augustine,  were  more  and 
more  darkened  ;  and  we  shall  presently 
find,  that  a  zealous  advocate  for  them 
could  not  be  heard  with  candour.  Ado, 
archbishop  of  Vienne,  was,  however,  an 
eminent  exception  to  this  account.  He 
was  indefatigable  in  pressing  the  great 
truths  of  salvation.  He  usually  began 
his  sermons  with  these,  or  the  like  words  : 
"  Hear  the  eternal  truth,  which  speaks  to 
you  in  the  Gospel ;"  or,  "  Hear  Jesus 
Christ,  who  saith  to  you."  He  took  par- 
ticular care  of  the  examination  of  candi- 
dates for  orders  ;  and  was  a  very  diligent 
disciplinarian.  He  permitted  none,  who 
were  ignorant  of  Christian  principles,  to 
be  sponsors  to  the  baptized,  or  to  be  join- 
ed in  matrimony,  or  to  be  admitted  to  the 
Lord's  Supper,  till  they  were  better  in- 
structed. He  was  inflexibly  vigilant 
against  vice  ;  and,  while  his  own  exam- 
ple was  an  honour  to  his  profession,  he 
enjoined  his  clergy  to  apprize  him,  if  they 
should  disqover  any  slip  in  his  conduct. 
Nor  did  king  Lothaire  find  him  obse- 
quious to  his  lusts ;  for  through  Ado's 
vigorous  remonstrances,  he  was  obliged 
to  desist  from  a  design  of  divorcing  his 
queen.  He  sympathized,  however,  with 
sincere  penitents,  and  was  a  real  friend 


*  I  Sciy  vital ;  for  I  am  aware  that  Photiiis, 
bishop  of  Constantinople,  flourished  in  this 
century  ;  a  person  equally  infamous  for  hypo- 
crisy and  ambition,  and  renowned  for  genius 
and  ecclesiastical  learning.  What  melancho- 
ly instances  of  contradiction  does  the  history 
of  mankind  afford  !  f  See  Chap.  IV. 


to  the  poor,  both  in  a  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral sense ;  and  was  the  founder  of  many 
hospitals  for  their  reception.* 

In  England,  the  decline  of  godliness 
was  grievous,f  and  as:|:  Huntingdon  re- 
inarks.  Divine  Providence  punished  the 
Saxons  by  the  invasion  of  the  Danes,  the 
most  lawless  and  the  most  savage  of  all 
mortals.  The  great  Alfred  was  indeed 
raised  up  to  defend  his  country  against 
them.  And,  one  of  his  speeches,  deli- 
vered to  the  soldiers,  before  a  battle,  dis- 
plays, at  once,  much  good  sense  and  a 
spirit  of  religion.  He  told  his  people, 
that  their  sins  had  given  their  enemies 
the  advantage  :  that  they  ought  to  reform 
their  own  manners,  in  order  to  engage 
the  favour  of  God  on  their  side  ;  that  in 
other  respects  they  had  the  superiorit}^. 
Christians  were  fighting  against  heathens, 
and  honest  men  against  robbers ;  that 
theirs  was  not  a  war  of  ambition  or  con- 
quest, but  of  necessary  self-defence.  In 
the  battle  which  followed,  he  entirely  de- 
feated the  Danes. 

In§  the  preface  to  Gregory's  Pastoral, 
a  book  translated  into  English,  by  this 
prince,  for  the  benefit  of  his  subjects,  he 
observes,  that  when  he  came  to  the 
Crown,  there  were  very  few,  south  of 
the  Humber,||  who  understood  the  com- 
mon prayers  in  English,  or,  who  could 
translate  a  passage  of  Latin  into  the  lan- 
guage of  their  own  country.  He  sent 
copies  of  Gregory's  Pastoral  into  every 
diocese,  for  the  benefit  of  the  clergy: 
with  the  same  beneficent  design,  he  trans- 
lated also  Bede's  ecclesiastical  history  : 
he  himself  constantly  attended  public 
worship ;  and,  from  his  youth,  he  was 
wont  to  pray  for  grace,  and  to  use  se- 
rious methods  to  subdue  his  passions, 
life  he  appears  to  have  main- 


Thrcugrh 


*  Alban  Butler,  XII. 

t  There  is  reason,  however,  to  believe,  that 
a  devotional  and,  probably,  an  evangelical 
spirit  prevailed  in  some  parts  of  the  British 
isles.  For  monks,  in  Ireland  and  Scotland, 
wlio  gave  themselves  to  prayer,  preaching, 
and  teaching  in  the  middle  ages,  were  called 
Culdees,  that  is,  Cultores  Uei.  They  were 
first  known  in  this  century  by  that  name  at  St. 
Andrew's  particularly  ;  but  were  never  settled 
in  England,  except  at  St.  Peter's  in  York. 
A.  Butler,  Vol.  V. 

+  Collier's  Ecc.  Hist. 

§  Alfred  invited  John  Scotus,  not  the  fa- 
mous John  Scotus  Erigina,  from  Old  Saxony 
into  England  ;  and  founded  tiie  University  of 
Oxford.  That  of  Cambridge  was  of  a  date 
somewhat  later. 

11  Collier,  Vol.  I.  B.  3d. 


Cekt.  IX.] 


THE  PAULICIANS. 


571 


tained  a  beautiful  consistency  of  charac- 
ter. He  endeavoured  to  promote  the 
knowledge  of  the  English  tongue  among 
all  persons  of  tolerable  rank ;  and  ex- 
pressed his  opinion,  that  those,  who  meant 
to  attain  eminence  in  the  state,  should 
also  know  the  Latin  language.  It  is 
pleasant  to  see  the  ebullitions  of  genius 
and  of  strong  sense  in  an  iron  age,  like 
this  before  us.  Alfred  would,  doubtless, 
in  more  auspicious  times,  have 'appeared 
among  the  first  of  mankind.  There  seems 
no  reason  to  doubt  the  sincerity  of  his 
piety.  A  religious  spirit  had  this  advan- 
tage in  a  rude  age,  that  it  was  not 
thought  to  reflect  disgrace  on  the  powers 
of  the  understanding.  But,  this  glorious 
sun,  after  it  had  shone  a  little  time 
through  an  atmosphere  enveloped  with 
vapours,  and  had  in  some  degree  dispers- 
ed them,  was  not  able  to  illumine  the 
region  in  which  it  appeared :  The  mist 
prevailed  again,  and  England  was  cover- 
ed with  darkness. 

It  may  be  proper  to  remind  the  reader, 

that  about  the  beginning  of  this  centur}^, 

Egbert  became  king  of  Wes- 

•"'^'^'■         sex:  that  in  8;37,  he  became 

made  KinfJ       ,  •  r     ^^    n        i         1  ^^^ 

ofall  Ei)<'-  ^"S'  01  all  England,  near  400 
land  °  years  after  the  first  arrival  of 
A  D   827      ^'^®  Saxons ;  and  that  Alfred 

was  his  grandson. 
Charlemagne  of  France,  who  had  flou- 
rished in  the  last  century,  died  in   the 
former  part  of  this,  aged  72,  in  the  year 

814.  It  is  scarcely  worth 
Death  of  -while  to  recount  the  splendid 
ma'^ne  ^'""^"^  '^'  ^"'^  emperor,  smce  his 

A  D   814      sanjruinary  ambition  and  his 

habitual  lewdness,  too  plainly 
evince  his  want  of  Christian  principle. 
He  revived  the  western  empire  in  Ger- 
many, which  continues  to  this  day.  He 
was  a  great  instrument  of  Providence,  no 
doubt,  in  extending  the  pale  of  the 
Church;  and,  at  the  same  time,  he  fixed 
the  power  of  the  popedom  on  the  strongest 
foundations.  His  labours  to  revive  learn- 
ing were  very  great;  but,  like  those  of 
Alfred,  they  failed  of  success.  His  reli- 
gious and  moral  character  bears  no  com- 
parison with  that  of  the  English  monarch. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE    PAULICIANS. 

About  the  year  660,  a  new  sect  arose 
in  the  East,  the  accounts  of  which  are 
far  more   scanty   than   a  writer  of  real 


Church-history  would  wish.* 
Constantino,  a  person  who  Sect  of 
dwelt  in  Mananalis,  an  ob-  ^*"^'" 
scure  town  in  the  neighbour-  .  n'ffin 
hood  of  Samosata,  entertained  ' 
a  deacon,  who  having  been  a  prisoner 
among  the  Mahometans,  had  returned 
from  captivity,  and  received  from  the 
same  deacon,  the  gift  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment in  the  original  language.  So  early 
had  the  laity  begun  to  think  themselves 
excluded  from  the  reading  of  the  sacred 
volume;  and  the  clergy,  both  in  the  East 
and  the  West,  encouraged  this  apprehen- 
sion. The  growing  ignorance  rendered 
by  far  the  greatest  part  of  the  laity  inca- 
pable of  reading  the  Scriptures.  I  do  not 
find  any  ecclesiastical  prohibitory  decree 
in  these  times,  nor  was  there  much  occa- 
sion for  it.  But  Constantine  made  the 
best  use  of  the  deacon's  present.  He 
studied  the  sacred  oracles,  and  exercised 
his  own  understanding  upon  them.  He 
formed  to  himself  a  plan  of  divinity  from 
the  New  Testament ;  and,  as  St.  Paul  is 
the  most  systematical  of  all  the  Apostles, 
Constantine  very  properly  attached  him- 
self to  his  writings  with  peculiar  atten- 
tion, as  indeed  every  serious  theologian 
must  do.  He  will  find,  no  doubt,  the 
same  truths  interspersed  through  the  rest 
of  the  sacred  volume,  and  a  wonderful 
unity  of  design  and  spirit  breathing 
through  the  whole;  but,  as  it  pleased 
God  to  employ  one  person  more  learned 
than  the  rest,  it  is  highly  proper,  that  the 
student  should  avail  himself  of  this  ad- 
vantage. That  Constantine  was  in  pos- 
session of  the  genuine  text,  was  acknow- 
ledged universally.  A  remarkable  cir- 
cumstance! which  shows  the  watchful 
providence  of  God  over  the  Scriptures! — 
Amidst  a  thousand  frauds  and  sophisms 
of  the  times,  no  adulteration  of  them  was 
ever  permitted  to  take  place. 

The   enemies   of  the   Paulicians  give 
them   the    name    from    some    unknown 


*  Photius,  B.  1.  contra  Manichffios,et  Peter 
Siculiis  Hist.  Maiiiclueor.  These  are  the  two 
niiginal  sources,  from  which  Mosheitn  and 
Gibhon  have  drawn  their  information  concern- 
ing the  Paulicians.  Photius  and  Peter  have 
not  falleti  into  my  hands  ;  and  their  prejudice 
and  passion  were  so  great,  that  my  reader  will 
very  probably  be  no  great  loser  by  the  circum- 
stance. By  the  assistance  of  the  two  modera 
authors,  I  shall  state  the  few  facts  which  are 
known,  and  give  as  impartial  a  judgment  con- 
cerning the  sects  in  question  as  I  can.  The 
candour  of  Gibbon  is  remarkable  in  this  part 
of  his  history.  O  si  sic  omnia  ! — Mosheim 
Eccl.  Hist  IX.  Cent.— Gibbon,  Vol.  V.  C.  54. 


572 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.H. 


teacher ;  but  there  seems  scarcely  a  doubt, 
that  they  took  the  name  from  St.  Paul 
himself.  For  Constantine  gave  himself 
the  name  of  Sylvanus  ;  his  disciples  were 
called,  Titus,  Timothy,  Tychicus,  the 
names  of  the  Apostle's  fellow-labourers; 
and  the  names  of  the  Apostolic  Churches 
were  given  to  the  congregations  formed 
by  their  labours  in  Armenia  and  Cappa- 
docia. — Their  enemies  called  them  Gnos- 
tics or  Manichees ;  and  confounded  them 
with  those  ancient  sectaries,  of  whom  it 
is  probable  that  there  were  then  scarcely 
any  remains.  It  has  been  too  customary 
to  connect  different  and  independent  sects 
into  one;  and  to  suppose,  that  every  new 
phenomenon  in  religion  is  nothing  more 
than  the  revival  of  some  former  party. 
This  is  frequently  the  case,  but  not  al- 
ways. In  the  present  instance,  I  see  rea- 
son to  suppose  the  Paulicians  to  have 
been  perfect  originals,  in  regard  to  any 
other  denomination  of  Christians.  The 
little,  that  has  already  been  mentioned 
concerning  them,  carries  entirely  this  ap- 
pearance;  and,  I  hope,  it  may  shortly  be 
evident,  that  they  originated  from  a  hea- 
venly influence,  teaching  and  converting 
them ;  and  that,  in  them,  we  have  one  of 
those  extraordinary  effusions  of  the  Di- 
vine Spirit,  by  which  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  and  the  practice  of  godliness  is 
kept  alive  in  the  world. 

The  Paulicians  are  said  to  have  reject- 
ed the  two  epistles  of  St.  Peter.  We 
know  nothing  of  these  men,  but  from  the 
pens  of  their  enemies.  Their  writings, 
and  the  lives  of  their  eminent  teachers, 
are  totally  lost.  In  this  case,  common 
justice  requires  us  to  suspend  our  belief; 
and,  if  internal  evidence  militate  in  their 
favour,  a  strong  presumption  is  formed 
against  the  credibility  of  a  report,  raised 
to  their  disadvantage.  This  is  the  case 
in  the  present  instance  :  for,  there  is  no- 
thing in  St.  Peter's  writings  that  could 
naturally  prejudice  against  those  writings, 
persons  who  cordially  received  the  epistles 
of  St.  Paul.  There  is,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  most  perfect  coincidence  of  sentiment 
and  spirit  between  the  two  Apostles;  and, 
in  the  latter  epistle  of  St.  Peter,  toward  the 
end,  there  is  a  very  remarkable  testimony 
to  the  inspired  character  and  divine  wis- 
dom of  St.  Paul.  That  this  sect  also  de- 
spised the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament, 
is  asserted,  but  on  grounds,  which  seem 
utterly  unwarrantable.  For,  they  are  said 
to  have  done  this  as  Gnostics  and  Mani- 
chees, though  they  steadily  condemned 


the  Manichees,  and  complained  of  the  in- 
justice which  branded  them  with  that 
odious  name.  They  are  also  charged 
with  holding  the  eternity  of  matter,  and 
the  existence  of  two  independent  princi- 
ples; and  with  denying  the  real  sufferings 
and  real  flesh  of  Christ,  It  seems  no  way 
was  found  so  convenient  to  disgrace  them 
as  by  the  charge  of  Manicheism.  But  I 
cannot  believe  that  they  held  these  tenets  ; 
not  only  because  they  themselves  denied 
the  charge,  but  also  because  they  unques- 
tionably held  things  perfectly  inconsistent 
with  such  notions.  Is  it  possible,  that 
rational  creatures,  men  endued  with  com- 
mon understanding,  could  agree  to  revere 
the  writings  of  St.  Paul,  and  to  consider 
them  as  divinely  inspired,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  condemn  those  of  the  Old 
Testament? 

The  pious,  intelligent,  reader,  who  is 
moderately  versed  in  Scripture,  does  not 
need  to  be  told,  that  the  Apostle  is  con- 
tinually quoting  the  Old  Testament,  ex- 
pounding and  illustrating,  and  building 
his  doctrines  upon  it:  in  short,  that  the 
New  Testament  is  so  indissolubly  con- 
nected with  the  Old,  that  he,  who  despises 
the  latter,  cannot  really,  whatever  he  may 
pretend,  respect  the  former  as  divine ;  and 
that  this  observation  holds  good  in  regard 
to  all  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament, 
and  to  St.  Paul  more  particularly.  It  is 
allowed  also,  that  the  Paulicians  held  the 
common  orthodox  doctrine  of  the  Trinity, 
with  the  confession  and  use  of  which  the 
whole  apparatus  of  the  Manichean  fable 
seems  incompatible.  Let  the  reader  re- 
flect only  on  the  light  in  which  Mani- 
cheism appeared  to  Augustine  of  Hippo, 
al\er  he  became  acquainted  with  St.  Paul, 
and  he  will  probably  form  a  just  estimate 
of  this  whole  subject. 

This  people  also  were  perfectly  free 
from  the  image-worship,  which  more  and 
more  pervaded  the  East.  They  were 
simply  scriptural  in  the  use  of  the  sacra- 
ments :  they  disregarded  relics,  and  all 
the  fashionable  equipage  of  superstition; 
they  knew  no  other  Mediator  but  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Sylvanus  preached  with  great  success. 
Pontus  and  Cappadocia,  regions  once  re- 
nowned for  Christian  piety,  were  again 
enlightened  through  his  labours.  He  and 
his  associates  were  distinguished  from 
the  clergy  of  that  day,  by  their  scriptural 
names,  modest  titles,  zeal,  knowledge, 
activity  and  holiness.  Their  congrega- 
tions were  diffused  over  the  provinces  of 


Cest.  IX.] 


THE  PAULICIANS. 


573 


Asia  Minor :  six  of  the  principal  churches 
were  called  by  the  names  of  those  to 
whom  St.  Paul  addressed  his  epistles; 
and  Sylvanus  resided  in  the  neig-hbour- 
hood  of  Colonia  in  Pontus.  Roused  by 
the  growing  importance  of  the  sect,  the 
Greek  emperors  began  to  persecute  the 
Paulicians  with  the  most  sanguinary  se- 
verity; and,  under  Christian  forms  and 
names,  they  reacted  the  scenes  of  Gale- 
rius  and  Maximin.  "To  their  other  ex- 
cellent deeds,"  says  the  bigoted  Peter, 
the  Sicilian,  "  the  divine  and  orthodox 
emperors  added  this  virtue,  that  they  or- 
dered the  Montanists  and  Manicheans* 
to  be  capitally  punished;  and  ther  books, 
wherever  found,  to  be  committed  to  the 
flames:  also,  that  if  any  person  was 
found  to  have  secreted  them,  he  was  to 
be  put  to  death,  and  his  goods  to  be  con- 
fiscated." False  religion,  in  all  ages, 
hates  the  light,  and  supports  herself  by 
persecution,  not  by  instruction ;  while  the 
real  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  always  comes 
TO  THE  LIGHT  of  Scripturc,  and  exhibits 
that  light  plainly  to  the  world  by  reading 
and  expounding  the  sacred  volume, 
whence  alone  she  derives  her  authority. 

A  Greek  officer,  named  Simeon,  armed 
with  imperial  authority,  came  to  Colonia 
and  apprehended  Sylvanus  and  a  number 
of  his  disciples.  Stones  were 
Paulicians  p,jt  i^to  the  hands  of  these 
^^l^T  last,  and  they  were  required 

*^"  ^  '  to  kill   their  pastor,  as   the 

price  of  their  forgiveness.  A  person 
named  Justus,  was  the  only  one  of  the 
number  who  obeyed ;  and  he  stoned  to 
death  the  father  of  the  Paulicians,  who 
had  laboured  twenty-seven  years.  Justus 
signalized  himself  still  more  by  betraying 
his  brethren  ;  while  Simeon,  struck,  no 
doubt,  with  the  evidences  of  divine  grace 
apparent  in  the  sufferers,  embraced,  at 
length,  the  faith  which  he  came  to  de- 
stroy, gave  up  the  world,  preached  the 
Gospel,  and  died  a  martyr.  For  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  these  servants  of 
Christ  underwent  the  horrors  of  per- 
secution, with  Christian  patience  and 
meekness  ;  and  if  the  acts  of  their  mar- 
tyrdom, their  preaching,  and  their  lives, 
were  distinctly  recorded,  there  seems  no 
doubt,  but  this  people  would  appear  to 


•  Such,  I  suppose,  were  the  opprobrious 
names  given  to  the  Paulicians.  The  real 
Montanists  had  originated  in  the  second  cen- 
tury, and  had  probably  now  no  existence.  We 
see  here  a  further  proof  of  the  vague  and  de- 
lusory modes  of  criminating  the  Paulicians. 


have  resembled  those,  whom  the  Church 
justly  reveres  as  having  suffered  in  the 
behalf  of  Christ  during  the  three  first 
centuries.  Durinfj  all  this  time  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  of  God  was  with 
them  ;  and  they  practised  the  precepts  of 
the  13th  chapter  to  the  Romans,  as  well 
as  believed  and  felt  the  precious  truths 
contained  in  the  doctrinal  chapters  of  the 
same  epistle.  The  blood  of  the  martyrs 
was,  in  this  case,  as  formerly,  the  seed  of 
the  Church  :  a  succession  of  teachers  and 
congregations  arose,  and  a  person  named 
Sergius,  who  laboured  among  them  thirty- 
three  years,  is  confessed  by  the  bigoted 
historians  to  have  been  a  man  of  extraor- 
dinary virtue.     The  persecu- 

tion  had,  however,  some  in-     T   ■°  '^^' 
•     •  i.-ii       i    1        ♦u       during  the 

termissions,    till    at    length,     niinority 

Theodora,  the  same  Empress,  of  her  son 

who  fully  established  image-  Michael 

worship,  exerted  herself  be-  III.  ruled 

yond  any  of  her  predecessors  asEm- 

against  them.     Her    inquis-     P'',*;^^'^"^ 
.=  1     J     xu       1  fully  estab- 

itors    ransacked    the    lesser     jighed 

Asia,  in  search  of  these  sec-     ima^-e- 
taries  ;  and  she  is  computed     worship, 
to  have  killed  by  the  gibbet, 
by  fire,  and  by  sword,  a  hundred  thou- 
sand persons. 

We  have  brought  down  the  scanty  his- 
tory of  this  people  to  about  the  year  845. 
To  undergo  a  constant  scene  of  perse- 
cution with  Christian  meek-  guchisthe 
nes)5,  and  to  render  both  to  history  of 
God  and  to  Caesar  their  the  Pauli- 
dueS  all  the  time,  at  once  cians  to 
require  and  evidence  the  j^  -q  §^5^ 
strength  xjf  real  grace.  Of 
this  the  Paulicians  seem  to  have  beeri 
possessed  till  the  period  just  mentioned. 
They  remembered  the  injunction  of  Rev. 
xiii.  10:  "He  that  killeth  with  the 
sword,  must  be  killed  with  the  sword  : 
here  is  the  faith  and  patience  of  the 
Saints."  Let  Christians  believe,  rejoice 
in  God,  patiently  suffer,  return  good 
for  evil,  and  still  obey  those  whom  God 
hath  set  over  them.  These  weapons  have 
ever  been  found  too  hard  for  Satan  :  the 
Church  has  grown  exceedingly,  wherever 
they  were  faithfully  handled ;  and  the 
power  of  the  Gospel  has  prevailed.  This 
was  the  case  very  eminently  with  the 
Church,  in  the  era  of  Dioclesian's  perse- 
cution. She  not  only  outlived  the  storm, 
but  also,  under  the  conduct  of  Providence, 
became  externally  as  well  as  internally, 
superior  to  her  enemies.  If  the  Pauli- 
cians had  continued  to  act  thus,  similar 


574 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH : 


[Chap.  H. 


Declen- 
sion of  the 
Paulicians 


A.  D.  845. 


Nicolas 

made 

Pope, 

A.  D.  858, 
Holy  See. 


consequences     might     have 
heen  rationally  expected.  But 
faith   and  patience  failed  at 
length.     We  are  ignorant  of 
the  steps  by  which  they  were 
gradually  betrayed  into  a  secular  spirit. 
About  the  year  845,  they  murdered  two 
persecutors,  a  governor  and   a   bishop  : 
and  a  soldier  called   Carbeas,  who  com- 
manded the  guards  in  the  imperial  armies, 
that  he  might  revenge  his  father's  death, 
who  had  been  slain  by  the  inquisitors, 
formed   a  band  of  Paulicians,  who   re- 
nounced their  allegiance  to  the  emperor, 
negotiated  with  the  Mahometan  powers, 
and,  by  their  assistance,  endeavoured  to 
establish  the  independency  of  their  sect. 
Theodora  was  succeeded  by  her   son 
Michael.*      Her    cruelties    and    super- 
stitions deserved  the  applause  of  Nicolas, 
who  became  pope  of  Rome 
in  858.     In  a  letter  he  highly 
approved   her    conduct,   and 
admired   her   on  account   of 
her  implicit  obedience  to  the 
We  learn  from  the  biogra- 
pher of  the  emperor  Michael  what  Theo- 
dora had  done  to  call  forth  the  encomiums 
of  this  pontiff.     "She  resolved,"   says 
he,  "  to  bring  the  Paulicians  to  the  true 
faith,  or  cut  them  all  off  root  and  branch." 
— A  resolution  worthy  of  a  truly  Catholic 
princess  ! — "  Pursuant  to  that  resolution, 
she    sent    some    noblemen   and   magis- 
trates," not  preachers  or  missionaries, — 
"  into  the  different  provinces  of  the  em- 
pire ;  and  by  them  some  of  those  unhappy 
wretches  were  crucified,  some  put  to  the 
sword,  and  some  thrown  into  the  sea  and 
drowned."     Thus  were  they  slaughtered 
to  the  number  of  one  hundred  thousand, 
and  their  goods  and  estates  confiscated.! 
The  pope  alluded  to  this  bloody  mas- 
sacre, when  he  commends  Theodora  in 
the  same  letter  for  the  manly  vigour  she 
exerted,  the  Lord  co-operating,^  as  he 
blasphemously  adds,  against  obstinate  and 
incorrigible  heretics.  Nicolas  at  the  same 
time  observes,  that  the  heretics  experien- 
cing in  her  all  the  resolution  and  vigour  of 
a  man,  could  scarcely  believe  her  to  be  a 
■woman.     Indeed   zeal   for   religion   had 
changed  in  Theodora,  as  it  did  in  our  Queen 
Mary,  the  tender  and  compassionate  heart 


*  This  is  Michael  III.  and  is  surnamed  the 
Sot,  or  tlie  Drunkard.  He  was  the  son  of  the 
emperor  Theophilus,  and  came  to  the  throne 
A.  D.  842,  under  the  tuition  and  regency  of  his 
mother  Theodora. 

+  Porphyrog.  ^  Domino  cooperante. 


of  a  woman  into  that  of  a  merciless  and 
blood-thirsty  tyrant.  And  here  I  am  not 
disposed  to  suppress,  that  from  the  pope's 
own  words,  it  appears,  that  the  Apostolic 
See  had  its  share  in  the  glorious  exploit 
just  mentioned ;  for  the  pope,  after  tell- 
ing her  that  the  heretics  dreaded,  and  at 
the  same  time  admired,  her  resolution 
and  steadiness  in  maintaining  the  purity 
of  the  Catholic  faith  adds,  "«««?  why  so, 
but  because  you  followed  the  directions  of 
the  Jposfolic  See  .?"* 

So  truly  was  Antichristian  tyranny  now 
established  at  Rome  ! ! 

Michael,  the  son  of  Theodora,  fled  be- 
fore the  arms  of  Carbeas ;  whose  suc- 
cessor Chrysocheir,  in  conjunction  with 
the  Mahometans,  penetrated  into  the 
heart  of  Asia,  and  desolated  the  fairest 
provinces  of  the  Greeks.  In  the  issue, 
however,  Chrysocheir  was  slain,  the 
Paulician  fortress  Tephrice  was  reduced, 
and  the  power  of  the  rebels  was  broken, 
though  a  number  of  them  in  the  moun- 
tains, by  the  assistance  of  the  Arabs, 
preserved  an  uncomfortable  independence. 
The  ferocious  actions  of  the  later  Pau- 
licians show,  that  they  had  lost  the  spirit 
of  true  religion  :  their  schemes  of  worldly 
ambition  were  likewise  frustrated.  And 
similar  consequences,  in  more  recent  ages, 
may  be  found  to  have  resulted  from  po- 
litical methods  of  supporting  the  Gospel. 

A  number  of  this  sect,  about  the  middle 
of  the  eighth  century,  had  been  trans- 
planted into  Thrace,  and  subsisted  there 
for  ages,  sometimes  tolerated,  at  other 
times  persecuted,  by  the  reigning  pow- 
ers. Even  to  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century  they  still  existed  about  the  val- 
leys of  Mount  Haemus.  Of  their  reli- 
gious history,  during  this  period,  I  can 
find  nothing :  and,  in  our  days,  they  seem 
to  have  nothing  more  of  the  Paulician 
sect  than  the  name.  I  cannot  follow  the 
learned  author,  to  whom  I  owe  much  for 
this  account,!  in  his  conjectures  con- 
cerning this  people's  dispersion  through 
the  European  provinces.  Nor  does  there 
seem  any  good  evidence  of  the  Wal- 
denses  owing  their  origin  to  the  Pau- 
licians. Such  speculations  are  too  doubt- 
ful to  satisfy  the  minds  of  those  who  prefer 
the  solid  evidence  of  facts  to  the  conjec- 
tural ebullitions  of  a  warm  imagination. 
On  the  whole,  we  have  seen,  in  general, 
satisfactory  proof  of  the  work  of  divine 


*  Concil.  Lab. 
t  Gibbon. 


Nic,  Ep.  xiv. 


CZSTT.  IX.] 


OPPOSITION  TO  POPERY. 


575 


grace  in  Asia  Minor,  commencing  in  the 
latter  end  of  the  seventh  century,  and 
extended  to  the  former  part  of  the  ninth 
century.  But,  where  secular  politics 
begin,  there  the  life  and  simplicity  of 
vital  godliness  end. 
cians  begran  to  rebe 
lished  government; 
evil ;  to  mingle  amojjg 


When  the  Pauli- 
against  the  estab- 
to   return   evil   for 

THE    HEATHEN,* 


the  Mahometans ;  and  to  defend  their  own 
religion  by  arms,  negociations,  and  alli- 
ances, ihey  ceased  to  become  the  light 
OF  THE  WORLD,  and  the  salt  of  the  earth. 
Such  they  had  been  for  more  than  a  hun- 
dred and  eighty  j-ears,  adorning  and  ex- 
emplifying the  real  Gospel,  by  a  life  of 
faith,  hope,  and  charity,  and  by  the  pre- 
servation of  the  truth  in  a  patient  course 
of  suffering,  looking  for  true  riches  and 
honour  in  the  world  to  come  ;  and,  no 
doubt,  they  are  not  frustrated  of  their 
hope.  But,  when  secular  maxims  began 
to  prevail  among  them,  they  shone,  for  a 
time,  as  heroes  and  patriots,  in  the  false 
glare  of  human  praise ;  but  they  lost  the 
solidity  of  true  honour,  as  all  have  done 
in  all  ages,  who  have  descended  from  the 
grandeur  of  the  passive  spirit  of  confor- 
mity to  Christ,  and  have  preferred  to  that 
spirit  the  low  ambition  of  earthly  great- 
ness.f 


CHAPTER   III. 


THE  OPPOSITION  MADE 
RLTPTIOXS  OF  POPERY 
TURY,  PARTICULARLY 
BISHOP  OF  TURIN. 


TO  THE  COR- 
IN  THIS  CEN- 
BY    CLAUDIUS 


We  have  seen  the  light  of  divine  truth 
shedding  its  kindly  influence  in  the  East; 
let  us  now  behold  the  reviving  power  of 


Council  at 
Paris, 

A.  D.  824. 


•  Psalm  cvi.   ver.  35. 

■j-  Natalis  Alexander,  a  voluminous  French 
historian,  and  more  vehemently  attached  to  tlie 
popedom  than  Frenchmen  conmionly  are, 
couples  the  Paulicians  and  also  Claudius  of 
Turin,  of  whom  the  reader  will  hear  in  the 
next  Chapter,  with  Wickliffites,  Lutherans, 
and  Calvinists.  He  brands  them  as  enemies 
to  the  adoration  of  the  Cross  of  Christ,  which, 
he  says,  the  true  Church  always  adored,  "  not 
only  the  genuine  Cross,  but  an  effigy  of  it,  as 
soon  as  the  Church  obtaineil  liberty  unde 
Christian  princes."  Tom.  V.  p.  636 — 63S. 
This  deserves  to  be  considered  as  the  testi- 
mony of  a  learned  adversary  to  the  evangelical 
character  of  the  Paulicians,  and  of  Claudius  of 
Turin. 


its  beams  in  the  West.     We  must  not 
expect  to  observe  it  generally  illuminat- 
ing either  of  those  two  great  divisions  of 
the  Christian  world,  but  onlj'  shining  ia 
some  particular  districts.     The  absolute 
power  of  the  pope,  the  worship  of  images, 
and  the  invocation  of  Saints  and  Angels, 
were  opposed,  as  in  the  last  century,  by 
several   princes   and   ecclesi- 
astics.    A  council  at   Paris, 
held  in  the  year  824,  agreed 
with  the  council  of  Frankfort 
in   the   rejection   of  the   decrees  of  the 
second  council  of  Nice,  and  in  the  prohi- 
bition of  image-worship.    Agobard,  arch- 
bishop of  Lyons,  wrote  a  book  against 
the   abuse   of  pictures   and   images ;    in 
which  he  maintained,  that  we  ought  not 
to  worship  any  image  of  God,  except  that 
which  is  God  himself,  his  eternal  Son; 
and,  that  there  is  no  other  Mediator  be- 
tween God  and  man,  except  Jesus  Christ, 
both  God  and  man.     I  have  already  ob- 
served, that  the  novel  notion  of  transub- 
stantiation   was  vigorously   opposed   by 
Rahanus  and    Scotus    Erigena,  the  two 
most  learned  men  of  the  West,  in  this 
century ;  nor  was  that  doctrine,  as  yet, 
established  in  the  kingdom  of"Antichrist. 
Rahanus  treats  it  as  an  upstart  opinion ; 
it  may  be  proper  to  add,  that  Bertram,  a 
monk  of  Corbie,  being  asked  whether  the 
same  body,  which  was  crucified,  was  re- 
ceived in  the  mouth  of  the  faithful,  in 
the  sacrament,  answered,  that  "  the  dif- 
ference is  as  great  as  between  the  pledge, 
and  the  thing  for  which  the  pledge  is  de- 
livered :   as  great  as  between  the  repre- 
sentation and  the  reality."     No  Protest- 
ant, at  this  day,  could   speak  more  ex- 
plicitly the  sense  of  the  Primitive  Church. 
In  Italy  itself,  Angilbertus,  bishop  of  Mi- 
lan, refused  to  own  the  pope's  supremacy, 
nor  did  the  church  of  Milan  submit  to  the 
Roman  See  till  two  hundred  years  after- 
wards.* 

But  these  are  only  distant  and  remote 
evidences,  that  God  had  not  forsaken  his 
Church  in  Europe.  There  want  not, 
however,  more  evident  demonstrations  of 
the  same  thing  in  the'life  and  writings  of 
Claudius,  bishop  of  Turin,  a  character 
worthy  to  be  held  in  high  estimation  by 

*  I  have  thus  far,  in  this  chapter,  availed 
myself  of  the  labours  of  Bishop  Newton  on 
the  Prophecies,  3d  Vol.  151,  &c.  In  the 
sequel  of  the  chapter,  I  make  use  of  the  re- 
marks of  Allix  on  the  Churches  of  Piedmont, 
of  the  Centuriators,  and  of  Fleury,  though  a 
'  Roman  Catholic. 


576 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI 


all,  who  fear  God  :  but  so  little  justice, 
in  our  times,  is  done  to  godliness,  that 
while  the  names  of  statesmen,  heroes,  and 
philosophers  are  in  every  one's  mouth, 
the  name  of  this  great  reformer,  has, 
probably,  been  not  so  much  as  heard  of, 
by  the  generality  of  my  readers.  To  me 
he  seems  to  stand  the  first  in  the  order 
of  time  among  the  Reformers.  Let  us 
collect  the  little  information  which  we 
have  been  able  to  obtain  concerning  him. 
Claudius  was  born  in  Spain.  In  his 
early  years  he  was  a  chaplain  in  the 
court  of  Lewis  the  meek  :  he  was  reputed 
to  have  great  knowledge  in  the  Scrip- 
tures ;*  insomuch  that  Lewis  perceiving 
the  ignorance  of  a  great  part  of  Italy,  in 
regard  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel, 
says  Fleur}',  and  willing  to  provide  the 
churches  of  Piedmont  with  one,  who 
might  stem  the  growing  torrent  of  image- 

.  worship,  promoted   Claudius 

Claudius        ^Q  ^jjg  ggg  Qf  -p,jj.ij,  ^^^^^  ti^p 

made  _,„       ^,       ,.  ' 

bishop  of  y^^''  ^^^*  Claudius  answer- 
Turin,  ed  the  expectations  of  the  em- 
A  D  817  peror  :  by  his  writings,  he  co- 
piously expounded  the  Scrip- 
tures :  by  his  preaching,  he  laboriously 
instructed  the  people  :  "in  truth,"  says 
Fleury,  "  he  began  to  preach  and  instruct 
with  great  application."  The  calumnies, 
with  which  his  principles  were  aspersed, 
are  abundantly  confuted  by  his  comment- 
aries on  various  parts  of  tlie  Old  and 
New  Testament,  still  extant  in  manu- 
scripts, in  various  French  libraries.  A 
comment  on  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians, 
is  his  only  work  which  was  committed 
to  the  press.  In  it  he  every  where  as- 
serts the  equality  of  all  the  Apostles  with 
St.  Peter.  And,  indeed,  he  always  de- 
clares Jesus  Christ  to  be  the  only  proper 
head  of  the  Church.  He  is  severe  against 
the  doctrine  of  human  merits,  and  of  the 
exaltation  of  traditions  to  a  height  of  cre- 
dibility equal  to  that  of  the  Divine  Word. 
He  maintains  that  we  are  to  be  saved 
by  faith  only ;  holds  the  fallibility  of  the 
Church,  exposes  the  futility  of  praying 
for  the  dead,  and  the  sinfulness  of  the 
idolatrous  practices' then  supported  by 
the  Roman  See.  Such  are  the  sentiments 
found  in  his  commentary  on  the  Epistle 
to  the  Galatians. 

In  his  commentary  on  St.  Matthew,  be- 

*  Fleurj',  Vol.  V.  B.  47.  In  this,  and  some 
other  matters,  the  testimony  of  a  Roman  Ca- 
tholic to  the  tharacter  of  tiie  first  Protestant 
Reformer,  is  of  great  weiglit. 


sides  an  explication  of  the  Sacrament, 
very  different  from  that  of  Paschasius, 
who  defended  transubstantiation,  about 
sixteen  years  after,  we  meet  with  some 
pious  sentiments  worth  transcribing.  The 
words,  "  I  will  no  more  drink  of  the  fruit 
of  the  vine,  till  that  day  that  I  drink  it 
new  with  you  in  my  Father's  kingdom," 
he  paraphrases  thus  :  "  no  longer  will  I 
delight  in  the  carnal  ceremonies  of  the 
synagogue,  among  which  the  Paschal 
Lamb  was  most  distinguished;  for  the 
time  of  my  resurrection  is  at  hand  ;  that 
day  will  come,  when,  placed  in  the  king- 
dom of  God,  exalted  to  the  glory  of  im- 
mortal life,  I  shall  be  filled  with  a  new 
joy,  together  with  you,  on  account  of  the 
salvation  of  the  people  born  again  from 
the  fountain  of  the  same  spiritual  grace. 
What  else  does  he  mean  by  new  wine, 
but  the  immortality  of  renewed  bodies  1 
By  saying  '  with  you,'  he  promises  them 
the  resurrection  of  their  bodies,  that  they 
might  put  on  immortality.  The  expres- 
sion '  with  you,'  must  not  be  referred  to 
the  same  time,  but  to  the  same  event  of 
the  renewal  of  the  body.  The  Apostle 
declares  that  we  are  risen  with  Christ, 
that  by  the  expectation  of  the  future  he 
might  bring  present  joy."* 

In  the  end  of  his  commentary  on  Levi- 
ticus, dedicated  to  the  Abbot  Theodemir, 
he  writes  some  things,  which  may  exhi- 
bit and  illustrate  his  cares  and  labours  in 
the  support  of  real  godliness. 

"The  beauty  of  the  Eternal  Truth  and 
Wisdom  doth  not  exclude  those  who 
come  to  her.  God  grant  I  may  always 
have  a  constant  will  to  enjoy  her,  for  the 
love  of  whom  I  have  undertaken  this 
work !  From  the  ends  of  the  earth  she 
is  near  to  all  who  seek  her :  she  instructs 
within,  and  converts  those  who  behold 
her.  No  man  can  judge  of  her;  no  man 
can  judge  well  without  her.  We  arc  not 
commanded  to  go  to  the  creature,  that  we 
may  be  happy,  but  to  the  Creator,  who 
alone  can  fill  us  with  bliss.  The  will 
fastenincr  itself  on  the  unchangeable  good, 
obtains  happiness.  But  when  the  will 
separates  itself  from  the  unchangeable 
good,  and  seeks  her  own  good  exclu- 
sively, or  directs  herself  to  inferior  or 
external  good,  she  falls  from  God." — 
These  truths,  conceived  in  the  very  taste 


*  This  can  hardly  be  allowed  to  be  the 
whole  of  St.  Paul's  meaning,  in  the  expression 
"risen  with  Christ:"  nevertheless,  the  ideas 
of  Claudius  are  good,  so  far  as  he  goes. 


Cent.  IX.] 


OPPOSITION  TO  POPERY. 


577 


of  the  bishop  of  Hippo,  are  followed  by 
a  long  quotation  from  that  father,  which 
expressly  forbids  the  worship  of  Saints  ; 
the  substance  of  which  is  thus  expressed : 
"  We  must  honour  them,  because  they 
deserve  to  be  imitated,  not  worship  them 
with  an  act  of  religion.  We  envy  not 
their  bliss  in  the  uninterrupted  enjoy- 
ment of  God,  but  we  love  them  the  more, 
because  we  hope  for  something  corres- 
pondent to  these  their  excellencies,  from 
him  who  is  our  God  as  well  as  theirs." 
These  things,  says  Claudius,  are  the 
strongest  mysteries  of  our  faith.  In  de- 
fending this  truth,  I  am  become  a  re- 
proach to  my  neighbours ;  those,  who 
see  me,  scoff  at  me,  and  point  at  me  to 
one  another.  But  the  Father  of  mercies 
and  the  God  of  all  consolations,  has  com- 
forted me  in  my  tribulations,*  that  I  may 
be  able  to  comfort  others,  who  are  op- 
pressed with  sorrow  and  affliction.  I  rely 
on  the  protection  of  him,  who  has  armed 
me  with  the  armour  of  righteousness  and 
of  faith,  the  tried  shield  for  my  eternal 
salvation. 

Complaints  had,  it  seems,  been  made 
against  Claudius,  at  the  court  of  Lewis, 
for  having  broken  down  images  through 
his  diocese,  and  for  having  written  against 
the  worship  of  them.  Being  reproached 
by  Theodemir  for  his  conduct,  Claudius 
wrote  an  apology,  of  which  the  following 
is  an  extract. I  "  Being  obliged  to  accept 
the  bishopric,  when  I  came  to  Turin,  I 
found  all  the  churches  full  of  abominations 
and  images;  and  because  I  began  to  destroy 
what  every  one  adored,  ever}^  one  began  to 
open  his  mouth  against  me. — They  sa}^, 
we  do  not  believe  that  there  is  any  thing 
divine  in  the  image ;  we  only  reverence  it 
in  honour  of  the  person  whom  it  repre- 
sents. I  answer,  if  they,  who  have 
quitted  the  worship  of  devils,  honour  the 
images  of  saints,  they  have  not  forsaken 
idols ;  thej'^  have  only  changed  the  names. 
For  whether  you  paint  upon  a  wall  the 
pictures  of  St.  Peter  or  St.  Paul,  or  those 
of  Jupiter,  Saturn,  or  Mercury,  they  are 
all  dead,  and  are  therefore  now  neither 
gods,  nor  apostles,  nor  men.  If  you 
worship  Peter  or  Paul,  you  may  have 
changed  the  name,  but  the  error  conti- 
nues the  same.  If  men  must  be  adored, 
there  would  be  less  absurdity  in  adoring 
thera  when  alive,  while  they  are  the 
image  of  God,  than  after  they  are  dead, 
when    they   only  resemble  stocks    and 


stones.  And  if  we  are  not  allowed  to 
adore  the  works  of  God,  much  less  are 
we  allowed  to  adore  the  works  of  men.— 
If  the  Cross  of  Christ  ought  to  be  ador- 
ed, because  he  was  nailed  to  it,  for  the 
same  reason  we  ought  to  adore  mangers, 
because  he  was  laid  in  one ;  and  swad- 
dling-clothes, because  he  was  wrapped 
in  them."  He  goes  on  to  mention  other 
similar  instances,  and  adds,  "  we  have 
not  been  commanded  to  adore  the  cross, 
but  to  bear  it,  and  to  deny  ourselves. — 
As  to  your  assertion,  that  I  speak  against 
the  going  to  Rome  by  way  of  penance,  it 
is  not  true  ;  I  neither  approve  nor  disap- 
prove such  pilgrimages  ;  to  some  they 
are  not  useful,  to  others  they  are  not  pre- 
judicial. It  is  a  great  perversion  of  the 
words,  'thou  art  Peter,'  &c.  to  infer  from 
them,  that  eternal  life  is  to  be  gained  by 
a  journey  to  Rome,  and  by  the  interces- 
sion of  St.  Peter. — The  Apostolic,  that 
is,  the  Pope,  is  not  he,  who  fills  the  See 
of  the  Apostle,  but  he,  who  discharges 
its  duties." 

Such,  says  Fleury,  were  the  errors  of 
Claudius  of  Turin.  He  then  tells  us, 
that  they  were  refuted  by  a  recluse  called 
Dungal.  He  gives  us  a  few  extracts  from 
this  writer,  which  it  will  be  perfectly 
needless  to  recite  ;  for,  as  Fleury  owns, 
Dungal  scarcely  makes  use  of  any  argu- 
ments ;  and  "  in  truth,"  continues  he, 
"the  main  proofs  in  this  matter-have  al- 
ways been  the  tradition  and  constant 
usage  of  the  Church."  In  the  judgment 
of  men  who  determine  controversies, 
which  enter  into  the  essence  of  Chris- 
tianity by  the  Scriptures  alone,  the  vic- 
tory of  Claudius  in  this  dispute  is  deci- 
sive. 

We  are  obliged,  however,  to  Dungal, 
for  the  preservation  of  the  extracts  of  the 
apology.  In  addition  to  the  argumenta- 
tive parts,  there  are  also  some  pathetic 
exhortations  interspersed  in  the  work, 
which  show  the  ardour  of  the  bishop's 
mind,  and  the  charitable  zeal  for  divine 
truth  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  with 
which  he  was  endowed.  I  shall  present 
the  reader  with  a  few  sentences.*  "  All 
these  thitigs  are  ridiculous,  rather  worthy 
of  lamentation  than  of  grave  discussion ; 
but  we  are  obliged  to  describe  them,  in 
opposition  to  fools,  and  to  declaim  against 
those  hearts  of  stone,  whom  the  arrows 
and  sentences  of  the  Divine  Word  can- 
not pierce,  and  therefore  we  are  under  a 


*  2Cor.  i. 
Vol.  I. 


3  C 


f  Fleury. 


AUix. 


578 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


necessity  to  assault  them  in  this  manner. 
Come  to  yourselves  again,  ye  wretched 
transgressors  :  why  are  ye  gone  astray 
from  the  truth,  and  fallen  in  love  with 
vanity  1     Why  do  you  make  the  souls  of 
multitudes   the  associates  of  devils,  by 
the   worship    of  idols,  estranging  them 
from  their  Creator,  and  precipitating  them 
into  everlasting  damnation  ] — Return,  ye 
blind,  to  your  light. — Shall  we  not  be- 
lieve God,  when  he  swears,  that  neither 
Noah,  nor  Daniel,  nor  Job*  shall  deliver 
son  or  daughter  by  their  righteousness  ] 
For  this  end  he  makes  the  declaration, 
that  none  might  put  confidence  in  the  in- 
tercession of  saints. — Ye  fools,  who  run 
to  Rome,  to  seek  there  for  the  interces- 
sion  of  an   Apostle,  when   will   ye   be 
wise  1     What  would   St.  Augustine  say 
of  you,  whom  we  have  so  often  quoted  ?" 
If  the  works  of  this   great  and  good 
man  had  been  published  as  faithfully  as 
those  of  his  adversaries,  1  doubt  not  but 
he  would  appear  to  us  in  a  much  more 
striking  light  than  he  can  do  from  a  few 
imperfect  quotations.     But  his  writings 
were  either  suppressed  or  secreted.     The 
reign  of  idolatry  had  taken  place,  and  the 
world   worshipped   the  "  beast."     The 
labours,  however,  of  Claudius,  were  not 
in  vain.     In  his  own  diocese,  at  least,  he 
checked  the  growing  evil ;  and  Romish 
writers  have  owned,  that  the  valleys  of 
Piedmont,  which  belonged  to  his  bishop- 
ric, preserved  his  opinions  in  the  ninth 
and  tenth  centuries.     Whence  it  is  pro- 
bable,  that   the   Churches  of  the   Wal- 
denses  were  either  derived,  or  at  least  re- 
ceived much   increase   and  confirmation 
from  his  labours. 

If  we  look,  in  an  evangelical  view,  at 
the  subject-matter  of  this  bishop's  preach- 
ing and  expositions,  it  will  appear  that 
the  controversy  between  him  and  his  ad- 
versaries was,  whether  man  shall  be 
justified  before  God  by  jesus  christ 
THROUGH  FAITH  ALONE,  or  whether  he 
shall  betake  himself  to  other  refuges 
for  the  peace  of  his  disquieted  conscience. 
What  those  other  refuges  may  be,  will 
much  depend  on  the  customs  and  habits 
of  the  times  in  which  a  man  lives.  In 
^n  age,  like  our  own,  of  great  civiliza- 
tion and  refinement,  they  will,  chiefly, 
be  acts  of  humanity  and  kindness  to  the 
needy :  in  an  age  of  superstition,  they 
will  be  ceremonial  observances,  and  the 
whole   apparatus   of    will-worship. j — 


Against  the  false  reliefs  of  a  burdened 
conscience,  which  the  popedom  exhibit- 
ed, this  first  Protestant  reformer  militat- 
ed in  much  Christian  zeal,  and  pointed 
out  to  his  hearers  and  his  readers  the  me- 
diation of  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  sole  and 
all-sufficient  object  of  dependence.  With 
what  success  this  was  done  among  his 
people,  we  have  no  account;  but,  doubts 
less,  so  great  a  light  was  not  set  up  in 
vain ; 


and  could  I  recite  the  effects  of  his 
labours  in  Piedmont,  the  account  would 
in  all  probability  be  both  pleasing  and 
profitable  to  evangelical  minds.  Let  us 
see  what  further  discoveries  we  can  make 
of  his  spirit  and  views,  from  the  extracts 
of  his  writings  drawn  from  another  of  his 
adversaries. 

This*  was  Jonas,  bishop  of  Orleans. 
He  wrote  three  books  against  Claudius, 
filled    with    invectives.      He   mentions, 
however,  such  reasonings  made  use  of  by 
his  adversary,  as  it  was  not  in  his  power 
to  overturn,  particularly  the  authority  of 
the    second    commandment,     on   which 
hinge,    indeed,    the   whole    controversy 
turns,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  the  worship 
of  images.     In  regard  to  pilgrimages  to 
Rome,  Claudius  observes,  that  the  great- 
er part,  in  consequence  of  them,  become 
worse   men   than  they  were   before.     In 
opposing  the  popedom,  he  observes,  that 
men,  void  of  all  spiritual  understanding, 
misapplying   those   words  of  our   Lord, 
"  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys,"  &c.t 
ignorant  men,  setting  aside  all  spiritual 
understanding,  hope  to  obtain  eternal  life 
by  making  pilgrimages  to  Rome.    Hence 
we  see,  that  the  power  of  the  popedom 
was  much  founded  on  the  misguided  con- 
sciences of  men.     Persons  distressed,  on 
account  of  their  sins,  naturally  catch_  at 
every  support,  which  oflTers  them  relief. 
And  the  true  light  of  the  Gospel  of  peace 
no   longer   shining,    they  availed  them- 
selves of  the  delusory  consolations  offer- 
ed by  the  popedom ;  and  thus,  at  once, 
gained   a   false  peace,    hardened   them- 
selves in  real  wickedness,  and  supported 
the  grandeur  of  Antichrist.  What  a  bless- 
ing is  the  real  Gospel !     It  both  consoles 
and  sanctifies  the  sinner,  and  removes  the 
most   powerful   incitements  to  supersti- 
tion.    But,  to  proceed  with  the  words  of 
Claudius.     "  It  is  not  said,  '  whatsoever 
thou  shall  bind  in  heaven,  shall  be  bound 
on  earth.' — By  this  we  should  know,  that 


*  Ezek.  xiv. 


t  See  Coloss.  ii. 


*  Centuriat.  Magd 
t  Matt.  xvi.  19. 


Cent.  IX. 


Cent,  IX.] 


GOTTESCHALCUS. 


579 


Claudius, 
for  sixteen 
years, 
writes 
against  the 
prevailing 
supersti- 
tions. 

Dies, 
A.  D.  839. 

in  its  full 
opposers 


the  ministry  of  the  bishops  of  the  Church 
continue   only  so  long  as  they  remain 
upon   earth.      After   they  have   left  this 
world,  it  ceases  ;  St.  Peter  has  no  longer 
any  influence  in  the  government  of  the 
Church  militant;  and  his  successors  ex- 
ercise the  office,  so  long  as  they  live  in- 
deed, but   no   longer.*     From  the   year 
823,  Claudius  wrote  against  the  prevail- 
ing superstition,  and  lived  to 
the  year  839.     That  he  was 
not  put  to  death  for  confessing 
the  real  faith  of  Christ,  seems 
to   have   been,  under   Provi- 
dence, owing  to  the  protection 
of  the   French   court.      The 
cause,    which   he   espoused, 
was  still,  in  part,  supported 
in  the  western  churches;  and 
the  Roman  hierarchy  was  not 
yet  able  to  establish  idolatry 
extent,  and  to  punish  all  its 
It  is  proper  to  add,  that  even 
the  adversaries  of  Claudius  did  not  insist 
on  the  worship  of  images  ;  they  only  as- 
serted that  they  were  innocent  and  useful. 
So   far  were  the   decrees  of  the  papacy 
from  being  owned  as  decisive,  through 
Europe.     At  the  same  time,  it  must  be 
confessed,  that  the  middle  path,  which 
first   had   the   sanction  of  Gregory,  and 
was  afterwards  confirmed  by  the  Carolin 
books  and  the  council  of  Frankfort,  na- 
turally paved  the  way  for  the  gradual  es- 
tablishment of  idolatry. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  CASE  OF  GOTTESCHALCUS. 

The  subject  of  predestination  and  grace 
had  been  formerly  controverted  in  the 
churches  of  France,  with  a  considerable 
degree  of  acuteness  and  ingenuity,  and 
what  is  still  more  pleasing  to  a  Christian 
mind,    with   seriousness,    candour,    and 


charity.*     We  have  seen  with  what  zeal 
the  doctrine  of  divine  grace  had  been  de- 
fended and  illustrated  by  the  followers  of 
Augustine,  and  what  a  salutary  influence 
had  attended  that  doctrine  on  the  knowr 
ledge,  the  spirit,  and  the  lives  of  Chris- 
tians.    It  has  appeared  also,  that  many 
who,  partly  through  an  ill-grounded  fear 
of  pernicious   consequences,  and   partly 
through  a  misunderstanding  of  the  nature 
of  the  subject,  were  averse  to  the  senti- 
ments of  Augustine,  did   still  sincerely 
abhor  Pelagianism,  and  with  a  happy  in- 
consistency, lived  humbly  dependent  on 
divine  grace  alone,  though  in  words  they 
maintained  Semi-Pelagianism.     But,  as 
superstition,  idolatry,  and  ignorance  in- 
creased, the  truly  evangelical   views  of 
Augustine  were  more  and  more  thrown 
into  the  shade,  and  the  case  of  Gottes- 
chalcus   showed,    that   it   was    now   no 
longer  permitted  to  a  divine  to  promulge 
the"  sentiments  of  the  bishop   of  Hippo 
with  impunity. 

Gotteschalcus  was  born  in  Germany ; 
from  early  life  he  had  been  a  monk;  and 
had  devoted  himself  to  theological  inqui- 
ries. He  was  peculiarly  fond  of  the 
writings  of  Augustine,  and  entered  with 
much  zeal  into  his  sentiments. f  That 
he  really  held  the  doctrines  of  that  father, 
seems  evident  from  the  account  which  is 
transmitted  to  us,  though  it  is  but  scanty. 
He  expressly  owned,  that  the  wicked 
were  condemned  for  their  own  demerits. 
If  he  was  charged  with  making  God  the 
author  of  sin,  it  was  no  more  than  what 
befel  the  bishop  of  Hippo;  and  FJeury 
himself  owns,  that  he  was  misrepresent- 
ed by  his  adversaries.  The  most  culpa- 
ble thing,  which  I  find  in  him,  if  indeed 
a  certairT  confession  of  faith,  ascribed  to 
him,  be  genuine,  is  this,  that  he  offered 
to  undergo  a  trial  by  fire,  on  this  condi- 
tion, that  if  be  was  preserved  unhurt, 
his  doctrine  should  be  allowed  to  be  di- 
vine.    If  he   was  really   guilty  of  this 


*  I  have  added  a  word  or  two  explanatory  of 
the  meaning,  which,  on  account  of  the  imper- 
fection of  the  quotation,  is  sufficiently  em- 
barrassed. I  apprehend,  he  is  inferring  fi'om 
the  real  words  of  our  Lord,  "  whatsoever  thou 
shalt  bind  on  earth, shall  be  bound  in  heaven," 
that  St.  Peter's  episcopal  acts  terminated  with 
his  life  ;  whereas,  if  it  had  been  said,  whatso- 
ever thou  shalt  bind  in  heaven,  shall  be  bound 
on  earth,  some  countenance  might  seem  to  be 
given  to  the  idea  of  the  continuance  of  his 
power  on  earth,  in  the  persons  of  his  succes- 
sors.   Cent.  Magd.  Cent.  IX.  118. 


*  See  p.  485. 

+ 1  iiave  extracted  the  best  account  of  this 
person  which  I  could  from  Fleury  and  Dupin, 
both  Roman  Catholic  writers  :  1  have  availed 
myself  also  of  the  remarks  of  Mosheim.  From 
the  writings  of  the  Magdeburgensian  Centu- 
riators,  where  I  might  have  expected  the  most 
equitable  and  the  most  just  account,  I  could 
collect  nothing.  They  handle  the  subject  brief- 
ly and  confusedly,  and  join  with  the  enemies 
of  Gotteschalcus  in  condemning  him,  without 
affording  their  readers  any  proper  matsrials, 
on  which  they  might  form  a  judgment  for 
themselves. 


580 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


Gottes- 
chalciis 
travels  in- 
to Dalma- 
tia  and 
Pannonia, 

A.  D.  846. 


enthusiastic  presumption,  the  issue  of  the 
persecution  which  he  afterwards  under- 
went, was  calculated  to  humble  him,  and 
cause  him  to  learn  more  practically  than 
he  had  ever  done,  the  real  power  of 
those  doctrines  for  which  he  honestly 
suffered. 

About  the  year  84G,  he  left  his  monas- 
tery, and  went  into  Dalmatia  and  Panno- 
nia, where   he   spread   the   doctrines   of 
Augustine,  under  a  pretence, 
it  was  said  by  his  enemies, 
of  preaching  the    Gospel  to 
the  infidels.     At  his  return, 
he   remained    some   time    in 
Lombardy,  and    in   847,    he 
held  a  conference  with   No- 
tingus,  bishop  of  Vienne,  con- 
cerning predestination.     His 
zeal  gave  offence  to  the  bishop,  who  pre- 
vailed  on   Rabanus,    the  archbishop    of 
Mentz,  to  undertake  the  confutation  of 
the  novel  heresy,  as  it  was  now  decreed. 
Rabanus  calumniated  Gotteschalcus  with 
those    monstrous   and   licentious  conse- 
quences,   with   which   the   doctrines    of 
divine  grace  liave  in  all  ages  been  as 
persed,  and  from  which  St.  Paul  himself 
was  not  exempted  :  and  having  dressed 
the  sentiments  of  his   adversary  in  the 
most  odious  colours,  he  found  it  no  hard 
task  to  expose  iiim  to  infamy.  Tbe  learn- 
ed monk  undertook  to  defend  himself  in 
writing,  and  proposed  the  subject  to  the 
consideration  of  the  most  able  men  of  his 
time;  and,  against  the  great  credit  and 
authority  of  his   adversary,  he   opposed 
the  renowned  name  of  Augustine.     But 
no  cause  ever  appeared  with  more  disad- 
vantage in  our  times  than  that  of  Gottes- 
chalcus.    For  we  have  not  his  treatise, 
composed   against   Rabanus  ;  only  some 
fragments  of  it  have  been  preserved  to 
us,  by  Hincmar,  archbishop  of  Rheims, 
who,  the  reader  will  soon  be  convinced, 
was  not  a  man  fit  to  be  trusted  with  the 
care  of  his  reputation.     In  a 
synod  held  at  Mentz,  Gottes- 
chalcus was  condemned ;  and 
Rabanus,    observing  that  he 
was  of  the  diocese  of  Sois- 
sons,  which    was  subject  to 
the    archbishop    of    Rheims, 
sent  him  to  Hincmar,  calling 
him  a  vagabond,  and  declar- 
ing that  he  had  seduced  several  persons 
who   were  become   less  careful  of  their 
salvation,    since  they  had    learned  from 
Gotteschalcus  to  say,  Why  should  I  la- 
hour  for  my  salvation  1 — If  I  am  predes- 


Gottes- 
chalcns 
condemn- 
ed in  the 
synod  of 
Mentz, 

A.  D.  848. 


tinated  to  damnation,  I  cannot  avoid  it ; 
and,  on  the  contrary,  if  I  am  predesti- 
nated to  salvation,  whatever  sins  I  am 
guilty  of,  I  shall  certainly  be  saved.* 

Hincmar  entered  fully  into  the  views 
of  Rabanus  ;  and,  in  a  council  of  bishops, 
examined  Gotteschalcus,  who  still  main- 
tained his  doctrine  with  firmness.  On 
this  account  he  was  condemned  as  a  he- 
retic, degraded  from  the  priesthood,  and 
ordered  to  be  beaten  with  rods  and  im- 
pri^soned.  As  nothing,  however,  was 
proved  against  him,  except  his  adherence 
to  the  sentiments  of  Augustine,  which 
were  still  held  in  estimation  in  the  Church, 
this  shows,  says  Du  Pin,  that  he  was  an 
injured  man. 

And  now  the  presumptuous  boasts  of 
Gotteschalcus,  if  they  were  his  boasts 
indeed,  met  with  a  humiliating  check. 
For,  while  he  was  whipped  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  Emperor  Charles  and  the 
bishops  with  great  severity,  and  was 
given  to  understand  that  he  must  cast 
into  the  fire  with  his  own  hand  a  writing, 
in  which  he  had  made  a  collection  of 
Scripturej-texts,  in  order  to  prove  his  opi- 
nion, he,  at  length,  overpowered  by  his 
sufferings,  dropped  the  book  into  the 
flames ;  after  which  he  was  kept  close 
prisoner  by  Hincmar,  in  a  monastery. 
This  method  of  convincing  a  heretic  of 
his  error,  seems,  however,  to  have  been 
by  no  means  satisfactory  to  him  who  had 
made  use  of  it.  For  Hincmar  still  took 
pains  to  persuade  Gotteschalcus  to  retract 
his  sentiments,  but  in  vain. 
The  injured  pastor  maintain- 
ed, with  his  last  breath,  the 
doctrine  for  which  he  suffer- 
ed, and  died  in  prison  in  the 
year  870.t 

Hincmar  hearing  that  he  lay  at  the  point 
of  death,  sent  him  a  formulary,  which 
he  was  to  subscribe,  in  order  to  his  be- 
ing received  into  the  communion  of  the 
Church.  Gotteschalcus  rejected  the  offer 
with  indignation.     He  refused  to  retract 


Gottes- 
chalcus 
dies  in 
prison, 
A.  D.  870. 


easnning  as  this, 


be     alletred 


*  It  is  evident,  that  such 
might,  «ith  equal  idausibilily, 
against  the  doctrine  of  the  nintii  cliapter  to 
the  Romans.  Whoever  would  ser  this  subject 
siCte<l  to  ihe  bottom,  may  consult  Edwardes's 
admirfdjle  treatise  on  Freewill,  where  he  will 
find  the  vulgar  objections  proved,  I  think, 
irrefragably  to  he  fallacious.  In  the  Analogy 
of  Bishop  Butler  also  (Chap.  VI.  Part  I.  of 
the  Opinion  of  Necessity)  he  will  meet  with 
some  excellent  observations. 

t  Cave. 


CiNT.  IX.] 


CYRIL. 


581 


to  the  last;  and  was  denied  Christian 
burial,  by  the  orders  of  Hincmar. 

This  is  all  that  I  can  find  material  con- 
cerning Gotteschalcus.  That  he  was  a 
humble  and  sincere  follower  of  Christ  in 
the  main,  will  scarce  be  doubted  by  those 
who  make  a  fair  estimate  of  his  constan- 
cy in  suffering,  and  at  the  same  time  re- 
flect, that  no  moral  turpitude  is  affixed  to 
his  memory.  E)ven  in  that  age  there 
wanted  not  men,  who  remonstrated  loudly 
against  the  barbarity  with  which  he  had 
been  treated.     Remigius,  archbishop  of 

Lyons,  distinguished  himself 
Gottes-  among  these  ;  and,  in  a  coun- 
chalcus's  cil  held  at  Valence,  in  Dau- 
opinioiis  phiny,  in  the  year  855,  both 
atthe'"'  Gotteschalcus    and    his    doc- 

council  of  trine  were  vindicated  and  de- 
Valence,  fended.  Two  subsequent 
A.  D.  855.     councils  confirmed  the  decrees 

of  this  council.  The  Churches 
of  Lyons,  Vienne,  and  Aries,  formerly 
renowned  for  piety,  vigorously  supported 
the  sentiments  of  Gotteschalcus  ;  and  it 
was  apparent,  that  all  relish  for  the  doc- 
trines of  grace  was  not  lost  in  the  Church. 
It  is  very  extraordinary,  that  the  cause  of 
Gotteschalcus  should  prove,  in  the  end, 
victorious,  while  he  himself  remained 
under  the  power  of  persecution.  But 
the  great  secular  influence  of  Hincmar, 
who  for  near  forty  years  presided  at 
Rheims,  and  made  himself  highly  useful 
to  kings  and  princes,  seems  to  account 
for  this. 

It  would  be  uninteresting  to  detail  an 
account  of  the  writings  on  both  sides, 
which  were  published  on  the  occasion  of 
this  controversy.  One  lesson  the  case 
before  us  is  peculiarly  calculated  to  teach, 
namely,  not  to  condemn  any  person  for 
consequences  which  others  may  draw 
from  his  doctrine,  and  which  he  himself 
both  speculatively  and  practically  disa- 
vows.* This  injustice  was  never  more 
flagrantly  committed,  than  in  the  transac- 
tions which  we  have  briefly  reviewed. 
Of  Hincmar,  much  information  indeed  is 
left  us  in  ecclesiastical  story  ;  but  I  do 
not  seem  to  have  any  inore  employment 
for  him  in  this  work,  than  I  have  for  the 
princes  of  France  and  Germany  of  that 
period.  It  is  not  hard  to  form,  on  the 
whole,  soine  estimate  of  the  state  of  reli- 
gion at  that  time  in  France.     The  spirit 


*  See  Burnet's  Exposition  of  XXXIX  Ar- 
ticles, Prefoce,  p.  8,  9. — And  Article  17.  p. 
106.  Fol.  Edit. 

3c2 


of  Christianity  was  much  decayed;  but 
there  were,  doubtless,  a  number  of  per- 
sons, to  whom  Christ  and  his  grace  were 
precious  :  and  the  influence  of  evangelical 
truth  was  still  so  strong,  that  all  the  cru- 
elty, activity,  and  artifice  of  Hincmar, 
one  of  the  most  subtile  politicians  of  that 
age,  were  not  able  to  extirpate  it. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL  IN 
THIS    CENTURY. 

In  this  century  the  churches  of  the 
East  and  West,  through  the  pride  and  am- 
bition of  the  pontiff's  of  Rome  and  Con- 
stantinople, began  to  be  separated  from 
one  another.  Of  such  a  division,  which 
makes  a  great  noise,  in  what  is  commonly 
called  ecclesiastical  history,  it  is  suffi- 
cient for  a  historian  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  to  say,  that  the  wound,  after  re- 
peated attempts,  was  never  healed.  Both 
the  East  and  the  W^est,  indeed,  were  full 
of  idolatry  and  darkness,  and  seemed  to 
vie  with  each  other  in  supporting  the 
kingdom  of  Satan.  Providence,  how- 
ever, made  use  of  the  ambitious  spirit  of 
the  prelates  for  the  still  more  extensive 
[)ro])agation  of  the  Gospel.  In  this  chap- 
ter I  shall  collect  the  information  upon 
this  subject,  which  may  be  extracted  from 
an  enormous  mass  of  ecclesiastical  rub- 
bish ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  shall  lay 
before  my  readers  some  evidences  of  the 
progress  of  the  good  work,  among  the 
nations,  which  had  been,  in  part,  evange- 
lized in  the  two  last  centuries. 

Constantine,  afterwards  called   Cyril, 
was  born  at  Thessalonica,  of  a  Roman 
family,  and  was  educated  at  Constanti- 
nople.    In   846,  the   famous     pi^f^tjug 
Photius,  who,  by  much  ini-     disputes 
quity,  at  length  obtained  the     with  Igna- 
bishopric  of  Constantinople,     tins,  the 
envying  Ignatius,  at  that  time     l*atriarch 
bishop,  contended,  in  opposi-     o''^o"- 
tion  to  him,  that  every  man  * 

had  two  souls.  Beingrepro-  ^'  •  ^*"* 
ved  by  Cyril,  he  said,  that  he  meant  not  to 
hurt  any  one,  but  only  to  try  the  logical 
abilities  of  Ignatius.  "  You  have  thrown 
your  darts  into  the  crowd,"  said  Cyril, 
"  yet  pretend  that  none  will  be  hurt. 
How  keen  soever  the  eyes  of  your  wisdom 
be,  they  are  blinded  by  the  smoke  of 
avarice  and  envy.    Your  passion  against 


582 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


Ignatius  has  deceived  you."  Cyril  in- 
deed seems  to  have  been  as  much  supe- 
rior to  Photius*  in  piety,  as  he  vi^as  his 
inferior  in  learnincf:  he  became  one  of 
the  most  active  and  useful  missionaries 
of  this  century ;  and  Providence  opened 
to  him  a  door  of  solid  utility  among  the 
idolatrous  nations. f 

The  Bulgarians  were  a  barbarous  and 
savage  people,  whose  neighbourhood 
had  long  been  troublesome  to  the  Greek 
emperors.  The  sister  of  their  king  Bo- 
goris,  having  been  taken  captive  in  a 
military  incursion,  was  brought  to  Con- 
stantinople, and  there  adopted  Christi- 
anity. Upon  her  redemption  and  return 
to  her  own  country,  she  gave  a  strong 
evidence,  that  her  change  of  religion 
had  been  merely  nominal.  She  was 
struck  with  grief  and  compassion,  to  see 
the  king,  her  brother,  enslaved  to  idola- 
try, and  she  used  the  most  cogent  argu- 
ments in  her  power,  in  order  to  convince 
him  of  the  vanity  of  his  worsliip.  Bo- 
goris  was  affected  with  her  arguments  ; 
but  was  not  prevailed  upon  to  receive  the 
Gospel,  till,  a  famine  and  a  plague  ap- 
pearing in  Bulgaria,  she  persuaded  him 
to  pray  to  the  God  of  the  Christians.  He 
did  so,  and  the  plague  ceased.  There 
was  something  so  remarkable  in  the 
event,  that  Bogoris  was  induced  to  send 
for  missionaries  to  Constantinople ;  and 
at  length  received  baptism,  together  with 
many  of  his  people. :j:  Cyril  and  his 
devout  brother  Methodius,  were  the 
instruments  of  these  blessings  to  the 
Bulgarians.  Bogoris  had  desired  Me- 
thodius to  draw  him  a  picture.  Metho- 
dius chose  for  his  subject  the  last  jndg- 
Boo-oris  is  '^6'^'^'  3"*^1  explained  it.  This 
baptized,  '^  supposed  to  have  induced 
A  D  861  ^^^  king  to  receive  baptism. 
The  event  happened  about 
the  year  861. §  That  same  pope  Nicolas, 
who  so  warmly  applauded  the  sanguinary 
exploits  of  the  empress  Theodora  against 
the  Paulicians,  rejoiced  at  the  oppor- 
tunity, which  this  religious  change  among 
the  Bulgarians  afforded  him,  of  extending 
his  influence.  He  sent  bishops,  who 
preached  and  baptized  throughout  the 
country :  and  Bogoris  sent  his  son  to 
Rome,  with  many  Lords  :    he  consulted 


*  Photius  himself  became  patriarch  of  Con- 
stantinople about  A.  D.  857. 
t  See  Alban  Butler,  Vol.  XII. 
t  Porphyrogennetus. 
§  See  Alban  Butler,  Vol.  XII. 


the  pope  on  a  variety  of  subjects,  and 
entreated  him  to  send  pastors  into  Bul- 
garia. Nicolas  rejoiced,  says  Fleury,* 
not  only  on  account  of  the  conversion  of 
the  Bulgarians,  but  the  more,  because 
they  came  so  far  to  seek  instruction  from 
the  Holy  See.  They  had,  however, 
though  attended  with  many  superstitions, 
the  word  of  God,  and  the  name  of  Christ 
introduced  among  them.  The  Saviour, 
in  some  sense,  was  preached,  notwith- 
standing that  pride  and  sinister  motives 
predominated  altogether  in  the  Roman 
See;  and  St.  Paul,  in  such  a  case,  would 

have  said,  "  I  therein  do  re-     o 

',.,,..,,,      huccesses 
joice,  yea,  and  will  rejoice.'  f     ofthe  mis- 

Nor  is  there  any  reason  to  be-  sionaries, 
lieve,  that  all  the  mission-  ^_  j)  8G6, 
aries  would  be  no  less  corrupt 
than  tVie  pope  :  on  the  contrary,  we  can- 
not doubt  but  the  word  was  not  preached 
altogether  in  vain.  These  transactions 
took  place  about  the  year  860. 

About  the  same  time  Cyril,  and  his 
brother  Methodius,  missionaries  among 
the  Bulgarians,  laboured  also  among  the 
Sclavonians  and  the  Chazari.:|:  These 
people  lived  on  the  banks  of  the  Danube, 
and  begged  the  emperor  Michael  HI.  and 
his  mother  Theodora  to  send  them  some 
instructors.  Cyril  and  his  brother  Metho- 
dius were  sent  to  preach  to  them.  The 
Cham  and  his  whole  nation  were  bap- 
tized :  and  Cyril  gave  a  noble  proof  of  his 
disinterestedness  in  refusing  those  pre- 
sents, which  the  munificence  of  the  prince 
would  have  heaped  upon  him.§ 

Cyril  arriving  at  Chersona,  continued 
there  some  time,  to  learn  the  language  of 
the  Chazari;  which  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  Sclavonian  tono-ue,  because  it  is 
certain  that  Constantine  translated  the 
sacred  Books  into  that  language.  And 
as  the  people  had  not  then  the  use  of 
letters,  he  invented  an  alphabet  for  their 
use,  and  was  very  successful  in  teaching 
Christianity  among  the  Chazari.  He 
made  the  greater  impression  on  their 
minds,  because  of  the  unquestionable 
proofs  which  he  gave  them  of  his  disin- 
terestedness. After  this,  Bartilas,  prince 
of  Moravia,  understanding  what  had  been 
done  among  the  Chazari,  desired  the  Greek 
emperor  Michael  to  send  some  mission- 
aries to  instruct  his  people  likewise  in 
Christianity.  Michael  sent  the  same  Con- 


*  Fleury,  B.  L.  49. 

+  Philipp.  i.  18.  t  Fleury,  B.  L.  54. 

§  Alban  Butler,  Vol.  XU. 


CBirr.  IX.] 


CYRIL— FREDERIC. 


583 


stantine  and  Methodius,  who  carried  with 
them  the  same  Sclavonian  Gospel,  taught 
the  children  the  letters,  which  they  had  in- 
vented, laboured  in  their  mission,  and  in- 
sructed  the  people  four  years  and  a  half. 

The  king  of  Moravia  was  baptized  with 
many  of  his  subjects.  Cyril  died  a  monk  : 
Methodius  was  consecrated  bishop  of 
Moravia.  The  Sclavonian  tongue,  said 
to  have  been  invented  by  these  two  mis- 
sionaries, is,  to  this  day,  used  in  the 
liturgy  of  the  Moravians.  Complaint 
was  made  to  Pope  John  VIII.  of  the  no- 
velty of  worshipping  in  a  barbarous 
tono-ue ;  but  he  condescended  to  own 
himself  satisfied  with  the  reasons  as- 
sio-ned  by  the  missionaries.  Bogoris, 
king  of  Bulgaria,  gave  up  his 
Bogoris  crown  about  the  year  880, 
resigns  his  and  retired  into  a  monastery. 
crown,  Methodius,  after  a  long  course 

A.  D.  880.  of  labours,  died  in  an  ad- 
vanced age.* 
These  were  noble  works,  and  some  di- 
vine unction,  amidst  all  the  superstitions, 
no  doubt,  attended  them.  In  the  mean 
time,  Nicolas  of  Rome,  and  Photius  of 
Constantinople,  two  of  the  proudest  men 
of  any  age,  were  acrimoniously  inveigh- 
inor  asrainst  one  another,  and  striving  each 
to  secure  to  himself  the  obedience  of  the 
new  converts.  There  is  reason  to  hope, 
that  the  missionaries  themselves  were  of 
a  better  spirit;  and  if  I  had  materials  of 
their  transactions  before  me,  I  would  with 
pleasure  present  them  to  the  reader;  but 
the  squabbles  of  the  prelates  themselves 
for  ecclesiastical  dominion,  and  the  effects 
of  those  squabbles,  are  scarcely  worth  his 
attention. 

It  appears  from  one  of  the  invectives 
of  Photius,  against  Nicolas,  that  the  Rus- 
sians, hitherto  barbarous  and  savage,  had 
received  a  Christian  bishop, 
and  were  then  under  instruc- 
tions. Also,  about  the  year 
8G7,  certain  provinces  of  Dal- 
anes,  matia  sent  an  embassy  to  Con- 

A.  D  86".  stantinople,  imploring  the  em- 
peror Basilius  to  supply  them 
with  Christian  teachers.  Their  request 
was  granted,  and  the  pale  of  the  Church 
was  extended  throughout  those  pro- 
vinces.f 

If  we  turn  onr  eyes  toward  the  coun- 
tries which  had  been  evangelized  in  the 


Provinces 
of  Dalma- 
ti;'.  solicit 
mission- 


•  Alb.  But.  Vol.  XII. 

+   Perphyrogcn.     See   Mosheira,   Chap.  I. 
Cent.  IX. 


last  century,  we  may  discern  some  traces 
of  the  spirit  of  godliness  still  remaining 
among  them.     Length  of  time,  under  the 
influence  of  natural  depravity,  had  not, 
as  yet,  destroyed  all   the  seeds  of  that 
divine  simplicity,  w'hich,  as  we  have  had 
repeated  occasion  to  observe,  is  always 
the  most  pure  in  the  infancy  of  religion. 
Frederick  of  Devonshire,  nephew  to  Bo- 
niface, the  Apostle  of  Germany,  so  re- 
nowned in  the  last  century,  was  appoint- 
ed bishop  of  Utrecht;  and  dining  with 
the  emperor,  Lewis  the  Meek,  was  ex- 
horted by  him  to  discharge  his  office  with 
faithfulness  and  integrity.     The  bishop, 
pointing   to  a  fish  on   the  table,  asked 
whether  it  was  proper  to  take  hold  of  it 
by  the  head   or  by  the  tail.     "  By  the 
head,  to  be  sure,"  replied  the  emperor. 
"  Then  I  must  begin  my  career  of  faith- 
fulness," answered  Frederic,  "with  your 
majesty."     He  proceeded  to  rebuke  the 
emperor   for    an    incestuous    connexion, 
which  he  openly  maintained  with  .Tudith 
the  empress;  and,  in  the  spirit  of  John 
the  Baptist,  told  him,  "  that  it  was  not 
lawful  for  him  to  have  her."     Lewis  had 
not  expected  this  rebuke ;  and,  like  He- 
rod, was  not  disposed  to  give  up  his  He- 
rodias.     No  sooner  did  the  einpress  hear 
of  this  rebuke,  than,  in  the  true  temper 
of  an  incensed  adulteress,  she  began  to 
plot  the  destruction  of  Frederic ;  and,  by 
the  help  of  assassins,  she  at  length  effect- 
ed it.    Frederic  being  mortally  wounded, 
insisted,  however,  that  no  blood  should 
be  shed  on  his  account;   and  died  in  a 
spirit  of  martyrdom  worthy  of  the  rela- 
tion of  Boniface.     In  him  the  Hollanders 

lost   a   faithful   prelate ;    but     , ,     ,       - 
,  .      1      ,,  1  ,  ^  ,  Murder  of 

his  death  would  preach  a  sa-     j],|.  i,isi,oD 

lutary  doctrine  among  them.  ofUtrecht 
Frederic  was  murdered  about  ^  ^  g^q 
the  year  833.* 

Haymo,  a  monk  of  Fulda,  a  scholar  of 
Alcuin,|  was  chosen  bishop  of  Halber- 
stadt  in  Saxony,  in  the  year  841.     He 
was  by  descent  an  English- 
man,  a  relation  of  Bcde,  and       i^^T"? 
took  much  pains  m  preaching    i^ishop  gf 
to  the  people.     His  writings     Haiber- 
are  voluminous,  but  the  mat-     stadt, 
ter  of  them  is  chiefly  extract-     ^_  jy   34^^ 
ed  from  the  fathers.     He  as- 
sisted in  the  condemnation  of  Gotteschal- 
cus  at  Mentz  ;  nor  is  it  hard  to  conceive, 
that  a  pious  person  might  be  deceived  by 


*  Iiigulph's  Hist.    See  Collier's  Ecc.  Hist. 
1  Vol.  t  Du  Pin,  Cent.  IX. 


584 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  V. 


the  elaborate  representations  of  Rabanus. 
though  I  should  think  it  very  improba- 
ble, that  Haymo  would  be  at  all  con- 
cerned in  the  barbarities  afterwards  exer- 
cised on  the  supposed  heretic  at  Rheims. 
For  Haymo  seems  to  have  thought  and 
written  on  the  doctrines  of  grace  with 
more  unction  and  vigour  than  most  of 
his  contemporaries.  He  composed  com- 
ments on  many  parts  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures. A  few  specimens  may  serve  to 
show  what  sort  of  doctrine  was  then 
preached  to  the  recent  Churches  of  Ger- 
many. 

"  By*  the  book  of  life,  we  ought  to 
understand  the  divine  predestination,  as 
it  is  written,  the  Lord  knoweth  them  that 
are  his." 

"  Man  of  himself  departing  from  God 
returns  not  of  himself  to  God.  God 
works  all  in  all ;  by  which  words  human 
arrogance  is  removed,  since  without  the 
Holy  Spirit  our  weakness  can  effect  no 
real  good,  whether  great  or  small. "f 

"  We  are  not  only  unable  to  perfect  any 
good,  without  divine  grace  and  mercy, 
preceding  and  following  us,  but  not  even 
to  think  any.  For  the  grace  of  God  pre- 
vents us,  that  we  may  be  willing,  and 
follows  us,  that  we  may  be  able.  Every 
good  thing  that  we  have,  the  good  will, 
and  the  good  work,  is  not  from  ourselves, 
but  from  God." 

His  views  of  the  distinction  between  the 
law  and  the  Gospel,  a  subject  in  his  time 
very  little  understood,  have  a  consider- 
able degree  of  perspicuity.  "In  the  law, 
no  room  is  reserved  for  repentance,  but 
its  language  is,  the  soul  that  sinneth  shall 
die.  The  Gospel  saith,  I  will  not  the 
death  of  a  sinner. — The  Law  is  not  of 
faith. :J:  It  is  the  province  of  faith  to  be- 
lieve and  to  hope  things  invisible.  The 
law  therefore  is  not  fulfilled  by  faith,  but 
by  works.  But  the  Gospel  is  fulfilled 
by  faith  rather  than  by  works ;  for  faitli 
alone  saves  !"§  Precious  sentiments  ! 
well  understood  by  serious  and  humble 
spirits,  coming  to  Christ  for  rest,  who 
find  themselves  by  the  law  debarred  of 
all  hope  of  salvation,  because  of  their  con- 
sciousness of  entire  depravity.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  give  distinct  quotations,  in 
order  to  prove  that  Haymo  had  the  same 
imperfect  and  inaccurate  views  of  justi- 
fication which  we  have  observed  in  Au- 
gustine. 


*  Magd.  Cent.  IX.  p.  52, 
^  Galatians,  iii.  12. 


t  Id.  p.  CO. 
§  Magd.  64. 


"The  faith,  by  which  we  believe  ib 
God,  is  given  by  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Spirit :  it  is  not  in  man 
naturally,  it  is  given  by  God  ;  for,  if  it 
were  in  us,  by  nature,  all  would  have 
it. — Faith,  remission  of  sins,  and  all  the 
gifts  of  God,  are  freely  given  to  be- 
lievers."* 

Does  it  not  appear  a  cruel  thing  to  dis- 
figure such  lovely  pictures  of  evangelical 
truth]  But  historical  veracity  is  a  stubborn 
thing.  The  same  Haymo,  who  knew  so 
much  of  Christ,  was  so  infected  with  the 
growth  of  idolatrous  superstition,  that,  in 
an  homily  concerning  virgins,  he  says, 
"  it  is  highly  fitting  that  we  supplicate 
her," — he  means  some  virgin,  whose  fes- 
tival he  was  then  celebrating, — "with 
devout  prayers,  that  she  may  make  us 
comfortable  in  this  life  by  her  merits  and 
prayers,  and  in  the  next  acceptable  to 
God."!  How  inconsistent  are  these  sen- 
timents with  his  avowed  faith  in  the  Me- 
diator !  But  such  was  the  torrent  of  the 
times  ! — I  see  Germany,  which  had  been 
happily  tutored  in  the  infant  simplicity 
of  Christian  faith,  gradually  perverted  by 
the  idolatry  which  derived  its  strength 
from  the  papal  dominion.  Haymo,  how- 
ever, most  probably  did  not  mean  what 
he  said,  in  the  full  import  of  his  own 
words ;  and  he  seems  to  have  felt  so  sin- 
cerely the  spirit  of  Gospel-truth,  that  I 
am  tempted  to  suppose,  that  his  homilies 
were  interpolated  by  what  are  called  pious 
FRAUDS,  the  introduction  of  which  became 
a  common  practice  in  the  dark  ages. 

Haymo   continued   bishop  of  Halber- 

stadt  for   twelve   years,  and     tt„ 

died  in  853.     A   rare   light,     ^]\^^ 
which  shone  in  the  midst  of     ■    r!    _,, 
arkness ! 

We  have  seen  some  evidences  of  the 
power  of  Christian  truth,  in  this  century, 
among  the  recent  Churches  of  Germany 
and  Holland.  Let  us  now  look  to  the 
north  of  Europe,  and  see  by  what  grada- 
tions Divine  Providence  paved  the  way 
for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  the 
frozen  regions  of  Scandinavia,:}:  and  on 
the  shores  of  the  Baltic,  which  had  hi- 
therto been  enveloped  in  the  most  deplora- 
ble darkness  of  Paganism. 

Adelard,  cousin-german  to  Charle- 
magne, was  a  bright  luminary  in  the 
Christian  world  at  the  beginning  of  this 


*  Magd.  p.  67.  _+  Maj^d.  p.  111. 

i  Tliis  terra  coramonly  includes  the  three 
kingdoms  of  Sweden,  Denmark,  and  Norway. 


Cbxt.  IX.] 


ADELARD. 


585 


Adelard, 
a  Monk  of 
Corbie,  in 
Picai'dy,  a 
shining; 
character. . 


century.  He  had  been  invited 
to  the  court  in  his  youth :  but 
fearing  the  infection  of  such 
a  mode  of  life,  he  had  retired ; 
and,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years  became  a  monk  of  Cor- 
bie, in  Picardy,*  and  was  at 
length  chosen  abbot  of  the  monastery. 
His  imperial  relation,  however,  forced 
him  again  to  attend  the  court,  where  he 
still  preserved  the  dispositions  of  a  re- 
cluse, and  took  every  opportunity,  which 
business  allowed,  for  private  prayer  and 
meditation.  After  the  death  of  Charle- 
magne he  was,  on  unjust  suspicions,  ba- 
nished by  Lewis  the  Meek,  to  a  monas- 
tery on  the  coast  of  Aquitain,  in  the  isle 
of  Hiere.  After  a  banishment  of  five 
years,  Lewis,  sensible  at  length  of  his 
own  injustice,  recalled  Adelard,  and  heap- 
ed  on   him   the   highest   honours.     The 

„      .  monk  was.  however,  the  same 

Heretiiriis  .  -^         j  ■        i 

to  Corbie,     in^"  1"  prosperity  and  in  ad- 
A  n   S''-^      versity,  and  in  8'23  obtained 
■     ■    "''     leave  to  return  to  his  Corbie. 
Every  week   he  addressed  each  of  the 
monks  in  particular :   he  exhorted  them 
in  pathetic  discourses  ;   and  laboured  for 
the  spiritual  good  of  the  country  around 
his  monastery.     His  liberality  seems  to 
have  bordered  on  excess :  his  humility 
induced  him  to  receive  advice  from  the 
meanest  monk  :  when  he  was  desired  to 
live  less  austerely,  he  would  frequently 
say,  I  will  take  care  of  your  servant,  that 
he  may  be  enabled  to  attend  on  you  the 
longer.     Another  Adelard,  who  had  go- 
verned the  monastery  during  his  banish- 
ment, by  the  direction  of  the  first  Ade- 
lard, prepared  the  foundation  of  a  distinct 
monastery,  called  new  Corbie,  near  Pa- 
derborn,  beside  the  Weser,  as  a  nursery 
for    evangelical    labourers,   who    should 
instruct  the  northern  nations.     The  first 
Adelard    completed    the   scheme :    went 
himself  to  new  Corbie  twice;  and  settled 
its  discipline.     The  success  of  this  truly 
charitable  project  was  great :  many  learn- 
ed  and    zealous   missionaries  were   fur- 
nished from  the  new  seminary:   and  it 
became  a  light  to  the  north  of  Europe. 
Adelard  promoted  learning  in  his  monas- 
teries :   instructed  the  people  both  in  La- 
tin and   French;    and,  after  his  second 
return  from  Germany  to  old 
Dies,         Corbie,  he  died  in  827,  aged 
A.  D.  827.     73.     Such  is  the  account  gi- 
ven us  of  Adelard,  a  charac- 


Expulsion 
of  Harold, 
kiiig  of 
Denmark, 

A.  D.  814. 


ter,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  of  eminent 
piety.  The  fruits  of  his  fiithful  labours 
appear  to  have  been  still  greater  after  his 
death  than  during  his  life.  To  convert 
monasteries  into  seminaries  of  pastoral 
education  was  a  thoucrht  far  above  the 
taste  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived  ;  and 
tended  to  emancipate  those  superstitious 
institutions  from  the  unprofitable  and  illi- 
beral bondao-e  in  which  they  had  subsist- 
fl  for  many  generations. 

In*  the  year  814,  Harold,  king  of  Den- 
mark, being  expelled  from  his  dominions, 
implored  the  protection  of  the 
emperor  Lewis,  the  son  and 
successor    of    Charlemagne. 
That  prince  persuaded  him  to 
receive    Christian     baptism ; 
and  foreseeing  that  Harold's 
reception  of  Christianity  would  increase 
the  difficulty  of  his  restoration,  he  gave 
him  a  district  in  Friezeland  for  his  pre- 
sent  maintenance.       Lewis,   dismissing 
Harold  to  his  own  country,  inquired  after 
some  pious  person,  who  might  accom- 
pany him,  and  confirm  both  the  king  and 
his  attendants  in  the  Christian  religion. 
But  it  was  not  easy  to  find  a  man  dispos- 
ed to  undertake  such  a  journey.  At  length 
Vala,  abbot  of  old  Corbie,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded his  brother  Adelard,  whose  histo- 
ry we  have  just  considered,  said  to  the^ 
emperor,  "  1  have,  in  my  monastery,  a 
monk,  who  earnestly  wishes  to  suffer  for 
the  sake  of  Christ;  a  man  of  understand- 
ing and  integrity,  and  peculiarly  fitted 
for  such  a  work.     But  I  cannot  promise, 
that  he  will  undertake  the  journey."  The 
emperor  ordered  him  to  send  for  the  man  ; 
Anscarius   was   his   name.      When   the 
nature  of  the  employment  was  opened  to 
the  monk,  he  professed  his  readiness  to 
go.     "  I  by  no  means  command  you,  said 
Vala,  to  enter  on  so  difficult  and  danger- 
ous a  service;  I  leave  it  to  your  option." 
Anscarius,  however,  persisted  in  his  re- 
solution:  it  was   matter   of  surprise  to 
many,  that  he  should  choose  to  expose 
himself  among  strangers,  barbarians,  and 
pagans;  much  pains  were  taken  by  many 
to  dissuade  him  ;  but  in  vain  :  while  pre- 
parations were  making  for  his  departure, 
he  gave  himself  up  to  reading  and  prayer. 


*  A.  Butler,  Vol.  I. 


*  I  have  extracted  the  subsequent  account 
of  Anscarius  from  various  parts  of  Fleury,  iti 
iiis  history  of  the  9th  century  ;  not  without  an 
attention  also  to  the  iiistory  of  the  same  mis- 
sionary in  Alban  Butler,  and  in  the  Centur. 
Magd. 


586 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


This  excellent  monk  had  been  employed 
as  a  teacher,  both  in  old  and  new  Corbie, 
and  had  distinguished  himself  by  his  ta- 
lents and  virtues.  Aubert,  a  monk  of  no- 
ble birth,  a  great  confidant  of  Vala,  and 
steward  of  his  house,  offered  himself  as  a 
companion  to  Anscarius.  Harold,  with  the 
two  strangers,  proceeded  on  his  journey ; 
but  neither  he  nor  his  attendants,  rude  and 
barbarous  in  their  manners,  were  at  all 
solicitous  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
missionaries,  who  therefore  suffered  much 
in  the  beginning  of  their  journey.  When 
the  company  arrived  at  Cologne,  Hade- 
bald  the  archbishop,  commiserating  the 
two  strangers,  gave  them  a  bark,  in  which 
they  might  convey  their  effects.  Har- 
old, struck  with  the  convenience  of  the 
accommodation,  entered  into  the  vessel 
with  the  missionaries;  and  they  went 
down  the  Rhine  into  the  sea,  and  came 
to  the  frontiers  of  Denmark.  But  Har 
old  finding  access  to  his  dominions  im- 
possible, because  of  the  power  of  those 
who  had  usurped  the  sovereignty,  remain- 
ed in  Friezeland,  in  the  district  assigned 
to  him  by  the  emperor. 

This  king  of  Denmark  seems  to  have 
been  appointed  by  Divine  Providence, 
only  as  an  instrument  to  introduce  Ansca- 
rius into  the  mission.  For  we  hear  little 
more  of  him  afterwards.  The  two  French 
monks  laboured  with  zeal  and  success  in 
^!:u2zel'=;nd;  uoth  amonof  Christians  and 
raofans.  H.":-oM  sent  some  of  his  own 
slaves  to  be  ti.,ight  by  them;  and  in  a 
little  time  they  had  above  twelve  children 
iu  their  school.  Above  two  years  they 
laboured,  and  were  made  instruments  of 
good  to  souls :  after  this  Aubert  ended 
his  days  by  a  disease. 

About  the  year  829,  many  Swedes 
having  expressed  a  desire  to  be  instruct- 
ed in  Christianity,  Anscarius 
Anscarius  received  a  commission  from 
sioned  to  "^  emperor  Lewis  to  visit 
visit  Swe-  Sweden.  Another  monk  of 
den,  old  Corbie,  Vitmar  by  name, 

A.  D,  829.  'was  assigned  as  his  compa- 
nion; and  a  pastor  was  left  to 
attend  on  king  Harold,  in  the  room  of 
Anscarius.  In  the  passage,  the  two  mis- 
sionaries were  met  by  pirates,  who  took 
the  ship  and  all  its  effects.  On  this  oc- 
casion, Anscarius  lost  the  emperor's  pre- 
sents, and  forty  volumes,  which  he  had 
collected  for  the  use  of  the  ministry. 
But  his  mind  was  still  determined  :  and 
he  and  his  partner  having  with  difficulty 
got  to  land,  they  gave  themselves  up  to 


the  direction  of  Providence,  and  walked 
on  foot  a  long  way,  now  and  then  cross- 
ing some  arms  of  the  sea  in  boats.  Such 
are  the  triumphs  of  Christian  faith  and 
love.  They  arrived  at  Birca,  from  the 
ruins  of  which  Stockholm  took  its  rise, 
though  built  at  some  distance  from  it.* 
The  kinor  of  Sweden  received  them  fa- 

a 

vourably ;  and  his  council  unanimously 
agreed  to  permit  them  to  remain  in  the 
country,  and  to  preach  the  Gospel.  Suc- 
cess attended  their  pious  efforts.  Many 
Christian  captives  in  Sweden  rejoiced  at 
the  opportunity  of  the  communion  of 
Saints  which  was  now  restored  to  them; 
and,  among  others,  Herigarius,  governor 
of  the  city,  was  baptized.  This  man 
erected  a  church  on  his  own  estate,  and 
persevered  in  the  profession  and  support 
of  the  Gospel. 

After  six  months,  the  two  missionaries 
returned  with  letters  written  by  the  king's 
own  hand,  into  France,  and  informed 
Lewis  of  their  success.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  Anscarius  was  appoints 
ed  archbishop  of  Hamburg.  This  great 
city,  being  in  the  neigbourhood  of  Den- 
mark, was  henceforth  looked  on  as  the 
metropolis  of  all  the  countries  north  of 
the  Elbe  which  should  embrace  Chris- 
tianity. The  mission  into  Denmark,  was 
at  the  same  time  attended  to  ;  and  Gaus- 
bert,  a  relation  of  Ebbo,  archbishop  of 
Rheims,  who,  as  well  as  Anscarius,  was 
concerned  in  these  missions,  was  sent  to 
reside  as  a  bishop  in  Sweden :  there  the 
number  of  Christians  increased.  But 
perhaps  the  reader  has  anticipated  the 
observation ;  namely,  that  it  was  the  ge- 
nius of  these  dark  ages  to  provide  for 
the  hierarchy  prematurely ;  and  to  con- 
stitute bishops  and  dioceses  over  large 
districts  in  which  scarcely  any  Christians 
were  to  be  found. 

Anscarius — such  was  the  ecclesiastical 
discipline  of  the  times, — by  the  order  of 
the  emperoi'  Lewis,  went  to 
Rome,  that  he  might  receive     Fu>'iber 
the  confirmation  of  the  new     ^^.^^"J].-^' 
archbishopric    of    Hamburg,     .j,^,]  ^f  ^j,g' 
Returning  to  the  diocese,  he     taking  of 
gained     over   many    Pagans,     Hamburg, 
brought   up   children   in   the     a..  D.  845. 
Christian  faith,  and  redeemed 
captives,  whom  he  instructed  and  employ- 
ed in  the  ministry.     In  the  year  845,  his 
faith   was   tried   by   a  severe   affliction. 
Hamburg  was  besieged,  taken,  and  pil- 

*  Puffendorff's  Hist,  of  Sweden. 


CllfT.    IX.] 


ANSCARIUS. 


587 


laged  by  the  Normans,  and  he  himself 
escaped  with  difficulty.  On  this  occasion 
he  lost  all  his  effects :  but  his  mind  was 
so  serene,  that  he  was  not  heard  to  com- 
plain :  "  The  Lord  gave,"  said  he,  "  and 
the  Lord  hath  taken  away."  It  was  no 
inconsiderable  addition  to  his  sufTerings, 
to  hear,  that  Gausbert,  whom  he  had 
sent  into  Sweden,  was  banished  through 
a  popular  insurrection  ;  in  consequence  of 
which,  the  work  of  the  ministry  was  for 
some  years  at  a  stand  in  that  country. 
Anscarius,  reduced  to  great  poverty,  and 
deserted  by  many  of  his  followers,  per- 
sisted still  with  unweared  patience  in  the 
exercise  of  his  mission  in  the  north  of 
Europe,  till  the  bishopric  of  Bremen  was 
conferred  upon  him.  Hamburg  and  Bre- 
men were  from  that  time  considered  as 
united  in  one  diocese.  It  was  not  till 
some  pains  were  taken  to  overcome  his 
scruples,  that  he  could  be  prevailed  on 
to  accept  of  this  provision  for  his  wants. 
About  the  year  852,  Ansca- 


rius   sent    a   priest,      called 


Anscarius 

sends  a  ... 

Christian  Ardgarms,  into  Sweden,  to 
teacher  in-  Strengthen  the  faith  of  the 
to  Sweden,  few  Christians,  who  remained 
A.  D.  85'2.  there.  Among  these,  was  He- 
rigarius,  who  had  supported 
the  cause  of  Christ,  while  it  was  in  the 
most  feeble  and  afflicted  state. 

Though  Anscarius  had  made  no  great 
impression  on  Sweden,  he  was  not  dis 
couraged  in  his  views  of  propagating  the 
faith  in  the  north.  He  still  had  his  eye 
on  Denmark,  which  had  been  his  first  ob- 
ject: and  having  gained  the  friendship  of 
Eric,  who  reigned  there,  he  was  enabled 
to  gain  a  footing  in  that  country ;  and  to 
plant  the  Gospel  with  some  success  at 
Sleswick,  a  port  then  much  frequented  by 
merchants.  Many  persons,  who  had  been 
baptized  at  Hamburg,  resided  there ;  and 
a  number  of  Pagans  were  induced  to 
countenance  Christianity  in  some  degree. 
Anscarius,  through  the  friendship  of  Eric, 
found  means  also  to  visit  Sweden  once 
more.  A  recommendatory  letter  from 
that  prince  to  Olaus,  king  of  vSweden,  in- 
sured him  a  favourable  reception  in  the 
last-mentioned  country.  The  zealous 
bishop  arrived  at  Birca,  where  a  Pagan, 
who  pretended  to  intimacy  with  the  gods, 
opposed  his  designs  with  arguments 
adapted  to  the  superstitious  notions  of  the 
people.  Olaus  himself  informed  Ansca^ 
rius,  that  it  must  be  decided  by  lot,  whe- 
ther he  should  be  permitted  to  preach 
Christianity  in  Sweden.    The  missionary 


prayed,  and  the  lot  decided  in  favour  of 
his  designs.  The  profession  of  the  Gos- 
pel was  established  at  Birca,  and  Chris- 
tianity made  a  great  progress  in  Sweden. 
Anscarius  returned  into  Denmark,  and  la- 
boured there  with  success.  The  mission- 
aries, whom  he  employed,  were  directed 
by  him  to  follow  the  example  of  St.  Paul, 
by  labouring  with  their  own  hands  for 
bread ;  a  very  necessary  practice  in  those 
poor  countries. 

In  the  year  865,  this  Apostle  of  the 
north  was  called  to  his  rest.  He  had 
lived  six  years  after  the  union  of  the  dio- 
ceses of  Hamburg  and  Bre- 
men,  and  had  applied  himself  "^  ^^" 
to  the  duties  of  his  office,  both  Anscarius 
as  a  governor  and  a  preacher  dies 
of  the  Church,  with  indefati-  ^^  jy  ggj 
gable  assiduity.  A  terror  to 
the  proud,  and  a  comfort  to  the  humble, 
he  knew  how  to  divide  the  word  of  truth, 
and  to  give  each  of  the  flock  his  portion 
in  due  season.  In  all  good  works,  and 
particularly  in  his  care  of  redeeming  cap- 
tives, he  was  eminently  distinguished. 
He  erected  a  hospital  at  Bremen,  in  which 
passengers  were  relieved,  and  the  sick 
were  taken  care  of,  which,  in  that  rude 
age,  was  an  uncommon  instance  of  liber- 
ality and  compassion.  His  example  and 
authority  had  great  influence  even  among 
those  who  sold  captives  to  Pagans,  or 
kept  them  in  slavery.  They  were  induced 
by  his  exhortations  to  set  the  prisoners  at 
liberty.  He  is  said  to  have  had  the  gift 
of  miracles ;  and  though  I  cannot  give  full 
credit  even  to  the  most  plausible  stories 
of  this  nature,  which  are  related  of  him, 
because  of  the  superstitious  credulity  and 
fraudulent  inventions  of  the  times,  I  must 
confess  with  Fleury,  that  if  ever  the  gift 
of  miracles  may  be  supposed  to  have  ex- 
isted after  the  first  ages  of  Christianity, 
it  may  be  believed,  most  probably,  to 
have  been  vouchsafed  to  those,  who  were 
concerned  in  the  first  plantation  of 
Churches.*     And  it  should  be  remem- 


*  Nelson  is  of  the  same  opinion.  "  Q.  Does 
it  seem  probable,  that  if  the  conversion  of  in- 
fidels were  attempted  by  men  of  honest  and 
sincere  minds,  God  ■would  extraordinarily 
countenance  sucii  a  design  ?  A.  'Tis  agreea- 
ble to  reason  to  think  he  would,  and  in  no  way 
conti'ary  to  Scripture.  For,  as  the  wisdom  of 
God  is  never  found  to  be  prodigal  in  multiply- 
ing th6  effects  of  his  Almighty  power,  so  it  is 
never  wanting  to  afford  all  necessary  evidences 
and  motives  of  cooversion."  Nelson's  Festi- 
vals, p.  259. 


588 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


bered,  that  Sweden  and  Denmark  were, 
under  God,  indebted  to  Anscarius  for  the 
first  light  of  the  Gospel.     This  extraor- 
dinary person,  however,  was  by  no  means 
disposed  to  value  himself  on  miraculous 
powers ;  as  he  appears  to  have  been  ac- 
quainted with  a  holy  influence  of  a  more 
excellent   nature,  1   Cor.  chap.  xii.  last 
verse.    "  If  I  had  found  favourwith  God," 
said  he,  one  day,  when  he  heard  his  mira- 
cles extolled,  "  I  should  beseech  him  to 
grant  me   one   single  miracle,  even  his 
grace  to  sanctify  my  nature."     It  is  re- 
marked of  him,  that  he  never  did   any 
thing  without  recommending  himself  first 
to  God  by  prayer.     A  short  fragment  of 
an  epistle  to  the  bishops  is  the  whole  of 
his  writings  which  I  can  find  to  be  ex- 
tant.*    "  I  beg  your  earnest  prayers  to 
God  for  the  growth  and  fruitfulness  of 
this  mission  among  the  Pagans.     For,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  the  Church  of  Christ  is 
now  founded  both  in  Denmark  and  Swe- 
den; and  the  pastors  discharge  their  of- 
fice without  molestation.     May  God  Al- 
mighty make  you  all  partakers   of  this 
work  of  godly   charity,  and  joint   heirs 
with  Christ  in  heavenly  glory  !"     The 
Centuriators  have  charged  him  with  idola- 
try ;  but  the  only  proof,  which  they  give, 
is  his  superstitious  attachment  to  relics  : 
an  evil  so  general,  I  had  almost  said  uni- 
versal, at  that  time,  that  it  cannot  fix  any 
particular  blot  on  the  character  of  Ansca- 
rius.    I  see  no  proof  of  his  having  prac- 
tised or  encouraged  image-worship.     It  is 
true,  that  he  was  devoted  to  the  See  of 
Rome.     And,   in   those   days,  how   few 
were  not  so  !     The  Centuriators  in  their 
own  attachment  to  the  prejudices  of  the 
age,   in   which   they   lived,  might  have 
found  a  charitable  apology  for  those  of 
the  northern  Apostle.     If  candour  be  not 
exercised  in  such  circumstances,  we  shall 
scarcely  be  able  to  see,  for  many  ages, 
even  the  existence  of  a  Church  of  Christ. 
A  Luther,  firmly  and  decidedly  resisting, 
and  even  despising  the  current  maxims 
of  his  own  age,  is  a  rare  phenomenon. 

I  have  the  satisfaction  to  observe,  that 
Mosheim  is,  in  the  case  of  Anscarius, 
more  candid  than  the  Centuriators.  He 
allows,  that  the  labours  of  that  mission- 
ary, and  in  general  of  the  other  mission- 
aries in  this  century,  deserve  the  highest 
commendations.  If  it  were  possible  to 
exhibit  a  circumstantial  account  of  Arfsca- 


rius,  most  probably  the  justice  of  Mo- 
sheim's  encomium  on  his  character  would 
be  ascertained  beyond  the  reach  of  contra- 
diction. What  else  but  the  genuine  love 
of  God  in  Christ  could  have  furnished 
the  mind  with  such  faith  in  Providence, 
perseverance  in  hardships,  and  active 
charity  for  souls'? 

Rembert,  his  confidant,  was  appointed 
bishop  of  Bremen,  by  the  dying  v/ords  of 
the  Apostle.     He  wrote  the  life  of  his 
predecessor,  a  treatise  which 
seems  to  have  furnished  his-     R<^mbert 
torians  with  the  greatest  part     '^        ^ 

n      ,       ■  •     ^°  '.  shop  Ot 

ot  their  materials  concerning     Bremen. 

Anscarius.     Rembert  himself 

presided  over  the  Church  of  the  north,  for 

twenty-three  years,  and  established  their 

discipline  and  ecclesiastical  consistence. 

He  was  not  unworthy  of  the  confidence 

of  his  predecessor,  and  lived  and  died  an 

example  of  piety.     He  began  to  preach 

among  the  people  of  Brandenburg,  who 

hitherto  had  been  altogether  pagan,  and 

made  some  progress  toward 

their  conversion.     He  died  in     ,    ^ 

A.  D. 


*  Crantzius.    See  Cent.  Magd.  Cent.  IX.  p. 
324. 


Dies, 


Jeron,  an  English  Presby-     jeron   an 
tcr  went  over  to  Holland,  in     English 
this  century,  and  preached  the     mission- 
Gospel  there :  and,  so  far  as     ^^'Tj  niar- 
appears,    with     faithfulness.     I-VT,'^ '". 
He  was  crowned  with  mar-     ^    Iv"  ' 
tyrdom  about  the  year  849.*      ^-  ^-  ^*^' 

Patto,  a  Scotch  abbot,  was  appointed 
bishop  of  Verden,  by  Charlemagne.    The 
Centuriators  only  tell  us,  that  he  strenu- 
ously supported  popish  corruptions   and 
human  traditions.     But  Crantzius,  from 
whom  they  collected  this  account,  would 
have  informed  them  also  of  better  things.  | 
Patto,  it  appears,  had  great  success  among 
the  infidels,  but  was  grieved  to  see  Chris- 
tian professors  disgracing  the 
faith  by  their  vices.    He  faith-     Patto,  a 
fully  rebuked  them  ;  and  for     Scotcli  ab- 
his  honest  zeal  in  preaching     I'of.  mur- 
against  the  sins    of  nominal     "'^'■^'1, 
Christians,     was      murdered     A.  D.  815. 
about  the  year  815. 

Tanes,  who  had  succeeded  Patto  in  the 
Scotch  abbey,  after  a  time  left  his  situa- 
tion, and  followed  his  countryman  into 
Germany,  not  so  much  with  a  desire  of 
martyrdom,  say  the  Centuriators,  as  of 
obtaining  a  richer  benefice.  Uncharitable 
surmise !  There  is  too  much  of  this 
leaven  to  be  found  in  a  Avork,  which,  ia 


Cent.  Magd.      f  See  A.  Butler,  Vol.  II. 


Uest.  IX.] 


ANSCARIUS— REMBERT. 


589 


Crant- 
zius's  ac 
count  of 
Tanes. 


Other  respects,  abounds  in 
piety  and  industry.  The 
same  Crantzius  informs  us, 
that  Tanes,  in  fact,  laboured 
in  conjunction  with  Patto, 
and,  after  a  while,  was  appointed  his 
successor  to  the  See  of  Verden.  The 
considerate  reader  will  judge,  whether 
the  sufferings  and  hardships  which  Tanes 
and  Patto  had  sustained  among  barbarians 
were  likely  to  render  the  bishopric  of 
Verden  an  enviable  object  of  ambition] 
I  know  no  other  ground  on  which  the 


propagation  of  the  Gospel  may  be  disco- 
vered in  this  century.  The  accounts  of 
the  labours  of  Spanish  pastors  among  the 
Mahometans,  or  of  the  sufferings  of  the 
Christians  under  the  persecutions  of  the 
Moors,  are  not  sufficiently  authenti- 
cated. 

The  reader,  however,  has  seen,  in  this 
dark  century,  a  clear  demonstration,  that 
the  Church  of  Christ  still  existed.  He 
may  now,  if  he  please,  descend  with  me 
to  the  ultimate  point  of  Christian  de- 
pression. 


Vol.  I. 


3  D 


588 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


bered,  that  Sweden  and  Denmark  were, 
under  God,  indebted  to  Anscarius  for  the 
first  light  of  the  Gospel,  This  extraor- 
dinary person,  however,  was  by  no  means 
disposed  to  value  himself  on  miraculous 
powers ;  as  he  appears  to  have  been  ac- 
quainted with  a  holy  influence  of  a  more 
excellent  nature,  1  Cor.  chap.  xii.  last 
verse.  "  If  I  had  found  favour  with  God," 
said  he,  one  day,  when  he  heard  his  mira- 
cles extolled,  "  I  should  beseech  him  to 
grant  me  one  single  miracle,  even  his 
grace  to  sanctify  my  nature."  It  is  re- 
marked of  him,  that  he  never  did  any 
thing  without  recommending  himself  first 
to  God  by  prayer.  A  short  fragment  of 
an  epistle  to  the  bishops  is  the  whole  of 
his  writings  which  I  can  find  to  be  ex- 
tant.* "  I  beg  your  earnest  prayers  to 
God  for  the  growth  and  fruitfulness  of 
this  mission  among  the  Pagans.  For,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  the  Church  of  Christ  is 
now  founded  both  in  Denmark  and  Swe- 
den; and  the  pastors  discharge  their  of- 
fice without  molestation.  May  God  Al- 
mighty make  you  all  partakers  of  this 
work  of  godly  charity,  and  joint  heirs 
with  Christ  in  heavenly  glory  !"  The 
Centuriatorshave  charged  him  with  idola- 
try ;  but  the  only  proof,  which  they  give, 
is  his  superstitious  attachment  to  relics  : 
an  evil  so  general,  I  had  almost  said  uni- 
versal, at  that  time,  that  it  cannot  fix  any 
particular  blot  on  the  character  of  Ansca- 
rius. I  see  no  proof  of  his  having  prac- 
tised or  encouraged  image-worship.  It  is 
true,  that  he  was  devoted  to  the  See  of 
Rome.  And,  in  those  days,  how  few 
were  not  so  !  The  Centuriators  in  their 
own  attachment  to  the  prejudices  of  the 
age,  in  which  they  lived,  might  have 
found  a  charitable  apology  for  those  of 
the  northern  Apostle.  If  candour  be  not 
exercised  in  such  circumstances,  we  shall 
scarcely  be  able  to  see,  for  many  ages, 
even  the  existence  of  a  Church  of  Christ. 
A  Luther,  firmly  and  decidedly  resisting, 
and  even  despising  the  current  maxims 
of  his  own  age,  is  a  rare  phenomenon. 

I  have  the  satisfaction  to  observe,  that 
Mosheim  is,  in  the  case  of  Anscarius, 
more  candid  than  the  Centuriators.  He 
allows,  that  the  labours  of  that  mission- 
ary, and  in  general  of  the  other  mission- 
aries in  this  century,  deserve  the  highest 
commendations.  If  it  were  possible  to 
exhibit  a  circumstantial  account  of  Ailsca- 


*  Crantzius.     See  Cent.  Magd.  Cent.  IX.  p. 
324. 


rius,  most  probably  the  justice  of  Mo- 
sheim's  encomium  on  his  character  would 
be  ascertained  beyond  the  reach  of  contra- 
diction. What  else  but  the  genuine  love 
of  God  in  Christ  could  have  furnished 
the  mind  with  such  faith  in  Providence, 
perseverance  in  hardships,  and  active 
charity  for  souls  ? 

Rembert,  his  confidant,  was  appointed 
bishop  of  Bremen,  by  the  dying  v/ords  of 
the  Apostle.  He  wrote  the  life  of  his 
predecessor,  a  treatise  which 

seems  to  have  furnished  his-     Rt^n^b^rt 
i     •  -ii    ii  1     i         ..     made  bi- 

torians  with  the  greatest  part     ^^      ^^• 

of  their  materials  concerning     Bremen. 

Anscarius.     Rembert  himself 

presided  over  the  Church  of  the  north,  for 

twenty-three  years,  and  established  their 

discipline  and  ecclesiastical  consistence. 

He  was  not  unworthy  of  the  confidence 

of  his  predecessor,  and  lived  and  died  an 

example  of  piety.     He  began  to  preach 

among  the  people  of  Brandenburg,  who 

hitherto  had  been  altogether  pagan,  and 

made  some  progress  toward         -pj^g 

their  conversion.     He  died  in     ,    ^    ' 

A.  D.  888. 


Jeron,  an  English  Presby-  jeron  an 
ter  went  over  to  Holland,  in  English 
this  century,  and  preached  the  mission- 
Gospel  there:  and,  so  far  as  ary,  mar- 

appears,    with     faithfulness.     !-\'T,   '", 
TT  J       -.1  Hollarul, 

He  was  crowned  witli  mar-         „      ' 

tyrdom  about  the  year  849.*         '     " 

Patto,  a  Scotch  abbot,  was  appointed 
bishop  of  Verden,  by  Charlemagne.    The 
Centuriators  only  tell  us,  that  he  strenu- 
ously supported  popish  corruptions   and 
human  traditions.     But  Crantzius,  from 
whom  they  collected  this  account,  would 
have  informed  them  also  of  better  things. ■)■ 
Patto,  it  appears,  had  great  success  among 
the  infidels,  but  was  grieved  to  see  Chris- 
tian professors  disgracing  the 
faith  by  their  vices.    He  faith-     Paito,  a 
fully  rebuked  them  ;  and  for     Scotcli  ab- 
his  honest  zeal  in  preaching     bot'  "j""'- 
against  the  sins    of  nominal     "^'■'^"' 
Christians,     was      murdered     ^-  D.  815. 
about  the  year  815. 

Tanes,  who  had  succeeded  Patto  in  the 
Scotch  abbey,  after  a  time  left  his  situa- 
tion, and  followed  his  countryman  into 
Germany,  not  so  much  with  a  desire  of 
martyrdom,  say  the  Centuriators,  as  of 
obtaining  a  richer  benefice.  Uncharitable 
surmise !  There  is  too  much  of  this 
leaven  to  be  found  in  a  work,  which,  in 


*  Cent.  Magd.      f  See  A.  Butler,  Vol.  II. 


Uest.  IX.] 


ANSCARIUS— REMBERT. 


589 


Crant- 
zius's  ac 
count  of 
Tanes. 


other  respects,  abounds  in 
piety  and  industry.  The 
same  Crantzius  informs  us, 
that  Tanes,  in  fact,  laboured 
in  conjunction  with  Patto, 
and,  after  a  while,  was  appointed  his 
successor  to  the  See  of  Verden.  The 
considerate  reader  will  judge,  whether 
the  sufferings  and  hardships  which  Tanes 
and  Patto  had  sustained  among  barbarians 
were  likely  to  render  the  bishopric  of 
Verden  an  enviable  object  of  ambition  1 
I  know  no  other  ground  on  which  the 


propagation  of  the  Gospel  may  be  disco- 
vered in  this  century.  The  accounts  of 
the  labours  of  Spanish  pastors  among  the 
Mahometans,  or  of  the  sufferings  of  the 
Christians  under  the  persecutions  of  the 
Moors,  are  not  sufficiently  authenti- 
cated. 

The  reader,  however,  has  seen,  in  this 
dark  century,  a  clear  demonstration,  that 
the  Church  of  Christ  still  existed.  He 
may  now,  if  he  please,  descend  with  me 
to  the  ultimate  point  of  Christian  de- 
pression. 


Vol.  I. 


3  D 


590 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


CENTURY  X. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN 
THIS  CENTURY. 

The  famous  Annalist  of  the  Ronrian 
Church,  whose  partiality  to  the  See  of 
Rome  is  notorious,  has,  however,  the 
candour  to  own,  that  this  was  an  iron 
age,  barren  of  all  goodness;  a  leaden 
age,  abounding  in  all  wickedness  ;  and 
a  dark  age,  remarkable  above  all  others 
for  the  scarcity  of  writers,  and  men  of 
learning.*  "  Christ  was  then,  as  it  ap- 
pears, in  a  very  deep  sleep,  when  the 
ship  was  covered  with  waves ;  and  what 
seemed  worse,  when  the  Lord  was  thus 
asleep,  there  were  no  disciples,  who  by 
theircries,  mightawakenhim,beingthem- 
selves  all  fast  asleep."  Under  an  allusion 
by  no  means  incongruous  with  the  oriental 
and  scriptural  taste,  this  writer  represents 
the  Divine  Head  of  the  Church  as  having 
given  up  the  Church,  for  its  wickedness, 
to  a  judicial  impenitency,  which  conti- 
nued the  longer,  because  there  was 
scarcely  any  zealous  spirits  who  had  the 
charity  to  pray  for  the  cause  of  God  upon 
earth.  I  give  this  serious  and  devotional 
sense  to  Baronius,  because  the  words 
will  bear  it  without  the  least  violence, 
and  the  phraseology  is  perfectly  scriptu- 
ral.! 

Infidel  malice  has  with  pleasure  record- 
ed the  vices  and  the  crimes  of  the  popes 
of  this  century.  Nor  is  it  my  intention 
to  attempt  to  palliate  the  account  of  their 
wickedness.  It  was  as  deep  and  as  atro- 
cious as  language  can  paint ;  nor  can  a 
reasonable  man  desire  more  authentic  evi- 
dence of  history,  than  that,  which  the 
records  both  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
history  afford,  concerning  the  corruption 
of  the  whole  church.  One  pleasing  cir- 
cumstance, however,  occurs  to  the  mind 
of  a  genuine  Christian ;  which  is,  that 
all  this  was  predicted.  The  Book  of  the 
Revelation  may  justly  be  called  a  prophe- 
tic history  of  these  transactions,  and  the 
truth  of  Scripture  is  vindicated  by  events 

*  Baron.  Annal. 

t  As  for  instance,  Aw&ke,  why  sleepest 
thou,  0  Lord  ?    Ps.  xliv.  23. 


of  all  others  the  most  disagreeable  to  a 
pious  mind. 

What  materials  then  appear  for  the  his- 
tory of  the  real  Church  ■?  The  propaga- 
tion of  the  Gospel  among  the  Pagan 
nations,  and  the  review  of  some  writers 
of  this  century,  form  the  principal  mate- 
rials, and  shall  be  the  subjects  of  two 
distinct  chapters.  But  the  general  de- 
scription of  the  situation  of  the  Church, 
can  be  little  else  than  a  very  succinct 
enumeration  of  the  means  made  use  of  to 
oppose  the  progress  of  popery. 

The  decrees  of  the  council  of  Frank- 
fort against  image-worship  had  still  some 
influence  in  Germany,  France,  and  Eng- 
land. In  the  year  909,  a  coun- 
cil was  held  at  Trosle,  a  vil-  A  council 
lage  near  Soissons  in  France,  ^'  Frank- 
in  which  they  expressed  their  "''' 
sentiments  of  Christian  faith  A.  D.  909. 
and  practice,  without  any  mix- 
ture of  doctrine  that  was  peculiarly  pope- 
ish.  Many  Churches  still  had  the  Scrip- 
tures in  the  vulgar  tongue.  The  monks 
took  much  pains  in  our  island  to  erect  an 
independent  dominion  on  the  ruin  of  the 
secular  clergy.  This  scheme,  equally 
destructive  of  civil  and  clerical  authority, 
met,  however,  with  a  vigorous,  and,  in 
a  great  measure,  a  successful  resistance  ; 
and  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy  was  strong- 
ly opposed.  Even  the  doctrine  of  tran- 
substantiation  itself,  the  favourite  child 
of  Pascasius  Radbert,  was  still  denied 
by  many,  and  could  not  as  yet  gain  a 
firm  and  legal  establishment  in  Europe. 
Alfric,  in  England,  whose  homily  for 
Easter  used  to  be  read  in  the  Churches, 
undertook  to  prove,  that  the  elements 
were  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  not 
corporeally,  but  spiritually.  In  an  epis- 
tle heasserts,  that  this  sacrifice  is  not 
made  his  body,  in  which  he  suffered  for 
us,  nor  his  blood,  which  he  shed  for  us, 
but  is  spiritually  made  his  body  and 
blood,  as  was  the  case  with  the  manna 
which  rained  from  heaven,  and  with  the 
water  which  flowed  from  the  rock.  Op- 
position was  also  made  by  kings  and 
councils  to  the  authority  of  tlie  pope. 
One  of  the  most  remarkable  instances  of 
this  kind  took  place  in  the  council  of 


Cent.  X.] 


A  GENERAL  VIEW 


591 


Rheims,  which  deposed  a  bishop  without 
the  consent  of  the  pope.  The  story  is 
tedious  and  uninteresting-.  I  have  looked 
over  the  acts  of  the  synod,  which  are 
circumstantially  detailed  by  the  Oentu- 
riators  in  their  history  of  this  century; 
and  a  few  words  of  tlie  discourses  of 
Arnulph,  bishop  .of  Orleans,  the  presi- 
dent, may  deserve  to  be  distinctly  quot- 
ed.* "  O  deplorable  Rome,  who  in  the 
days  of  our  forefathers  producedst  so 
many  burning  and  shining  lights,  thou 
had  brought  forth,  in  our  times,  only 
dismal  darkness,  worthy  of  the  detesta- 
tion of  posterity  :  What  shall  we  do,  or 
what  council  shall  we  take "?  The  Gos- 
pel tells  us  of  a  barren  fig-tree,  and  of 
the  divine  patience  exercised  toward  it. 
Let  us  bear  with  our  primates  as  long  as 
we  can ;  and,  in  the  mean  time,  seek  for 
spiritual  food,  where  it  is  to  be  found. 
Certainly  there  are  some  in  this  holy  as- 
sembly, who  can  testify,  that  in  Belgium 
and  Germany,  both  which  are  near  us, 
there  may  be  found  real  pastors  and  emi- 
nent men  in  religion.  Far  better  would 
it  be,  if  the  animosities  of  kings  did  not 
prevent  that  we  should  seek,  in  those 
parts,  for  the  judgment  of  bishops,  than 
in  that  vefial  city,  which  weighs  all  de- 
crees by  the  quantity  of  money. — What 
think  you,  reverend  fathers,  of  this  man, 
the  pope,  placed  on  a  lofty  throne,  shin- 
ing in  purple  and  gold  1  whom  do  you 
account  him  ?  If  destitute  of  love,  and 
putTed  up  with  the  pride  of  knowledge 
only,  he  is  Antichrist  sitting  in  the  tem- 
ple of  God."t 

It  is  always  a  pleasing  speculation  to 
a  thinking  mind,  to  observe  the  ebulli- 
tions of  good  sense,  and  a  vigorous  un- 
derstanding, exerted  in  disadvantageous 
circumstances.  It  should  be  still  more 
pleasing  to  observe  them,  when  they  are 
under  the  conduct  of  humble  piety,  as  it 
may  be  presumed  was  the  case  in  this  in- 
stance of  Arnulphus.  We  see  here  even 
Luther  and  Cranmer  in  embryo.  This 
zealous  and  intelligent  Frenchman  la- 
ments, that  the  kings  of  the  earth  were 
committing  fornication  with  the  Roman 
harlot,  and  giving  their  power  to  support 


•  Bishop  Newton,  in  his  3d  Vol.  p.  161,  on 
the  Prophecies,  of  whom  I  have  made  some 
use  in  a  few  foregoing  sentences,  assigns  the 
•words  to  Gerbert,  of  Rheims.  The  acts  of 
the  synod  which  I  have  mentioned  sliow  his 
mistake  5  they  expressly  ascribe  them  to  Ar- 
nulphus. 

f  2  Thess,  ii. 


her  grandeur.  He  cast  his  e5'es  toward 
the  Netherlands  and  Germany,  which  ap- 
pear to  have  bad,  at  that  time,  a  degree 
of  liglit  and  purity  unknown  at  Rome : 
he  eagerly  wishes  to  oppose  this  light 
and  purity  to  the  darkness  and  the  profli- 
gacy of  Rome.  Like  Liither,  he  is  fear- 
ful of  throwing  all  things  into  confusion 
by  hasty  and  precipitate  methods :  and, 
like  Cranmer,  in  the  case  of  Henry  VIII. 's 
divorce,  he  wishes  to  appeal  to  the  un- 
prejudiced judgment  of  men  more  learned 
and  more  virtuous,  than  any  to  be  found 
at  Rome,  against  the  scandalous  oppres- 
sions of  that  venal  city.  That  which 
Arnulphus  conceived  so  judiciously,  in  an 
age  the  most  unfavourable  to  reformation, 
Luther  in  Germany,  and  Cranmer  in. 
England,  afterward  effected.  It  is  not, 
however,  to  be  supposed,  that  even  those 
magnanimous  struggles  for  Christian 
light  and  liberty  were  in  vain.  The  Spi- 
rit of  God  was  evidently  still  with  the 
recent  churches  of  Germany  and  the 
North ;  and  France  itself  was  by  no 
means  destitute  of  men  who  feared  God, 
and  served  him  in  the  Gospel  of  his 
Son. 

There  is  an  ultimate  point  of  depres- 
sion in  morals,  below  which  the  common 
sense  of  mankind  and  the  interests  of 
society  will  not  permit  the  scandalous 
protligac}^  of  governors,  whether  secular 
or  ecclesiastic,  to  descend.  The  Church 
of  Rome  had  sunk  to  this  point  in  the 
present  century.  Not  only  moral  virtue 
itself,  but  even  the  appearance  of  it,  was 
lost  in  the  metropolis  :  and  the  Church, 
now  trampled  on  by  the  most  worthless 
prelates,  and  immersed  in  profaneness, 
sensuality,  and  lewdness,  called  for  the 
healing  aid  of  the  civil  magistrate.  Otho 
I.  emperor  of  Germany,  came  to  Rome  : 
and,  by  the  united  powers  of  the  civil 
and  the  military  sword,  reduced  that  ca- 
pital into  some  degree  of  order  and  deco- 
rum. He  put  an  end  to  the  irregular  and 
infamous  customs  of  intruding  into  the 
popedom,  and  confirmed  to  himself  and 
his  successors  the  right  of  choosing  the 
supreme  pontiff  in  future.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  a  greater  degree  of  moral 
decorum  began  to  prevail  in  the  papacy, 
though  matter  of  fact,  evinces  but  too  plain- 
ly, that  religious  principle  was  still  as 
much  wanting  as  ever.  The  effect  of  Orho'3 
regulations  was,  that  the  popes  exchang- 
ed the  vices  of  the  rake  and  the  de- 
bauchee, for  those  of  the  ambitious  poli- 
tician and  the  hypocrite  ;  and  gradually 


593 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  I. 


recovered,  by  a  prudent  conduct,  the  do- 
aiineering  ascendency,  which  had  been 
lost  by  vicious  excesses.  But  this  did 
not  begin  to  take  place  till  the  latter  end 
of  the  eleventh  century.  If  a  very  mo- 
derate degree  of  Christian  knowledge 
had  obtained,  during  Otho's  time,  in  the 
Christian  world,  the  farce  of  St.  Peter's 
dominion  at  Rome  by  his  successors, 
would  have  been  at  an  end.  But  there 
arose  no  Claudius  of  Turin  in  this  cen- 
tury. The  little  specimen  of  the  elo- 
quence of  Arnulphus,  which  has  been 
mentioned,  was  the  only  effort  I  can  find, 
which  was  made  to  stem  the  torrent  of 
Roman  tyranny.  The  whole  western 
world,  with  Otho  at  its  head,  an  emperor 
of  upright  intentions,  and  of  shining  en- 
dowments, agreed  to  reverence  that  See 
as  supreme,  which  had  laboured  as  it 
were,  by  the  most  infamous  practices,  to 
degrade  itself,  and  to  convince  mankind, 
that  it  could  not  possibly  be  of  divine 
appointment.  The  popes  were  rebuked, 
condemned,  and  punished  ;  but  the  pope- 
dom was  reverenced  as  much  as  ever. 
God  had  put  in  the  hearts  of  princes  to 
fulfil  his  will ;  and  to  agree,  and  give 
their  kingdom  unto  the  "  Beast,"  until 
the  words  of  God  should  be  fulfilled.' 
The  Roman  prelates,  convinced  of  the 
necessity  of  more  caution  and  decorum  in 
the  use  of  their  power,  recovered  by  po- 
litical artifice  what  they  had  lost,  and 
became,  in  the  issue,  more  terrible  and 
more  pernicious  in  the  exercise  of  their 
power  than  ever.  The  neglect  of  so  fa- 
vourable an  opportunity  for  emancipating 
the  Church  from  religious  slavery,  is  the 
highest  proof  of  the  extreme  ignorance 
of  these  times,  and  deserved  to  be  no- 
ticed. 

This  was  an  age  of  great  political  re- 
gulations. The  choice  of  the  German 
emperor  was  restricted  to  certain  elec- 
tors, with  whom  it  continues  to  the 
present  time.  The  empire  had,  indeed, 
been  entirely  separated  from  the  French 
monarchy,  in  the  latter  end  of  the  fore- 
going century.  But,  in  this,  the  great 
Otho  more  firmly  fixed  the  imperial 
crown,  in  the  name  and  nation  of  Ger- 
many. He  himself  was  sprung  from 
the  dukes  of  Saxony ;  and  deserved  much 
of  all  Europe  for  liis  memorable  victory 
over  the  Turks,  by  which  the  same  re- 
straint was  laid  on  their  inroads  into  Ger- 
many, as  had  been  laid  in  France  on  the 


*  Rev.  xvii,  11 


inroads  of  the  Saracens  into  that  king- 
dom, by  the  victorious  arms  of  Charles 
Martel,  the  grandfather  of  Charlemagne. 
The  Turks  were  a  fierce  and  valiant  na- 
tion, who  inhabited  the  coast  of  the  Cas- 
pian sea,  and  who  were  let  loose  on  man- 
kind as  a  just  providential  scourge,  on 
account  of  the  contempt  of  divine  truth, 
and  the  overflowing  torrent  of  iniquity 
which  had  pervaded  Christendom.  They 
gradually  superseded  the  Saracens,  and 
seized  their  power  and  empire  ;  but  no 
great  alteration  took  place  in  the  civil  si- 
tu'ation  of  the  East  or  the  West  on  that 
account.  For  the  Turks  universally  em- 
braced Mahometanism,  the  religion  of 
the  vanquished ;  and  with  that  the  hatred 
of  the  Saracens  to  the  Christian  name  ; 
nor  have  they  to  this  day  acquired  either 
politeness  or  science  to  such  a  degree  as 
might  mitigate  their  ferocity. 

In  all  this  disastrous  period,  I  find 
scarcely  any  prince,  except  Otho,  actuat- 
ed with  a  spirit  of  religious  zeal :  indeed, 
his  two  successors  of  the  same  name,  in- 
herited some  portion  of  his  talents  and 
virtues.  The  efforts  of  Otho  to  purify 
the  Church,  to  promote  learning,  to  erect 
bishoprics,  to  endow  churches,  and  to 
propagate  the  Gospel  among  the  barba- 
rous nations,  were  highly  laudable.  And 
so  steady  and  sincere  were  his  exertions 
of  this  nature,  and  so  amiable  was  his 
private  life,  that  I  cannot  but  hope,  that 
he  was  himself  a  real  Christian.  His 
empress,  Adelaide,  was  no  less  remark- 
able for  her  zeal  and  liberality.  But  I 
scarcely  need  to  say,  that  the  reigning 
ignorance,  superstition,  and  wickedness, 
defeated,  or  abused  their  well-meant  de- 
signs ;  those  alone  excepted,  which  re- 
garded the  propagation  of  the  Gospel 
among  the  Pagans. 

In  the  west  the  Normans,  in  the  east 
the  Turks,  committed  the  most  dreadful 
outrages  on  the  Church.  In  our  own 
island  I  find  nothing,  in  all  this  period, 
but  ignorance,  superstition,  and  the  ra- 
vages of  northern  barbarians.  The  state 
of  France  was  not  much  different:  the 
latter  king-s  of  ihe  house  of  Charlemagne 
were  dwindled  into  ciphers  ;  and,  toward 
the  close  of  the  century,  the  third  race  of 
French  kings  began  in  the  person  of  Hugh 
Capet.  This  prince  was  himself  by  no 
means  so  renowned  as  Clovis  and  Char- 
lemagne, the  heads  of  the  first  and  se- 
cond race  ;  but  his  posterity  remained  on 
the  throne  for  a  much  longer  series  of 
years  than  that  of  the  two  former,  though 


Ce  XT.  X.] 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 


593 


the  name  of  Capet  was  almost  forgotten 
in  the  world.  It  has,  however,  been 
rendered  familiar  to  our  ears  of  late,  by 
a  series  of  transactions,  which  have  is- 
sued in  the  ruin  of  that  house,  and  in  the 
exhibition  of  scenes,  which  have  equally 
outraged  every  principle  of  religion,  ho 
nour,  and  humanity. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL  IN 
THIS  CENTURV. 

-    The  Hungarians  had  received    some 
ideas  of  Christianity  in  the  time  of  Char- 
lemagne.    But,  on  his  decease,  they  re- 
lapsed into  the  idolatries  of  their  fathers, 
and  the  Christian  name  was  almost  ex- 
tinguished among  them.     Nor  is  it  pro- 
bable, that  they  had  ever  been  much  in- 
structed  in   the   real    Gospel  of  Christ. 
But  toward   the  middle  of  this  century, 
two   Hungarian  chiefs,    whose   govern- 
ments lay  on  the  banks  of  the  Danube, 
made    profession   of    Christianity;    and 
were  baptized  at  Constantinople.     These 
two  leaders  were  called  Bologudes  and 
Gylas.     The   former   soon   apostatized  : 
the  latter  persevered  ;  received   instruc- 
tion from  Hierotheus,  a  bishop,  who  had 
accompanied  him  from  Constantinople; 
and  encouraged  the  labours  of  the  same 
bishop  among  his  subjects.     The  eii'eets 
proved  salutary  to  the  Hungarian  nation: 
Sarolta,    the    daughter   of    Gylas,    was 
given   in   marriage  to  Geysa,  the  chief 
prince  of   Hungary.      She   prevailed  on 
her  husband  to  receive  Christianity,  and 
the    Gospel   was   once  more   introduced 
into  a  country  through  the  zealous  piety 
of  a  woman.     Geysa,  however,  still  re- 
tained much  inclination  to  the  idolatry  of 
his  fathers,    though    his    conversations 
with  Christian  captives  and  missionaries 
made  a  strong  impression  on  his  mind  : 
but  he  was  prevented  from  apostatizing, 
by  the   zeal   and   authority  of  Adalbert, 
archbishop  of  Prague,  who  visited  Hun- 
gary toward  the  conclusion  of  this  cen- 
tury.     Whether   the   king's   conversion 
was  real  or  nominal,  the  most  salutary 
consequences   attended   the  reception  of 
the  Gospel  by  his  subjects.     Humanity, 
peace  and  civilization  began  to  flourish 
among  a  people  hitherto  fierce  and  bar- 
barous in  the  extreme.     vStephen,  the  son 
of  Geysa,    was  baptized  by  Adalbert ; 
3d2 


Adalbert 
born, 

A.  D.  956. 


and  became  a  more  decisive  defender  of 
the  faith  than  his  father  had  been.  Under 
Stephen,  Hungary  was  almost  wholly 
evano-elized  ;  and  nothino-  was  omitted 
by  this  zealous  prince  to  establish  Chris- 
tianity throughout  his  dominions.  There 
is  every  reason  to  believe  that  many  real 
conversions  took  place,  though  I  can  give 
no  particular  account  of  them. 

But  Adalbert  has  been  mentioned  ;  and 
it  will  be  proper   to  give  the   reader  a 
short  sketch  of  the  life  of  that  extraordi- 
nary personage.*  He  was  born 
in  956,  and  ordained  by  Dieth- 
mar,    archbishop  of  Prague. 
He  beheld  this  same  archbish- 
op dying  in  terrible  agonies  of 
conscience,  on  account  of  his  neglect  of 
pastoral  duty,  and   his   secular   avarice. 
Adalbert  was  appointed  his  successor ; 
but  with  so  little  satisfaction  to  himself, 
that  he  was  never  seen  to  smile  after- 
wards.    Beino-  asked  the  reason,  he  said, 
"  It  is  an  easy  thing  to  wear  a  mitre  and 
a  cross,  but  an  awful  thing  to  give  an 
account  of  a  bishopric  before  the  Judge 
of  quick  and  dead."     Bohemia,  the  scene 
of  his  diocese,  was  covered  with  idola- 
try :    there   were   Christians,  indeed,  in 
that  country,  but  chiefl)^  nominal   ones. 
In  vain  did  the  pious  archbishop  endea- 
vour to  reform  the  evils  and  abuses.  The 
people  undesignedly  gave  the  noblest  tes- 
timony to  his  sincerity,  when  the)'  ob- 
served, that  it  was  impossible  for  him 
and  them  to  have  communion  with  each 
other,  because  of  the  perfect  opposition 
of  life  and  conversation.     Adalbert  sigh- 
ing over  the    wretched    objects   of  his 
charge,  and  still  willing  to  labour  in  the 
best  of  causes,  travelled  as  a  missionary 
into  Poland,  and  planted  the  Gospel  in 
Dantzic.     Here  his  labours  seem  to  have 
been  crowned  with  good  success.     In  vi- 
siting a  small   island   he   was   knocked 
down  with  the  oar  of  a  boat :  however, 
recovering  himself,  he  made  his  escape, 
rejoicing  that  he  was  counted  worth)'  to 
suffer  for  the  name  of  Christ,  and  with 
his   fellow-labourers    quitted   the   place. 
Indeed  he  was  forced  to  :flee  for  his  life  : 
and,  at  length,  was  murdered  by  barba- 
rians  in   Lithuania ;    or,    as 
some  think,  in  Prussia,  about 
the  year  997.     Siggo,  a  pagan 
priest,  was  the  principal  in- 
strument of  his  death.     He  is 
commonly  styled  the  apostle 


Murdered 
by  barba- 
rians, 

A.  D.  997. 


*  Alban  Butler's  Saints  Lives,  Vol.  IV. 


594 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


of  Prussia,*  though  he  only  evangelized ,  time  took  care,  so  far  as  it  lay  in  his 
the  city  of  Dantzic,  which  is  in  the  neigh-;  power,  that  they  should  apply  themselves 
bourhood  of  that  country.  Such  was  to  devotion.  That  he  would  be  very 
Adalbert: — and  so  small  is  the  account;  earnest  in  these  pious  efforts  will  admit 
transmitted  to  us,  of  one  of  the  wisest  of  no  doubt,  if  it  be  true,  that  he  de- 
and  best  of  men,  whom  God  had  raised' clared,  that  he  found  more  delight  in 
up  for  the  instruction  of  the  species, — a |  heavenly  exercises  during  one  moment, 
man  willing  to  labour  and  to  suffer  for  than  a  worldly  soul  finds  in  worldly  plea- 


Christ  ! 

Wolfang,  bishop  of  Ratisbon,  may  pro- 
perly accompany  Adalbert,  who  had 
received  his  bishopric  of  Prague,  in  cou- 


Wolfang 
bishop  of 
Ratisbon, 


sures  for  a  thousand  years.* 

If  we  look  into  Scandinavia,  we  find  that 

the  Avork  of  God,  which  had   begun   so 

prosperously  in  the  last  century,  by  the 

sequence  of Wolfang's  having' labours  of  Anscarius,  had  met  with  a  se- 

vacated  part  of  his  diocesejvere   check   in   Denmark,   whose   king. 

The  latter  j  Gormo  the  3d,|  laboured  to  extirpate  the 

of    Suabia,]  Gospel  there  entirely.     His  queen  Tyra, 

a  school  in  however,   openly  professed  it,  and  gave 


for  that  purpose, 
was  a  native 
brousrht    up    at 


and    was 

Wurtzburg.  His  experience  gave  him  ^  it  all  the  support  which  she  was  enabled 
an  opportunity  of  seeing,  that  professors:  to  do,  under  great  disadvantages.  But 
of  wisdom  may  even  be  greater  slaves  to'  the  power  and  influence  of  the  king  pre- 
pride  and  envy  than  the  illiterate.  Wea-i  vailed,  and  most  of  his  subjects  returned 
ried  with  the  view  of  scholastic  strifes,!  to  idolatry.  At  length  Henry  I.  called 
he  sighed  for  solitude,  but  was  engaged  j  the  Fowler,  the  predecessor  of  the  great 
to  attend  Henry,  his  friend,  to  Triers,!  Otho,  led  an  army  into  Denmark;  and, 
who  was  there  chosen  archbishop.  Wol-' through  the  terror  of  his  arms,  obliged 
fang  there  taught  children,  and  was  dean  I  Gormo    to    promise   submission    to   the 


of  a  community  of  ecclesiastics.  lu  972, 
he  went  to  preach  in  Hungary, 
but  had  no  great  success.  He 
was  afterwards  appointed  bi- 
shop of  Ratisbon:  there  he 
reformed  the  clergy,  and  was 

indefatigable    in    preaching   twenty-two 

years.     Henry,  duke  of  Bavaria,  placed;  Gormo,  however,  received  the  word  with 


Preaches 
in  Hun- 
gary, 

A.  D.  972, 


commands  of  the  emperor.  Under  the 
protection  of  this  last  prince,  Unni,  thea 
archbishop  of  Hamburg,  with  some  faith- 
ful labourers,  came  into  Denmark,  and 
brought  over  many  to  the  profession 
of  Divine  truth  ;  but  Gormo  himself  re 
mained   inflexible.     Harald,  the  son  of 


under  him  his  four  children,  Henry,  after 
wards  emperor, — Gisela,  queen  of  Hun- 
gary,— Bruno,  bishop  of  Augsburg, — and 


respect :  for  his  mother  Tyra  by  her  in- 
structions had,  at  least,  removed  all  pre- 
judice from  his  mind,     Unni,  with  the 


Dies, 
A.  D.  904. 


Brigit,   abbess   of  Ratisbon,  consent   of  Gormo,  visited  the  islands, 


Wol- 


all  eminent  characters 
fang  died  in  994. | 
The  plantation  of  the  Gospel  in  Bran- 
denburg was  begun  by  the 
zeal  and  victorious  arms  of 
Charlemagne;  but  was  not 
completed,  in  a  national 
sense,  till  the  year  928,  under 
Henry  the  Fowler,  the  pre- 
decessor of  Otho  I.:j: 
The  labours  of  Gerajrd,  bishop  of  Toul 

in  Germany,  also  deserve  to  be  mentioned. 

He  was  himself  an  eminent  preacher ; 
and  often  commissioned  zeal- 
ous pastors  to  preach  in 
country  parishes.  He  culti- 
vated learning^  amonsr  his 
disciples ;    but  at  the  same 


The  Gos- 
pel plant- 
ed in 
Branden- 
burg, 

A.  D.  928. 


Gerard  of 
Toul  la- 
hours  in 
Germany. 


*  Moslieim,  Cent.  XI.  chap.  I. 
t  Butler,  X. 
if  Memoii-s  of  the  House  of  Brandenburg, 
by  the  late  king  of  Prussia. 


and  fornned  Christian  churches 
them.  The  king  liimself  was  allowed  by 
his  conqueror  Henry,  to  choose,  whether 
he  would  receive  Christianity,  or  reject 
it ;  but  was  prohibited  from  persecuting 
the  faith,  in  his  dominions  :  and  thus,  by 
a  singular  concurrence  of  circumstances, 
a  sovereign  prince  was,  by  a  foreiga 
power,  prevented  from  committing  that 
evil  among  his  subjects,  to  which  hii3 
own  inclination  would  have  led  him.  I 
cannot  vindicate  the  imperious  pro- 
ceedings of  Henry  ;  the  labours  of  Unni 
were,  however,  highly  laudable,  and 
Providence  smiled  on  his  benevolent 
views  in  propagating  truth  and  holiness. 
Unni,  animated  with  success,  deter- 
mined to  follow  the  pattern  of  Anscarius, 
and  to  visit  the  kingdom  of  Sweden.   He 


*  Butler,  IV. 
f  Centuriat.  cent. 


X.  Mosheim,  cent.  x.  c.  1. 


Uest.X.] 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 


595 


entered  the  Baltic,  and  arrived  at  Birca : 
there  he  found  that  the  Gospel  had  been 
extinct :  for  seventy  years,  no  bishop  had 
appeared  among  them,  except  Rembert, 
the  successor  of  Anscarius.  There  pro- 
bly  were,  however,  some  souls  then  alive, 
who  had  heard  the  Gospel  with  joy  in 
former  times ;  and  it  pleased  God  to  give 
large  sucess  to  the  ministry  of  Unni.  He 
fixed  the  Gospel  in  Sweden, 
and  planted  it  even  in  the  re- 
moter parts  of  that  northern 
reo-ion.      At    length,  he  fin- 


Unn  i, 
Archbi- 
sliop  of 
Hamburg, 
fixed  the 
Gospel  in 
Sweden ; 
and  (lies, 

A.  D.  936. 


ished  his  glorious  course  at 
--"      The 


Birca,  in  the  year  936 
savage  disposition  of  the 
princes,  and  the  confusion  of 
the  times,  had  tended  to  obli- 
terate the  traces  of  Anscarius's  labours: 
but,  at  length,  Eric,  the  eighth  king  of 
Sweden,  and  still  more  his  son  and  suc- 
cessor, Olaus  the  second,  favoured  the 
propagation  of  the  Gospel. 

The  former  of  these  princes  requested 
the  archbishop  of  Bremen  to  supply  his 
kingdom  with  missionaries.     The  arch- 
bishop sent  him  two  persons  of  know- 
ledge, piety,  and  integrity,  Adalvard  and 
Stephen.     They  laboured  with  much  suc- 
cess for  a  time  ;   but  the  natural  enmity 
of  depraved   mankind   will   exert   itself 
against  true  piety,  whatever  be  the  form 
of  government   under  which  men   live. 
The  nobles  of  Sweden  were  enraged  to 
find   their   licentiousness  of  manners  so 
restrained ;  and  they  commenced  a  reli- 
gious persecution  against  both  the  mis- 
sionaries and  the  king.     The  former  were 
beaten  with  rods,  and  expelled  from  Up- 
sal :  the  latter  was  murdered  on  account 
of  his   piety.      His   son   and  successor 
Olaus  was    not   discouraged   from   che- 
rishing Christianity;    and  his  zeal  and 
piety  were  crowned  with  success.* 

Thus  were  Sweden  and  Denmark,  after 
a  variety  of  changes,  reduced  into  sub- 
jection to  the  form,  and,  no  doubt,  many 
individuals  to  the  power  of  the  Gospel. 
In  the  latter  country,  after  the  death  of 


whose  name  had  been  Sueno;  and,  in 
honour  of  the  emperor  he  was  now  called 
Suen-Otho.     Harald,   during   his  whole 
life,  took  every  wise  and  salutary  method 
to  propagate  divine  truth  among  his  sub- 
jects, and  to  restrain  vice  and  immorality. 
Nor  is  it  much  to  be  doubted,  that  he 
would  instruct  his  son  Suen-Otho  to  act 
in  the  same  manner ;  and  labour  to  im- 
press on  his  mind  the  power  of  that  di- 
vine religion,  which  he  himself  seems  to 
have  felt.     Be  that  as  it  may,  Suen-Otho 
formed  a  junction  with  the  chiefs  of  the 
country,  who  were  otTended  at  the  pious 
zeal  of  Harald  :  in  consequence  of  which, 
the  latter  was  murdered :  and  Suen-Otho, 
renouncing   even   the  name,  which  had 
been  imposed  upon  him,  persecuted  the 
Christians  with  great  cruelty ;  and,  for  a 
time,  gave  a  predominancy  to  the  Pagan 
interest  in  his  dominions.     It  is  remark- 
able,  however,   that,   like   another  ]\la- 
nasseh,  in  his  affliction  he  knew  that  the 
Lord  was  God.     Being  expelled  from  his 
throne,  and  forced  to  live  in  exile  among 
the  Scots,  he  was  induced  to  remember 
the  lessons  of  his  childhood  :  he  repented 
of  his  crimes  ;  and,  being  restored  to  his 
throne,  like  the  same  TSlanasseh  he  la- 
boured to  destroy  the  idolatry  which  he 
had  supported,  and,  in  the  latter  part  of 
his  life,  trode  in  the  steps  of  his  father. 

In  this  century,  the  light  of  the  Gos- 
pel penetrated  into  Norway.*     About  the 
year  912,  an  English  missionary,  named 
Bernard,  attempted  to  plant     rphp  Gos- 
the  doctrine  of  Christ  in  this 
barbarous  region.    Olaus,  the 
iking,    listened    to    his    dis- 
I  courses,  and  professed  him- 
self to  be  a  convert;  but  he 
still   attended  to  omens  and 
Gentile    superstitions.      All 
the  arguments  of  Bernard  were  ineffectual 
to  cure  him  of  his  inveterate  propensities  ; 
whence  he  was  more  a  disgrace  than  an 
ornament  to   las    profession. 
About  the  year  933,  another 


pel  carried 
into  Nor- 
way by  aa 
English 
mission- 
ary, 

A.  D.  912. 


Other  mis- 
sionaries, 

A.  D.  933. 


king,  called  Hagen,  who  had 
Henry  I.  the  inhabitants  refused  to  pay  been  educated  among  the 
tribute  to  Otho  the  Great,  his  successor.  English,  employed  certain  missionaries 
This  monarch  obliged  them  to  submit;  of  that  nation  to  instruct  his  subjects, 
andrequiredHarald,  the  son  and  successor  But  the  Norwegians  persisted  in  their 
of  Gormo,  to  receive  Christian  baptism,  idolatry  ;    and  his  successor  Graufeldt. 

pursued  the  same  plan  but  without  effect. 

Several  successive   princes   laboured  in 

the  same  cause,  with  the  same  ill  success. 


All  that  we  know  of  this  prince,  inclines 
me  to  believe,  that  there  was  no  reluc- 
tance on  his  part.  He  was  baptized, 
together  with  his   wife  and  little   son, 


The  form  of  a  government  established  in 


*  Cent.  Magd.  cent.  x. 


1     *  Centuriat.  cent.  s.  Mosheim,  cent.  x.  ch.  i. 


596 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH; 


[Chap.  H. 


any  country,  seems  from  experience  tr 
have  been  of  no  capital  moment,  in  regard 
to   the   success   of    Christian   missions. 
Despotism,  limited  monarchy,  and  repub- 
licanism, have  each  been  serviceable  or 
detrimental  in  the  cause ;    and  to  asso- 
ciate strongl}''  any  one   of  these   forms 
with  the  progress  of  the  Gospel,  is  per- 
haps, forming  an  imagination  of  an  alli- 
ance between  Church  and  state  that  has 
no  solid  foundation  in  nature.    We  see,  in 
the  case  before  us,  that  a  republican  form 
vf'ould  have  proved  destructive  to  the  best 
of  causes.     It  is  to  the  effusion  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  directing  subordinate  causes, 
and,  independently  of  mere  human  poli- 
tics, that  the  success  of  the  Gospel   is 
ever  to  be  ascribed.     At  length,  Haco, 
king  of  Norway,  being  driven  from  his 
throne,  on  account  of  his  tyrannical  go- 
vernment, having  himself  also  persecuted 
the  Christians  in  Norway,  and  having  put 
himself  under  the  protection  of  that  same 
Harald    of   Denmark,    whom   we   have 
already  celebrated,  became  a  patron  of 
Christianity  among  his  people.     For  Ha- 
rald both  instructed  him  in  the  nature  of 
Christianity,  and  restored  him  to  his  do- 
minions. Haco,  humbled  and  enlightened, 
recommended  the  Gospel  in  an  assembly 
A  n   Q45      *^^  ^^^  people,  in  the  year  945. 
His  zeal  and  solemnity  were 
very   striking;  but  the  fierce   and   bar- 
barous   people  were  not  much   moved  ; 
and  the  remembrance  of  his  former   ill 
conduct  would  naturally  prejudice   their 
minds   against    his    arguments.     Olaus, 
who  reigned  sometime  after,  was  the  most 
successful  of  all  the  Norwegian  princes  in 
recommending  Christianity.     At  length, 
Swein,  king  of  Denmark,  having  made 
himself  master  of  Norway,  obliged  Ids 
subjects   universally   to   renounce    their 
gods,  and  profess  the  Gospel.  Doubtless 
many  compulsory  methods  were  used  by 
several,  probably  by  all  these  princes,  by 
no  means  agreeable  to  the  genius  of  the 
Gospel.  Their  intentions,  however,  seem 
laudable  ;    and  at  least  the  aealous  la- 
bours of  the  missionaries  deserve  to  be 
noticed.     Among  these,    Guthebald,   an 
English  pastor,  was  most  eminent.    The 
idol  Thor  was  dragged  from  its  place, 
and   publicly  burnt  in  the   sight   of  its 
worshippers.     In   fact,  Norway,   in  the 
form  of  its   religion,  became   Christian 
throughout.     The  Orkney  islands,  then 
subject  to  the  Norwegian  crown,  received 
the  light  of  the   Gospel,  which,  in  some 
degree,  penetrated  also  into  Iceland,  and 


Labours  of 
Adalbert. 


Greenland ;  and,  in  this  century,  the 
triumph  of  Christianity  was  complete 
throughout  all  Scandinavia. 

The  labours  of  Adelbert,  the  first  arch- 
bishop of  Magdeburg,  deserve  to  be  men- 
tioned in  this   place.     The  Rugi,  about 
the   year  960,  entreated    the 
emperor  Otho  I.  to  send  them 
a  Christian  bishop.  This  peo- 
ple lived  in  Pomerania,  between  the  Oder 
and  the  Wipper,  and  in  the  isle  of  Rugen 
in  the   Baltic.     The  town  of  Rugenwald 
still  bears  their  name.     They  were  a  re- 
markably savage  race,  and  had  a  famous 
temple  in  Rugen.     Certain  monks  of  the 
mission-seminary  of  new  Corbie,  had  for- 
merly laboured  with  success,  in  various 
provinces  of  the  Sclavi  or  Sclavonians, 
and  in  the  whole  isle  of  Rugen,  the  Rugi 
being  a  tribe  of  the  Sclavi.     An  oratory 
was   erected   in   the   isle,  in   honour   of 
Christ,  and  in  memory  of  St.  Vitus,  pa- 
tron of  new  Corbie.    But  the  savage  peo- 
ple soon  relapsed ;  and  making  Vitus  the 
chief  of  their  gods,  erected  to  him  a  tem- 
ple and  idol  with  sacrifices,  permitting  no 
merchant  to  buy  or  sell  there  who  did  not 
first  give  some  offering  for  their  sacrifices, 
or  for  the  temple  of  their  god,  whom  they 
now  called  Swantewith.     "  Thus,"  says 
Helmodus,  "  the  man  whom  we  confess 
a  martyr  and  servant  of  Christ,  they  adore 
as  god,  a  creature  for  the  Creator ;  nor  is 
there  any  nation,  who  so  much  abhors 
Christians,  especially  pastors."     A  me- 
morable caution  for  teachers   to  beware 
est  their  instructions  of  the  heathen  may 
only  lead  them  from  one  species  of  idola- 
try to  another.    However,  at  their  desire, 
Otho  I.  sent  Adelbert  to  the  isle.     But 
the  people  were  hardened  :  several  of  his 
fellow-preachers  were  murdered,  though 
he    himself   escaped.      This 
fruitless  mission  was  in  961.       Mission, 
Adelbert  was  afterwards,  in     A.  D.  961. 
i)70,  a])pointed  archbishop  of 
Magdeburg,  where  Adelaide  the  empress, 
and  widow  of  Otho  I.  passed  the  greatest 
part  of  her  time,  and  gave  herself  up  very 
much    to  his  directions :    she  had    gone 
through  a  great  variety  of  prosperity  and 
adversity,  and  was  very  pious  and  exem- 
plary.    Adelbert  was   an   instrument  of 
converting  great  numbers  of  the  Sclavi : 
he  supplied  his  diocese  with  able  pastors 
for  the  new  converts,  and  died 
in  982,  having  very  laudably 
ruled  the  Church  for  twelve 


years.* 


Adelbert 
dies, 

A.  D.  983. 


*  Butler,  XII. 


Cext.  X.] 


ULRIC. 


597 


Rollo  pro- 
fesses tlie 
Christian 
religion, 

A.  D.  912. 


In  the  preceding  century,  Rollo,  a  Nor- 
wegian pirate,  at  the  head  of  a  valiant 
and  lawless  band  of  soldiers,  who  are 
commonly  called  Xormans,  invaded  and 
ravaged  France.  But  in  the 
year  91-2,  Charles  the  Simple, 
a  monarch  ill  calculated  to 
withstand  so  powerful  an  ene- 
my, purchased  a  peace,  by  in- 
vesting Rollo  with  the  duke- 
dom of  Normandy,  and  by  giving  him 
his  daughter  Gisela  in  marriage,  on  con- 
dition that  he  should  embrace  Chris- 
tianity. All  religions  were  equally  in- 
different to  Rollo  and  his  followers  :  they 
therefore  professed  the  Gospel  without 
the  least  hesitation.  It  seemed  proper  to 
notice  this  event,  as  introducing  the  fa- 
mous line  of  Norman  dukes  into  France, 
■whose  history,  in  process  of  time,  in- 
volves so  much  both  of  French  and  Eng- 
lish history.  As  for  the  rest,  I  know  of 
no  evidence  of  an  effusion  of  the  Divine 
Spirit  which  attended  their  reception  of 
Christianity.  The  Normans,  however, 
gradually  became  better  members  of  so- 
ciety ;  and  at  length  began  to  patronize, 
in  some  form  or  other,  something  that 
'  bore  the  appearance  of  more  serious  reli- 
gion. _ 

While  the  nations,  who  had  long  en- 
joyed the  forms  of  true  religion,  were 
slumbering  in  superstitions,  or  wallowing 
in  gross  wickedness,  the  Head  of  the 
Church,  in  his  providence,  still  reserved 
to  himself  a  godly  seed;  and,  by  their 
labours,  extended  the  pale  of  the  Gos- 
pel. Poland  had  hitherto  remained  in  the 
thickest  nijrht  of  igrnorance,  and  both  an 
inland  situation  and  a  barbarous  neigh- 
bourhood seemed  to  exclude  it  from  the 
light  of  divine  truth.  Some  Poles,  how- 
ever, travelling  into  Bohemia*  and  Mo- 
ravia, on  account  of  business,  were  struck 
"with  what  they  heard  concerning  Chris- 
tianity :  they  listened  to  the  ministry  of 
the  Word  of  God,  and  received  it  gladly. 
Returning  home,  they  every  where  re- 
commended to  their  countrymen  the  grace 
of  the  Gospel.  ^loreover,  foreigners  of- 
ten visiting  Poland,  on  accpunt  of  trade, 
preached  Christ  as  they  were  able,  to  the 
Poles.  Something  divinely  excellent  ap- 
peared to  be  in  Christianity  ;  and  the  hap- 
py infection  spread  from  heart  to  heart. 
It  reached,  at  length,  Micislaus,  the  king 
or  duke  of  Poland ;  who  divorced  his 
seven  wives,  with  whom  he  had  coha- 


»  Cent.  Ma"d. 


bited,  and  married  Dambrouca,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Boleslaus,  the  duke  of  Bohemia. 
He  was  baptized  in  the  year    —.     ,  . 
965 ;  and,  by  the  pious  and     ^j-  Poijjnj 
charitable  instructions  of  his     bapiized, 
new  spouse,  was  induced  to     j^  jj   ggj^ 
exert  his  authority  in  the  pro- 
pagation of  the  Gospel  through  his  domi- 
nions :   in  line,  Poland  became  a  Chris- 
tian nation  ;  nor  is  it  probable  that  this 
was  a  mere  outward  profession :  that  it 
was  so  in  certain  respects,  there  is  no 
doubt ;  but  nevertheless,  the  circumstan- 
ces of  the  narrative  carry  the  appearance 
of  something  truly  divine.     Nor  is  that 
true,  which   Mosheim*   asserts,  that  an 
inward  change  of  affections  and  princi- 
ples was  far  from  being  an  object  of  atten- 
tion in  this  barbarous  age.    It  seems  most 
probable,  that  it  was  an  object  of  atten- 
tion in  the  missionaries,  and  in  those  who 
zealously  received  them.    We  have  seen, 
in  several  instances,  an  evidence  of  zeal 
in  preaching,  and  a  constancy  in  suffer- 
ing, which  can  scarcely  be  explained  on 
any  other  principle  than  that  of  godly 
sincerity.     And  we  have  lived  to  see  a 
refined  age  as  indifferent  concerning  an 
inward  change  as  any  barbarous  period 
whatever. 

In  the  year.  955,  Olga,  the  queen  of 
Russia,  sailed  from  Kiow  to  Constanti- 
nople,  and    received    baptism,   together 
with  her  attendants.     On  her     xhe  queen 
return,  she  persevered  in  the     of  Russia 
Christian  religion,  but  could     sails  to 
not  prevail  on  her  family  and     C^onstan- 
subjects,  to  receive  the  same  :     tinople, 
the  Greek  missionaries,  how-     ^P    'V 
ever,  laboured  still,  and  gra-     ^j^ej 
dually  succeeded. f  At  length      .    ^   g.^ 
Wolodomir,  her  grandson,  in 
the  year  961,  married  Anna,  sister  of  the 
emperor  Basil,  W'ho,  by  her  zealous  im- 
portunity, prevailed  on  her  spouse  to  re- 
ceive Christianity.     He  was     „ 
1      .•      1  •      1  «-^«         J     Kussia 

baptized  in  the  year  98/  ;  and     becomes 

from  that  time,  Russia  receiv-    Christian, 
ed  a  Christian  establishment,     j^  jj  gg^ 
and  has  ever  since  consider- 
ed herself  as  a  daughter  of  the  Greek 
Church. 

Ulric,  son  of  Count  Hucbald,  born  in 
893,  was  placed  at  Augsburg  under  the 
care   of  Adalberon,  bishop  of  that  city. 
He  was  made,  at  length,  bi-     xjlrie  bi- 
shop   of    Augsburg,    by   the     gi,op  of 
emperor,  Henry  the  Fowler.     Augsburg, 


Chap.  I.  Cent.  X.        +  Gibbon,  Vol.  Y, 


598 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


laboured 
in  his  dio- 
cese for  50 
years  : 
dies, 

A.  D.  9-3. 


He  comforted  his  people,  who 
had  been  plundered  by  the 
Hungarians :  he  avoided  the 
court:  he  kept  close  to  his 
flock,  and  was  equally  re- 
nowned for  devotion,  and  for 
pastoral  labours.     He  died  about  973. 

Thus,  in  an  age  of  proverbial  darkness, 
that  illustrious  prophecy  continued  to 
receive  its  accomplishment;  "Kings, 
shall  be  thy  nursing  fathers,  and  queens 
th)"  nursing  mothers.'"*  The  regular  and 
civilized  governments  in  the  world  sus- 
tained such  dreadful  calamities  from  the 
irruption  of  Pagan  nations,  on  flU  sides, 
that  their  encouragement  of  Christian 
missions  was  equally  humane  and  pru- 
dential. The  precepts  of  the  Gospel 
only  were  found  effectual  to  meliorate 
the  dispositions  of  barbarians  ;  and  under 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  vSpirit,  no  doubt, 
this  was  the  happy  effect  on  the  minds 
of  many. — But,  it  will  still  be  said,  "the 
conversion  of  a  great  number  was  only 
nominal,  and  compulsory  methods  were 
employed,  which  are  by  no  means  adapt- 
ed to  the  genius  of  the  Gospel."  It  must 
be  allowed,  that  the  latter  of  these  asser- 
tions is  strictly  true,  and  the  former,  in 
many  instances,  but  by  no  means  in  all. 
The  efforts  of  the  tenth  of  the  three  pre- 
ceding centuries,  to  extend  Christianity, 
had  their  blemishes,  which  have  been 
malignantly  insisted  on,  and  even  exag- 
gerated by  modern  writers.  Defective, 
however,  as  these  efforts  were,  they  form 
the  principal  glory  of  those  times;  and, 
partly  by  evident  proofs  and  a  detail  of 
circumstances,  and  partly  by  analog}^  and 
the  nature  of  things,  they  appear  to  have 
been  attended  with  the  effusion  of  the  Di- 
vine Spirit,  the  genuine  conversion  of 
numbers,  and  the  improvement  of  human 
society.  The  virtues  of  many  at  least, 
of  the  missionaries,  are  above  any  enco- 
mium which  I  can  give ;  though  they 
were  born  in  rude  ages,  and  are  consign- 
ed to  contempt  and  oblivion  by  polite 
historians,  who  lavish  all  their  praises  on 
heroes  and  politicians.  If,  however,  the 
labours  of  an  obscure  individual  may  at- 
tract the  attention  of  the  public,  the  names 
of  Boniface,  Anscarius,  Adelbert,  tlnni, 
and  others  of  the  same  class,  shall  be 
honoured  among  men,  and  the  work  of 
propagating  the  Gospel  shall  appear  lau- 
dable in  an  extreme  degree.  It  must 
appear  so  to  all,  who  desire  that  the  name 


of  Jesus  should  be  honoured  through  the 
earth,  and  that  the  power  of  his  grace 
should  be  felt  in  every  place,  and  in  every 
heart.  But  to  what  lengths  will  not 
scepticism  proceed?  It  has  even  been 
advanced,  that  the  attempt  to  propagate 
Christianity,  without  the  consent  of  the 
government  established  in  every  country, 
is  unlawful  in  its  nature.  A  position  so 
injurious  to  the  character  of  many  of  the 
best  and  wisest  men,  whom  it  behooves 
us  to  celebrate  in  this  history,  and  so 
conveniently  favourable  to  the  selfish, 
avaricious,  indolent  spirit  of  nominal 
Christians,  will  deserve  to  be  investi- 
gated and  exposed  in  its  genuine  colours. 


*  Isaiah  xlix. 


CHAPTER   III. 

AN  APOLOGY   FOR   CHRISTIAN   MISSIONS, 

The  commission  which  our  Saviour 
gave  to  his  Apostles,  a  little  before  his 
ascension,  forms  of  itself  the  strongest 
apology  for  the  practice  of  Christian 
missionaries  in  all  ages.  "  Go  ye,  and 
teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost :  teaching  them  to  ob- 
serve all  things,  whatsoever  I  have  com- 
manded you  :  and  lo  I  am  with  you  al- 
way,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."* 

It  cannot  be  justly  said,  that  this  com- 
mission of  evangelizing  all  nations  is  re- 
stricted to  the  Apostles,  because  He, 
who  gave  these  directions,  declares,  He 
will  always  be  with  those  who  obey 
them  to  the  end  of  the  world.  The  com- 
mission is  then  as  much  in  force  at  this 
day,  as  it  was  at  the  first  age  of  Chris- 
tianity; and  will  continue  in  force  till 
time  shall  be  no  more.  The  promise  of 
divine  support,  to  encourage  the  mission- 
aries in  the  prosecution  of  a  work  so 
arduous  and  so  difficult,  extends  to  all 
ages,  and  would  be  perfectly  inapplica- 
ble to  those  ages,  if  any  such  there  were, 
which  should  have  no  right  to  propagate 
the  Gospel. 

"  Is  every  person  then,  calling  himself 
a   Christian,   authorized   to   preach    the 
Gospel    among   the   heathen   nations  ]" 
Not  so :  nor  is  every  person 
called  a  Christian  authorized     Q^^eshons 

,     .      ^,    .   ,-  concern- 

to  preach  m  Christian  conn-     jj^^.  j^^;g_ 

tries.     Certain  Qualifications     sions. 
and   endowments,  and  above 

*  Matthew  xxviii.  19, 20. 


Cewt.  X.] 


CHRISTIAN  MISSIONS. 


599 


all,  the  real  and  genuine  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  are  necessary  for  this  pur- 
pose. To  define  and  to  ascertain  these 
in  particular  cases,  enter  not  into  the 
subject  before  us.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that, 
however  in  point  of  prudence  and  expe- 
diency, it  be  proper  to  procure,  is  practi- 
cable, the  consent  and  concurrence  of  the 
government  of  the  country,  which  is  the 
object  of  the  mission,  such  consent  and 
concurrence  is  not  necessary  as  a  legiti- 
mate qualification  of  a  missionary,  who 
should  undertake  to  evang-elize  pagan 
countries.  Our  Lord  well  knew  that 
such  consent  was  not  attainable  in  any 
country  under  heaven  at  the  time  in 
which  he  gave  this  commission.  He 
mentions  no  such  condition,  nor  did  the 
Apostles  conceive  the  necessity  of  such 
a  license.  It  is  well  known,  on  the  con- 
trary, that  they  persisted  in  the  mission, 
not  only  without,  but  also  against  the 
express  prohibitions  of  all  governments, 
whether  Jewish  or  Gentile.  The  nature 
and  reasonableness  of  Christianity  itself 
is  such,  that,  wherever  it  is  fairly  exhi- 
bited, in  connexion  with  its  proper  proofs 
and  evidence?,  those,  who  hear  it,  are 
bound  in  conscience  to  obey  it,  magi- 
strates as  well  as  others ;  and,  as  we 
have  seen,  the  magistrate  himself  not 
only  may,  but  ought  to  promote  it,  for 
the  good  of  society.* 

"  But  the  Apostles  wrought  miracles ; 
and  therefore,  though  they  had  a  right  to 
propagate  Christianity,  others  who  do  not 
so,  have  no  right  to  preach,  except  with 
the  consent  of  the  government."  It  does 
not  appear,  that  the  evidence  .of  their 
commission  rested  wholly  on  miracles, 
thoug-h  it  must  be  confessed  these  formed 
a  striking  part  of  it,  and  were  afforded 
by  Divine  Providence,  in  order  to  facili- 
tate the  progress  of  the  then  infant  reli- 
gion. But  if,  what  no  serious  Christian 
will  deny,  there  is  an  internal  evidence 
in  the  Gospel  itself,  which  ought  to 
weiffh  with  every  reasonable  mind,  ab- 
stracted from  any  thing  miraculous,  it 
will  be  the  dutj'  of  every  one  to  receive 
it,  when  fairly  proposed  ;  and  the  obe- 
dience due  to  divine  revelation  is  binding 
not  only  on  those  who  hear  it  from  one  who 
works  miracles,  but  also  on  those  who  hear 
it  from  one  who  brings  unexceptionable  tes- 
timonies of  miracles  having  been  wrought 
by  others  in  attestation  of  Christianitv. 
Whoever  attentively  reads  the  history  of 

*  See  Chap.  X^^I.  p.  343  of  this  Yol. 


the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  the  historical 
parts  of  the  Epistles,  Avill  find,  that  all 
ministers,   regularly    ordained, — for    the 
case  of  self-ordained  ministers  I  do  not  here 
consider, — thought  it  their  duty  to  preach 
the    word    every  where,   whether  they 
could  work  miracles  or  not.     The  mira- 
culous powers  were  an  adventitious  cir- 
cumstance; of  great  importance,  indeed, 
in  the  opening  of  Christianity;  but  if  the 
stress  of  an  evangelical  commission  to 
the  heathen  had  ever  been  meant  to  he 
laid  upon  it,  it  is  surprising  that  this  con- 
dition should  never  be  mentioned  in  the 
sacred  volume  :  it  is  not  to  be  conceived, 
that  the  numberless  missionaries  in  the 
apostolic  ages  should  all  have  been  igno- 
rant of  it.     Besides,  with  the  cessation 
of  miracles,  the  work   of  promulgation 
must  have  probably  ceased;  whereas,  it 
appears,  that  in  the  succeeding  centuries, 
even  to  the  tenth,  missionaries  still  la- 
boured ;  and,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree, 
the  work  prospered  in  their  hand. 

If  the  reflections  have  any  weight, 
they  show  that  it  has  been  inconsiderate- 
ly asserted,  that  civil  governments  alone 
have  a  right  to  determine,  whether  Chris- 
tian missionaries  shall  preach  the  Gospel 
or  not  within  their  dominions.  I  have 
proved,  I  think,  that  they  have  a  right  to 
establish  Christianity;  but  it  does  not 
follow  that  they  have  a  right  to  exclude 
it.  Right  and  wrong,  in  this  case,  have 
a  higher  foundation  than  human  politics. 
Trajan  might  think  himself  justified  in 
persecuting  Christians,  because  they 
transgressed  the  Roman  laws,  which  for- 
bade the  introduction  of  foreign  religions. 
But  Trajan  ought  to  have  known,  that 
there  is  an  authority  in  religion  superior 
to  any  human  constitutions  whatever. 

Though  the  authority  of  Scripture,  the 
practice  of  the  apostolic  age,  and  the  la- 
bours of  the  best  and  wisest  of  their  suc- 
cessors, from  age  to  age,  seem,  taken  to- 
gether, to  form  a  sufficient  apology  for 
Christian  missions  at  this  day,  yet  we 
need  not  fear,  in  this  cause,  to  appeal  to 
the  common  sense  of  mankind.  If  a  whole 
nation  were  afflicted  with  a  pestilential 
disease,  and  a  foreigner  were  in  posses- 
sion of  a  medicine,  that  might  probably 
save  many  of  their  lives,  it  might  be  pru- 
dent, no  doubt,  for  that  foreigner  to  ob- 
tain an  express  license,  if  practicable, 
from  the  government,  for  aflTording  medi- 
cal aid  to  its  subjects.      But  will   any 


man  say,  that  it  would  be  wrong  in  him 
to  endeavour  to  heal  the  diseased,  if  he 


600 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


had  an  opportunity,  and  had  the  benevo- 
lence to  attempt  it  though  he  had  no  for- 
mal sanction  from  the  magistrate'?  To 
promote  the  welfare  of  our  neighbours,  is 
next  to  our  duty  to  God,  the  most  essen- 
tial ingredient  in  the  character  of  a  good 
man.  Is  the  express  consent  of  the  legis- 
lature necessary,  antecedently  to  every 
office  of  mercy  and  humanity  1 — It  is  not 
necessary  to  say  that  the  propagation  of 
the  Gospel  is  the  most  salutary  and  the 
most  important  of  all  works  of  charity. 
What  then  ought  to  be  thought  of  him 
who  would  leave  to  the  discretion  of  the 
magistrate  the  great  ofEce  of  labouring 
to  win  souls;  and  would  charge  with 
sin  and  employment  of  all  others  the 
most  beneficent  to  mankind  1 

"  Is  not  this  to  teach  rebellion  against 
lawful  authority,  and  to  countenance  an 
undue  interference  with  foreign  govern- 
ments 1"  Could  this  be  proved,  I  should 
not  know  how  to  apologize  for  mission- 
aries. For  I  scarcely  know  any  thing 
more  diametrically  opposed  to  the  genius 
of  the  Gospel  than  such  a  conduct.  Let 
it  be  carefully  observed,  that  our  argu- 
ment goes  no  farther  than  to  justify  a 
PACIFIC  attempt  to  teach  Christianity 
throughout  the  Globe.  "  If  they  perse- 
cute you  in  one  city,  flee  ye  into  an- 
other," is  the  rule  of  the  Divine  Author 
of  Christianity.  A  missionary  must  be 
prepared  to  endure,  not  to  inflict  evil :  he 
may  expect  opposition,  and  even  death 
itself.  He  must  patiently  sustain  his 
lot :  he  must  forego  not  only  all  violence  mark,  a  poor  impotent  government,  com 


lous  to  every  Christian  sensation,  as  de- 
liberately to  condemn  all  missions  con- 
ducted in  the  true  spirit  of  the  Gospel. 

Do  we  expect  that,  according  to  nume- 
rous prophecies,  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
shall  spread  through  all  nations  1  And 
are  no  means  to  be  employed  to  promote 
itl — Shall  we  complain  of  the  want  of 
universality  in  the  best  religion,  and  dis- 
courage every  attempt  to  effect  that  uni- 
versality ■?  With  what  an  ill  grace  do 
objectors  to  the  propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel make  such  complaints  1  Are  humaa 
efforts  concerned  in  all  other  works  of 
Divine  Providence,  and  are  they  in  this, 
the  most  important  of  all,  to  be  excluded? 
Are  ws  to  sit  still,  and  expect  some 
sudden  and  miraculous  providential  in- 
terposition, and  is  this  the  only  in- 
stance, in  which  Socinians,  and  men  who 
call  themselves  rational  Christians,  will 
use  no  rational  methods,  in  order  to  pro- 
duce the  most  desirable  effects  ?  Or  have 
we  learned  to  despise  the  importance  of 
Christianity  itself,  and  do  we  think  that 
the  present  comfort  and  future  felicity  of 
mankind  are  no  way  connected  with  the 
subject  before  us "? 

I  propose  these  few  questions,  leaving 
the  resolution  of  them  to  the  consciences 
of  those,  who  have  had  it  in  their  power 
to  encourage  Christian  missions  in  our 
times,  and  who  have  opposed  them.  To 
have  been  particularly  active  in  extend- 
insf  the  Redeemer's  kinofdom  forms  no 
part  of  the  glory  of  this  country.     Den- 


in  attempting  to  propagate  Christianity, 
but  also  all  artifice  and  secular  intrigues : 
he  must  not  only  forbear  to  disturb  the 
government  of  the  country,  and  to  weaken 


pared  with  ours,  has,  it  is  well  known, 
effected  in  this  way  what  may  cause  Bri- 
tons to  blush,  and  what  should  stir  us  up 
to  virtuous  emulation.  With  every  advan- 


men's  attachment  to  it,  but  he  must  do  Stage  in  our  hands,  for  the  propagation  of 


more :  he  must  teach  obedience  to  it,  as 
an  essential  branch  of  Christianity  itself, 
and    an   obedience   too,    "  not   only   for 


the  Gospel,  we  have  done  very  little  in- 
deed, and  the  annals  of  the  several  dark 
ages  we  have  reviewed,  have  exhibited  a 


wrath,  but  also  for  conscience  sake."     If  i  spirit  of  adventurous  charity  unknown  to 


his  word  is  not  received  in  one  place,  he 
must  make  experiment  of  another,  in 
dependence  on  Divine  Providence  and 
grace.  Meekness,  patience,  submission 
to  civil  authority  must  attend  him  in 
every  step.  Such  were  the  apostolic 
missionaries  ;  such  in  a  good  degree  were 
the  missionaries  of  the  dark  ages,  which 
we  are  reviewing.  And  I  am  apt  to 
think,  that  those,  who  object  to  missions 
in  general,  have  had  their  eye  on  the  po- 
litical craft  of  the  Jesuits,  or  the  furious 
factions  of  enthusiasts.  For  I  can  scarce- 
ly believe  we  are  grown  so  totally  cal- 


those,  who  now  boast  themselves  as  the 
most  enlightened  and  the  most  philoso- 
phic of  mankind. 


CHAPTER  IV 


WRITERS    AND 


EMINENT 
CENTURY. 


MEN    IN    THIS 


In  a  dearth  so  excessive,  there  are 
few,  who  deserve  to  be  noticed  either  for 
knowledge  or  for  piety ;  and  fewer  still 


Cext.  X.] 


WRITERS  IN  THIS  CENTURY. 


601 


Character 
of  Bruno. 


for  both.  My  chief  view,  in  this  chap- 
ter, is  to  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the 
state  of  true  religion  in  these  times ;  nor 
will  the  picture  here  exhibited  be  mate- 
rially erroneous,  though  it  could  be  prov- 
ed, that  Theophylact,  one  of  the  authors 
whom  I  shall  quote,  belonged  to  the  next 
century,  as  Mosheim  thinks.  For  the 
spirit  and  taste  of  the  tenth  and  eleventh 
centuries  are  so  similar,  that  what  illus- 
trates the  one  will  illustrate  the  other. 
The  very  toleration  of  the  Roman  pope- 
dom itself,  after  the  detection  of  its  flagi- 
tiousness  before  all  the  world,  evinces 
the  uncommonly  low  condition  of  Chris- 
tian knowledge  in  this  age ;  proofs,  how- 
ever, will  appear,  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
had  not  forsaken  the  Church,  and  that 
there  were  those  who  reverenced  and  felt 
the  power  of  her  doctrines. 

It  is  not  in  Rome,  but  in  the  more  re- 
cent Churches,  that  this  power  appears. 
Whether  it  was  practically  exemplified 
by  Bruno,  archbishop  of  Cologne,  in  Ger- 
many, is  not  very  evident.  But,  in  know- 
ledge and  learning,  he  was 
very  eminent.  He  was  bro- 
ther to  Otho  I.  and  by  the  de- 
sire of  the  people  of  Cologne,  was  fixed 
by  that  great  prince  in  the  archbishopric. 
We  must  not  expect  much  regard  to  ec- 
clesiastical discipline  in  these  times  ;  and 
therefore  are  not  to  be  surprised,  that  a 
prince  so  religious  as  Otho  was,  should 
invest  his  relation  also  with  the  civil 
power  of  a  dukedom.  Bruno  is  remark- 
ed, however,  to  have  been  among  the  first 
who  united  offices  so  discordant  in  the 
same  person.*  This  was  to  secularize 
the  Church,  and  Cologne  continunes  in  a 
similar  state  to  this  day.  Bruno  was 
nevertheless  an  assiduous  promoter  of  re- 
lio-ion.  Normans,  Danes,  and  various 
others,  who  travelled  in  his  provmce,  he 
brought  over  to  the  profession  of  Chris- 
tianity. He  restrained  the  luxury  both 
of  clergy  and  people :  and  was 
His  death,  himself  a  shining  example  of 
A.  D.  965.  modest  and  frugal  manners. 
He  died  about  the  year  965. 
Unni,  a  far  more  decided  character,  has 
been  alread}^  celebrated.  As  archbishop 
of  Hamburg,  he  acted  with  a  vigour  and 
a  piety  worthj^  the  importance  of  that  See. 
He  was  highly  reverenced  by  the  German 
emperors  of  his  time  ;  and  that  a  person 
80  opulent  should  choose  to  labour  as  a 


missionary  in  such  countries     d^^^^  q[ 
as  Denmaik  and  Sweden,  ar-     x;„ni, 
gues  a  zeal  of  no  common  de-      .    ^  g^g^ 
5ree.     He  died  at  Stockholm 
I'n  936.* 

By  the  advice  of  Adolvard,  bishop  of 
Verden,  Adeldagus,  who  had  discharged 
some  petty  office  in  the  Church,  was  sent 
for  to  court  by  Otho  the  Great,  and  made 
his  chancellor.     On  the  death  of  Unni, 
he  was  appointed   archbishop  of  Ham- 
burg, but  was  so  acceptable,  by  his  ta- 
lents and  industry,  to  the  emperor,  that 
he  still  continued  in  the  same  secular  em- 
ployments.   Adeldagus  sent  a 
number  of  pastors  into  Den-    T^'-'efac- 
mark,  and  was  present  with     '^°"J'j,j^_ 
Otho  at  Rome  when  the  pope-     ^^.^ .  '^^^^ 
dom  was  reformed.    His  flock     f,ishop  53 
at  Hamburg  complained,  and     years ; 
not  without  reason,  of  his  ab-     died, 
sence  from  them.     The  em-    A.  D.  938. 
peror  at  length  gave  him  li- 
berty to  return  home.     His  care  of  the 
poor,  and  many  rather  princely  than  pas- 
toral  virtues,  were   remarkable.     But   I 
can  form  no  great  idea  of  the  spirituality 
of  a  man,  who  neglects  residence  among 
his  flock,  and  continues  to  act  in  a  secu- 
lar capacity  under  three  successive  prin- 
ces,   while   he   holds   a   bishopric.     He 
served  Otho  11.  and  HI.  with  the  same 
success  and  ability  with  which  he  had 
done  Otho  I.  and  after  he  had  held  his 
bishopric  53  years,  he  died  under  Otho 
III.  in  the  year  988. f 

Libentius,  an  Italian,  by  the  desire  of 
Adeldagus,  was  appointed  his  successor. 
Much  i's  said  in  praise  of  this  prelate. 
He  often  visited  the  Vandals,  a  barba- 
rous people  in  Poland,  ab'out  the  Vistula, 
and  taught  them  the  way  of 
salvation.  He  sent  pastors  to  ^  shi"in"J' 
distant  nations,  and  was  a  cluu-acte!-, 
shining  exemplar  of  piety  and  dies, 
beneficence.  He  died  in  ^  p  jgiS. 
1013.:$: 

Adolvard,  bishop  of  Verden,  who,  as 
we  have  mentioned,  recommended  Adel- 
dagus to  the  patronage  of  Otho  I.  was 
himself  an  excellent  pattern  of  piety  and 
probity.  He  discharged  the  oflrce  of  a 
faithful  pastor  in  his  diocese,  and  took 
pains  to  instruct  the  ignorant  Vandals  i.i 
the  way  of  salvation. § 

Of  Adalbert,  archbishop  of  Prague,  I 
can  find  no  more  than  has  been  already 


•  Cent  Magd.  Cent.  X.  Vol.  HI. 
Vol.  I.  3  E 


•  Cent, 
t  Ibid. 


Magd.  cent.  X. 
^  Ibid. 


Vol. 


III. 

§  Ibid. 


604 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


quickening  Spirit. — From  God,  beyond 
question,  arises  the  beginning  of  salva- 
tion, never  from  us,  nor  with  us.  But 
the  consent  and  the  work,  though  not 
originating  from  us,  is,  however,  not 
without  us."*  Of  the  work  of  grace,  and 
of  the  duty  of  man  in  sanctification,  he 
seems  to  speak  with  evangelical  accuracy. 
The  only  error  is,  that  by  speaking  of 
justification,  as  effected  through  the 
quickening  Spirit,  he  seems  to  confound 
justification  with  sanctification.  A  com- 
mon mistake  ! — The  great  luminary  of 
Africa  fell  into  it;  and,  by  his  authority, 
gave  it  a  sanction  throughout  the  western 
Church.  In  another  passage,  Giselbert, 
by  speaking  of  a  variety  of  justifications, 
which  he  multiplies  to  seven,  and,  with 
equal  reason,  he  might  have  multiplied 
them  to  seventy  times  seven, f  tarnishes 
the  precious  doctrine  of  salvation  ex- 
ceedingly, and  leaves  no  distinct  ground 
for  the  afilicted  conscience  to  seek  peace 
with  God.  "  The  first  remission  is  bap- 
tism ;  the  seventh  is  by  tears  and  confes- 
sion." Whenever  men  are  Ijrought  to 
feel  what  sin  is, — what  their  own  sin  is, — 
they  should  learn  the  Scripture-doctrine 
of  justification,  which  is,  from  first  to 
last,  by  grace  alone  through  Jesus  Christ, 
and  by  the  iiistnimentality  of  faith. 
Careless  and  self-righteous  spirits  may 
trifle  at  their  ease  with  other  views  of 
doctrine;  the  contrite  spirit  cannot  rest 
but  in  Christ  alone;  and  by  the  truth  as 
it  is  in  Jesus,  the  conscience  finds  peace, 
'  and  the  heart  is  set  at  liberty  to  serve 
God  in  love.  However,  a  serious  inves- 
tigation of  the  doctrine  of  Christian 
righteousness,  argues  some  just  concern 
for  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  and  often 
leads  to  the  most  salutary  consequences. 
The  worst  state  of  the  Church  is,  when  a 
deep  silence  is  preserved  concerning 
justification  in  any  mode  or  sense,  how- 
ever men's  minds  may  be  amused  or 
agitated  with  a  variety  of  religious  specu- 
lations or  controversies.  In  that  case, 
religion  lives  only  in  the  brain,  and  has 
forsaken  the  conscience  altogether. 

But  no  writer  of  this  age  pierces  more 
deeply  into  the  spirit  of  divine  truth,  than 
the  monk  Radulph,  who  certainly  flou- 
rished about  the  tenth  century, :f:  though 
very  little  is  known  concerning  him. — 
"  Since,"  says  he,  "  in  every  good  work, 
divine  mercy  prevents  us,  if  a  man  seek 

*  Cunt.  Magd.  Id.  p.  78.  f  Id.  139. 

t  Id.  363. 


what  recompense  he  may  render  to  the 
Lord,  he  finds  it  not  unless  he  receive  it 
also  from  God.  Divine  grace,  therefore, 
obliges  us  by  its  beneficence,  and  helps 
us  when  thus  obliged,  by  many  repeti- 
tions of  the  same  grace,  that  we  may  not 
remain  ungrateful." — "  Since  all  are  by 
nature  children  of  wrath,  and  born  under 
the  yoke  of  diabolical  slavery,  there  is  no 
ground  to  expect  that  any  persons,  ex- 
cept those  whom  celestial  clemency  de- 
livers, should  of  themselves  choose  to 
come  out  of  the  general  mass  of  depra- 
vity. For  it  is  not  of  him  that  willeth, 
nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of  God  that 
showeth  mercy."*  And  he  adds  more  to 
the  same  purport,  speaking  very  fully 
concerning  the  "election  of  grace,"f  and 
connecting  that  doctrine  with  practical 
views  of  humility  and  gratitude. 

Nilus,  of  Greek  extraction,  was  born 
in  the  year  910,  in  Calabria.  He  was 
allowed  to  have  lived  in  a  state  of  emi- 
nent sanctity,  though  a  married  man;  a 
singular  circumstance  for  those  times. 
After  his  wife's  death  he  re-  j^-,]^,^  ^.g. 
tired  about  the  year  910  into  jippg  i,^to 
a  convent.  In  97G,  the  bishop  a  convent, 
of  Calabria,  and  a  lord  of  the  j^  jy  g^g^ 
territor}',  named  Leo,  with 
many  priests,  went  to  visit  him,  rather 
with  a  view  to  try  his  skill  than  to  derive 
any  benefit  from  his  instructions.  Nilus 
treated  them  civilly,  prayed  with  them  a 
short  time,  and  then  put  into  Leo's  hands 
a  book  of  maxims  concerning  the  small 
number  of  the  saved.  The  company 
expressed  their  dissatisfaction  at  the 
harshness  of  the  doctrine.  This  induced 
Nilus  to  undertake  the  proof  of  it  from 
the  writings  of  the  fathers,  from  St.  Paul, 
and  from  the  Gospels.  "These  maxims 
seem  terrible,"  says  he,  "but  the  only 
reason  why  they  do  so,  is  this,  they  con- 
demn your  practice.  Unless  you  be  sin- 
cerely holy,  you  cannot  escape  ever- 
lasting torments."  They  sighed,  and 
trembled.  He  had,  however,  said  no 
more  than  what  the  whole  pu^tijer 
New  Testament  inculcates  account  of 
continually.  And  the  con-  Nijus, 
duct  of  these  men,  and  of  inen  a_  d.  975. 
like  these,  who  abound  in 
every  age,  shows  how  little  the  Scripture 
is  really  believed.  One  of  the  company, 
whom  Nilus  knew  to  live  in  open  sin, 
asked  the  monk,  whether  Solomon  was 
saved  or  not  1  What  is  it  to  us,  answered 


*  Cent.  Magd.  p.  65. 


+  Rom.  xi.  5. 


ClKT.  X.] 


WRITERS  IN  THIS  CENTURY. 


605 


the  uprig-ht  Nilus,  whether  Solomon  be 
saved  or  not]  It  is  sufficient  for  you  to 
know,  that  Christ  pronounces  damnation 
against  all  workers  of  iniquity.  I  should 
think  it  a  more  interesting  object  of  in- 
quiry for  you,  to  consider  whether  you 
shall  be  saved  or  not.  As  for  Solomon, 
the  Scripture  mentions  not  his  repentance, 
as  it  does  that  of  Manasseh. — What  ef- 
fect this  discourse  had  upon  his  visitors, 
we  know  not.  But  it  deserved  to  be  re- 
corded, both  to  show  how  dangerously 
men  exercise  their  ingenuity  in  furnishing 
themselves  with  excuses  to  live  in  sin, 
and  also  to  give  a  sample  of  plain  dealing 
in  those  who  undertake  to  instruct  man- 
kind. 

Euphraxus,  a  haughty  nobleman,  was 
governor  of  Calabria  under  the  Greek 
emperor.  For  the  eastern  part  of  Italy 
remained  subject  to  that  monarch  a  con- 
siderable time  after  the  establishment  of 
the  popedom.  Euphraxus  sought  every 
occasion  of  mortifying  Nilus,  because  he 
gave  him  no  presents,  as  other  abbots 
did.  Falling  sick,  however,  he  sent  for 
him,  and  begged  of  him  the  monafstic 
habit.  Your  baptismal  vows  suffice,  said 
Nilus.  Repentance  requires  no  new  vows, 
but  a  change  of  heart  and  life.  This  sen- 
timent of  Nilus  was  somewhat  extraor- 
dinary for  the  tenth  century.  But 
Euphraxus,  who  sought  to  pacify  his 
conscience  at  the  easiest  rate,  with  mise- 
rable ignorance  importuned  the  abbot  to 
invest  him  with  the  habit,  to  which  he  at 
length  consented.  Euphraxus  died  three 
days  after.  Infidelity  may  smile,  but  if 
ever  the  conscience  become  thoroughly 
alarmed,  even  in  the  most  hardened 
sceptics  and  sensualists,  it  will  quickly 
find,  that  the  best  of  our  moral  works  are 
no  covering  to  the  soul  from  the  justice 
of  a  holy  God  ;  and  therefore,  unless 
the  real  doctrine  of  salvation  be  under- 


stood, men  in  their  distress  will  betake 
themselves  to  such  paltry  refuges  as  this 
of  Euphraxus.  A  licentious  Charles  II. 
anxiously  flying  to  popish  ceremonies,  in 
his  dying  hours,  is  not  a  singular  case. 
Others,  who,  like  him,  in  health,  despi- 
sed the  doctrines  of  grace,  have  done  the 
same. 

Nilus  refused  the  offer  of  the  bishopric 
of  Capua:  nor  could  the  most  flattering 
invitations  induce  him  to  go  to  Constan- 
tinople.    He    seemed   likely 
to  enjoy  tranquil  retirement     ]/""*  ^^- 
to  his  death,  m  his  convent,     bishopric 
But    Providence    ordered    it 
otherwise.     The  Saracens  invaded  Cala- 
bria,  of  which   they  afterwards  gained 
possession.     Nilus  was  driven  from  his 
home,  and  lived  a  long  time  in  other  con- 
vents.    Otho  III.  upon  a  visit,  pressed 
him  to  accept  some  situation  in  his  do- 
minions, wherever  he  should  choose.    Ni- 
lus thanked  the  emperor,  but  said,  our  Di- 
vine Master  will  not  forsake  my  brethren, 
if  they  be  true  monks,  after  I  am  gone. 
Ask  what  you  please,  said  the  emperor, 
I  will  give  it  you  with  pleasure.     "  The 
only  thing  I  ask  you,"   replied   Nilus, 
"is,  that  you  would  save  your  soul.  For 
you  must  give  an  account  to  God  as  well 
as  other  men."     This   good 
abbotdied  atTuscnlum,  in  an         Dies, 
extreme  old  age  in  the  year     A.D.  1005 
1005.* 

Such  was  the  light,  scattered  here  and 
there,  in  the  darkness  of  the  times,  by 
which  the  God  of  grace  and  mercy  call- 
ed, nourished,  and  sanctified  his  Church, 
and  preserved  to  himself  a  godly  seed 
in  the  earth,  who  should  serve  him  in  the 
Gospel  of  his  Son,  and  prevent  the  cruel 
tyranny  of  the  prince  of  darkness  from 
completely  overspreading  the  world. 


*A.  Butler. 


3e2 


60S 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


Chap.  I.] 


CENTURY  XI. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN 
THIS  CENTURY. 

The  genuine  Church  of  Christ,  under 
the  protection  and  influence  of  her  Su- 
preme Head,  existed  indeed  in  this  cen- 
tury; but  it  would  be  in  vain  to  attempt 
a  regular  and  systematical  history  of  her 
progress. .  Some  particular  circumstances 
in  different  parts  of  the  Christian  world, 
some  pious  and  successful  endeavours  to 
propagate  the  Gospel  in  pagan  countries, 
some  degrees  of  ojiposition  to  the  reign- 
ing idolatry  and  superstition,  and  the 
writings  of  some  pious  and  evangelical 
Theologians,  demonstrated  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  had  not  forsaken  the  earth  alto- 
gether. 

Indei^d,  if  this  century  may  be  said,  in 
some  deoree,  to  have  excelled  the  last, 
the  superiority  must  be  ascribed    to  the 
improvements  of  learning.     For  the  arts 
and  sciences  revived,  in  a  measure,  among 
the  clercry  and  the  monks,  thous:h  not  cul- 
tivated*   by   any   other   set   of  men.     1 
speak  in  regard  to  the  western  Church; 
for  the  eastern,  enfeebled  and   oppressed 
by  the  Turks  and  Saracens  from  without, 
and   by   civil   broils    and   factions   from 
within,  with  difficulty  preserved  that  de- 
gree of  knowledge,  which  in  those  de- 
generate days  still  remained  among  the 
Greeks.     I  scarcely  find  any  vestiges  of 
Christian  piety  among  the  eastern  Chris- 
tians at  this  time :  indeed,  the  attentive 
reader  must  have  observed  how  barren  of 
that  sort  of  events,  which  relate  to  Chris- 
tian history,  Asia  in  general  had  been  for 
some  ages.    So  fatal  was  the  influence  of 
Mahometanism,  and  so  judicially  harden- 
ed were  the  descendants  of  those,  who 
first  had  honoured  the  religion  of  Jesus. 
Constantinople  was  still  called  a  Chris- 
tian city,  and,  in  learning  and  politeness, 
was  superior  to  any  part  of  the  West : 
but  it  is  in  Europe  we  are  to  look  for  the 
emanations  of  piety,     France  and  Italy 
excelled  particularly  in  the  cultivation  of 
learning.     Robert,   king  of  France,  the 

*  Mosheini,  Cent.  xi.  479. 


son  and  successor  of  Hugh  Capet,  who 
began  to  reign  in  996,  and  died  in  1031,  dis- 
tinguished himself  as  the  friend  of  science. 
Even  the  ferocious  Normans,  whose  wars 
and  devastations  were  so  terrible  in  Italy, 
France,  and  England,  after  they  had  esta- 
blished their  respective  governments,  ap- 
plied themselves  to  the  cultivation  of  the 
human   mind,   and   diffused    some   light 
among  the  people  whom  they  had  sub- 
dued.    This   was   particularly   the   case 
with  the  southern  parts  of  Italy,  and  with 
our  own  island.    William  the  Conqueror, 
savage  and  imperious  as  he  was,  restored 
letters   to   England,   which,   amidst  the 
Danish   depredations,   had   been   almost 
extinguished.     And  we  shall  see,  at  least, 
one  learned  foreigner  at  the  head  of  the 
English  Church,  who,  uniting  piety  to 
knowledge,   was   not    unworthy   of   the 
Christian  name.     The  learning  itself,  in- 
deed, was  not  philosophical,  but  consisted 
chiefly  of  grammar,  rhetoric,  and  logic. 
It  was,  however,  connected  with  divinity  : 
the  Scriptures  were  held  in  high  reputa- 
tion :   the  hardy  presumption   of  subtile 
theory,  and  the  supercilious  negligence 
concerning    piety   and    public    worship, 
which  have  marked  the  character  of  mo- 
dern times,  were  then  but  little  known 
among  men.     In  such  circumstances,  to 
have  learned  to  read,  to  have  attended  to 
the  meanino-  of  words,  and  to  have  em- 
ployed  the  powers  of  the  human  mind,  in 
any  manner,  on  the  sacred  writings,  were 
blessings   to    mankind.       In    Italy   and 
France  also  there  were  some  witnesses  of 
divine  truth,  who  -opposed  the  abomina- 
tions of  the  popedom. 

The  great  scenes  of  political  contention 
in  this  age,  were,  in  the  east,  the  Cru- 
sades ;  in  the  west,  the  disputes  between 
the  popes  and  the  emperors.  Civil,  and 
even,  what  is  called  ecclesiastical,  his- 
tory, is  full  of  these  subjects.*     To  my 


*  The  em])eroi-  of  Germany,  Henry  III. 
surnanud  the  Black,  hcRring  of  ihe  scanda- 
lous lives  of  llie  popes  and  the  clergy,  called 
tlie  Vllllh  General  Council  at  Sutri,  A.  D. 
1046  ;  when  the  three  pretenders  to  the  pope- 
dom were  deposed  :  Gregory  VI.  for  Simony, 
Benedict  IX.  and  Silvester  111.  for  the  same, 
and  wicked  I'ves  in  general.     See  Bower  V. 


Cbkt.  XI.] 


OPPOSITION  TO  POPERY, 


607 


Popery 
triiim])fi- 
ant  :  coun- 
cil of  Plu- 
centia, 

A.D.  1O05. 


province  they  bear  scarcely  any  relation. 
The  former  were  attended  with  dreadful 
evils,  and  much  augmented  with  the  in- 
fluence  of  that  pernicious  superstition, 
which  commutes  for  offences,  and  taught 
men  to  indulge  themselves  in  the  worst 
of  vices,  through  the  hope  of  finding  their 
way  to  heaven  by  the  merit  of  a  Crusade. 
I  shall,  however,  examine  a  little,  here- 
after, the  grounds  of  the  justice  or  injus- 
tice of  these  expeditions,  because  the  cha- 
racter of  some  pious  men  of  great  emi- 
nence is  connected  with  the  question. 
The  disputes  between  the  popes  and  tlie 
emperors  seem  entirely  barren  of  instruc- 
tive incidents  in  religion.  They  confirm, 
nevertheless,  the  Christian  in  the  belief 
of  those  scriptures  which  so  accurately 
mark  the  character  of  Antichrist.*  Gre- 
gory VII.  commonly  called  Hildebrand, 
began  the  scheme,  which  fifty  years  after 
was  completely  accomplished,  namely,  of 
rescuing  the  election  of  the  popes  from 
the  emperors,  and  of  fixing  it  entirely  in 
the  college  of  Cardinals,  in  which  it  still 
continues.  The  celibacy  of  the  clergy, 
and  the  doctrine  of  transub- 
stantiation,  were  established 
by  the  council  of  Placentia  in 
1095.  Popery,  in  short,  reign- 
ed triumphant,  and  no  public 
profession  of  the  Gospel, 
which  professed  independ- 
ence of  the  Romish  domination,  could  be 
endured  in  Europe. 

It  will  be  proper  to  close  this  general 
view  of  the  century  with  a  circumstance 
or  two  concerning  Africa.  That  once 
fruitful  mother  of  the  Churches,  who  glo- 
ried in  her  Cyprians  and  Augustines,  had 
now  only  two  bishops.  The  Saracens, 
masters  of  the  countr}'^,  persecuted  the 
Christians  there  with  great  bitterness : 
3'et  so  infatuated  were  the  African  Chris- 
tians with  the  love  of  sin,  that  they  quar- 
relled among  themselves,  and  betrayed 
their  bishop  Cyriacus  into  the  hands  of 
the  infidels,  who  much  abused  him.  Gre 
gory  VII.  wrote  to  the  good  bishop,  to 
comfort  him  in  his  distresses.  A  friendly 
letter,  abounding  with  trulj'^  Christian 
sentiments,  even  from  so  imfierious  and 
unchristian  a  character  as  Hildebrand's, 
might  conve)'  consolation  to  the  mind  of 
Cyriacus. f     Piety   united  with   distress 


stands  aloof  from  politics,  and  thankfully 
embraces  truth  as  sent  from  her  God, 
whatever  be  the  instrument. 

He,  who  seriously  reflects  in  what 
glory  the  religion  of  Christ  once  shone  in 
Asia  and  Africa;  how  dark,  and  idola- 
trous, and,  at  the  same  time,  how  insen- 
sible of  their  spiritual  misery  the  inhabit- 
ants of  those  two  quarters  of  the  globe 
were,  in  this  century,  and  continue  even 
to  the  present  times,  will  see  with  what 
reverential  care  the  jewel  of  the  Gospel 
should  be  cherished,  while  in  our  pos- 
session, lest  we  not  only  lose  our  own 
souls,  but  entail  a  curse  on  ages  yet  un- 
born. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  OPPOSITION  MADE  TO   THE  ERRORS 
OF    POPERY. 

In  the  year  1017,  certain  persons,  real 
or  supposed  heretics,  were  discovered  in 
France,  who  were  said  to  hold,  "  that 
they  did  not  believe — that 
Jesus  Christ  was  born  of  the 
Virgin  IMary  : — that  he  died 
for  the  salvation  of  mankind ; 
— that  he  was  buried  and  rose 
again; — that  l)aptism  pro- 
cured the  remission  of  sins ; — that  the 
consecration  by  the  priest  constituted  the 
Sacrament  of  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ; — and  that  it  was  profitable  to 
pray  to  the  martyrs  and  confessors." 
Other  practical  matters  of  a  detestable 
nature  were  ascribed  to  them.  On  their 
refusing  to  recant  before  a  council  held  at 
Orleans,  thirteen  of  them  were  burnt 
alive.*  It  is  not  easy  to  say  what  was 
the  true  character  of  these  men.  It  is 
certain  that  they  opposed  the  then  reign- 
ing superstitions,  and  that  they  were 
willing  to  suffer  for  the  doctrines  which 
they  espoused.  The  crimes  alleged  are 
so  monstrous  and  incredible,  as  to  render 
the  charofes  adduced  ao-ainst  their  doc- 
trines  very  suspicious.  That  the}',  how- 
ever, were  truly  evangelical  Christians, 
is  what  I  dare  not  affirm. 

Some  time  after  there  appeared,  in 
Flanders,  another  sect,  which  was  con- 
demned in  a  synod  held  at  Arras,  in  the 


Heretics, 
real,  or 
supposed, 
in  France, 

A.D.  1017. 


•  See  particularly  2Thes.  ii.  1  Tim.  iv. 
t  Du  Phi,   1st  edit.  Vol.  IV.  Cent.  XI.  p. 


55. 


•  Du  Pin,  1st  Ed.  Vol.  IV.  Cent.   XI.  p. 
110. 


608 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  H. 


Disciples 
of  Gun- 
dulphus 
condemn- 
ed, 
A.D.  1025. 


year  1025,  by  Gerard,  bishop 
of  Cambray  and  Arras.  They 
had   come  from  Italy,  being 
the  disciples  of  Gundulphus, 
who  taught  there  several  sup- 
posed     heretical      doctrines. 
Gerard    himself,   in   a   letter 
which  he  wrote  on  the  subject,  observes, 
that  the  disciples  of  Gundulphus  travelled 
up  and  down  to  multiply  converts,  and 
that  they  had  withdrawn  many  from  the 
belief  of  the  real  presence  in  the  Sacra- 
ment; that  they  owned  themselves  to  be 
the  scholars  of  Gundulphus,  who  had  in- 
structed them  in  the  evangelical  and  apos- 
tolical doctrine.     "  This,"  said  they,  "  is 
our  doctrine,  to   renounce  the  world,  to 
bricJle  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  to  maintain 
ourselves  by  the  labour  of  our  own  hands, 
to   do   violence   to   no  man,  to  love  the 
brethren.     If  this  plan  of  righteousness 
be  observed,  there  is  no  need  of  baptism; 
if  it  be  neglected,  baptism  is  of  no  avail." 
They  particularly  objected  to  the  baptism 
of  infants,  because  they  were  altogether 
incapable  of  understanding  or  confessing 
the  truth.  They  denied  the  real  presence  of 
Christ's  body  in  the  Lord's  Supper:  they 
rejected  the    consecration  of   Churches: 
they  opposed  various  reigning  supersti- 
tions, particularly  the  doctrine  of  purga- 
tory and  the  practices  connected  with  it. 
They   likewise   refused   to  worship    the 
cross,    or    any   images    whatever.     The 
bishop  of  Arras,  having  examined  their 
supposed  errors,  and,  in  his  own  opinion, 
confuted  them,  drew  up  a  confession  of 
faith,  contrary  to  those  errors,  which  he 
required  the  hereiics  to   sign.     As  they 
did  not  well  understand  the  Latin  tongue, 
he  caused  the  confession  to  be  explained 
to  them  in  the  vulgar  tongue  by  an  inter- 
preter; then,  according  to  this  account, 
they  approved  and  signed  the  instrument, 
and   were    dismissed    in   peace   by   the 
bishop. 

It  is  very  diificult  to  judge  a  cause  by 
hearing  only  one  side,  and  that  side 
prejudiced  to  an  extreme.  If  we  are 
tempted  to  look  on  the  doctrines  of  Gun- 
dulphus in  a  favourable  light,  whatever 
we  may  think  of  the  characters  of  these 
his  timorous  disciples,  from  this  short 
narrative  of  his  enemies,  how  much  more 
excellent  might  they  appear,  if  we  had 
his  writings  and  sermons'?  As  he  did 
not  deny  the  use  of  the  Lord's  supper, 
but  only  the  doctrine  of  the  real  presence, 
it  is  probable  that  he  held  baptism  also  in 
a  similar  manner.     If,  however,  he  abso- 


lutely  rejected   the   baptism  of  infants, 
the  people  who  call  themselves  Baptists 
at  this    day  may   seem  with  justice  to 
claim  Gundulphus  as  belonging  to  their 
sect.     The  nature  of  mankind,  ever  prone 
to  run  from  one  extreme  to  another,  will 
easily  account  for  this  circumstance  of 
the    rejection   of   infant-baptism.      The 
practice  had  long  been  sullied  with  su- 
perstitious fooleries :  the  transition  to  its 
total    rejection   was    natural.      Yet  we 
shall    afterward    see    reason   to   doubt, 
whether  this  people  did  deny  the  abso- 
lute unlawfulness  of  infant-baptism,  when 
we  come  to  consider  the  religious  views 
of  the  Waldenses;  for  the  probability  is 
strong,  that  generally  those  called  here- 
tics  in  France,  Flanders,  and  Italy,  in 
these  middle  ages,  were  similar  to  each 
other   in   doctrines   and   customs.      And 
certainly  we  see  in  them  a  noble  testimo- 
ny to  the  existence  of  evangelical  truth,  a 
body  of  men  in  Italy  before  the  year  1026, 
in  doctrine  and  practice  directly  opposite 
to  the  church  of  Rome,  spreading  purity 
of  Christian  worship  through  the  world 
with  all  their  might,  and  distinguishing 
themselves    from    the   general   mass   of 
Christians  in   the  West.     I  cannot   be- 
lieve that  they  held  marriage 
as  unlawful,  though  they  were 
charged  with  this  sentiment 
by  their   enemies :    and   not- 
withstanding some  errors  and 
blemishes,   it    is    not   to   be 
doubted  but  that  on  the  whole  they  were 
of  the  true  Church  of  Christ.     Faithfully 
to  withstand   idolatry  and   the   reigning 
corruptions,  required-a  light  and  strength 
far  above  nature,  and  I  have  only  to  re- 
gret, that,  after  a  careful  search,  this  is 
all  the  account  I  can  find  of  them. 

Not  long  after  the  supposed  heretics 
of  Orleans,  arose  the  famous  Berenga- 
rius  of  Tours,  who  wrote  against  the 
doctrine  of  the  real  presence.  His 
writings  called  forth  the  most  learn- 
ed Romanists  to  defend  the  tenets  of 
Paschasius  Radbertus;  and  Berengarius 
was  compelled  to  renounce,  and  to  burn 
his  writings.  But  he  recanted  again  and 
again,  and  returned,  says  a  contempora- 
ry popish  author,*  like  the  dog  to  his 


They  op- 
posed the 
lloinish 
corrup- 
tions. 


*  Bei-tola,  Presbyter  of  Constantia.  See 
Bishop  Newton's  3d  vol.  of  the  Prohecies,  p. 
164.  I  liave  examined  Du  Pin,  Natalis  Alex- 
ander, A.  Duller,  and  Mosheim,  on  this  sub- 
ject;  and  find  the  whole  mass  of  information 
so  very  uninteresting,  though  prolix  beyond 


Cz:rT.  XL] 


GERARD.— OTHINGAR. 


609 


vomit.     Whether  he  died  in  the  same 
sentiments,  is  strongly  contested  between 
the    papists   and    the   protestants.     The 
former    quote   William   of    Malmsbury, 
who   says,   he   did   trembling-.      "  This 
day,"   said    he,    "will   my   Lord   Jesus 
Christ  appear  to  me,  either  to  glorify  his 
mercy  in  my  repentance,  or,  as  I  fear,  to 
punish  me  for  the  mischief  I  have  done 
by  my  example."    The  sentiment  wheth- 
er founded   on  fact  or   not,  is  strongly 
expressive   of    the   genius   of   the   then 
reigning   religion,   which    excluded   the 
spirit  of  adoption  and  filial  confidence  in 
God  through  Christ,  and   supported  the 
spirit  of  bondage  and  anxiety.     And  the 
effect  was,  in  this  case,  proportional  to 
the  cause.     Men  had  lost  the  Christian 
article  of  justification  through  faith  alone  ; 
and  believing  salvation  to  be  suspended 
on  the  merit  of  human  works,  they  found 
it  impossible   for   Berengarius,  even  on 
the  most  sincere  repentance  for  his  sup- 
posed  heresy,   to   countervail    the   mis- 
chiefs which  he  had  done  by  misleading 
others.      Whether  then  we  suppose  the 
confession  of  Berengarius  to  be  a  forgery, 
or  a  real  fact,  it  was  delivered  in  the 
spirit  of  those  who  weighed   human  me- 
rits and  demerits  in  opposite  scales,  and 
found   no   other   method  of  determining 
the  question  of  a  man's  salvation  or  de- 
struction, than  that  which  should  result 
from  the  comparison  of  his  good  actions 
•with  his  crimes.     How  impossible  is  it 
by  such  a  procedure  to  give  solid  peace 
of  conscience  to  a  sinner  !  Joy,  love,  and 
cheerful   activity  in   the   Christian   life, 
can  have  no  existence  on  such  a  plan  : 
but  such  was  the  general  spirit  of  the  re- 
ligion of  the  times  we  are  reviewing.     It 
is  not  easy  to  decide  whether  the  papists 
or  the  protestants  were  in  the  right,  in 
the  determination  of  the  question.  In  what 
sentiments   did   Berengarius   die]     The 
former   have   the   advantage  of  positive 
testimony  in  their  favour.     The  question 
is,  however,  perfectly  immaterial.     The 
doctrine  of  the  real  presence  depends  not 
on  the  character  of  Berengarius  for  its 
decision.     I  know  no  marks  of  his  Chris- 
tian piety;  and  his  repeated  dissimula- 
tions  render   him   no   honour   to    either 
party.     It  is,  however,  of  some  moment 
to  observe,  that  he  was  the  instrument  of 
calling  forth  a  degree  of  salutary  opposi 


tion  to  the  errors  of  the  times.  He  call- 
ed the  Church  of  Rome  a  church  of  ma- 
ignants,  the  council  of  vanity,  and  the 
seat  of  Satan.  He  corrupted,  say  some 
old  historians,  almost  all  the  French, 
Italians,  and  English,  with  his  depravi- 
ties. The  expressions  are  much  too 
strong;  but,  no  doubt,  a  salutary  check 
was  given  to  the  growing  superstitions : 
the  opposition  to  the  popedom,  though  it 
did  not  lay  hold  of  the  central  truths  of 
the  Gospel,  might  yet  pave  the  way  for 
still  more  effective  exertions ;  and  served 
at  least  to  inform  mankind,  that  the  court 
of  Rome  was  not  infallible. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    PROPAGATION  OF   THE    GOSPEL   IN 
THIS    CENTURY. 

The*  work  of  Christian  piety,  which 
had  been  successfully  carried  on  in  Hun- 
gary, was  now  crowned  with  still  greater 

Stephen 


king  of 

Hungary 

born, 

A.  D.  997. 


prosperity.  Stephen  the  king, 
who  had  been  baptized  by 
Adalbert  bishop  of  Prague, 
and  who  began  to  reign  in  the 
year  997,  showed  himself  a 
zealous  patron  of  the  Gospel. 
Under  his  auspices,  Astricus  came  into 
Hungary,  opened  a  school,  and  educated 
ministers,  while  Boniface,  one  of  his 
disciples,  preached  the  word  in  Lower 
Hungary.  The  zeal  of  Stephen,  indeed, 
was  much  stimulated  by  his  pious  queen, 
Gisla,  daughter  of  the  emperor  Henry  II. 
He  often  accompanied  the  preachers,  and 
pathetically  exhorted  his  subjects.  He 
suppressed  barbarous  customs,  and  re- 
strained blasphemy,  theft,  adultery  and 
murder.  His  kindness  to  the  poor,  and, 
indeed  his  whole  moral  conduct,  was  ad- 
mirable. His  excellent  code  of  laws  are 
to  this  day  the  basis  of  the  laws  of  Hun- 
o-ary.  It  is  inscribed  to  his  son  Emerie, 
whom  he  exhorts  to  cultivate  sincere 
humility,  the  true  glory  of  a  king.  He 
forbids  in  it  all  impiety,  the  violation  ot 
the  Sabbath,  and  irreverent  behaviour  in 
the  house  of  God.  This  monarch  de- 
feated the  prince  of  Transilvania,  who 
had  invaded  his  dominions,  and  took  him 
prisoner;  but  restored  him  to  liberty, 
on  condition  that  he  should   allow  the 


measure,  Uiat  the  few  sentences  in  the  text 
seem  to  me  all  that  is  needful  to  be  observed 
on  the  Berengarian  controversy. 


•  Cent.  Magd.  Cent.  xi. 


610 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


Stephen 
•was  the 
first  Chris- 
tian mon- 
ai-ch  of 
Huno;ai-y. 
He  died, 
A.D.  1038 


Brief  ac- 
count of 
his  succes- 
sor, Peter. 


Gospel  to  be  preached  to  the 
Transilvanians,  without  mo- 
lestation. Stephen  was  a 
prosperous  monarch,  but  found 
afflictions  at  home  in  the  loss 
of  all  his  children.  His  mind 
was,  however,  improved  in 
divine  things  by  his  sufferings. 
He  laboured  three  years  under  a  compli- 
cation of  diseases,  and  died  in  the  year 
1038.*  He  had  lived  to  see  all  Hungary 
become  externally  Christian,  thougli 
Christianity  existed  there,  adulterated, 
or  clouded  at  least  by  papal  domination, 
and  by  the  fashionable  superstitions. 

Gerard,   a  Venetian,  had    been    mucb 
employed  by  king  Stephen,  as  bishop  of 
Choriad,  ^  diocese  of  which  two  thirds 
of  the  inhabitants  were  idolaters.    In  less 
than  a  year,  they,  in  general,  had  receiv- 
ed  the  forms  of  Christianity  from   the 
pious  labours  of  Gerard.     The  power  of 
Stephen  had  seconded  the  views  of  the 
bishop;  but  the  prospect  changed  on  the 
king's  decease.     His  nephew 
and   successor   Peter,   perse- 
cuted  Gerard  :  he  was,  how- 
ever, expelled  by  his  subjects 
in  1042,  and  Abas,  a  noble- 
man, was  made  king  of  Hungary,  who 
being  slain  after  two  years,  Peter  was 
recalled,  but  was   once  more   banished. 
Andrew,  the  son  of  Ladislaus,  the  cousin 
of  king  Stephen,  was  appointed  king,  on 
the  condition  of  restoring  idolatry.     Ge- 
rard and  three  other  bishops  endeavoured 
to  divert  him  from  the  design.     But  they 
were  assaulted  on  the  road  by  duke  Va- 
thas,  a  zealous  pagan.     Andrew  himself 
came  up  to  the  spot,  and  rescued  one  of 
the  bishops  :   the  other  three,  of  whom 
Gerard  was  one,  had  fallen  by  the  arm 
of  the  barbarian.     It  is  probable,  how- 
ever, that  Divine   Providence  permitted 
their  atrocious  villany  for  the  good  of  the 
Church.    The  heart  of  Andrew  was  rhov- 
ed :   he  had  seen  of  what  idolatry  was 
capable :  he  examined   Christianity,  re- 
ceived it,  repressed  idolatry,  and  reigned 
successfully.     After  the  Hungarians  had 
seen  such  a  prince  as  Stephen,  and  had 
felt  the  good  effects  on  society  resulting 
from  the  establishment  of  Christianity, 
that  they  could  still  prefer  idolatry  is  a 
deplorable  proof  of  the  native  power  of 
human  depravity.     What  long-continued 
exertions  are  necessary  to  establish  genu- 
ine goodness  in  a  country  ! 

*  Alban  Butler. 


In*  Denmark,  Othingar,  a  bishop  of 
that  country,  extended  the  pale  of  the 
Church  by  his  labours  ;  and  Unwan,  the 
bishop  of  Hamburg,  under  the  patronage 
of  the  emperor  Henry  II.  cut  down  the 
idolatrous  groves,  which  the  people  of  his 
diocese  frequented,  and  erected  churches 
in  their  stead. 

Godeschalcus,f  duke  of  the  Vandals, 
revived  among  his  subjects  the  regard  for 
the  Gospel,  which  they  had  once  em- 
braced, and  which  they  had  afterwards 
neglected.  It  is  not  easy  to  know  pre- 
cisely what  were  the  limits  of  his  domi- 
nions. But  I  find  Lubeck,  Mecklenburg, 
and  Sclavonia  mentioned  as  belonging  to, 
or  as,  at  least,  contigruous  to  his  dukedom. 


Much  has   been   said   in   praise  of  this 
prince,  and  of  the  success  of  his  labours.:}: 
He  is  reported  to  have,  in  person,  exhort- 
ed his  people  with  much  affection  in  the 
public  assemblies;   and  John,  a  Scotch- 
man,  the   bishop   of  Mecklenburg,  bap- 
tized great  numbers  of  the  Sclavonians. 
Yet  this  last  people,  together  with  the 
Obotriti,  Avhose  capital  town  was  Meck- 
lenburg, the  Venedi,  who  dwelt  on   the 
banks  of  the  Vistula,  and  the  Prussians, 
continued   pagans,  in   a  great   measure, 
throughout  this  century.    Boleslaus,  king 
of  Poland,  attempted  to  force  these  na- 
tions into  a  profession  of  Christianity; 
and  some  of  his  attendants  used  methods 
to  evangelize  them,  which  were  better 
adapted   to   the   nature   of    the    Gospel. 
Boniface,    in   particular,§    and    eighteen 
other  persons,  set  out  from  Germany,  to 
labour  among  the   Prussians,  and  were 
massacred    by    that    barbarous    people. 
They  seem  to  have  been  among  the  last 
of  the  European  nations  who  submitted 
to  the  yoke  of  Christ.    In  the  zealous  at- 
tempts made  for  their  conversion,  though 
unsuccessful,   we   see   abundant   proofs, 
that  the  spirit  of  propagating  the  Gospel, 
which  was  the  brightest  gem  of  these 
dark  ages,  still  existed. 

Nor  had  the  zeal  of  our  own  ancestors 
evaporated  in  this  century.  In  the  year 
1001,  at  the  desire  of  Olaus  II,  king  of 
Sweden,  some  English  priests 
were  sent  over  into  the  north 
by  king  Ethelred.  Of  these 
Sigefrid,  archdeacon  of  York, 
was  one.  His  labours  were 
very  successful,  and  he  was 


English 
mission- 
ary to 
Sweden, 

A.D.  1001. 


*  Cent.  Magd.  Cent.  XI. 
X  Crantzius  in  Vandalia. 
§  Mosheini,  Cent.  XI.  Chap.  I. 


t  Ibid, 


Ce:^t.  XI.] 


SIGIFRID.—ULFRID.— CANUTE. 


611 


appointed  bishop  of  Wexia,  in  Enst-Golh- 
land.  Having  established  the  churches 
there,  he  preached  to  the  infidels  in 
West-Gothland,  leaving  his  nephews  to 
govern  his  diocese  while  he  was  absent. 
But  they  were  murdered  by  the  pagan 
nobility  of  the  country.  A  melancholy 
proof,  how  strong  the  spirit  of  idolatry 
still  remained  in  these  norihern  regions  ! 
The  same  kind  of  family  pride,  which,  at 
this  day,  preserves  the  remnants  of  po- 
pery in  protestant  countries,  preserved 
the  existence  of  paganism  in  Sweden. 
Sigefrid,  however,  returned  into  his  dio- 
cese, died  there  a. natural  death,  and  was 
buried  at  Wexia. 

This  man  is  said  to  have  finished  his 
course  about  the  year  1002;  an  account 
inconsistent,  as  to  the  order  of  time,  with 
that  which  has  been  already  given.  But 
not  to  trouble  ihe  reader  with  such  nice- 
ties of  chronology,  as  at  this  distance  of 
time  are  impossible  to  be  adjusted,  it  is 
more  material  to  observe  that  he  appears 
to  have  been  an  apostolic  person ;  that  on 
his  first  arrival  in  Sweden,  he  was  ob- 
liged, chiefly,  to  preach  by  interpreters ; 
that  he  prevailed  on  the  king  to  spare 
the  murderers  of  his  nephews  :  and,  that 
though  he  was  very  poor,  he  refused  to 
touch  the  fine  which  had  been  exacted  on 
those  murderers,  and  which  had  been 
offered  to  him  as  a  present  by  the  Swe- 
dish monarch.*  Gotebald,  another  Eng- 
. ,  lish  missionary,  was  appoint- 

Norwav.  ^^  bishop  in  Norway,  and 
preached  in  Schonen. 
Ulfrid,  a  learned  and  virtuous  Eno-- 
lishman,  preached  the  faith,  first  in  Ger- 
many, afterward  in  Sweden  under  the 
patronage  of  king  Olaus  ;  where  he  was 
an  instrument  of  converting 
many,  till,  in  the  year  1028, 
preachincr  ao-ainst  the  idol 
Thor,  and  hewing  it  down 
with  a  hatchet,  he  was  slain 
by  the  pagans.  See  Adam  of 
Bremen,  who  wrote  his  History  of  the 
Church  in  1080. 

Canute,  kinff  of  Denmark,  natural  son 
of  Swein  H.  whose  great  uncle  Canute 
had  reigned  in  England,  was  carefully 
educated  by  his  father,  who  had  no  legi- 
timate issue.  He  became  king  of  Den- 
mark by  election,  warred  against  the  tur- 
bulent barbarians  his  neighbours,  and 
planted  the  profession  of  Christianity  in 


CanutelV. 
surnamed 
the  Saint, 
mnrdcred 
aboutl086. 


the 


iElnoth,  a 
monk  of 
Canter- 
bury, 
wrote  his 
life. 


Ulfrid 
slain  by 
the  pagans 
in  Sweden, 

A.D.  1028. 


Courland,  Samogitia,  and  Li- 
vonia. His  zeal  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  clergy  having 
disgusted  his  subjects,  he  was 
deserted  and  murdered.  His 
brother  Olaus  succeeded, 
whose  successor  Eric  III.  restored 
authority  of  the  clergy.  The 
Life  of  Canute  was  written 
by  YElnoth,  a  monk  of  Can- 
terbury, who  lived  twenty- 
four  years  in  Denmark,  and 
who  wrote  in  1105.  He  tells 
us.  that  the  first  preachers  of 
the  faith  in  Denmark,  Sweden,  and  Nor- 
way, were  English  priests;  that  the 
Danes  embraced  the  Gospel  with  zeal, 
but  that  the  Swedes,  obstinate  in  their 
idolatry,  murdered  an  Englishman,  nam- 
ed Eschil,  while  he  was  preaching  Christ 
to  some  savage  tribes.  That  Sweden, 
however,  was  chiefly  evangelized  by 
Anglo-Saxon  missionaries,  is  the  remark 
of  Stiernman,  in  his  treatise  on  the  state 
of  learning  among  the  ancient  Swedes.* 

Olaus,  king  of  Norwaj%  assisted  the 
Danes  against  Ethelred  of  England,  and, 
in  his  return  from  England,  carried  over 
several  priests ;  one  of  whom,  named 
Grimkele,  was  appointed  bishop  of  Dron- 
theim,  the  capital  of  king  Olaus.  This 
prince  abolished  idolatrous 
customs  in  Norway,  Orkney, 
and  Iceland.  He  used  to  tra- 
vel with  zealous  preachers, 
exhorting  his  subjects,  and 
destroying  temples.  The  pa- 
gans, at  length,  aided  by  Ca- 
nute of  England,  defeated  and 
slew  him  in  the  year  1030. 
Magnus  was  called  home  from  Russia, 
and  became  king  of  Norway  in  1039. | 

The  triumphs  of  the  Gospel  in  Den- 
mark were,  upon  the  whole,  very  conspi- 
cuous in  this  century.  Hear  the  account 
of  Adam  of  Bremen,  who  wrote  concern- 
ing the  situation  of  this  country  in  the 
year  1080.  "Look,"  says  he,  "at  that 
very  ferocious  nation  of  the  Danes — For 
a  long  time  they  have  been  accustomed, 
in  the  praises  of  God,  to  resound  Alleluia. 
Look  at  that  piratical  people.  They  are 
now  content  with  the  fruits  of  their  own 
country.  Look  at  that  horrid  region, 
formerly  altogether  inaccessible  on  ac- 
count of  idolatry;  they  now  eagerly 
admit  the  preachers  of  the  word. "4^ 


Olaus  H. 
king  of 
Norway, 
slain  by 
Canute  of 
England, 

A.U.  1030. 


His 


son 


•  Olaus  Macrn.  B.  17.  C.  20. 
Hist.    Alban  Builer,  Col.  II. 


Collier's  Etc. 


*  Rutl.  Vol  II.  t  Ibid.  VII. 

i  Gibbon,  Vol.  V'.  C.  55. 


612 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  HI. 


From  this  very  imperfect  account,  for 
which  I  am  obliged  to  Gibbon,  and  which 
he  candidly  admits  to  be  true,  we  may 
collect,  what  a  blessed  work  it  is  to  pro- 
pagate the  Gospel  of  Christ ;  that  no  men 
deserve  better  of  mankind  than  faithful 
missionaries ;  and,  that  the  allegorical 
descriptions  of  the  effects  of  real  Chris- 
tianity, which  we  meet  with  in  the  pro- 
phets, have  a  deep  and  solid  meaning.* 
To  see  Danes  and  Englishmen  enjoying 
together,  in  mutual  confidence  and  cha- 
rity, the  blessings  of  true  religion,  must 
have  been  surprising  to  those,  who  bad 
known  with  what  savage  barbarity  the 
former  had  desolated  the  habitations  of 
the  latter.  In  truth,  that  religion  which 
could  molify,  transform,  and  rectify  the 
heart  of  an  ancient  Dane,  must  indeed 
be  divine.  These  are  the  triumphs  cf 
the  Gospel.  It  was  the  preaching  of  the 
Cross,  attended  with  the  energy  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  effected  this  salutary 
change  of  manners  in  the  north  of  Eu- 
rope. Denmark  had  inflicted  much  evil 
on  her  southern  neighbours,  and  they 
requited  her  with  spiritual  blessings.  It 
is  remarkable,  that,  to  this  day,  no  nation 
has  exceeded  the  Danes  in  labours  for  the 
propagation  of  the  Gospel,  in  proportion 
to  their  abilities  and  opportunities.  And 
it  must  be  confessed,  that  they  owe  much 
to  mankind  on  the  score  of  gratitude,  for 
the  favours  of  the  same  kind  which  their 
ancestors  received. 

For  want  of  materials,  I  cannot  dwell 
on  the  particulars  of  the  conversion  of  this 
people.")"  But  the  durable  change  of  their 
manners  intimates,  that  their  country 
must  have  been  blessed  with  one  of  those 
gracious   effusions    of  the   Holy  Spirit, 

*  Isaiah  xi.  The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with 
the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with 
the  kid. 

f  One  instance,  however,  is  recorded,  that 
deserves  to  be  mentioned.  William,  an  Eng- 
lish priest,  attended  Canute  tiie  Great,  in  one 
of  his  voyages  from  England  to  Denmark. 
Moved  with  pity  on  account  of  the  idolatry 
of  the  Danes,  he  desired  to  be  left  as  a  mis- 
sionary. His  labours  were  successful,  and 
he  was  appointed  bishop  of  Roschild  in  Zea- 
land. King  Swein  having  put  to  death  some 
persons  witiiout  a  legal  trial,  William  forbad 
his  entrance  into  the  church.  Several  eourtiers 
drawing  their  swords,  the  bishop  offered  them 
his  neck.  Swein  submitted,  conformed  to  the 
rules  of  penance  imposed  by  William,  and 
ever  after  concurred  with  his  views.  The  bi- 
shop of  Roschild  died  in  the  year  1067.  Al 
ban  Butler. 


the  consequences  of  which  are  commonly 
felt  for  ages  after.  Toward  the  close  of 
this  century,  the  northern  nations  ceased 
to  invade  the  southern  entirely.  The 
last  attempt  was  made  by  Magnus,  king 
of  Norway,  on  the  isle  of  Anglesea;  but 
he  was  repulsed  by  Hugh  earl  of  Shrews- 
bury,* in  the  eleventh  year  of  William 
Rufus.  "  That  restless  people  seem 
about  this  time  to  have  learned  the  use 
of  tillage,  which  thenceforth  kept  them 
at  home,  and  freed  the  other  nations  of 
Europe  from  the  devastations  spread  over 
them  by  those  piratical  invaders^  This 
pi-oved  one  great  cause  of  the  subsequent 
settlen\pnt  and  improvement  of  the 
southern  nations." 

I  quote  the  woids  of  Hume,  which  re- 
present in  a  very  perspicuous  manner  the 
advantages  resulting  from  the  civilization 
of  the  north,  not  only  to  the  Danes,  Nor- 
wegians, and   Swedes,   but  also  to  the 
south  of  Europe.     It  is  in  assigning  the 
cause  of  this  happy  change,  that  I  am 
obliged  to  dissent  from  that  elegant  his- 
torian.     He    thinks   that   the   effect  is 
sufHciently  accounted  for  by  these  north- 
ern people  having  learned  the  use  of  til- 
age.     But,  besides  that  he  has  no  histo- 
rical evidence  of  this  fact,  and  supports  it 
by  mere  conjecture,  it  is  fair  to  ask,  How 
came  they  to  be  so  docile  and  tractable, 
as  to  submit  to  the  arts  of  agriculture] 
Does  a  nation,  habituated  to  arms  and  to 
idleness,  easily  give  itself  up  to  industry, 
and  the  arts  of  peace  1    If  we  can  answer 
this  question  aright,  we  shall  know  to 
what  is  to  be  ascribed  the  happy  trans- 
formation of  the  north.     Scanty  as   my 
materials  have  been,  I  have  yet  shown, 
that  the  Gospel  had  now  been  for  three 
centuries  preached  in  Scandinavia.     To 
this,  doubtless  as  the  principal  cause,  we 
must  attribute  the   happy   alteration   of 
manners     in    those    barbarous    recrions. 
Christian  godliness  has  the  promise  of 
the  life  that  now  is,  as  well  as  of  that 
which  is  to  come.     While  it  conducts 
enslaved  souls  into  liberty,  and,  turning 
them  from  the  power  of  Satan  to   God, 
invests  them  with  the  garments  of  salva- 
tion, it  also  meliorates  their  condition  in 
this  life,  and  difluses  through  the  world 
the  most  salutary  precepts  of  peace,  order, 
and  tranquillity.    Let  not  men  expect  the 
general  civilization  of  the  globe  by  any 
other  methods.     When   the  earth  shall 
be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  then 


Hume,  vol.  i.  c.  v. 


Cbbtt.  XL] 


CHURCH  IN  ENGLAND. 


613 


will  the  nations  learn  war  no  more.  We 
enjoy  at  this  day,  the  advantages  of  so- 
ciet)'  derived  to  Europe,  from  tlie  propa- 
gation of  the  Gospel,  while  we  unorrate- 
fuUy  depreciate  the  labours  of  those 
Christian  Missionaries,  through  which, 
under  God,  those  advantages  were  con- 
veyed to  us.  Our  Saviour  has  directed 
us  to  pray  to  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  that 
he  would  send  forth  labourers  into  his 
harvest  :  and  every  one,  who  breathes 
the  genuine  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  will  de- 
voutly obey  the  precept. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE     STATE     OF     THE     CHURCH     IN 
ENGLAND. 

As  the  importance  of  our  own  country 
began  to  be  displayed  in  this  century,  it 
will  be  proper  to  take  some  notice  of  the 
appearance  of  religion  in  an  island,  which, 
we  have  seen,  had  so  distinguished  a 
share  in  diffusing  divine  truth  through  the 
northern  parts  of  Europe.  Even  the  very 
little  of  evangelical  religion  which  we  may 
discover,  may  deserve  our  attention. 

In  the  reign  of  Ethelred,  a  very  cruel 
massacre  of  the  Danes  was,  by  royal 
order,  made  throughout  his  dominions. 
The  rage  of  the  populace,  excited  by  so 
many  injuries,  was  extreme,  and  made  no 
distinction  between  the  innocent  and  the 
guilty.  Swein,  king  of  Denmark,  amply 
revenged  these  cruelties,  by  repeated  de- 
vastations :  and  the  unwarlike  Ethelred 
fled  into  Normandy  to  save  his  life,  while 
his  subjects  felt  all  the  miseries  which 
might  be  expected  from  incensed  and  vic- 
torious barbarians.  Among  other  instances 
of  their  hostilities,  they  levied  a  contri- 
bution on  the  county  of  Kent,  and  murder- 
ed the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  who  had 
refused  to  countenance  the  exaction.* 

The  author,  whose  short  account  I  have 
followed,  does  not  deign  to  give  us  the 
name  of  this  archbishop,  nor  to  relate  a 
single  circumstance  of  his  murder.  I 
cannot  but  think,  however,  that  he  would 
have  enlarged  on  the  subject  if  it  would 
have  gratified  his  dislike  of  religion.  But 
thus  a  conduct,  at  once  the  most  magna- 
nimous and  patriotic,  is  buried  in  obscu- 
rity, because  the  hero  was  an  ecclesiastic. 
Let  it,  however,  receive  the  justice  which 
is  due  to  it  from  these  memoirs. 

The]"  Danes  were  besieging  Canter- 
bury, when  Al phage,  the  archbishop,  was 
*  Hume,  V.  I.  p.  144.     f  Collier's  Ecc.  Hist. 

Vol.  L  3  F 


entreated  by  his  friends  to  save  his  own 
life.  "  God  forbid,"  said  Alphage,  "  that 
I  should  tarnish  my  character  by  so  in- 
glorious a  conduct ;  and  should  be  afraid 
of  going  to  heaven,  because  a  violent 
death  lies  across  the  passage.  I  have 
been  the  instrument  of  drawing  over  sev- 
eral considerable  persons  among  these 
Danes  to  the  Gospel :  if  this  be  a  fault, 
I  shall  be  happy  in  suffering  for  it.  I 
have  ransomed  some  of  my  countrymen, 
and  supported  others  when  in  captivity. 
If  Danes  be  angry,  because  I  have  re- 
proved their  sins,  it  behoves  me  to  re- 
member him  who  hath  said, '  if  thou  give 
not  the  wicked  warning,  his  blood  will 
I  require  at  thine  hand.'  It  is  the  character 
of  a  hireling  to  leave  the  sheep  when  he 
seeth  the  wolf  coming.  I  mean,  there- 
fore, to  stand  the  shock,  and  submit  to 
the  order  of  Divine  Providence."* 

The  archbishop,  influenced  by  these 
motives,  remained  in  Canterbury,  and 
exhorted  the  people,  as  a  Christian  pas- 
tor :  but  the  Danes  entered  the  city  by 
violence,  and  exercised  the  most  horrid 
barbarities,  particularly  on  ladies  of 
quality,  whom  they  dragged  to  the  stake 
and  burnt  to  death,  nor  did  they  spare 
even  infants.  Alphage,  moved  at  these 
hideous  scenes,  had  the  boldness  to  ex- 
postulate with  them.  "  The  cradle," 
says  he,  "  can  afford  no  triumphs  for 
soldiers.  It  would  be  better  for  you  to 
exercise  your  vengeance  on  me,  whose 
death  may  give  some  celebrity  to  your 
names.  Remember  some  of  your  troops 
have,  through  my  means,  been  brought 
over  to  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  I  have 
frequently  rebuked  you  for  your  acts  of 
injustice."  The  Danes,  exasperated  at 
his  words,  seized,  and  bound  the  arch- 
bishop, and  kept  him  prisoner  for  seven 
months.  His  liberty,  however,  was  of- 
fered to  him  on  condition  of  immense 
payments  to  be  made  by  himself,  and  by 
Ethelred  the  kino-.  He  told  them  that 
the  sums  were  too  large  to  be  raised  by 
any  exactions,  and  he  firmly  refused  to 
drain  the  treasures  of  the  Church  for  the 
sake  of  saving  his  life;  accounting  it 
wrong  to  give  to  Pagans  those  sums 
which  had  been  devoted  to  the  honour  of 
religion,  and  to  the  relief' of  the  poor. 
The  merciless  Danes  enraged  beyond 
measure,  threw  him  down  and  stoned 
him,  while  he  prayed  for  his  enemies  and 
for  the  Church  ;  and,  at  length,  a  certain 
Dane,   lately    become   a   Christian,  dis- 


*  Osbern  de  Vit.  Elphegi.    Hovedeu'a  Ano. 


614 


HISTOKY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  IV. 


patched  him,  in  order  to  free  him  from 
his  pain. — One  of  his  successors,  the  fa- 
mous Lanfranc,  doubted  whether  Alphage 
ought  to  be  looked  on  as  a  martyr,  be- 
cause he  had  not  died  explicitly  for  the 
Christian  faith.  But  Ansel m,  a  still 
more  famous  personage,  told  Lanfranc, 
that  Alphage  was  a  real  martyr,  who  died 
rather  than  commit  an  unjust  thing.  Nor 
is   it  easy  to   conceive   that 

•I  bi^*^'       ^"y  spirit,  less  than  that  of  a 
shon  of  Christian,    could    have   con- 

Canter-         ducted  him  through    such   a 
bury,  scene,  and  supported  him  with 

murdered,     so   much  fortitude    and  cha- 
A.D.  1013.     rity. — Alphage  was  murdered 
in  the  year  1013. 

A  preceding  archbishop,  probably  his 
immediate  predecessor,  Elfric,  in  the 
year  1006,  had  directed  in  one  of  the 
canons  published  at  a  council,*  in  which 
he  presided,  that  every  parish-priest 
should  be  obliged,  on  Sundays  and  on 
other  holidays,  to  explain  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  the  Creed,  and  the  Gospel  for 
the  day,  before  the  people,  in  the  English 
tongue.  While  historians  enlarge  on  the 
quarrels  between  the  papacy  and  the  civil 
power,  and  descant,  with  tedious  prolixi- 
ty, on  the  superstitions,  which  were  in 
vogue  during  the  dark  ages,  they  are  too 
apt  to  pass  over  in  a  slight  and  cursory 
maimer  such  facts  as  these,  which  appear 
too  important  to  be  overlooked.  Let  the 
reader  who  has  seriously  considered  the 
importance  and  excellency  of  evangelical 
truth,  reflect  on  the  preciousness  of  the 
doctrines,  which  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the 
Creed,  and  some  of  the  plainest  and  most 
practical  passages  of  the  New  Testament 
do  either  exhibit  or  imply;  and  he  will 
be  convinced,  that  if  the  canon  of  Elfric 
had  been  obeyed  with  any  tolerable  de- 
gree of  spirit  and  exactness  in  a  number 
of  parishes  ire  England,  the  ignorance 
and  darkness  could  not  have  been  so 
complete  nor  so  universal,  as  we  are  gen- 
erally taught  to  believe  it  was.  ISuch 
bishops  as  Elfric  and  Alphage  must  have 
been  useful  lights  in  those  times.  The 
Gospels  read  in  the  Churches,  I  suppose, 
were  either  the  same  as,  or  similar  to, 
those  which  are  read  at  this  day ;  nor  is 
it  to  be  imagined,  that  a  familiar  exposi- 
tion of  them,  in  conjunction  with  the  Creed 
and  Lord's  Prayer  would  be  in  vain ;  be- 
cause, in  every  age,  the  preaching  of  Chris- 
tian fundamentals  is  accompanied  with  a 
divine  energy,  and  the  word  returns  not 


void  to  its  Divine  Author,  but  prospers 
in  the  thing  whereto  he  sends  it.*  The 
mixture  of  superstitious  inventions  might 
adulterate,  but  could  not  altogether  de- 
stroy, the  eflrcacy  of  the  word  of  God.  Nor 
can  I  doubt  but  many  at  this  day,  who 
boast  of  their  exemptions  from  papal  ig- 
norance, and  who  call  themselves  en- 
lightened, l)ecause  they  have  been  refined 
by  philosophical  and  political  knowledge, 
are  themselves  much  inferior,  in  Chris- 
tian light  and  spirit,  to  many  who  lived 
in  the  dark  times  of  the  eleventh  century, 
under  the  benefit  of  such  advantages  of 
mstruction  as  the  canon  before  us  afford- 
ed. For  that  elementary  knowledge, 
which  is  the  object  of  the  canon,  is  ever 
more  salutary  in  its  influence,  than  the 
most  ingenious  subtilties  of  literary  re- 
finement in  religion.  These,  like  the 
spider's  web,  are  intricate,  and  are  often 
found  to  be  flimsy  and  void  of  any  sub- 
stantial advantage  to  mankind.  Armed 
with  catechetical  knowledge,  I  conceive 
that  serious  minds  would  in  that  ao-e  find 
rest  and  food  to  their  souls ;  and  the  love  of 
God  being,  by  this  means,  shed  abroad  in 
the  heart,  would  constrain  the  missionaries 
of  that  period  to  diffuse  the  Gospel  in  the 
northern  regions  with  ability  and  success. 

The  facts,  on  which  these  reflections 
are  founded,  may  show  us,  that  God  had 
not  forsaken  this  island  during  the  disas- 
trous reign  of  Ethelred,  though  the  po- 
litical  hemisphere  was  gloomj^  beyond 
expression.     Ethelred   himself,   had   re- 
turned  into   his   kingdom,   yet  was  he 
never   able   to   make    head   against   the 
Danes,  who  at  length,  in  the  year  1017, 
brought  the  English  into  total  subjection. 
Their  king  Canute,  and  his  two  sons  in 
succession,    governed    England,   which, 
however,  recovered  itself  from  the  Dan- 
ish yoke,  and  received  Edward  the  Con- 
fessor, the  son  of  Ethelred,  as  its  mon- 
arch, in  the  year  1041.     But  the  Saxon 
line,  though  restored,  was  unable  to  main- 
tain itself  on  the  throne,  and 
soon  sunk  under   the  power     Conquest 
of  William  the  Norman,  who     °'  ^yYj. 
in   lOtiG,  beheld   himself  so-     jj^j^,  j^jj^^ 
vereign   of  England,   which     ofNor- 
continues   under  the  govern-     mandy, 
ment   of  his  posterity  to  this     j^j)_  io66. 
day. 

lUnder  William,!  named  the  Conqueror, 


*  Collier. 


*  Isaiali  Iv. 

f  Osmund,  a  Norman,  privy  counsellor  to 
William  the  Conqueror,  ai'lurwards  bishop  of 
Salisbury,  corrected  die  Liturgy  used  in  his 


Cext.  XI.] 


CHUKCH  IN  ENGLAND. 


615 


the  papal  power,  which  hitherto  had  by 
no  means  been  so  absolute  in  Entrland 
as  in  the  soiuhern  countries,  began  to  be 
felt  more  strongly,  and  soon  reached  the 
same  heicrht  wliich  it  had  obtained  in 
France  and  Italy.     Tiie  tyrant  found  it 


double  it,  and  said  to  the  tyrant, — "  if  I 
am  used  according  to  my  station,  all  I 
have  is  at  your  service ;  if  1  am  treated  as  a 
slave,  I  shall  keep  my  property  to  myself." 
And  undoubtedly  tlie  rapacity  and  pro- 
faneness  of  the  Norman  princes,  particu- 


a  convenient  engine  for  the   support  of  Marly  of  William   Rutus,  in  the  seizure 


his  own  despotic  authority:   and  while 
he  took  care  that  every  one  of  his  sub- 
jects  should,   in   ecclesiastical   matters, 
bow   under   the   yoke   of  the   bishop   of 
Rome,  he  reserved  to  himself  the  supreme 
dominion  in  civil   aifairs,  and   exercised 
it  with  the  most  unqualified  rigour.  Lan- 
franc,  whom  he  appointed  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  zealousl}^  supported  the  pow- 
er of  Rome,  and   confirmed   the   absurd 
doctrine  of  transubstantiation  by  his  in- 
fluence and   authority.      His   successor, 
Anselm,  was  no  less  devoted  to  the  pope, 
and  maintained  several  famous  contests 
with  his  sovereign   William  Rufus.  the 
son  and  successor  of  the  Conqueror.  This 
archbishop  contributed  much,  by  his  in- 
fluence, to  settle  the  celibacy  of  the  cler- 
gy in  England ;  and  it  must  be  confessed, 
that  even  the  virtues  of  this  great  man, 
through    the    peculiar    infelicity    of  the 
times,  were  attended  with  great  disadvan- 
tages  to   the   state   of   society.     For   it 
ought  to  be  observed,  that  if  we  except 
his   attachment   to   the   authority  of  the 
pope,  and  his  passion  for  the  fashionable 
superstitions,  his  conduct  was  pious  and 
exemplary;   his  zeal  against  the  luxury, 
simony,  and  vices  of  the  great,  was  lau- 
dable :    and,    above   all,   his   defence   of 
evangelical  truth,  adorned  by  an  upright 
course  of  life  and  conversation,  preserved 
under  God  some  genuine  remains  of  god- 
hness  in  the  nation.     Nor  ought  we  to 
follow  implicitly  the  ideas  of  our  protes- 
tant  historians,  who,  in  every  debate  be 


and  alienation  of  ecclesiastical  benefices, 
were  justly  opposed  by  the  bishops  of 
those  times.  It  is  only  to  be  wished, 
that  ihey  had  conducted  their  opposition 
on  the  grounds  of  Scripture,  and  the  pre- 
cedents of  the  primitive  Church,  not  on 
the  authority  of  the  court  of  Rome. 

Nothing  else  worthy  of  a  place  in  these 
memoirs  seems  to  have  occurred,  in  the 
general  history  of  our  island,  during  the 
course  of  this  century,  except  what  re- 
lates to  the  personal  character  of  Marga- 
ret queen  of  Scotland ;   a  woman   of  th'e 
rarest  piety,  and  of  a  character  fitted  to 
throw  a  lustre  on  the  purest  ages.     She 
was  sister  to  Edgar  Atheling,  the  grandson 
of  Edmund  Ironside,  who  was  the  son 
and  successor  of  Ethelred.     Edgar  was 
a  peculiar  favourite  of  the  English,  be- 
cause he  was  the  last  of  the  Saxon  line 
of  princes.     In  the  reign  of  William  the 
Norman,  he  and  his  sister  found  a  safe* 
retreat  in  Scotland,  under  the  protection 
of  Malcolm,  who   by   the  assistance  of 
Edward    the  Confessor,  had    recovered 
the  throne  of  vScotland  from  the  usurper 
Macbeth.      Malcolm   married   the   Eng- 
lish   princess.      Wonderful    things    are 
related  of  her  piety,  liberality,  and  hu- 
mility.    Through   her  influence,  the  fe- 
rocious spirit  of  her  husband  received  a 
happy  tincture  of  humanity.      She   was 
enabled  to  reform  the  kingdom  of  Scots 
land  in  a  great  degree,  and  to  introduce 
a  more  serious  regard  to  the  duties  of 
the  Lord's  day,  than  had  been  knovi-n  in 


tween  the  king  and  the  Church,  are  sure  |  that  country.     She  had  by  ^Malcolm  six 


to  decide  against  the  latter.  What  could 
be  more  arbitrary,  for  instance,  than  the 
demand  of  a  thousand  pounds  which 
William  Rufus  made  upon  Anselm]  And 
what  more  warrantable  than  the  conduct 
of  the  latter?*  He  offered  the  king  five 
hundred  pounds,  which  were  refused  in 
disgust.  Anselm  gave  the  sum  io  the 
poor,   rather    than   rack   his    tenants   to 


diocese.  And  he  was  thought  to  have  done  tlie 
work  so  judiciously,  that  the  Service  "  In  Usum 
Sarnum,"  was  received  in  other  dioceses,  and 
became  common  througliout  England.  For, 
before  this  time,  every  diocese  had  its  appro- 
priate Liturgy.  Collier's  Eccles.  History. 
•  Collier. 


sons  and  two  daughters.  Three  of  her  sons 
reigned  successively,  and  were  esteem- 
ed excellent  monarchs.  Her  daughter 
Matilda  was  wife  to  Henry  I.  of  England, 
and  was  looked  on  as  a  pious  Christian. 
Margaret  had  taken  uncommon  care  .of 
her  children's  education,  and  the  fruits  of 
her  labours  appeared  in  their  lives.  The- 
odoric,  her  confessor,  observes  that  she 
was  remarkably  attentive  in  public  pray- 
er. "x\.nd,"  says  he,  "she  would  dis- 
course with  me  concerning  the  sweetness 
of  everlasting  life,  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  draw  tears  from  my  eyes."  This 
same  Theodoric,  a  monk  of  Durham, 
*  Alban  Butler,  Vol.  V. 


616 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V- 


Malcolm 
III.  sur- 
named 
Canmore, 
slain, 

A.D.  1093. 


wrote  her  Life.  She  was  afflicted  with 
sickness  at  the  very  time 
in  which  her  husband  Mal- 
colm was  slain  at  Alnwick 
in  Northumberland,  in  the 
time  of  William  Rufus,  in 
1093.  The  bitter  news  was 
brought  to  her  ears :  her  reflec- 
tion upon  it  was  truly  Christian:  "I 
thank  thee,  O  Lord,  that  this  great  afllic- 
tion  is  evidently  sent  to  purify  me  from 
my  sins.  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  by 
thy  death  hast  given  life  to  the  world, 
deliver  me  from  evil."  She  survived 
this  event  only  a  few  days.  A  princess 
of  such  accomplishments  could  not  have 
shone  in  vain  in  Scotland  ;  but,  most  pro- 
bably, must  have  led  many,  in  a  rude  and 
ignorant  age,  to  think  that  there  was  some- 
thing real  in  godliness. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ANSELM. 

That  good  men  frequently  appear  to 
more  advantage  in  private  life  than  in 
public,  is  a  remark  which  was  perhaps 
never  better  exemplified  than  in  this  pre- 
late, of  whom  all  that  is  known  by  the 
generality  of  readers  is,  that  he  was  a 
strenuous  supporter  of  the  papal  dominion 
in  England.  I  can  easily  conceive  that 
he  might  be  influenced  by  the  purest  mo- 
tives in  this  part  of  his  conduct,  when  I 
reflect  on  the  shameless  and  profane  man- 
ners of  the  Norman  princes.  But  his 
private  life  was  purely  his  own,  originat- 
ing more  directly  from  the  honest  and 
good  heart,  with  which,  through  grace, 
he  was  eminently  endowed.  As  a  divine 
and  a  Christian,  he  was  the  first  of  cha- 
racters in  this  century,  and  is,  therefore, 
deserving  of  some  attention. 

He  was  born  at  Aoust  in  Piedmont.* 
From  early  life  his  religious  cast  of  mind 
was  so  prevalent  that,  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen, he  olfered  himself  to  a  monastery, 
but  was  refused,  lest  his  father  should 
have  been  displeased.  He  afterwards 
became  entangled  in  the  vanities  of  the 
world;  and,  to  his  death,  he  bewailed 
the  sins  of  his  youth.  Becoming  a  scho- 
lar of  Lanfranc,  his  predecessor  in  the 
See  of  Canterbury,  at  that  time  a  monk 
at  Bee,  in  Normandy,  he 
commenced  monk  in  the  year 
1060,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven.  He  afterwards  became 
*  Butler,  Vol.  IV. 


Anselm 
becomes  a 
monk, 


Lanfranc 
Archbish- 
op ot  Can- 
terbury 
dies, 

A.D.  1089. 


William 
Rufus  ap- 
points An- 
selm his 
successor. 


the  prior  of  the  monastery.      .  j^  .^g^ 
His    progress     in     religious 
knowledge  was  great :  but  mildness  and 
charity  seem  to  have  predominated  in  all 
his  views  of  piety.      The  book,  common- 
ly called  Augustine's  Meditations,  was 
chiefly  abstracted   from   the   writings  of 
Anselm .     At  the  age  of  forty- 
five  he  became  abbot  of  Bee. 
Lanfranc  dying  in  1089,  Wil- 
liam Rufus  usurped  the  reve- 
nues of  the  See  of  Canterbu- 
ry, and  treated  the  monks  of 
the  place  in  a  barbarous  man- 
ner.    For  several  years  this 
profane  tyrant  declared,  that  none  should 
have  the  See  while  he  lived  ;  but  a  fit  of 
sickness  overawed  his   spirit;  and  con- 
science, the  voice  of  God,  which  often 
speaks  even  in  the  proudest  and  the  most 
insensible,  severely  reproved  his  wicked- 
ness; insomuch  that  he  nominated  Anselm 
to  be  the  successor  of  Lan- 
franc.    That  Anselm  should 
have  accepted   the  oflnce  with 
much  reluctance,  under  such 
a  prince,  is   by  no  means  to 
be   wondered    at :    and,    the 
more  upright  and  conscientious  men  are, 
the   more  wary  and  reluctant  will  they 
always  be  found  in  accepting  oflSces  of  so 
sacred  a  nature;  though  it  is  natural  for 
men  of  a  secular  spirit  to  judge  of  others 
by  themselves,  and  to  suppose  the  "  nolo 
episcopari,"  to  be,  without   any  excep- 
tions, the  language  of  hypocrisy. 

Anselm  pressed  the  king  to  allow  the 
calling  of  councils,  in  order  to  institute 
an  inquiry  into  crimes  and  abuses ;  and 
also  to  fill  the  vacant  abbeys,  the  reve- 
nues of  which  William  had  reserved  to 
himself  with  sacrilegious  avarice.  No- 
thing but  the  conviction  of  conscience, 
and  the  ascendency  which  real  upright- 
ness maintains  over  wickedness  and  pro- 
fligacy, could  have  induced  such  a  per- 
son as  William  Rufus  to  promote  Anselm 
to  the  See,  though  he  must  have  fore- 
seen how  improbable  it  was,  that  the 
abbot  would  ever  become  the  tame  in- 
strument of  his  tyranny  and  oppression. 
In  fact,  Anselm,  finding  the  Church  over- 
borne by  the  iniquities  of  the  tyrant,  re- 
tired to  the  continent  with  two  monks,  one 
of  whom,  named  Eadmer,  wrote  his  Life. 
Living  a  retired  life  in  Calabria,  he 
gave  employment  to  his  active  mind  in 
writing  a  treatise  on  the  reasons  why  God 
should  become  man,  and  on  Anselm 
the   doctrine  of  the  Trinity    retired 


Cent.  XI.] 


ANSELM. 


617 


and  the  Incarnation  :  a  work 

Calabria  ^*  ^^'^''  ^^"^®  useful  to  the 
Church  of  Christ,  as  he  re- 
futed the  sentiments  of  Roscelin,  who 
had  puhlished  erroneous  views  con- 
cerning the  Trinity.  P'or,  after  a  sleep 
of  many  ages,  the  genius  of  Arianism  or 
Sociuianism,  or  both,  had  awakened,  and 
taken  advantage  of  the  general  ignorance, 
to  corrupt  the  fundamental  doctrines  of 
Christianity.  Anselm  knew  how  to  rea- 
son closely  and  systematically,  after  the 
manner  of  the  famous  Peter  Lombard, 
master  of  the  sentences,  and  bishop  of 
Paris ;  and  he  was  properly  the  first  of 
the  scholastic  divines.  The  method  of 
ratiocination  then  used,  was,'  no  doubt, 
tedious,  verbose,  and  subtile,  and,  in 
process  of  time,  grew  more  and  more 
perplexed.  It  was,  however,  preferable 
to  the  dissipation  and  inanity,  which,  in 
many  publications  of  our  times,  pretend 
to  the  honour  of  good  sense  and  sound 
wisdom,  thouorh  devoid  of  learnino-  and 
industry.  Moreover,  the  furniture  of  the 
schools,  in  the  hands  of  a  fine  genius 
like  Anselm,  adorned-  with  solid  piety, 
and  under  the  control  of  a  good  under- 
standing, stemmed  the  torrent  of  profane 
infidelity,  and  ably  supported  the  cause 
of  godliness  in  the  world.  Roscelin  was 
confuted,  and  the  common  orthodox  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity  upheld  itself  in  the 
Church.  What  were  the  precise  views 
of  Roscelin  will  be  better  understood, 
when  we  come  to  introduce  one  of  his 
scholars,  the  famous  Peter  Abelard,  to 
the  reader's  notice. 

Anselm,  weary  of  an  empty  title  of 
dignitv,  and  seeing  no  probability  of  be- 
ing able  to  serve  the  Church  in  the  arch- 
bishopric, entreated  the  pope  to  give  him 
leave  to  resign  it,  hut  in  vain.  Nor  does 
he  seem  to  have  been  justly  chargeable 
with  the  disi)lay  of  an  '■  ostentatious  hu- 
mility," wlien  he  had  first  refused  the 
promotion.*  The  integrity  with  which 
he  had  acted,  ever  since  that  promotion 
had  taken  place,  ought  to  have  rescued 
him  from  the  illiberal  censure.  "  Rufus 
had  detained  in  prison  several  persons, 
whom  he  had  ordered  to  be  freed  during 
the  time  of  his  penitence  ;  he  still  preyed 
upon  the  ecclesiastical  benefices  ;  the  sale 
of  spiritual  dig-nities  continued  as  open 
as  ever  ;  and  he  kept  possession  of  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  revenues  belonging 
to  the  See  of  Canterbury."  Was  it  a 
crime,  or  was  it  an  instance  of  laudable 


*  See  Hume 

o 
O 


Vol.  I. 
F  2 


302. 


integrity  in  Anselm,  to  remonstrate 
against  such  proceedings  ?  I  suppose 
the  candour  and  good  sense  of  the  author, 
to  whom  I  allude,  would  have  inclined 
him  to  praise  that  upright  conduct  for 
which  Anselm  was  obliged  to  retire  to 
the  continent,  had  not  this  same  Anselm 
been  a  priest,  and  a  priest  too  of  sincere 
zeal  and  fervour.  In  justice  to  Anselm, 
it  should,  moreover,  be  observed,  that  one 
reason  why  he  wished  to  resign  his  arch- 
bishopric was,  that  he  believed  he  mio-ht 
be  of  more  service  to  the  souls  of  men  in 
a  merely  clerical  character,  which  was 
more  obscure.  And  he  was  naturally  led 
to  assign  this  reason  to  the  pope,  from 
the  observation  whicii  he  made  of  tiie  effect 
of  his  preaching  on  audiences  in  Italy. 

Men  of  superior  talents,  however,  are 
frequently  born  to  drudge  in  business  or 
in  arts,  whether  they  be  in  prosperous  or 
in  adverse  circumstances.  For  mankind 
feel  the  need  of  such  men  ;  and  they 
themselves  are  not  apt  to  bury  their 
powers  in  indolence.  A  council  was 
called  at  Bari  by  pope  Urban,  to  settle 
with  the  Greeks  the  dispute  which  had 
long  separated  the  Eastern  and  Western 
Churches,  concerning  the  procession  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  For  the  Greek  Church, 
it  should  seem,  without  any  spiritual 
reason,  had  denied  the  procession  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  from  the  Son ;  and  had,  there- 
fore, thrust  the  words  and  the  son*  out  of 
the  Nicene  Creed.  While  the  disputants 
were  engaged,  the  pope  called  on  Anselm, 
as  his  father  and  master,  for  his  reply. 
The  archbishop  arose,  and  by  his  powers 
of  argumentation  silenced  the  Greeks. 

At  Lyons,  he  wrote  on  the  conception 
of  the  Virgin,  and  on  original  sin  ;  and 
thus   he  employed  himself  in   religious^ 
not  in  secular  cares,  during  the  whole  of 
his  exile.     A  strong  proof  of  his  exemp- 
tion from  that  domineering  ambition,  of 
which  he  has  been  accused.     In  the  year 
1100  he  heard  of  the  death  of 
his  royal  persecutor,  which  he     Rafus 
is  said  to  have  seriously  la-     •'''^s> 
mented,    and    returned    into     A.D.  1100. 
England  by  the  invitation  of    Anselm 
Henry  I.     To  finish,  at  once,     returns  to 
the  account  of  his  unpleasant     Eng-land. 
contests    with    the    Norman 
princes,  he,  at  length,  was  enabled    to 
comproinise  thein.     The  great  object  of 
controversy  was  the  same  in  England  as 
in  the  other  countries  of  Europe,  namely, 
"  Whether   the   investiture  of  bishoprics 

*  '•  I'rocecdiug  from  the  ir'atlier  and  llic  Soiu"" 


618 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.V. 


should  be  received  from  the  king  or  from 
the  pope."  Anselm,  moved  undoubtedly 
by  a  conscientious  zeal,  because  all  the 
world  bore  witness  to  his  integrity,  was 
decisive  for  the  latter;  and  the  egregious 
iniquities,  and  shameless  violations  of 
all  justice  and  decorum,  practised  by 
princes  in  that  age,  would  naturally 
strengthen  the  prejudices  of  Anselm's 
education.  To  receive  investiture  from 
the  pope  for  the  spiritual  jurisdiction,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  to  do  homage  to  the 
king  for  the  temporalities,  was  the  only 
medium,  which  in  those  times  could  be 
found,  between  the  pretensions  of  the 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  dominion ;  and 
matters  were  settled,  on  this  plan,  both 
in  England  and  in  Germany. 

If  Anselm  then  contributed  to  the  de- 
pression of  the  civil  power,  and  the  con- 
firmation of  the  papal,  he  was  unhappily 
carried  away  by  a  popular  torrent,  which 
few  minds  had  power  to  resist.  It  seems 
certain,  however,  that  ambition  formed 
no  part  of  this  man's  character.  "  While 
I  am  with  you,"  he  would  often  say  to 
his  friends, '"  I  am  like  a  bird  in  her  nest 
amidst  her  young,  and  enjoy  the  sweets 
of  retirement  and  social  affections.  But 
when  I  am  thrown  into  the  world,  I  am 
like  the  same  bird  hunted  and  harassed 
by  ravens  or  other  fowls  of  prey  :  the  in- 
cursions of  various  cares  distract  me : 
and  secular  employments,  which  I  love 
no^,  vex  my  soul."  He,  who  spent  a 
great  part  of  his  life  in  retirement,  who 
thought,  spake,  and  wrote  so  much  of 
vital  godliness  ;  and  whose  moral  charac- 
ter was  allowed,  even  by  his  enemies,  to 
have  ever  been  without  a  blot,  deserves 
to  be  believed  in  these  declarations.* 

Let  us  then  attend  to  those  traits  of 
character,  which  were  more  personal,  and 
in  which  the  heart  of  the  man  more  plain- 
ly appears.  He  practised  that,  which  all 
godly  persons  have  ever  found  salutary, 
and  even  necessary,  namely,  retired  and 
devotional  meditation,  and  even  watched 
long  in  the  night  for  the  same  purpose. 
One  day,  a  hare,  pursued  by  the  hounds, 
ran  under  his  horse  for  refuge  as  he  was 
riding.  ,  The  object  bringing  at  once  to 
his  recollection  a  most  awful  scene,  he 
stopped,  and  said  weeping,  "  This  hare 
reminds  me  of  a  sinner  just  dying,  sur- 
rounded with  devils,  waiting  for  their 
prey."  It  was  in  this  manner  that  he 
used  to  spiritualize  every  object,  a  prac- 
tice ever  derided  by  profane  minds,  whe- 
*  See  his  Life,  written  by  Eadmer. 


ther  performed  injudiciously  or  not ;  but  to 
which,  in  some  degree,  every  devout  and 
pious  spirit  on  earth  has  been  addicted. 

In  a  national  synod,  held  at  St.  Peter's, 
Westminster,  he  forbad  men  to  be  sold  as 
cattle,  which  had  till  then  been  practised. 
For  the  true  reliefs  and  mitigations  of 
human  misery  lay  entirely,  at  that  time, 
in  the  influence  of  Christianity ;  and  small 
as  that  influence  then  was,  lire  ferocity  of 
the  age  was  tempered  by  it ;  and  human 
life  was  thence  prevented  from  being  en- 
tirely degraded  to  a  level  with  that  of  the 
beasts  which  perish. 

Anselm  died  in  the  sixteenth  year  of 
his   archbishopric,   and   in  the   seventy- 
sixth  year  of  his  age.     Toward  the  end 
of  his  life,  he  wrote  on  the 
Will,     Predestination,     and     ^."^^'"^  . 
Grace,  much  in  Augustine's     ^^^^s,  age 
manner.     In  prayers,  medita- 
tions, and  hymns,  he  seems  to  have  had 
a  peculiar  delight,     Eadmer  says,  that 
he  used  to  say,  "If  he  saw  hell  open, and 
sin  before  him,  he  would  leap  into  the 
former,  to  avoid  the  latter."     I  am  sorry 
to  see  this  sentiment,  which,  stripped  of 
figure,  means  no  more  than  what  all  good 
men  allow,  that  he  feared  sin  more  than 
punishment,  aspersed  by  so  good  a  divine 
as  Fox  the  martyrologist.*"    But  Anselm 
was   a   papist,  and  the  best   protestants 
have  not  been  without  their  prejudices. 

But  it  is  time  to  let  Anselm  speak  for 
himself.  We  shall  hear  from  him  some- 
thing by  no  means  unworthy  the  atten- 
tion of  the  most  intelligent  Christians. 
A  direction  for  the  visitation  of  the  sick 
was  composed  by  Anselm  ;|  the  sub- 
stance of  which  is  as  follows.  Two  pre- 
vious questions  were  to  be  asked  by  the 
minister:  the  first  was,  Dost  thou  believe 
that  thou  deservest  damnation]  The  se- 
cond was.  Dost  thou  intend  to  lead  a  new 
life?  When  the  sick  man  had  returned 
an  answer  in  the  aflirmative  to  these 
questions,  he  was  further  asked,  Dost 
thou  believe,  that  thou  canst  not  be  saved 
but  by  the  death  of  Christ?— The  sick 
man  answered,  I  do  so  believe.  Then 
the  minister  says  to  him.  See  then,  while 
life  remains  in  thee,  that  thou  repose  thy 
confidence  only  in  the  death  of  Christ; 
trust  in  nothing  else;  commit  thyself 
wholly  to  this  death;  cover  thyself  wholly 
with  this  alone;  mix  thyself  wholly  with 
this  death  ;  involve  thyself  wholly  in  this 
death.  And,  if  the  Lord  will  judge  thee, 
say.  Lord,  I  cast  the  death  of  our  Lord 
~*  A^s  and  Monuments,  v.  I.      t  Ans.  Op. 


Cewt.  XL] 


ANSELM. 


619 


Jesus  Christ  between  myself  and  thy 
judgment;  otherwise  I  will  not  engage  in 
judgment  with  thee.  And  if  he  shall 
say  to  thee,  thai  thou  art  a  sinner,  say,  I 
place  the  death  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
between  me  and  my  sins.  If  he  shall  say 
to  thee,  that  thou  hast  deserved  damna- 
tion, say,  Lord,  I  cast  the  death  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  between  me  and  my 
evil  deserts,  and  I  offer  his  merits  for 
that  merit  which  I  ought  to  have  had, 
and  have  not.  If  he  shall  say  that  he  is 
angry  with  thee,  say.  Lord,  I  cast  the 
death  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  between 
me  and  thy  displeasure." 

It  cannot  be  doubted,  but  all  this  pro- 
cess would  be  mere  formality  in  the 
hands  of  many  persons,  both  pastors  and 
people.  But  so,  even  at  this  day,  are 
several  the  most  spiritual  catechisms,  and 
the  most  evangelical  exhortations.  While 
the  world  is,  as  it  is,  depraved  and  sen- 
sual, the  very  best  means  of  grace  will 
be  lost  on  many.  But  it  is  not  easy  to 
conceive,  that  he  who  composed  these 
directions  could  himself  have  been  a  mere 
formalist.  They  breathe  the  spirit  of 
one  who  seems  to  have  felt  what  it  is  to 
appear  before  the  Majesty  of  God;  and 
also  how  unclean  and  defiled  with  sin 
both  his  nature  and  practice  had  been ; 
and  how  unsafe  it  is  to  rest  on  any  thing 
but  Christ  crucified.  The  jewel  of  the 
Gospel,  peace  by  the  blood  of  Christ 
alone,  which  is  the  doctrine  that  gives 
law  and  being,  order  and  efficacy,  to  all 
the  other  doctrines  of  Christianity,  is 
contained  in  this  plain  catechism;  and 
the  variety  and  repetition,  which  the  au- 
thor indulges,  offensive  as  they  are  in  the 
light  of  criticism,  demonstrate  the  au- 
thor's sincerity  and  zeal,  and  are  the 
natural  effect  of  the  impression  which 
had  been  felt  in  his  own  conscience.  For 
those  alone  whose  hearts  have  been 
ploughed  deep;  who  have  been  truly  se- 
rious for  eternity ;  have  been  well  prac- 
tised in  self-examination;  and  are  be- 
come well  acquainted  with  their  own 
demerits,  are  disposed  to  relish  the  pe- 
culiarities and  the  essentials  of  the  Gos- 
pel. Let  a  man  once  know  himself  a 
sinner  deserving  destruction,  and  be  truly 
desirous  to  become  a  new  creature,  and 
he  will  find  that  the  Gospel  of  Christ  is 
the  only  cordial  that  can  console  him. 
This  cordial  is  here  administered :  and  as 
it  belongs  to  true  penitents  only,  to  the 
humble  and  the  contrite,  so  is  it  adminis- 
tered by  the  skilful  divine  before  us  :  or, 


in  ether  words,  that  doctrine,  which  is 
"  most  wholesome  and  very  full  of  com- 
fort," namely,  the  doctrine  of  justifica- 
tion "  before  God,  only  for  the  merit  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  by 
faith,  and  not  for  our  own  works  or  de- 
servings,"*  is  preached  by  a  bishop  of 
the  eleventh  century.     So  strong  was  the 
provision  made  by  the  God  of  all  grace 
for  the  preservation  of  evangelical  truth 
in  the  darkest  times.     With  happy  in- 
consistency, Anselm,  in  seeking  peace  to 
his  conscience,  and  in  preaching  peace  to 
others,  sees  none  of  the  manifold  super- 
stitious methods  with  which  the  papacy 
abounded,   and   which   he   himself   pro- 
fessed.    I  suppose  he  would  give  some 
lower   meaning   to   the   doctrine   of  the 
merits  of  Saints  and  the  efficacy  of  pil- 
grimages ;  some  meaning,  which  should 
not  interfere  with  a  simple  application  to 
Jesus  Christ.     And  this  was  the  method 
of  many  other  pious  spirits  in  those  ages. 
The  reader  is  desired  to  observe,  how- 
ever, that  we  have  found  the  essential 
and  leading  doctrine  of  real  Christianity 
in  the  possession  of  Anselm  :  and  hence 
we  are  at  no  loss  to  account  for  the  supe- 
rior piety  and  virtue  which  rendered  him 
the  ornament  of  the  times  in  which  he 
lived,   though   they   exempted   him    not 
from  the  common  frailty  of  being  seduced 
by  the  prejudices  of  education.     The  in- 
estimable benefit  of  readinor,  and  medi- 
tating  on  the  divine  word  with  prayer, 
may,   from   this    example,   be    inferred. 
Such  reading  and  meditation  were  the  de- 
light and  employment  of  Anselm  through 
life ;   and  he  found  the  word  of  God  a 
light  to  his  feet,  and  a  lantern  to  his  paths. 
Hence  also  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  he  should  so  seriously  oppose  the 
anti-trinitarian   refinements  of  Roscelin, 
He,  who  finds  relief  to  his  own  mind  in 
the  death    of  Christ,  can   never  behold 
with  indifference  the  attacks  made  on  the 
dignity  of  Christ's  person.     And  though, 
in  that  rude  age,  men  had  not,  so  com- 
monly as  in  our  times,  learned  to  express 
a  contempt  for  the  Scriptures,  yet  there 
were  those  who  ridiculed  and  pretended 
to  argue  against  their  divine  inspiration. 
The  zeal  of  Anselm,  who  lived  for  eter- 
nitj%  by  fiiith  in  Christ,  was  induced  to 
oppose  these  attempts,  in  a  work  entitled 
"The   Fool   refuted."!     The  ingenuity 

*   See  11th  Article  of  Religion. 

t  Liber  ttdversus  iiicipientein. See  Mac's 

transl.  of  Mosheiiu,  Vol.  I.  Cent.  XI.  p.  530. 
Quarto  edition. 


620 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


and  acuteness  of  the  archbishop  were  dis- 
played with  good  effect  in  this  treatise. 
It  is  proper  to  observe,  also,  that  this 
great  man  was  the  real  inventor  of  the  ar- 
gument, erroneously  attributed  to  Des- 
cartes, which  undertakes  to  prove  the 
existence  of  God  from  the  idea  of  infinite 


his  race.  That  Adam  himself  could  satisfy 
was  impossible."* 

He  thus  expresses  his  admiration, 
while  he  meditates  on  the  power  of  the 
cross. f  "  0  hidden  fortitude  !  that  a  man 
hanging  on  the  cross  should  suspend  eter- 
nal   death,  which   oppressed    mankind ! 


perfection,  which  is  to  be  found,  without  [That  a  man,  nailed  to  the  cross,  should 
exception,  in  every  man's  mind.*  |  overcome  the  world,  and  punish  its  wicked 

Thus  did  Anselm  employ  himself  in:  powers  with  everlasting  destruction.  O  se- 
the  defence  of  divine  truth  and  serious  j  cret  powers  !  that  a  man,  condemned  with 
religion.  His  knowledge  of  the  Scrip-  robbers,  should  save  men  condemned 
tures  was,  I  am  persuaded,  so  sound,  and  i  with  devils  ;  that  a  man  extended  on  a 
his  love  of  them  so  sincere,  that  if  he  had :  cross  should  draw  all  things  to  himself ! 
met  with  direct  opposition,  on  these  infi- ,  O  secret  virtue  !  that  one,  expiring  in 
nitely  momentous  subjects,  from  the  agony,  should  draw  innumerable  souls 
court  of  Rome,  he  would  have  sooner]  from  hell;  that  man  should  undertake 
pronounced  the  pope  to  be  Antichrist, '  the  death  of  the  body,  and  destroy  the 
than   have   parted  with  his  evang-elical  i  death  of  souls  !" 


sentiments  and  profession.  But  the  course 
of  events  threw  him  into  such  circum- 
stances, that  it  became  the  temporal 
interest  of  the  court  of  Rome  to  cherish 
and  honour  the  archbishop. 

Hear  with  what  seriousness  he  ex- 
presses his  views  concerning  his  own 
justification  before  God.  "1  am  con- 
scious that  I  deserve  damnation,  and  my 
repentance  suffices  not  for  satisfaction  ; 
but  certain  it  is  that  thy  mercy  abounds 
above  all  offences." f 

The  works  of  this  great  prelate  are 
partly    scholastical,    partly    devotional. 


.Speaking  of  the  humiliation  of  Christ,:j: 
he  observes,  "  He  assumed  poverty,  yet 
lost  not  his  riches ;  rich  within,  poor 
without.  God  was  latent  in  riches  ;  man 
was  apparent  in  poverty. — By  that  blood 
we  have  lost  the  rags  of  iniquity,  that  we 
might  be  clothed  with  tlie  garment  of 
immortality.  Lest  we  should  not  dare 
with  our  poverty  to  approach  him,  who 
has  all  riches  in  his  hand,  he  exhibited 
himself  poor ;  that  is,  God  condescended 
to  take  upon  him  our  nature.  That  man 
might  return  to  internal,  spiritual  riches, 
God  condescended   to  appear  outwardly 


Taken  together,  they  demonstrate  him  to !  poor.    We  should  have  wanted  at  least  one 


have  been  eminently  endowed  with  ge- 
nius and  piety.  Like  Augustine,  whom 
he  seems  to  have  followed  as  his  model, 
he  abounds  both  in  profound  argumen- 
tation on  the  most  abstruse  and  dilficult 
subjects,  and  in  devout  and  fervent  medi- 
tations on  practical  godliness.  But  it 
will  not  be  so  much  adapted  to  the  pur- 
pose of  this  history  to  analyze  his  tracts, 
as  to  give  some  detached  passages 
matters  of  real  Chrisiian  importance. 

In  his  treatise  on  the  reason  why  God 
became  man,:j:  he  says,  "  I  see  that  the 
man  whom  we  seek  as  qualified  to  he  our 
Meditator  must  be  of  thi*  description  ;  he 
must  not  die  of  necessity,  because  he 
must  be  omnipotent;  nor  of  debt,  because 
he^must  not  be  a  sinner  ;  and  yet  he  must 
die  voluntarily,  because  it  was  necessary 
tliat  he  should  do  so,  as  Mediator." — 
"  As  it  is  necessary  that  man  should 
satisfy  for  the  sin  of  man,  therefore  none 
could  make  satisfaction,  but  he  who  was 
properly  man,  Adam,  himself,  or  one  of 


proof  of  his  tender  love  to  us,  unless  he 
had  taken  upon  him  our  poverty,  and  he 
himself  had  sustained,  for  a  time,  that 
indigence,  from  which  he  delivers  us." 

The  reader,  from  these  specimens,  may 
form  some  idea  of  the  felicity  of  thought, 
which  enabled  this  prelate  to  unite  prac- 
tical devotion  with  scholastic  theology, 
and  to  educe  the  most  cogent  motives  to 
on  gratitude  and  pious  affections  from  those 
mysterious  doctrines,  which  have  ever 
been  esteemed,  by  wise  and  holy  men, 
the  special  glory  of  Christianity. 

The  following  thought  tseems  to  throw 
no  small  light  on  some  of  the  most  sub- 
lime ideas  of  Scripture :  He  has  his  eye 
on  the  first  chapter  to  the  Ephesians. 
"  In  the  revelation  of  the  mystery  of  our 


*  See  Id.  \>.  4S.'5.      t  Anselm's  Mcditaiions. 
i  Cur  Deus  homo,  Lib.  2.  c.  11. 


Lord's  incarnation,  the  angels  themselves 
received  an  advancement  of  dignity. 
Even  their  joy  was  increased,  when  they 
began  to  receive  men  into  their  fellow- 
ship. Christ  indeed  died  not  for  angels  ; 
nevertheless,  the  fruits  of  his  redemption 


Idem.  c.  8.       f  De  Medit.  red.  hum.  c.  1. 
On  2  Cor.  viii. 


Ckxt.  XL] 


ANSELM. 


621 


tend  to  their  benefit.  The  enmity  which 
sin  had  caused  between  the  angelic  and 
human  nature,  is  done  away  ;  and  even 
from  the  redemption  of  men  the  loss  of 
the  ancient  ang-elic  ruin  is  repaired.  Thus 
heavenly  and  earthly  things  are  renewed  : 
those,  however,  only,  who  were  in  Christ 
elected  and  predestinated  before  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world,  obtain  this  benefit. 
For  in  him  they  always  were  and  are, 
whom  God  hath  chosen  from  eiernity." 

His  views  of  the  virtue  and  efficacy  of 
the  sacrifice  of  Christ  he  thus  expresses  :* 
"  Christ  was  made  sin  for  us,  that  is,  a 
sacrifice  for  sin.  For,  in  the  law,  the 
sacrifices  which  are  offered  for  sins,  are 
called  sins.  Hence  Christ  is  called  sin, 
because  he  was  offered  for  sin. — He  hath 
blotted  out  all  sin,  original  and  actual  ; 
hath  fulfilled  all  righteousness,  and  opened 
the  kingdom  of  heaven. — By  one  offering 
he  perfects  forever  :j"  for  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  that  victim  will  be  sufficient  for 
the  cleansing  of  all  his  people.  If  they 
sin  a  thousand  times,  they  need  no  other 
Saviour,  because  this  suffices  for  all 
things,  and  cleanses  every  conscience 
from  sin."  I  need  not  say  of  a  man  so 
holy  and  upright,  that  he  meant  not  to 
encourage  sin,  while  he  magnifies  the  sa- 
vour of  divine  peace,  through  the  blood 
of  Christ,  which  his  own  conscience  had 
experienced. 

"  Thoughrj:  all  who  were  to  be  saved 
could  not  be  present  when  Christ  made 
that  redemption,  yet  so  great  was  the 
virtue  of  that  death,  that  its  effects  are 
extended  to  those  who  are  absent  or  re- 
mote, in  regard  to  place  and  time." 

Hear  how  divinely  he  speaks  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  his  operations.  "  The 
Holy  Spirit  is  evidently  declared  to  be 
God,§  because,  unless  he  were  God,  he 
would  not  have  a  temple.  He  breathed 
on  them,  and  said  unto  them,  receive  ye 
the  Holy  Ghost."  II  As  if  he  had  said: 
As  ye  perceive  this  breath, — by  which  I 
intimate  to  you  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  spi- 
ritual objects  are  intimated  by  sensible 
things, — to  proceed  from  my  body,  so 
know  that  the  Holy  Spirit  proceeds  from 
my  Person,  even  from  the  secret  of  my 
Deity."  An  interpretation  worthy  of  him, 
who  confuted  the  Greeks  in  the  article  of 
the  procession  of  the  Holy  Spirit  from 
the  Son.  Indeed  every  precious  funda- 
mental of  Christianity  appears  in  his  wri- 


•  On  2  Cor.  v.  f  Heb.  x. 

i  B.  II.  Cur  Deus  homo,  c.  16. 

4  On  1  Cor.  vi.  ||  De  processu  Spiritus, 


tings.  Remove  the  rubbish  of  super- 
stition, and  view  the  inward  man;  and 
you  see  in  Anselm  all  that  is  vital  and 
essential  in  godliness.  Nor  is  he  content 
with  orthodoxy  of  sentiment :  let  us  hear 
how  he  pants  after  God,  and  learn  from 
him  to  ^apply,  by  prayer,  for  the  power 
of  the  doctrine  which  we  profess.* 
"  Draw  me.  Lord,  into  thy  love.  As  thy 
creature  I  am  thine  altogether ;  make  me 
to  be  so  in  love.  See,  Lord,  before  thee 
is  my  heart ;  it  struggles  ;  but,  of  itself, 
it  can  effect  nothing.  Do  thou  what  it 
cannot  do.  Admit  me  into  the  secret 
chamber  of  thy  love.  I  ask,  I  seek,  I 
knock.  Thou,  who  causest  me  to  ask, 
cause  me  to  receive.  Thou  givest  me  to 
seek,  give  me  to  find.  Thou  teachest  me 
to  knock,  open  to  me  knocking.  To 
whom  dost  thou  give,  if  thou  deniest  him 
who  askest?  Who  finds,  if  he  that 
seeks  is  disappointed  "?  To  whom  dost 
thou  open,  if  thou  shuttest  to  him  that 
knocks  ]  What  dost  thou  give  to  him, 
who  prays  not,  if  thou  deniest  thy  love  to 
him  who  prays  1  From  thee  I  have  the 
desire :  O,  may  I  have  the  frnition  f 
Stick  close  to  him;  stick  close,  importu- 
nately, my  soul."  Let  this  suffice  as  a 
specimen  of  those  groanings  which  can- 
not be  uttered, f  of  which  the  breast  of 
Anselm  was  conscious,  and  which,  ia 
every  age  of  the  Church,  have  beea 
known  by  the  real  people  of  God.  These 
groaninCTS  are  too  much  neo-lected  eveu 
where  they  are  not  altogether  contemned 
amongfmen;  but  they  are  deliirhtful  ia 
the  ears  of  the  heavenly  host,  and  inferior 
only  in  harmony  to  the  praises  of  just 
men  made  perfect. 

This  holy  personage  appears,  from  his 
comments  on  the  5th,  6th,  and  7th  Chap- 
ters to  the  Romans,  to  have  understood 
the  right  use  of  the  Law  and  the  Gospel; 
the  power  and  pollution  of  indwelling 
sin ;  its  augmentation  in  the  heart  from 
the  irritation  of  the  law  which  forbids 
evil ;  and  the  real  and  solid  relief  from 
guilt,  by  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ. 
These  subjects  are  well  understood,  that 
is,  sufficiently  for  all  practical  purposes, 
even  by  persons  who  have  no  pretensions 
to  skill  in  languages  or  criticism;  provided 
they  have  felt  the  lost  condition  of  fallen 
man,  and  have  been  taught  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  in  an  effectual  manner,  to  apply 
the  medicine  of  the  Gospel :  whereas 
they  are  altogether  hidden  from  the  wise 


*  De  Meditat  cap.  7.        f  Romans  viJi.  26. 


622 


HISTORY   OF  THE  CHURCH: 


[Chap.  V. 


and  prudent  of  this  world  ;*  from  men, 
who   may   possess    much   learning    and 
acuteness,  and  who  trust  in  the  strength 
of   their   own   knowledge   and    acquire- 
ments ;  but  whose  hearts  have  never  been 
truly  humbled,  or  opened]"  to  the  recep- 
tion of  spiritual  knowledge.     The  Apos- 
tle of  the  Gentiles  was  divinely  commis- 
sioned to  explain  the  important  points ; 
and  I  find  Anselm  to  have  known  tbem 
experimentally  ;   but,  let  it  suffice  just  to 
have  mentioned  these  things  in  this  place. 
They  have  been  copiously  illustrated  l)y 
many  writers  since  the  Reformation.     So 
various,  however,  and  so  abundant  was 
the  knowledge  of  Anselm  in  the  divine 
life,  that  he  wrote  with  no  less  precision 
on   practical,   than    on   mysterious    sub- 
jects.    Observe,  for  instance,  how  justly 
he  describes  the  evil  of  rash  judgment.| 
"  There  are  two  cases  in  which  we  ought 
to   guard   against  rash   judgment,   first, 
when  the  intention  of  him,  whom  we  are 
disposed  to  blame,  is  uncertain  ;   second 


which  subject  it  may  suffice  to  produce  a 
single  quotation  from  one  of  his  systema- 
tical  treatises.*     "  If,  as   it  is  evident, 
the  heavenly  city  must  receive  its  com- 
plete number  from  the  human  race  in  ad- 
dition to  the  angels  who  fell  not,  and  if 
this  be  impossible  without  a  satisfaction 
made  to  the  divine  Justice,  if  Clod  alone 
can   make   this   satisfaction,   if  man   is 
bound  in  justice  to  make  it,  it  follows 
that  the  Saviour  must  be  God-man."    So 
clearly  were  the  essentials  of  salvation 
discerned,  in  one  of  the  darkest  periods 
of  the  Church :  and  there  is  net  an  hum- 
ble soul,  in  any  age,  who  seeks  out  the 
works  of  the   Lord  with  admiration  and 
delight,  but  he  will  join  with  the  pious 
archbishop    in    his    meditation.      "  The 
wicked  sins,  and  the  just  is  punished ; 
the  impious  offends,  and  the  pious  is  con- 
demned ;   what  the  servant  perpetrates, 
the  master  compensates ;  in  fine,  the  evil 
which  man  commits,  of  that  evil  Christ 
endures    the   punishment."-)-      It   would 


ly,  when  it  is  uncertain  how  the  person  [carry  me  too  far  to  transcribe  all  his  de- 
will  turn  out  in  the  end,  who  is  the  pre-jvout  reflections  and  meditations  on  these 
sent  object  of  censure.  A  person,  for  [subjects.  One  remark,  however,  which 
instance,  refuses  to  fast,  complaining  of' glances  at  the   great  corruption  of  doc- 


his  bodily  infirmities ;  if  you,  disbelieving 
him,  impute  his  refusal  to  a  spirit  of  in- 
temperance, you  are  guilty  of  the  sin  of 
rash  judgment.  Moreover,  though  his 
gluttony  be  unquestionaljly  evident,  yet 
if  you  censure  him,  as  if  his  recovery  to 
holiness  were  impossible,  you  are  guilty 
of  censoriousness.     Let  us  not  then  cen- 


trine,  that  originated  from  the  mistaken 
philosophy  of  free-will,:t:  should  not  be 
omitted.  "  If  natural  possibility  by  free- 
will, as  the  wise  of  this  world  say,  be 
sufficient  unto  salvation,  both  for  know- 
ledge and  for  practice,  then  Christ  is 
dead  in  vain,  and  his  cross  is  of  none 
effect.    But  so  surely  as  human  salvation 


sure  things  which  are  dubious,  as  if  they  j  depends  on  the  cross,  so  surely  is  that 
were  certain;  nor  reprehend  even  mani-i  secular  wisdom  convicted  of  folly,  which 
FEST  evils  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  repre- 
sent them  absolutelj'  incurable.  Of  un- 
certain things,  those  are  most  prone  to 
judge  rashly  who  take  more  delight  in 
inveio-liino-  asfainst  what  is  amiss  than  in 
and  the  vice  of  censorious- 


correcting  It 

iiess  itself  may  be  traced   up  either  to 

pride  or  to  envy." 

On  the  awful  subject  of  predestination 
his  views  are  similar  to  those  of  Augus- 
tine.    Suffice  it  to  quote  a  single  sen- 
tence.    "It  cannot  be  investigated  why| 
God  comes  to  this  man  in  the  way  ofl 
mercy,  to  that  in  the  way  of  justice.    Fori 
no  creature  can  decide  why  he  hath  mercy  j 
on  this  person,  rather  than  on  that."§       j 

In  his  comments  on  the  fifth  Chapter 
of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  he  beauti- 
fully illustrates  the  all-important  doctrine 
of  justification   by  faith   in    Christ;    on 


1  Coi'iii.  i.  19. 
On  Rom.  xiv. 


+  Acts  xvi. 
§  Idem.  xi. 


14. 


knows  not  the  virtue  of  the  cross,  and 
substitutes  a  phantom  of  human  merit 
and  ability  in  its  room."§ 

"  We  sjjeak  the  wisdom  of  God  in  a 
mystery,"  says  St.  Paul.  The  real  doc- 
trine of  salvation  needs,  therefore,  a 
stronger  light  than  the  world,  weak  and 
distempered  in  discernment  as  it  is  by 

*  Cur  Deus  hnmo,  B.  2.  C.  6.      +  B.  Meditat. 

^  I  have  used  llio  term  free-will  in  this, 
and  in  soine  other  places,  in  compliance  with 
custom,  tlioU!j;h  tiie  expression  leads  to  a  con- 
fusion of  ideas  on  the  subject.  It  is  as  absurd 
to  talk,  of  the  freedom  of  the  will,  as  of  the 
freedom  of  lilierty  ;  for,  we  can  have  no  other 
rational  idea  of  freedom  in  men's  actions,  but 
that  of  their  being  TOLrNTAiiT.  If  men  act 
voluntaril)',  lliey  act  freely  ;  responsibility  is 
attached  to  what  is  voluntaut,  provided  the 
subject  be  of  sound  understanding.  Whea 
men  do  as  they  please,  they  are  answerable 
for  their  conduct.  This  is  a  simple  state  of 
the  case. — See  Locke's  Essay  on  Hum.  Under, 
and  Edwards  on  Free-will.         §  On  1  Cor.  i. 


Cext.  XL] 


ANSELM. 


623 


sin,  can  endure.  Hence  it  always  ap- 
pears foolish  to  the  natural  man.  Arc 
we  to  wonder,  therefore,  that  men  of  se- 
cular wisdom  should  despise  it?  That 
they  shoiild  call  the  ideas  of  8t.  Paul, 
which  Anselm  illustrates,  jejune,  syste- 
matical, abstruse,  unintelligible]  That 
they  should  pronounce  the  Christian  ex- 
perience, which  has  those  ideas  for  its 
illusory,  fanatical,  and  visionary  1 


basis 

There  have  not  been  wanting,  however, 
men  of  sound  intellect  and  of  solid  learn- 
ing, in  every  age,  who  have  found  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  to  be  the  power  of  God 
to  salvation.     Anselm  was  one  of  these. 
Amidst  the  gloom  of  superstition  with 
which  he  was  surrounded,  he  was  yet  en- 
abled to  describe,  and  vindicate  ever}^  fun- 
damental of  evangelical  doctrine:  though 
a  papist,  he  appeals  to  the  Scriptures : 
he  expounds  them,  by  opening  the  plain, 
grammatical  sense  of  St.  Paul ;   and   it 
behoves  men,  who  call  themselves  Pro- 
testant?, or  who   boast  of  the   superior 
light  of  this  age,  to  confute  his  argu- 
ments, or  at  least  to  own  that  they  do  not 
believe  the  Scriptures  to  be  divine.     If 
original  sin  be  a  true  doctrine,  it  is  to  be 
expected,  that  men  leaning  to  their  own 
understanding  would  reject  the  doctrine 
of  the  remedy  for  a  disease  which  they 
do  not  feel.     If  the  fever  of  pride  have 
caused   men   to  lose  all    sense  of  their 
fallen  condition,  ought  their  reasonincrs 
to  be  regarded  by  those  who  feel  what 
that  condition  is,  and  to  what  a  state  of 
misery  sin  has  reduced  them  ?    If  human 
powers,  by  the  natural  exertion  of  the 
will,  exclusively  of  grace,  be  indeed  suf- 
ficient to  guide  men  into  the  way  of  sal- 
vation,  then   the   principle   of   effectual 
grace  through  the  mediation  of  Christ, 
and  by  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
is  doubtless  unnecessary.    Let  experience 
therefore  decide  by  the  fruits.     Schemes 
and  theories  of  doctrine,  either  wholly  or 
partly  subversive  of  all  ideas  of  grace, 
have  long  been  patronized  by  persons  of 
great  celebrity  in  the   Christian  world. 
"What  have  these  schemes  and  theories 
done  for  mankind  1     Who,  among  these 
philosophers,  can  be  compared,  I  will  not 
say  with   many  Protestant   divines,  but 
even  with  Anselm,  who  lived,  under  a 
cloud  of  superstitious  disadvantages,  in 
humility,   sincerity,  piety,  charity,   and 
heavenly-mindednessl      It    is    allowed, 
even  by  his  enemies,  that  his  life  was  in 
the  right:   and  all  the  true  holiness  of 
practice  which  has  appeared  in  the  world, 


has  ever  originated  from  such  doctrines 
as  he  professed.  What  has  been  the  con- 
sequence of  doctrines  grafted  on  human 
merit  and  ability,  but  an  inundation  of 
vice  and  wickedness?  We  have  lived, 
indeed,  to  see  this  consequence  exhibited 
in  full  perfection  in  France.  Since  Chris- 
tian ideas  were  almost  exploded  there, 
that  country  has  been  one  vast  theatre  of 
all  that  is  execrable  among  men.  Even 
the  military  success  of  those  infidels  has 
only  propagated  misery ;  and  their  tri- 
umphs, like  those  of  Satan,  while  they 
multiply  the  calamities  of  others,  add 
only  a  fresh  accumulation  to  their  own. 
Is  it  the  same  thing  to  forbid  crimes,  as  to 
prevent  them,  ye  innovators  without  dis- 
cernment ?*  Is  it  the  same  thing  to  despise 
the  wisdom  of  antiquity,  as  to  understand 
it,  ye  philosophers  without  learning  1 

To  those  then  who  will  not  lend  a 
patient  ear  to  Christian  doctrine,  we  say 
it  is  divine;  it  has  proved  itself  so  to  be 
in  every  age;  the  proofs  of  it  lie  open  be- 
fore you,  examine  and  confute  if  you 
can.  And  among  these  proofs  we  adduce 
one  of  no  mean  importance,  namely,  that 
the  Gospel  stands  recommended  as  the 
medicine  of  our  nature  by  its  holy  effects. 
However  you  may  dislike  in  its  princi- 
ples, you  must  own,  if  at  all  attentive  to 
matter  of  fact,  that  it  teaches  men  in  real 
practice  to  live  soberly,  righteously,  and 
godly;  and  that  the  farther  men  remove 
from  its  system  in  their  views  of  reli- 
gion, the  more  rampant  do  they  grow  in 
wickedness  and  immorality. 

Reflections  of  this  sort  should  teach 
men  to  inquire,  with  serious  and  humble 
reverence,  both  into  the  nature  and  evi- 
dences of  Christianity;  and  persons  who 
feel  at  all  the  force  of  these,  or  similar 
observations,  will  find  it  their  duty  to 
pray  devoutly  for  the  divine  influences. 
In  this  spirit  of  devotion  Anselm  excell- 
ed ;  and  a  few  quotations  tending  to  illus- 
trate it  shall  close  this  article.  There 
were  some  others  in  the  eleventh  century 


*  The  innovators  here  alluded  to  were  con- 
tinually, IX  AvoKDs,  foiljidding  crimes,  and 
exhorting  citizens  lo  be  orderly,  he.  ;  while, 
TV  FACT,  iliey  taught  them  to  hate  and  despise 
the  true  preventives  of  crimes,  viz.  an  effective 
government,  a  strong  police,  and,  above  all, 
Uie  doctrine  of  the  eternal  punishments  of  the 
wicked.  All  this  time  the  multiplication  of 
the  most  flagitious  enorniilies  was  forming  a 
sea  without  a  shore,  which  at  length  swallowed 
up  the  preachers  themselves.  Such  are  the 
effects  of  chimerical  philosophy,  and  of  the 
contempt  of  ajtcient  wisdom  .' 


624 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


[Chap.  V. 


who  lived  and  who  wrote  in  a  similar 
taste;  but  his  eminent  superiority  over 
them  all  will  justify  me  in  omitting  the 
account  of  their  works.* 

He,  who  in  the  following'  manner, 
breathes  out  his  soul  in  prayer,  through 
the  Intercessor  and  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  and  so  seriously  rejects  the 
hope  of  any  other  advocate  than  the  Son 
of  God,  could  not  really  confide  in  the 
Virgin  Mary,  or  any  saint  or  angel,  but 
must  have  rested  in  Christ  alone,  how- 
ever difficult  it  may  be  to  explain  the 
consistency  of  his  sentiments  with  the 
fashionable  superstitions  of  the  times,  the 
infection  of  which  he  by  no  means  escap- 
ed entirely. 

"Thus,  Father  Almighty,  I  implore 
thee  by  the  love  of  thy  Almighty  Son ; 
bring  my  soul  out  of  prison,  that  I  may 
give  thanks  to  thy  name :  Free  me  from 
the  bonds  of  sin ;  I  ask  this  of  thee  by 
the  only  co-eternal  Son :  and  by  the  in- 
tercession of  thy  dearly  beloved  Son  who 
sitteth  at  thy  right  hand,  graciously  re- 
store to  life  a  wretch,  over  whom,  through 
his  own  demerits,  the  sentence  of  death 
impends.  To  what  other  intercessor  I 
can  have  recourse,  I  know  not,  except 
to  Him  who  is  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins.-j"  That  the  only  begotten  Son  should 
undertake  to  intercede  for  me  with  the 
eternal  Father,  demonstrates  him  to  be 
man;  and  that  he  should  succeed  in  his 
intercession,  shows  that  the  human  na- 
ture is  taken  into  union  with  the  Majesty 
of  the  Deity.":]: 

*  It  may,  perhaps,  be  not  improper  to  men- 
tion Bruno,  the  founder  of  the  severe  order 
of  Carthusians.  He  was  born  at  Cologne,  was 
chancellor  of  the  diocese  of  Rheims,  and  doc- 
tor of  divinity  there.  He  with  two  other  ca- 
nons prosecuted  Manasses,  archbishop  of  Co- 
logne, for  simony,  in  1077.  Manasses,  in  a 
rage,  brake  open  and  plundered  the  houses  of 
the  canons,  and  sold  tiieir  prebends.  He  was, 
however,  legally  deposed.  Bruno  was  offered 
the  vacant  archbishopric,  but  preferred  a  state 
of  solitude.  He  is  said,  also,  to  have  refused 
the  archbishopric  of  Reggio.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  uncommon  austerities  of  the  order, 
■which  he  instituted,  he  was  obliged  to  attend 
Pope  Urban  II.  formerly  his  scholar  at 
Rheims.  He  was  learned  in  Greek  and  He- 
brew, and  in  the  writings  of  the  fathers,  par- 
ticularly Ambrose  and  Augustine;  he  follow- 
ed the  system  of  the  latter  concerning  grace  ; 
■wrote  on  the  Psalter  and  St.  Paul's  Epistles; 
and  seems  to  have  been  unquestionably  ])ious 
and  heavenly-minded.    See  Butler,  Vol.  X. 

t  De  Vestiraent.  ^  Rom.  eh.  viii. 


He  addresses  the  Son  of  God  as  "  the 
Redeemer  of  captives,  the  Saviour  of  the 
lost,  the  hope  of  exiles,  the  strength  of  the 
distressed,  the  enlarger  of  the  enslaved 
spirit,  the  sweet  solace  and  refreshment 
of  the  mournful  soul,  the  crown  of  con- 
querors, the  only  reward  and  joy  of  all 
the  citizens  of  heaven,  the  copious  source 
of  all  grace."* 

The  Holy  Spirit  he  thus  addresses  in 
the  same  treatise.  "  Thee,  Holy  Spirit,  I 
implore,  if  through  my  weakness  I  have 
a  very  imperfect  understanding  of  the 
truth  of  thy  Majesty,  and  if  through  the 
concupiscence  of  sinful  nature,  I  have 
neglected  to  obey  the  Lord's  precepts 
when  understood,  that  thou  wouldst 
condescend  to  enlighten  me  with  thy  visi- 
tation, that  through  thee,  whom  I  have 
called  upon  as  my  succour,  in  the  danger- 
ous ocean  of  life,  I  may,  without  ship- 
wreck, arrive  at  the  shore  of  a  blessed  im- 
mortality." 

Could  the  pious  spirit,  who  believes 
and  longs  for  the  rest  which  remains  for 
the  people  of  God,  express  its  most  ar- 
dent breathings  in  language  more  adapted 
to  her  frame  than  the  following '{  "  Hasten 
the  time,  my  Saviour  and  my  God,  when 
what  I  now  believe  I  may  see  with  eyes 
uncovered;  what  I  now  hope  and  reve- 
rence at  a  distance,  I  may  apprehend ; 
what  I  now  desire,  according  to  the  mea- 
sure of  my  strength,  I  may  affectionately 
embrace  in  the  arms  of  my  soul,  and  that 
I  may  be  wholly  absorbed  in  the  abyss 


of  thy 


love 


I" 


t 


After  having  uttered  many  petitions,:): 
he  says,  "  I  have  asked  inany  good  things, 
my  Creator,  though  I  have  deserved 
many  evils.  Not  only  I  have  no  claim 
on  thee  for  these  good  things,  but  I  have 
merited  exquisite  punishments.  But  the 
case  of  publicans,  harlots,  and  robbers, 
in  a  moment  snatched  from  the  jaws  of 
the  enemy,  and  received  in  the  bosom  of 
the  Shepherd,  animates  my  soul  with  a 
cheering  hope." 

With  so  intuitive  a  glance  of  Christian 
faith  does  he  console  his  soul ! — It  is  in 
the  same  way  that  divine  mercy  is  appre- 
hended by  all  humble  and  penitent  spi- 
rits. The  person  of  Christ,  and  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  him  alone,  are 
the  objects  and  supports  of  confidence  in 
God. 


*  Spec.  Sermo  Evang.  C.  19. 

t  Spec.  Sermo  Evang.  C.  18.         t  B.  Medit. 


END  OF  VOL  I. 


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